>777«
Jane.
it j amongft which were feveral of thofe called etoa, very
large. Thefe, as they referable the cyprefs, had a fine effeft
in fuch a place. There was, alfo, a row of low palms near
one of the houfes, and behind it a ditch, jn which lay a
great number of old baikets. Mr. Webber’s drawing of;
this famka, will fupply the defe&s of my defcription.
•After dinner, or rather after we had refreihed ourfelves
with fome provifions which we had brought with us from
our ihip, we made an excurfion into the country, taking a,
pretty large circuit, attended by one of the king’s minifters.
Our train was not great, as he would not fuffer the rabble
to follow us. He alfo obliged all thofe whom we met;
upon our progrefs, to fit down, till we had palled ; which is;
a mark of refpecft due only to their Sovereigns, We found
by far the greateft part of the country cultivated, and
planted with various forts of produ&ions ; and moffi of
thefe plantations were fenced round. Some fpots, where
plantations had been formerly"'now produced nothing, ly in g ,
fallow; and there were places that had never been touched,
but lay in a ftate of nature; and, yet, even thefe were ufe-
ful, in affording them timber, as they were generally covered
with trees. We met with feveral large uninhabited
houfes, which, we were told, belonged to the king. There
were many public and well-beaten roads, and abundance of
foot-paths leading to every part of the iiland. The roads
being good, and the country level, travelling was very eafy.
It is remarkable, that when we were on the moft elevated
parts, at leaft a hundred feet above the level of the fea,
we often met with the fame coral rock, which is found
at the fhore, projeiling above the furface, and perforated
and cut into all thofe inequalities which are ufually feen in
rocks that lie within the waih of the tide. And yet thefe
very
■very fpots, with hardly any foil upon them, were covered
with luxuriant vegetation. We were conduced to feveral c— ,— i
little pools, and to fome fprings of water; but, in general,
they were either (linking or brackiih, though recommended
to us by the natives as excellent. The former
were, moftly, inland, and the latter near the ihore of the
bay, and below high-water mark; fo that tolerable water
could be taken up from them, only when the tide was
out.
When we returned from our walk, which was not till the
dufk of the evening, our fupper was ready. It confifted of
a baked hog, fome filh, and yams, all excellently well
cooked, after the method of thefe illands. As there was
nothing to amufe us after fupper, we followed the cuftora
o f the country, and lay down to fleep, our beds being mats
fpread upon the floor, and cloth to cover us. The king,
who had made himfclf very happy with fome wine and
brandy which we had brought, flept in the fame houfe, as
well as feveral others of the natives. Long before daybreak,
he- and they all rofe, and fat converfing by moonlight.
The converfation, as might well be guefled, turned
wholly upon us ; the king entertaining his company with
an account of what he had feen, or remarked. As foon as
it was day, they difperfed, fome one way, and fome another; Friday27.
but it was not long before they all returned, and, with
•them, feveral more pf their countrymen.
They now began to prepare a bowl of kava; and, leaving
•them fo employed, I went to pay a vifit to Toobou, Captain
Furneaux’s friend, who had a houfe hard by, which, for
£ze and neatnefs, was exceeded by few in the place. As I
had left the others, fo I found here a company, preparing a
morning draught. This Chief made a prefent to me of a
S f 2 living.