ble a- plant till after our return on board, and therefore re-
^ ' tired to a neat houfei built up of reeds, round which federal1
odoriferous Ihrubs and fotne very fine coco-trees were
planted. The owner, with that, hofpitality which I have
already often celebrated, fent a boy up one of the tailed:
palms to procure us fome of the nuts, which he performed
with furprizing agility. He tied a piece of the tough
rind' of a banana flalk to both his feet, in fuch a manner
that they could juft encompafs the tree on both fides, the
piece of rind ferving as a for.t of ftep or reft,, whilft he
lifted himfelf higher with his hands. The natural growth
of the coco-palm, which annually forms a kind of elevated
ring on the ftem, certainly-facilitated the boy’s afcent, but
the quicknefs and eafe with which he walked up and
down were really admirable. We fhould have ill deferved
this mark of kindnefs and attention if we had not made
our hofta little prefent at parting, and rewarded the boy
for the pleafure which we had felt in obferving his dex*
terity.
From hence we proceeded up the valley, which having
no rivulet in its middle, began to rife in proportion as we
advanced. We refolved therefore to go upon the fteep hill
on our left, and with much difficulty accompliffied our
plan. Our Taheitian friend langhed at us, when he faw
us faint with fatigue, and fitting down every moment to
recover our breath. We heard him blow or breathe flowly
; . , but
but very hard, with open mouth, as he walked behind us s
we therefore tried the fame experiment, which nature had
probably taught him, and found it anfweredi much better
than our fhort panting, which always deprived us of
breath. At laft we reached the ridge of the hill, where a
fine breeze greatly refrefhed us, after our fatiguing afcent.
When, we had walked upwards along that ridge for fome
time, expofed!to the burning rage of the fun, reverberated
from all parts of the barren foil, we fat downunder the fcanty
fhade of a folitary pandang, or palm-nut tree *, which was at
this time acceptable even.to our friendly native. The profpeffc
from hence was delightful; the reef which furrounded
O-Taheitee, the bay with the (hips, and numerous canoes,
and the whole plain of Matavaf with its beautiful objefts,
lay as it were under our feet, while the meridian fun threw
a fteady and calm -light on the whole landfcape. At
the diftance of about fix leagues, the low ifland called
Tedhuroa, appeared before us, forming a little circular
ledge of rocks, covered with a few palms ; and far beyond
it the immenfe ocean bounded the view. The Taheitian
who was with us, pointed out the direction of all the neighbouring
iflands which were not in fight at prefent, and informed
us of their produce, whether they were high or
low, inhabited or only occafionally vifited. Tedhuroa,
• Pandanus. Rumph. Herbar, Ambbin.>**='Jthri>da£lyU$. Forft, Nov, Gen .
Plantar.— <Keura. Forfkol,
»773*
A ugust*
which