On the 4th, at seven in the morning, we weighed, and, with a fresh gale at E.S.E., stood away for Annamooka, where we anchored next morning, nearly in the same station which we had so lately occupied.

I went on shore soon after, and found the inhabitants very busy in their plantations, digging up yams to bring to market; and, in the course of the day, about two hundred of them had assembled on the beach, and traded with as much eagerness, as during our late visit.  Their stock appeared to have been recruited much, though we had returned so soon; but instead of bread-fruit, which was the only article we could purchase on our first arrival, nothing was to be seen now but yams, and a few plantains.  This shews the quick succession of the seasons, at least of the different vegetables produced here, at the several times of the year.  It appeared also that they had been very busy while we were absent in cultivating, for we now saw several large plantain fields, in places which we had so lately seen lying waste.  The yams were now in the greatest perfection, and we procured a good quantity in exchanges for pieces of iron.

These people, in the absence of Toubou, whom we left behind us at Kotoo, with Poulaho and the other chiefs, seemed to be under little subordination.  For we could not perceive this day that one man assumed more authority than another.  Before I returned on board I visited the several places where I had sown melon seeds, and had the mortification to find that most of them were destroyed by a small ant; but some pine-apple plants, which I had also left, were in a thriving state.

About noon next day, Feenou arrived from Vavaoo.  He told us, that several canoes, laden with hogs and other provisions, which had sailed with him from that island, had been lost, owing to the late blowing weather, and that every body on board them had perished.  This melancholy tale did not seem to affect any of his countrymen who heard it, and, as to ourselves, we were by this time too well acquainted with his character to give much credit to such a story.  The truth probably was, that he had not been able to procure at Vavaoo the supplies which he expected; or, if he got any there, that he had left them at Hepaee, which lay in his way back, and where he could not but receive intelligence that Poulaho had been with us; who, therefore, he knew, would, as his superior, have all the merit and reward of procuring them, though he had not any share of the trouble.  The invention of this loss at sea was however well imagined, for there had lately been very blowing weather; insomuch, that the king, and other chiefs, who had followed us from Hepaee to Kotoo, had been left there, not caring to venture to sea when we did, but desired I might wait for them at Annamooka, which was the reason of my anchoring there this second time, and of my not proceeding directly to Tongataboo.