I774-
A ugust. • directed our courfe, extended from N. W. to S. E. and confined
of a high range of mountains. Towards the fouth-
eadern extremity, at the end of a feeondary range of hills»
we difcovered a volcano» of which we had really feen the-
fire at night. It was a low hill, much lower than any in
the fame range, and of a conical drape, with a crater in
the middle. Its colour was red-difli brown, confiding of a-
heap of burnt fiones, perfectly barren, but it offered a very
driking fight to our eyes. A column of heavy fmoke rofe
up from time to time, like a great tree, whofe crown gradually
fpread as it afcended. Every time that a new column
of fmoke was thus thrown up, we heard a very deep-
rumbling found like thunder, and the columns followed
each other at very fhort intervals. The colour of the fmoke-
was not always the fame» it was white and yellowifh in
general, but fometimes of a dirty reddifh grey, which we:
fufpedted to be partly owing to the fire in the crater which
illuminated the fmoke and afhes. The whole ifland, except
the volcano, is well wooded, and contains abundance ofi
fine coco-palms; its verdure, even at this feafon, which-
was the winter of thefe regions, was very rich and beautiful,.
After eight o’clock we hoided out our boats, and the
mader went to found a harbour, which appeared in view-
to the eaft of the volcano. They ran in very fad, and
were followed by two canoes of the natives, which put off'
from different parts of the coad; another canoe was feen at
a didance
a didance failing along fhore. In a little time they made
fignals for the fhip to follow. We dood on into the harbour,
which has a narrow entrance, and as we kept a man
condantly founding in the chains, we were greatly alarmed
when our foundings fuddenly decreafed from fix fathom to
three and a h a lf; however, an indant afterwards we had
four, five, and more fathoms. It appeared that we had
providentially paffed over a rock before the entrance, on
which we had run the greated rifk of driking. The harbour
was a fmall fnug bafon, where we let go our anchor
in four fathom, furrounded by a number of natives in
their canoes.
This was the only anchorage where we made any day in
all the extenfive cluder of idands which we had now difcovered.
We provided our fhip with wood and water, but
did not obtain any refrefhments worth mentioning. The
principal advantage which we derived from putting in here,,
condded in a few remarks on a race of people, in a great
meafure didintd from all the tribes which were, known to
us before. But while we were entertained with various new
and driking objects, it was very difagreeable to he tantalized
with the fight of wholefome vegetable and animat
food, with which the natives did not choofe to fupply us.
*774- Auuus
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