At day-break, the next morning, I weighed with a fine breeze at E.N.E. and stood to the westward, with a view to return to Annamooka, by the track we had already experienced.  We were followed by several sailing canoes, in one of which was the king.  As soon as he got on board the Resolution, he enquired for his brother, and the others who had remained with us all night.  It now appeared that they had stayed without his leave, for he gave them, in a very few words, such a reprimand as brought tears from their eyes, and yet they were men not less than thirty years of age.  He was, however, soon reconciled to their making a longer stay, for, on quitting us, he left his brother, and five of his attendants, on board.  We had also the company of a chief just then arrived from Tongataboo, whose name was Tooboueitoa.  The moment he arrived he sent his canoe away, and declared, that he and five more, who came with him, would sleep on board, so that I had now my cabin filled with visitors.  This, indeed, was some inconvenience; but I bore with it more willingly, as they brought plenty of provisions with them as presents to me, for which they always had suitable returns.

About one o’clock in the afternoon, the easterly wind was succeeded by a fresh breeze at S.S.E.  Our course now being S.S.W. or more southerly, we were obliged to ply to windward, and did but just fetch the N. side of Footooha by eight o’clock, where we spent the night, making short boards.

The next morning we plyed up to Lofanga, where, according to the information of our friends, there was anchorage.  It was one o’clock in the afternoon before we got soundings under the lee or N.W. side, in forty fathoms water, near half a mile from the shore; but the bank was steep, and the bottom rocky, and a chain of breakers lay to leeward.  All these circumstances being against us, I stretched away for Kotoo, with the expectation of finding better anchoring ground under that island.  But so much time had been spent in plying up to Lofanga, that it was dark before we reached the other; and finding no place to anchor in, the night was spent as the preceding one.

At day-break on the 31st I stood for the channel, which is between Kotoo and the reef of rocks that lie to the westward of it; but, on drawing near, I found the wind too scant to lead us through.  I therefore bore up on the outside of the reef, and stretched to the S.W. till near noon, when, perceiving that we made no progress to windward, and being apprehensive of losing the islands with so many of the natives on board, I tacked and stood back, intending to wait till some more favourable opportunity.  We did but just fetch in with Footooba, between which and Kotoo we spent the night, under reefed top-sails and fore-sail.  The wind blew fresh, and by squalls, with rain; and we were not without apprehensions of danger.  I kept the deck till midnight, when I left it to the master, with such directions as I thought