As the wind continued to blow very fresh, we thought it dangerous to entangle ourselves with a lee-shore; and therefore did not attempt to examine the bay, but hauled up, and steered to the northward, in the direction of the coast. At noon, we were abreast of the north point of the island, about two leagues from the land, which is low and flat, and has a reef stretching off it to the distance of near a mile and a half. The latitude, by observation, 21° 50ʹ north, longitude 202° 15ʹ east; the extreme parts of the island in sight, bearing south south-east, quarter east, and south-west by south, three-quarters west. Between the north point and a distant headland, which we saw to the south-west, the land bends inward considerably, and appeared likely to afford a good road. We therefore directed our course along the shore, at the distance of about a mile, carrying regular soundings from twenty to thirteen fathoms. At a quarter past two, the sight of a fine river, running through a deep valley, induced us to come to an anchor in thirteen fathoms water, with a sandy bottom; the extreme points of the bay bearing south-west by west half west, and north-east by east three-quarters east; and the mouth of the river south-east half east, one mile distant. In the afternoon, I attended the two captains on shore, where we found but few of the natives, and those mostly women; the men, they told us, were gone to Morotoi to fight Tahyterree; but that their chief Perreeoranee, who had stayed behind, would certainly visit us, as soon as he heard of our arrival. We were much disappointed to find the water had a brackish taste for two hundred yards up the river, owing to the marshy ground through which it empties itself into the sea. Beyond this, it was perfectly fresh, and formed a fine running stream, along the side of which I walked, till I came to the conflux of two small rivulets, that branched off to the right and left of a remarkably steep and romantic mountain. The banks of this river, and indeed the whole we saw of the north-west part of Woahoo, are well cultivated, and full of villages; and the face of the country is uncommonly beautiful and picturesque. As the watering at this place would have been attended with great labour, I was sent to examine the coast to leeward; but not being able to land, on account of a reef of coral, which stretched along the shore to the distance of half a mile, Captain Clerke determined, without farther loss of time, to proceed to Atooi. At eight in the morning we weighed, and stood to the northward, till day-light on the 28th, when we bore away for that island, which we were in sight of by noon; and about sunset, were off its eastern extremity, which shews itself in a fine, green, flat point.