noon, when we anchored abreaft of the wefternmofl; opening or lagoon,
mentioned in our former vifit to this ifland, called by the natives 0-poO'
ro-ah, and which had fince been reported to us, by the natives, as ca-
pable of admitting veflels by warping into it. About half a mile from
the reef that binds thefe fhores, we found the foundings irregular from
5 to 15 fathoms, rocky bottom; but where the fhip rode, the bottom
was tolerably even, and compofed of fand and coral ; the depth of wa-
ter, about half a league from the reef, was 25 fathoms. The e'ening
was too faft approaching to invefligate the truth of the report given by
the natives. This was deferred until day-light the next morning, when
Mr. Whidbey, with two armed boats, accompanied by Tomohomo/io,
was difpatched for that purpofe.
The part of the ifland oppofite to us was low, or rather only mode- rately elevated, forming a level country between the mountains that compofe the eafl; and weft ends of the ifland. This tra6l of land was of fome extent, but did not feem to be populous, nor to pofTefs any great degree of natural fertility ; although we were told that, at a little dif- tance from the fea, the foil is rich, and all the neccflaries of life are abundantly produced.
Whilft we remained in this fituation, a few only of the natives paid us their refpe6ls ; their canoes were fmall and indifferent, and their vifit was that of curiofity only, as they were furnifhed with little for barter.
Mr. Whidbey returned in the forenoon. He found the opening in the reef, about four hundred yards wide, to be occupied by a fandy bar about two hundred yards acrofs, on which there was not more than nine or ten feet water ; but on each fide of it the water fuddcnly increa- (ed in depth to 5 and foon to 10 fathoms. Thefe foundings were re- gular on each fide of the bar ; on the infide the bottom is a ftiff mud, or clay ; this, with the fame foundings, continued to the entrance of a fmall harbour about half a mile within the bar, formed by two low fandy points, about the fame diftance afunder. From each of thefe fandy points extended a fliallow flat, near a cable's length on cither fide, contrafting the width of the deep-water channel to not more than the fourth
