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Sounded all round the ship and found the ground to be a coarse coral bottom, but with even soundings. By this time some large sailing canoes were arrived from different islands in the neighbourhood of Annamooka; and an old lame man named Tepa, whom I had known in 1777 and immediately recollected, came on board. Two other chiefs whose names were Noocaboo and Kunocappo were with him.
Feenou, however, was a chief of great note and influence. By Poulaho Captain Cook was invited to pass over to Tongataboo, which request he complied with after he had touched, for two or three days, at Annamooka. In the passage, the Resolution was insensibly drawn upon a large flat, on which lay innumerable coral rocks of different depths below the surface of the water.
He received the greatest civilities from Toobou, the chief of Annamooka; and Taipa, a chief from the Island of Komango, attached himself to the English in so extraordinary a manner, that, in order to be near them in the night, as well as in the day, he had a house brought on men's shoulders, a full quarter of a mile, and placed close to the shed, which was occupied by our party on shore.
The wind being to the southward we could not fetch Annamooka, at which island I intended to stop, before the evening of the 23rd, when we anchored in the road in twenty-three fathoms, the extremes of Annamooka bearing east by north and south by east, our distance from the shore being half a league.
As the ships were returning, on the 31st, from these islands to Annamooka, the Resolution was very near running full upon a low sandy isle, called Pootoo Pootooa, surrounded with breakers.
This happy situation of things was undoubtedly owing to the unremitting attention of our commander, in seeing that no circumstance was neglected, which could contribute to the preservation of the health of his company. On the 28th of April, Captain Cook touched at the Island of Komango; and, on the 1st of May, he arrived at Annamooka.
On the 6th our commander was visited by a great chief from Tongataboo, whose name was Feenou, and who was falsely represented, by Taipa, to be the king of all the Friendly Isles. The only interruption to the harmony which subsisted between our people and the natives of Annamooka arose from the thievish disposition of many of the inhabitants.
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