Finding that little or nothing of the produce of the island was now brought to the ships, I resolved to change our station, and to wait Feenou’s return from Vavaoo, in some other convenient anchoring-place, where refreshments might still be met with.  Accordingly, in the forenoon of the 26th, we got under sail, and stood to the southward along the reef of the island, having fourteen and thirteen, fathoms water, with a sandy bottom.  However, we met with several detached shoals.  Some of them were discovered by breakers, some by the water upon them appearing discoloured, and others by the lead.  At half past two in the afternoon having already passed several of these shoals, and seeing more of them before us, I hauled into a bay that lies between the S. end of Lefooga and the N. end of Hoolaiva, and there anchored in seventeen fathoms water, the bottom a coral sand; the point of Lefooga bearing S.E. by E. a mile and a half distant.  The Discovery did not get to an anchor till sunset.  She had touched upon one of the shoals, but backed off again without receiving any damage.

As soon as we had anchored, I sent Mr Bligh to sound the bay where we were now stationed; and myself, accompanied by Mr Gore, landed on the southern part of Lefooga, to examine the country, and to look for fresh water.  Not that we now wanted a supply of this article, having filled all the casks at our late station; but I had been told that this part of the island could afford us some preferable to any we had got at the former watering-place.  This will not be the only time I shall have occasion to remark that these people do not know what good water is.  We were conducted to two wells, but the water in both of them proved to be execrable, and the natives, our guides, assured us that they had none better.

Near the S. end of the island, and on the W. side, we met with an artificial mount.  From the size of some trees that were growing upon it, and from other appearances, I guessed that it had been raised in remote times.  I judged it to be about forty feet high, and the diameter of its summit measured fifty feet.  At the bottom of this mount stood a stone, which must have been hewn out of coral rock.  It was four feet broad, two and a half thick, and fourteen high; and we were told by the natives present that not above half its length appeared above ground.  They called it Tangata Arekee,[163] and said that it had been set up, and the mount raised, by some of their forefathers, in memory of one of their kings, but how long since they could not tell.

[Footnote 163:  Tangata, in their language, is man; Arekee, king.]