however, also followed near the well-beaten track, and passing north of
the Paumotus, of which they sighted a few small islands, they too made
for the Ladrones. As usual, they suffered much from scurvy, and the one
idea was to get to a known place to recover. Byron returned in May 1766,
having added but little to the knowledge of the Pacific, and the Dolphin
was again sent in the August of the same year, with the Swallow, under
the command of Captains Wallis and Carteret, on a similar voyage.

They did somewhat better. After the usual struggle through the long and
narrow Strait of Magellan, against the strong and contrary winds that
continually blow, and which occupied four months, they got into the
Pacific.

As they passed out they separated, the Dolphin outsailing the Swallow,
and a dispassionate reader cannot well escape the conclusion that the
senior officers unnecessarily parted company.

The Dolphin kept a little south of the usual route, fell in with some of
the Paumotu Group, and finally discovered Tahiti, where she anchored at
Royal Bay, after grounding on a reef at its entrance, with her people, as
usual, decimated by scurvy. They were almost immediately attacked by the
natives, who, however, received such a reception that they speedily made
friends, and fast friends too. The remainder of the month of the Dolphin
stay was marked with the most friendly intercourse, and she sailed with a
high opinion of Tahiti and the Tahitians; the Queen, Cook's Obereia,
being especially well disposed to them. Their communication with the
natives must, however, have been limited, as they remained too short a
time to learn the language, and we gather little of the manners and
customs from the account of the voyage.