captain cook’s second voyage.

579

this time, his fnip had only three men on the fick lift, and only one of them attackedwith the fcurvy. Several more, however, began to ffiew fymptoms of it, and wereput upon the wort, marmalade of carrots, rob of lemons and oranges.

To introduce any new article of food among fearnen, let it be ever fo much fortheir good, requires both the example and authority of a commander; without bothof which, it will be dropt before the people are fenfible of the benefits refulting from it.Many of the people, officers as well as feamen, at firft dilliked celery, fcurvy-grafs, &c.being boiled in the peas and wheat; and fome refufed to eat it. But as this had noeffe£t on Captain Cook ’s conduct, this obftinate kind of prejudice by little and littleWore off; they began to like it as well as the others.

On the 6th of Auguft, Captain Cook fent for Captain Furneaux to dinner; fromwhom he learnt that his people were much better, the flux having left them ; and thefcurvy was at a ftand. Some cyder which he happened to have, and which he gaveto the fcorbutic people, contributed not a little to this happy change. The weatherto-day was cloudy, and the wind very unfettled. This feemed to announce theapproach of the fo much wiflied for trade-wind; which, at eight o’clock in theevening, after two hours calm, and fome heavy Ihowers of rain, they actually got atfouth-eaft.

The fickly ftate of the Adventure’s crew made it neceffary to make their beft way toOtaheite , where they were fure of finding refrefhments. Confequently they con-tinued their courfe to the weft ; and at fix o’clock in the evening, land was feen fromthe maft-head, bearing weft by fouth. Probably this was one of Bougainville ’s dis-coveries. Captain Cook called it Doubtful Ifland; the getting to a place wherethey could procure refreffiments was more an object at this time than difcovery.

At day-break on the 12th, they difcovered land right a-head, diftant about twowiles; fo that day-light advifed them of their danger but juft in time. This provedanother of thefe low or half-drowned iflands, or rather a large coral Ihoal, of abouttwenty leagues in circuit.

The next morning at four they made fail, and at day-break faw another of thefelow iflands, which obtained the name of Adventure Ifland. M. de Bougainville veryproperly calls this low duller of overflowed ifles the Dangerous Archipelago. Thetruoothnefs of the fea fufficiently convinced them that they were furrounded by them,and how neceffary it was to proceed with the utmoft caution, efpecially in the

night.

_ On the 15th, at five o’clock in the morning, they faw Ofnaburg Ifland, or Maitea,difcovered by Captain Wallis. Soon after they brought to, and waited for the Adven-ture to come up with them, to acquaint Captain Furneaux, that it was his intention toput into Oaiti-piha Bay, near the fouth-eaft end of Otaheite , in order to get whatrefreffiments they could from that part of the ifland, before they went down to Matavia.This done, they made fail, and at fix in the evening faw the ifland bearing weft.They continued to ftand on till midnight, when they brought to, till four o’clock in*he morning; and then made fail in for the land with a fine breeze at eaft.

At day-break, they found themfelves not more than half a league from the reef.This made it neceffary to hoift out their boats to tow the ffiips off; but all their effortsj^re not fufficient to keep them from being carried near the reef. A number of the^habitants came off in canoes from different parts, bringing with them a little fift,a few cocoa-nuts, and other fruits, which they exchanged for nails, beads, &c. Moll offfiem knew Captain Cook again; and many enquired for Mr. Banks and others, whoWer e with him before; but not one alked for Tupia.

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