We continued to ply to windward, between the two tides, without either gaining or losing an inch, till near high water, when, by a favourable slant, we got into the eastern tide’s influence.  We expected, there, to find the ebb to run strong to the eastward in our favour, but it proved so inconsiderable, that, at any other time, it would not have been noticed.  This informed us, that most of the water which flows into the lagoon, comes from the N.W., and returns the same way.  About five in the afternoon, finding that we could not get to sea before it was dark, I came to an anchor, under the shore of Tongataboo, in forty-five fathoms water, and about two cables length from the reef, that runs along that side of the island.  The Discovery dropped anchor under our stern; but before the anchor took hold, she drove off the bank, and did not recover it till after midnight.

We remained at this station till eleven o’clock the next day, when we weighed, and plyed to the eastward.  But it was ten at night before we weathered the east end of the island, and were enabled to stretch away for Middleburgh, or Eooa, (as it is called by the inhabitants,) where we anchored, at eight o’clock in the next morning, in forty fathoms water, over a bottom of sand, interspersed with coral rocks; the extremes of the island extending from N. 40 deg.  E., to S. 22 deg.  W.; the high land of Eooa, S. 45 deg.  E.; and Tongataboo, from N. 70 deg.  W., to N. 19 deg.  W., distant about half a mile from the shore, being nearly the same place where I had my station in 1773, and then named by me, English Road.

We had no sooner anchored, than Taoofa, the chief, and several other natives, visited as on board, and seemed to rejoice much at our arrival.  This Taoofa[172] had been my Tayo, when I was here, during my last voyage; consequently, we were not strangers to each other.  In a little time, I went ashore with him, in search of fresh water, the procuring of which was the chief object that brought me to Eooa.  I had been told at Tongataboo, that there was here a stream, running from the hills into the sea; but this was not the case now.  I was first conducted to a brackish spring, between low and high water mark, amongst rocks, in the cove where we landed, and where no one would ever have thought of looking for what we wanted.  However, I believe the water of this spring might be good, were it possible to take it up before the tide mixes with it.  Finding that we did not like this, our friends took us a little way into the island, where, in a deep chasm, we found very good water; which, at the expence of some time and trouble, might be conveyed down to the shore, by means of spouts or troughs, that could be made with plantain leaves, and the stem of the tree.  But, rather than to undertake that tedious task, I resolved to rest contented with the supply the ships had got at Tongataboo.

[Footnote 172:  In the account of Captain Cook’s former voyage, he calls the only chief he then met with, at this place, Tioony.—­D.]