On 29th March, a small island Cook calls Manganouia was discovered in 21 degrees 57 minutes South, 201 degrees 53 minutes East (Burney gives 21 degrees 54 minutes South, 202 degrees 6 minutes East.) but the landing-places were too dangerous on account of the surf.  A native came on board who was able to converse with Omai, and said they had plenty of plantains and taro, but neither yams, hogs, nor dogs.  He unfortunately fell over a goat, which he took to be a large bird, and was so frightened he had to be put ashore.  The next day another island was seen, and as they were very short of fodder for the animals, Gore was sent to see if trade could be opened up with the inhabitants.  In this he was fairly successful, and obtained a quantity of plantain stems, which were found to be a satisfactory substitute for grass; but the trading was not brisk, for the people wished to receive dogs in return, and it was evident that though they had none, they knew what they were.  They were afraid of the horses and cattle, and took the sheep and goats for some kind of large birds.  A party went ashore and were treated fairly well, but when they wished to return to their boats all sorts of difficulties were raised, and Cook credits Omai with their safe return; for it seems he gave judiciously boastful replies to the many questions that were asked him, and at the psychological moment exploded a handful of powder, with the result that opposition to their departure was withdrawn.  Burney says Omai was most useful on a landing party, as he was a good sportsman and cook, and was never idle.  After this experience Cook would not run further risks, so made for a small uninhabited island where some vegetables were obtained and branches of trees, which, cut into short lengths, were eagerly eaten by the cattle, and Cook says:  “It might be said, without impropriety, that we fed our cattle on billet wood.”  Payment for what had been taken was left in a deserted village.

On 6th April they reached Hervey’s Island, and were somewhat surprised to be visited by several canoes, as on Cook’s previous visit no signs of inhabitants had been noticed.  Omai gathered from one or two natives who came on board to sell a few fish, that the Resolution and Adventure had been seen in 1776 when passing the island.  King was sent to look for a landing-place, but, seeing that the women were quietly bringing down arms to their menfolk on the beach, he thought it better to return to the ship, and sail was made for the Friendly Islands, the Discovery being sent on about a league ahead, as she was better able “to claw off a lee shore than mine.”  At this time Cook was getting rather short of water, so he set the still to work, and obtained from “13 to 16 gallons of fresh water” between 6 A.M. and 4 P.M.  “There has lately been made some improvement, as they are pleased to call it, to this machine, which in my opinion is much for the worse.”  Falling in with repeated thunderstorms in which they caught more water in an hour “than by the still in a month, I laid it a side as a thing attended with more trouble than profit.”