within the island of Motuara, which bears east of it.  Ship Cove may be entered, either between Motuara and a long island, called by the natives Hamote, or between Motuara and the western shore.  In the last of these channels are two ledges of rocks, three fathom under water, which may easily be known by the sea-weed that grows upon them.  In sailing either in or out of the Sound, with little wind, attention must be had to the tides, which flow about nine or ten o’clock at the fall and change of the moon, and rise and fall between seven and eight feet perpendicularly.  The flood comes in through the streight from the S.E. and sets strongly over upon the north-west head, and the reef that lies off it:  The ebb sets with still greater rapidity to the S.E. over upon the rocks and islands that lie off the south-east head.  The variation of the compass we found from good observation to be 13 deg. 5’ E.

The land about this Sound, which is of such a height that we saw it at the distance of twenty leagues, consists wholly of high hills and deep vallies, well stored with a variety of excellent timber, fit for all purposes except masts, for which it is too hard and heavy.  The sea abounds with a variety of fish, so that without going out of the cove where we lay, we caught every day, with the seine and hooks and lines, a quantity sufficient to serve the whole ship’s company:  And along the shore we found plenty of shags, and a few other species of wild-fowl, which those who have long lived upon salt provisions will not think despicable food.

The number of inhabitants scarcely exceeds four hundred, and they live dispersed along the shores, where their food, consisting of fish and fern roots, is most easily procured; for we saw no cultivated ground.  Upon any appearance of danger, they retire to their Hippahs, or forts; in this situation we found them, and in this situation they continued for some time after our arrival.  In comparison of the inhabitants of other parts of this country, they are poor, and their canoes are without ornament; the little traffic we had with them was wholly for fish, and indeed they had scarcely any thing else to dispose of.  They seemed, however, to have some knowledge of iron, which the inhabitants of some other parts had not; for they willingly took nails for their fish, and sometimes seemed to prefer it to every thing else that we could offer, which had not always been the case.  They were at first very fond of paper; but when they found that it was spoiled by being wet, they would not take it:  Neither did they set much value upon the cloth of Otaheite; but English broad-cloth, and red kersey, were in high estimation; which shewed that they had sense enough to appreciate the commodities which we offered by their use, which is more than could be said of some of their neighbours, who made a much better appearance.  Their dress has been mentioned already, particularly their large round head-dresses of feathers, which were far from being unbecoming.