ifland procure their canoes, fince the diftance of that ifland from South
— v America, is not fo far by 80 leagues as Attowai is from the fhores of
North America.
The objeCf o f this canoe expedition, we learned, was to inform Taio
o f fome commotions that had arifen againft the government of Enemo
the regent. But thefe having been timely oppofed, they had fub-
fided, without any lofs on the part o f Enemo, or his adherents; whilft
on the fide of the confpirators, two chiefs and five men had been killed,
and fome others wounded, who had made their efcape to the woods.
The leg bones of the two unfortunate chiefs were in the canoe, and
had fome o f the finews and flelh ftill adhering to them; in this ftate
they were to be prefented to Taio, as trophies o f victory over the rebels.
This large fingle canoe was charged with the official difpatch and important
part of the bufinefs, whilfe the others were employed in conducting
a certain number of the ring-leaders as prifoners to Taio, for
his examination, and fentence on their conduCt. Amongft thefe were fe-
veral o f his neareft relations ; one in particular Was his half-lifter, who
had alfo been his wife or miftrefs, and had borne him fome children.
The charge o f this embaffy was intruded to a young chief, about
twenty-two years of age, named Oeajhew. Our meeting him muft be
eonfidered as rather a lingular circumftance, as the bufinefs that had
carried Poory to Mowee,: (a chief we had taken on board at Woahoo,
and was on his return home to Attowai) had been fome-matters o f importance
relative to the government of that ifland; in confequence of
which Titeeree and Taio had appointed this young man chief o f the dif-
trift o f Whymea, one of the moft important trufts on the ifland ; where
his prefence • at this time was eonfidered as highly neceflary. Poory
requefted I would permit Oeajhew to return in the {hip to Attowai,
which being granted, the latter inftruCted another chief with the purport
of his commiflion. This, occupied them in very fecret conyerfa-
tion for about: half an hour , when, the charge being properly and completely
transferred, the canoes pufhed off, and made, the beft of their
way towards Woahoo, where they expeCted to arrive early, the. next
scorning, having quitted Attowai at fun-fe.t, the preceding .evening.
During
During the night the wind was light from the northward, but in d ie '793'
morning it frefhened to a pleafant, though unfavorable, breeze, that ■ -” -h’ ■
prevented our weathering the north-eaft point o f Attowai, as I had in- Wednef. 27.
tended, for the purpofe oF examining its northern Ihores. The water
being fmooth, and the wind fteady in force and direction, I was in
hopes we Ihould haye been able to beat round it, until we had approached
the Ihores; when it became evident we were in.a ftrong current fet-
ting to leeward.
I however did not-wifh to abandon haftily the projeCt I had in viewy
and therefore, about nine o’clock, we tacked about two miles from the
Ihore, then extending, by compafs, from n. 8 w . to s.- 20 w. ; thefe
extremities, which lie from each other n. 14 e. and s. 14 w., are each,
formed- by low land,, are about nine-miles- afunder, and conftitute what
may he deemed the eaft fide o f the ifland. The former in a rounding,
point projefls: into the ocean,, from a very remarkable forked-hill, .that-
is, in a great meafure, detached from the reft o f the- connected mountains
of the ifland. The latter extends from a range of low hills that
ftretch along the coaft, at a fmall diftance within the beach. Beyond-
thefe hills, towards the foot o f the mountains that are at fome d is tance
from the, fhore, the country prelented a moft. delightful, and.
even enchanting, appearance ; not only, from therichnefs of its verdure,,
and the high ftate of cultivation in the low regions, but from the romantic
air that the mountains affumed, in various lhapes and proportions,.
clothed with a foreft of luxuriant foliage, whofe different (hades
added great richnefs and beauty, to the landfcape:
About, a league to the fouth o f the fouthern extremity., lies the fouth-
eaft point o f the ifland, formed;by.-a bold, bluff barren, high, rocky-
head land,, falling perpendicularly into the fea,. Between this and the:
low point is, a final! cove, acceflible fo r boats only,, where, near a-rivu--
let that flows into-it, is a village of.the natives. This part.feemed to,
be very well watered, , as three other rapid finall {{reams were, obferved,
to flow into the fea within the limits above mentioned.. This portion of.-
Attowai, the moft fertile and pleafant diftriCl of-the-ifland, is the prin--
cipal refidence. of the king, or, in his abfence, o f the fuperior, chief,-,
who.;