Rokoa had laid in for
purposes of his own.

"The commencement of the voyage was pleasant and auspicious. We set out
in the morning, with a fine westerly breeze, which is of rare occurrence
in that latitude, and early in the afternoon we passed the high island
of Meetia, just in sight to the southward, showing that we had made at
least seventy miles, in about nine hours. The wind continued steady and
fair, and the next day at sunset, we reached Anaa. Here we remained
only long enough to enable Rokoa to obtain all the information to be
had, that promised to throw any light upon the fate of his brother. All
that could be learned was, that a canoe from Tahiti had touched here
several months since, and after obtaining a supply of water, had
immediately sailed for Motutunga, or Adventure Island, but from the
description given us of the canoe, and of the number and appearance of
her company, there was little reason to believe that this was the party
with which Rokoa's brother had embarked. Barton being anxious to
improve the favourable breeze, which still continued to blow with
unwonted steadiness from such a quarter, we resumed our voyage, and
steered eastward for Hao, on the day after our arrival at Anaa.

"That night the weather suddenly changed, and a storm arose, the wind
blowing strongly from the south-west. Our crew became alarmed, and a
part of them began to clamour to return to Anaa, which we might have
done, by three or four hours' incessant paddling, in the teeth of the
gale. Rokoa, however, believed that the weather would change again in
the morning, and determined to continue on our course; we accordingly
ran before the wind, with barely sufficient sail to keep the canoe
steady, and enable us to steer her. The storm continued without
intermission or abatement for the next twenty-four hours, contrary to
Rokoa's prediction; and to avoid the danger of being swamped, we were
obliged still to keep running before it. The second night, at sunset,
the wind fell, and in the morning, the sea had become tolerably smooth,
with only a moderate breeze blowing. But though the gale had ceased,
the weather was still thick, and the sky so obscured by clouds that we
could not see the sun, or even fix upon the quarter of the heavens in
which he stood. Thus, those means upon which the natives are wont to
rely for directing their course upon their long voyages, wholly failed
us. The canoe was furnished with a small ship's