Toahroah Harbour Apr 5, 1789 Home Logbook Remarks Apr 5, 1789
Revised Jun 30 2021
[291 continued)]
The West point of Toahroah Harbour is the East point of Taowne, but there is no passage between the two but for Boats. The Entrance into this Harbour is fair and Safe between the outer Barrier of Reefs, and may be known by a very uncommon and remarkable Mountain called Wawry which bears SSE from it and lies in a very extraordinary manner between the two principal high lands of this part of the Country.
It lies open to the NW, but by mooring as far to the Eastward as possible I think two ships may lie more Secure here during the bad Season than at Matavai. The lee part of the Beach is very Steep and this is always the sign of an unsafe anchorage, at least that there is a heavy Sea
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runs on at some particular times. This place is also watered by a fine River. I imagine it is between 4 and miles from Matavai Point. And Anchorage from 15 to 5 fms.
Note. The loss of my ship has rendered my description of these places very imperfect, for having only had time to complete up my General Observation Book on my passage to the Friendly Islands my remarks were of course not copied into this, and with them likewise is gone a most correct Survey of the whole coast from Point Venus to the West part of Taowne highly Valuable to any one that might come after me, so that from page 288 the whole I have been able to remark is from memory.
From my observations in this Log which agree with my other experience of Tropical Countries, it is evident the Rainy and bad Season of the year begins about the time of the Sun coming to the summer Solstice and continues untill it has repassed the Equator, a natural cause which must ever exist within the Tropics, for the Sun by his return acting contrary to the effects it had produced in its advance to the Solstice, gives the regular and violent changes which are found to take place. What may be called the Rainy and uncertain months therefore are November, December, January, Feb'y and March. In the course of this time the Winds are Variable and frequently NW'ly and sometimes SW'ly, but at these times I found them not to blow with any Strength. It is however highly proper that a Ship should seek better shelter than in Matavai Bay during December, January, February and March.
Toahroah Harbour Apr 5, 1789 Home Logbook Remarks Apr 5, 1789