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A destructive pestilence having visited the island, two chiefs, one named Auura, built two canoes, and, with as many of the people as they could convey, left their native shores in search of a happier land, and to escape from their infuriated deities. After touching at Tubuai, they were cast on the reef surrounding Maurua.
Encircling barrier-reefs, like atolls, are generally elongated, with an irregularly rounded, though sometimes angular outline. At Tahiti the encircled island is thirty-six miles in its longest axis, whilst at Maurua it is only a little more than two miles.
The principal islands, about which the English had now spent somewhat more than three weeks, were six in number; Ulietea, Otaha, Bolabola, Huaheine, Tubai, and Maurua.
To these six islands, Ulietea, Otaha, Bolabola, Huaneine, Tubai, and Maurua, as they lie contiguous to each other, I gave the names of Society Islands, but did not think it proper to distinguish them separately by any other names than those by which they were known to the natives.
MAURUA, in the Society Archipelago; from the survey by Captain Duperrey in the "Coquille:" height of land about eight hundred feet. POUYNIPETE, or SENIAVINE, in the Caroline Archipelago; from the survey by Admiral Lutke.
Whaneanea : North-North-East. Ohevatoutua : East by North. *Tethuroa : North by West. Oonnah : North by West. Obaha : North by West. Maataah : North by West. *Huiheine : Between the North and West. *Ulietea : Between the North and West. *Otaha : Between the North and West. *Bolabola : Between the North and West. *Tubai : Between the North and West. *Maurua : Between the North and West.
The object of Tupia appeared to be that of showing his resentment against the king of that island, as well as of exhibiting the power of his new allies. To the six islands which had been visited or seen, namely, Ulietea, Otaha, Bolabola, Huaheine, Tubai, and Maurua, Captain Cook gave the name of the Society Islands.
It will be perceived more clearly by inspecting the following sections which are real ones, taken in north and south lines, through the islands with their barrier-reefs, of Vanikoro, Gambier, and Maurua; and they are laid down, both vertically and horizontally, on the same scale of a quarter of an inch to a mile. Vanikoro. 2. Gambier Islands. 3. Maurua.
At this time we discovered an Island which bore from us North 63 degrees West, distant about 8 Leagues: at the same time the Peak of Bolabola bore North 1/2 East, distance 3 or 4 Leagues. This Island Tupia calls Maurua, and according to his account it is but small, and surrounded by a Reef of Rocks, and hath no Harbour fit for Shipping.
There is one important point in the structure of barrier-reefs which must here be considered. The accompanying diagrams represent north and south vertical sections, taken through the highest points of Vanikoro, Gambier, and Maurua Islands, and through their encircling reefs. The scale both in the horizontal and vertical direction is the same, namely, a quarter of an inch to a nautical mile.