«777* obfervation, are guarded by a reef of coral rock, 011 the outfide
__v-—_j of which the fea is of an unfathomable depth. It is full five
leagues in circuit, and of a moderate and pretty equal
he ight; though, in clear weather, it may be certainly feen
at the diftance of ten leagues; for we had not loll fight of it
at night, when we had run above feven leagues, and the
weather was cloudy. In the middle, it rifes into little hills,
from whence there is a gentle defcent to the ihore, which,
at the South Weft part, is fteep, though not above ten or
twelve feet high ; and has feveral excavations made by the
beating of the waves againft a brownifh fand-ftone of
which it is compofed. The defcent here is eovered with
trees o f a deep green colour, very thick, but not high,
which feem all of one fort, unlefs neareft the ihore, where
there are great numbers of that fpecies of dracxna found in
the woods of New Zealand, which are all'o fcattered in
fome other places. On the North Weft part, the ihore, as
we mentioned above, ends in a fandy beech ; beyond which
the land is broken down into fmall chafms or gullies, and
has a broad border of trees refembling tall willows ; which,
from its regularity, might be fuppofed a work of art, did
not its extent forbid us to think fo. ' Farther up on the
afcent, the trees were of the deep green mentioned before.
Some of us fuppofed thefe to be the rima, intermixed with
low cocoa palms; and a few of fome other forts. They
feemed not fo thick as on the South Weft part, and higher ;
which appearance might be owing to our nearer approach
to the ihore. On the little hills, w'ere fome trees of a taller
fort, thinly fcattered; but the other parts of them were
either bare, and of a reddifh colour, or covered with fome-
thing like fern. Upon the whole, the ifland has a pretty
afpeft, and might be made a beautiful fpot by cultivation.
3 As
As the inhabitants feemed to be both numerous and well
Ted, fuch articles of provifion as the ifland produces muft be
in great plenty. It might, however, be a matter of curiofity
to know, particularly, their method of fubfiftence ; for our
friend Mourooa told us, that they had no animals, as hogs
and. dogs,, both which, however, they had heard of; but
acknowledged they had plantains, bread-fruit, and taro.
The only birds we faw, were fome white egg-birds, tems,
and noddies ; and.one white heron, on the Ihore;
The language of the inhabitants of Mangeea is a dialecT
of that fpoken at Otaheite ; though their pronunciation, as
that of the New Zealanders, be more guttural. Some of
their words, of which two or three are perhaps peculiar
to this ifland, are here fubjoined, as taken, by Mr. Ander-
fon, from Omai, who had learnt them in his converfations
with Mourooa. The Otaheite words,, where there is .any
refemblance, are placed oppofite.
Engliih. Mangeea, Otaheite,
A cocoa nut, Eakkaree* Aree.
Bread-fruit,. Kooroo, Ooroo..
A canoe-. Ew.akka,. Evaa,
Friend,. Naoo, moo.
A man, Taata, or Tangata, Taata,.
Cloth, or cloth plant, Taia, taia aoutee, Eoute.
Good, Mata, Myty.. .
A club, Pooroohee; i
Yes, Aee, • Ai.
No,.. Aoure, Aoure;
A fpear, Heyhey..
A fight, or battle, Etaniagcc, Tamaee;
A woman, Waheine, Waheine;.
V o l . I. A a