The consideration of these facts sufficiently explains, how the knowledge of iron has been conveyed throughout this ocean to islands which never have had an immediate intercourse with Europeans; and it may easily be conceived, that wherever the history of it only has been reported, or a very small quantity of it has been left, the greater eagerness will be shewn by the natives to get copious supplies of it.  The application of these particulars to the instance now under consideration, is obvious.  The people of Atooi and Oneeheow, without having ever been visited by Europeans before us, might have received it from intermediate islands lying between them and the Ladrones, which have been frequented by the Spaniards almost ever since the date of Magalhaens’s voyage.  Or if the distant western situation of the Ladrones should render this solution less probable, is there not the extensive continent of America to windward, where the Spaniards have been settled for more than two hundred years; during which long period of time, shipwrecks must have frequently happened on its coasts?  It cannot be thought at all extraordinary, that part of such wrecks containing iron, should, by the easterly trade wind, be, from time to time, cast upon islands scattered about this vast ocean.  The distance of Atooi from America is no argument against this supposition.  But even if it were, it would not destroy it.  This ocean is traversed every year by Spanish ships; and it is obvious, that, besides the accident of losing a mast and its appendages, casks with iron hoops, and many other things containing iron, may be thrown or may fall overboard during so long a passage, and thus find their way to land.  But these are not mere conjectures and possibilities; for one of my people actually did see some wood in one of the houses at Wymoa, which he judged to be fir.  It was worm-eaten, and the natives gave him to understand, that it had been driven ashore by the waves of the sea; and we had their own express testimony, that they had got the inconsiderable specimens of iron, found amongst them, from some place to the eastward.

From this digression (if it can be called so) I return to the observations made during our stay at Atooi; and some account must now be given of their canoes.  These, in general, are about twenty-four feet long, and have the bottom, for the most part, formed of a single piece or log of wood, hollowed out to the thickness of an inch, or an inch and a half, and brought to a point at each end.  The sides consist of three boards, each about an inch thick, and neatly fitted and lashed to the bottom part.  The extremities, both at head and stern, are a little raised, and both are made sharp, somewhat like a wedge; but they flatten more abruptly; so that the two sideboards join each other side by side, for more than a foot.  As they are not more than fifteen or eighteen inches broad, those that go single (for they sometimes join them as at the other islands) have outriggers, which are shaped and fitted with more judgment than any I had before seen.  They are rowed by paddles, such as we had generally met with; and some of them have a light triangular sail, like those of the Friendly Islands, extending to a mast and boom.  The ropes used for their boats, and the smaller cords for their fishing-tackle, are strong and well made.