Dumber. cou^ not pofitively determine that thefe names were correctly afcertained,
1 ■ ' yet as t^lere was a probability of their being fo, I dillinguifhed the ifland
by the name of Op a r o, until it might be found more properly entitled
to another. By fix in the evening, we had nearly feen round the
ifland, which is o f little extent ; and not choofing to lofe the advantage
o f a fine Ibuthwardly wind, we proceeded to the x. x .w . under ail the
fail we could fpread.
As it was not my intention to flop at Oparo, no delay was occafioned
by examining for anchorage, which probably may be found on both fides
o f its N.w. point. T o the fouthward of that point is a fmall bay with
a ftony beach, through which there was the appearance o f a confiderable
ftream of water falling into the fea. The Ihores in moll parts were fo
perfectly fmooth, that landing might have been effefted without the leall
difficulty. Round to the north of that point is another fmall bay, in
which are a fmall illet and fome rocks ; behind thefe, thelhore may be
approached with great eale at any time. Indeed, there was not any
part o f the ifland which appeared to have been a6ted upon by heavy
violent furfs, as the verdure in many places reached to the water’s edge.
The fouth extremity of the ifland appeared in fome points of view
to form a right angle, without the leall interruption in the fides ; about
half a mile to the s . e . is a fmall detached illet ; the Ihores are inter-
fperfed with fandy beaches ; its greatefl extent, which is in a M. 18 w . and
s. 1 8 E. direftion, is about fix miles and a half, and it may poffibly be about
eighteen miles in circuit. This ifland is fituated in the latitude o f 27° 36';
and, by our lunar obfervations o f the two preceding days reduced to its
AfoL ; center hy the cllronometer, is in longitude * 215°58'28" ; the mean of the
cal obferva- variation was 5°4o' eallwardly.
he"«,31 ° te Its principal character is a duller of high craggy mountains, forming,
in lèverai places, moll romantic pinnacles, with perpendicular
cliffs nearly from their fummits to the fea; the vacancies between
the mountains would more probably be termed chafes than vallies,
in which there was no great appearance of plenty, fertility, or cultivation
; they were chiefly clothed with Ihrubs and dwarf trees. Neither
the plantain, nor other fpontaneous vegetable produirions common
to the inhabited tropical iflands, prefentcd themfelves. The tops of
fix
fix of the highell hills bore the appearance o f fortified places, refem- D s i bling
redoubts ; having a fort o f block houle, in the fltape o f an Englilh '__ ,__/
glafs houfe, in the center of each, with rows o f pallifadoes a confiderable
way down the fides of the hills, nearly at equal diltanees. Thefe, overhanging,
feemed intended for advanced works, and apparently capable
o f defending the citadel by a few againft a numerous hoft of affailants.
On all o f them, we noticed people, as if on duty, conllantly moving
about. What we confidered as block houfes, from their great fimi-
larity in appearance to that fort of building, were fufficiently large
to lodge a confiderable number o f perfons, and were the only habitations
we faw. Yet from the number of canoes that in fo ftiort
a time affembled around us, it is natural to conclude that the inhabitants
are very frequendy afloat, and to infer from this circumftance that
the Ihores, and not thole fortified hills which appeared to be in die
center of the ifland, would be preferred for dieir general refidence.
We faw about thirty double and Angle canoes, though moll o f them were
o f the double for t: the fingle canoes were fupported by an outrigger on
one fide, and all built much after the fafliion o f the Society Iflands,
without having their very high Items, though the Hems of fome of thefe
were confiderably elevated ; and dieir bows were not without fome litde
ornament. They were very neady conllrufled, though the narrowell
canoes I ever faw. When it is confidered that the builders o f them are
nearly dellitute o f iron, and poffeffed o f very few implements o f that
valuable metal; and when the miferable tools they have generally recourfe
to for fuch operations are regarded, the mind is filled widi admirarion at
their ingenuity, and perfevering indullry. The ifland did not appear to
afford any large timber; the broadelt planks o f which the canoes were
made, not exceeding twelve inches, .confirmed us in this opinion, as they
were probably cut out of the largell trees. Some o f the ftouteft double canoes
accommodated from twenty-five to thirty men, of whom, on a moderate
computation, three hundred were fuppoled to have been feen near the
fhip. Thefe were all adults, and apparently none exceeding a middle age;
fo that the total number of inhabitants on the ifland can hardly be efti-
mated at lefs than fifteen hundred. In this refpect it mull be confidered
prolific,
A