1794- All our friends were prepared to attend us ; fome were on board, and
i Febm-17 ■ others were in their canoes, ready to follow the Ihip as foon as fhe got
Wedncf. 26. under fail. This was effected about three in the morning of wednefday.
Accompanied by the Chatham, we directed our courfe, with a light
land breeze, clofe along the Ihore, toward Tyahtatooa bay; the morning
was delightfully pleafant, and the furrounding objefts, whilft they at-
trafted our attention, excited alfo our admiration;" The country which,
as we palfed, rofe with a gradual afcent from the fea Ihore, feemed to
be in a high Hate of cultivation, and was interfperfed with a great number
of extenfive villages ; whilft our numerous companions on the fur-
face of a ferene tranquil ocean, fanned by a gentle breeze, to which fome
fpread their fails, and the reft kept up with us by leifurely paddling along,
added confiderable beauty to the interefting fcene, and exhibited, by this
numerous population, that wealth which the improved ftate of this part
of the ifland fo ftrongly indicated. About eight o’clock we anchored
in Tyahtatooa bay, in 15 fathoms water, fand and rocky bottom.
According to Mr. Meares’s account of Mr. Douglas’s voyage, this place
is reprefented as equal, if not fuperior, to Karakakooa, for fecure anchorage
; but to us it appeared in a very different point of view, as it is
formed by a fmall bend only in the general direftion of the coaft, fcarce-
ly deferving the name of a bay. Its northernmoft point from us bore
by compafs N.69W.; the village called Ane-oo-rooa, being the neareft
Ihore, N. 30 e ., about half a mile diftant; and the point of Kowrooa
s. 22 E. The ftation we had taken was as clofe to the land as we could
with prudence lie, and the bottom, in all directions where we founded,
was a mixture of rocks and fand. A confiderable fwell -rolled in from
the weftward, and by the beaten appearance of the rocks that chiefly com-
pofed the fhore, this appeared to be in general the cafe ; and for that
reafon not a very eligible refting place for fhipping. It however poffef-
feS an advantage with refpeft to landing, fuperior to Karakakooa. This
convenience is produced by the jutting out of two points ;; between thefe
is a fmall cove, defended by fome rocks lying before it, which break the
violence of the furge, and render the communication with the fhore very
commodious. The landing is on a fandy beach, before a grove o f cocoa
nut,
nut, bread fruit, and other trees, in the midft of which the village is
fituated. Towards the fouth part of this cove is a fpring, which rofe very ;
rapidly from amongft fome rocks that are generally covered with
the fea water; but when this is low, which is fometimes the cafe, it is
found to produce a ftream of excellent frefh Water; and there can be no
doubt, by ufing proper means, that its current might be diverted, and
made fubfervient to the domeftic ufe of the neighbourhood, and to veffels
refitting at Karakakooa, without their being under the neceflity of fub-
mitting to the tardy procefs we were compelled to adopt; efpecially as
the diftance between the two places is only ten miles.
The fouthern bafe of mount Worroray forms thefe fhores. This
mountain, with Mowna Kaah, and Mowna Roa, form each a large mafs
of elevated land, of which the ifland chiefly confifts, though mount Worroray
is the fmalleft.
Accompanied by Tamaakmaah, fome of the officers, and feveral of
the chiefs, I vifited the royal refidence at this place ; which confifted of
three of the neateft conftru&ed houfes we had yet feen; but not having
been conftantly inhabited for fome time paft, they were not in good repair.
This habitation of the king, like that at Karakakooa, was in the
neighbourhood of a grand morai, clofe to the fea fide. The morai was
the moft complete ftrufture of the kind, and kept in the greateft order
and repair, of any that had fallen under our obfervation. It was decorated
with feveral ftatues, or idols, carved out of the trunks of large
trees, and meant to imitate the human form; but they were the moft
gigantic and prepofterous figures that can be imagined.
Having fatisfied our curiofity, we returned on board to dinner, which
was purpofely ordered of beef and mutton, to give all the chiefs an idea
of the value of the animals I had imported, as articles of food ; our party
was numerous, and they unanimoufly agreed that both were excellent.
The beef, though falted, feemed to have the preference in their opinion ;
the mutton was by moft confidered to be very fimilar in its tafte to the
flelh of their dogs, which they very highly efteem. The general opinion
was taken by vote on the fuperior excellence of mutton to dog’s flelh,
and
1794.
February.