James Cook - A Journal of the proceedings of His Majesty's Bark Endeavour on a voyage round the world, by Lieutenant James Cook, Commander, commencing the 25th of May 1768 - 23 Oct. 1770: No. 133

Ohetiroa

future navigators & from the Hostile & thievish disposition of the Natives it appeard that we could have no friendly intercourse with them until they had felt the Smart of our Fire Arms a thing that would have been very unjustifiable in me at this Time, we therefore hoisted in the Boat & made sail to the Southward. ~

Their Island is situatted in the Latitude of 22o.27'S.º. & in the Longitude of 150:47W from the Meridian of Greenwich it is 13 Miles in Circuit & tolerable high, it appears to be neither Populous nor fertile, its produce seem'd to be nearly the same as the other Islands we have touched at & likewise the Stature, Colour, Habit & Arms of the Natives only that some of them wore pieces of Cloth like broad belts different both in Shape & Colour to anything of the Kind we had seen before, & their Arms & in general everything they had about them much neater made & Shew'd great proofs of an ingenious fancy ~

Tupia says that their are several Islands laying at diff.t directions from this that is from the Sº. to the W. & NW. & that 3 days sail to the NE is an Island called Mannua that is Bird Island & that it was 4 days sail from Ulietea which is one day less than from Ulietea to Ohetiroa from this acco.t I shall be able to find the Situation of Mannua pretty well, Since we have left Ulietea Tupia has been very desirous for us to Steer to the Westward & tells us if we will go that way we shall be with Plenty of Islands, the most of these he himself hath been at & from the discription he gives of two of them they must be those discover'd by Capt. Wallace & by him called Borcawen & Kepple's Islands & those do not lay less than 400 Leag.s to the Westward of Ulieteas he says that they are 10 or 12 days in getting thither & 30 or more in coming Back & that their Pahu's that is their Large canoes sails much faster than this Ship, all this I believe to be true & therefore they may with Ease sail 40 Leagues a day or more ~

The farthest Island to the Southward that Tupia hath been at or knows any thing of lies but 2 days Sail from Ohetiroa & is called Moutuo but he says that his father once told him that there was Islands to the Southward of it but we Cannot find that he either knows or ever heard of a Continent or Large Track of Land. I have no reason to doubt Tupia's information of these Islands for when we left Ulietea & Steer'd to the Southward he told us that if we would keep a little more to the East/ which the wind would not permit us to do/ we should see Mannua but as we then steer'd we should see Ohetiroa which hapned accordingly. If we meet with the Islands to the Southward he speaks off. being now fully resolv'd to stand directly to the Southward in search of the Continent ~