At Annamooka, on board 0 deg. 30’ 3 1/2"E,
     Anchor off Kotoo, between Annamooka
       and Hepaee 0 12 29 1/2
     Anchor off Leefooga 10 11 40
     Tongataboo, on board 9 44 5 1/2
     Ditto, on shore 10 12 58

I can assign no reason why the variation is so much less at and near Annamooka, than at either of the two places.  I can only say, that there is no fault in the observations; and that the variation ought to be more at Annamooka than the above, as it has been found to be so to the northward, southward, eastward, and westward of it.  But disagreements in the variation, greater than this, even in the same needle, have been often observed.  And I should not have taken notice of this instance, but from a belief that the cause, whatever it is, exists in the place, and not in the needles, for Mr Bayley found the same, or rather more difference.

The tides are more considerable at these islands, than at any other of my discoveries in this ocean, that lie within the tropics.  At Annamooka it is high water, on the full and change days, nearly at six o’clock; and the tide rises and falls there, upon a perpendicular, about six feet.  In the harbour of Tongataboo, it is high water on the full and change days, at fifty minutes past six.  The tide rises and falls on those days, four feet nine inches, and three feet six inches at the Quadratures.  In the channels between the islands, which lie in this harbour, it flows near tide and half-tide, that is, the flood continues to run up near three hours, after it is high water by the shore, and the ebb continues to run down, after it is flood by the shore.  It is only in these channels, and in a few other places near the shores, that the motion of the water or tide is perceivable, so that I can only guess at the quarter from which the flood comes.  In the road of Annamooka, it sets W.S.W., and the ebb the contrary; but it falls into the harbour of Tongataboo from the N.W., passes through the two narrow channels, on each side of Hoolaiva, where it runs with considerable rapidity, and then spends itself in the lagoon.  The ebb returns the same way, and runs with rather greater force.  The N.W. tide is met, at the entrance of the lagoon, by one from the E.; but this, as I have before observed, was found to be very inconsiderable.[193]

[Footnote 193:  Tongataboo has been visited several times by Europeans since Cook’s last voyage, viz. by Perouse, in 1787; by Captain Edwards, in 1791; by D’Entrecasteaux, in 1793; and by some of the missionaries, in 1797.  From the accounts furnished by some of these visits, several particulars might have been added to what has now been delivered.  But they are comparatively unimportant, and did not seem to warrant any specific regard.  Besides, if they had been more considerable, it would have been improper to anticipate what belongs to another part of our work.  On the whole, however, the information given by Captain Cook, and his associate Mr Anderson, will ever be esteemed a faithful and very valuable description of an interesting island and people.—­E.]