the -women embarking in canoes; fuch of our female vifitors, as had been
induced to favor us with their company, had therefore been obliged to
have recourfe to fwimming for that purodfe.
The name of the village Toeaigh was by us- extended to the Bay,
(which is the fame that had been called by Captain King Toeayahha bay,)
fince the natives give no diftinfitive name to any part of the ocean that
walhes the fhores of their iflands. Such bays, coves, &c. as are fo
diftinguilhed, having been named by their European vifitors from the
.contiguous villages or diftrifits.
Toeaigh is fituated in a grove of cocoa-nut trees, juft behind a fandy
beach. A reef of coral rocks, extending thence about three quarters of
a mile into the fea, rendered it inacceflible to our boats in a direct line,
but we landed very commodioully in a narrow channel, between the reef
and the lhore, near the morai, to the s.E. of the beach, from whence we
had about two miles to walk to the. habitation of Kahowmotoo.
We could, I believe, have gone much further with the boats in that
channel, but as the navigation was intricate and tirefome, I preferred the
walk, and attended by the corporal and fix marines, we proceeded along
the beach; leaving the boats, properly manned and armed, in readinefs to
fupport us in cafe of any treacherous or hoftile behaviour. Thefe precautions
however appeared to have been intirely unneceffary, as nothing
but the moft civil, attentive, and friendly deportment was experienced from
all clafles of the people. The village confifted only of ftraggling houfes,
of two clafles ; thofe appropriated to the refidence of the inhabitants were
fmaH, mean, miferable huts ; but the others, allotted to the purpoles of
fhading, building, and repairing their canoes, Were excellent in their kind;
in thefe occupations feveral people were bufilv employed, who feemed to
execute their work with great neatnefs and ingenuity. In about the middle
of the village is a refervoir of fait water, nearly in the centre of a
large inclofure, made by walls of mud and Hones, Between thefe walls
and the refervoir the whole fpace is occupied by fhallow earthen pans,
of no regular fize or lhape, nor placed in any order or degree of elevation.
The refervoir is feparated by a bank or fmall portion of the
fandy beach from the ocean, and had no vilible communication with it,
but
but was apparently a ftagnated Handing pool, covered with a muddy ‘ 798*
c ii • n fcum, or a yellowiih green' cofli our. This, the natives fra y, i• t always bearsJ , « February.
an d without being replenilhed by them from the fea conftantly affords
a fufficient quantity of exeeflively fait water, for fupplying the numerous
pans; the expofure of which to the influence of the fun, foon caufes
evaporation and cryftallization. The eryftals are then carefully taken
up; and if found dirty from the cracking or breaking of the pans,
which frequently want repair, Or by the falling of rain whilft making,
they are walhed clean in fea-water and dried. This is their prooefs
in making fait, which is always white in proportion to the care bellowed
in gathering it. They have large quantities,- equal in colour
and in quality to any made in Europe, but the eryftals are much
larger. The quantity of fait obtained, might be fuppofed, from the
appearance of this falt-pond, to be produced rather from the faline quality
of the furrounding earth, in which it is contained, than purely from
the fea-water. Yet, its being not more than thirty yards from the fea-
fide, makes it probable that the oceanic water penetrates into it,
through the loofe fandy beach that feparates it from the fea, and that
the richnefs of the fluid may be produced from both thdfe caufes,
Paying our refpefits to Kahowmotoo’s wives, and infpefiting this falt-
pond, occupied moft of our time, and claimed the moft of our attention.
Having rendered our vifit pleafant to the former, by diftributing fuch
articles as we knew they held in high eftimation, we returned towards
the boats, accompanied by the chief and his ladies; and attended by
the natives, who condufited themfelves in the moft orderly and relpefit-
ful manner. They brought us cocoa-nuts as we pafled along, and feemed
ftudious to afford us any little fervice or civility, without being the
leaft troublefome; and Unfitly conformed themfelves to the orders of
their chief, who direfiled that few only lhould advance near us, and that
the crowd fhould be feated at a diftance, in whatever direfilion we lhould
pafs.
On reaching the boats, I requefted that Kahowmotoo would accompany
us on board to dinner, but in eonfequence of the taboo, I had ho idea
of folicitirig that favor from the ladies ; they however -entertained very
different