j2iy water, in many little holes ; and, no doubt, great
—v---- ' plenty might be found, by digging.
From the elevation, to which we had afcended, we had a
:full view of the whole ifland, except a part of the South
point. The South Eaft fide, from which the higheft hills, we
were now upon, are not far diftant, rifes with very great inequalities,
immediately from the fea; fo that the plains and
.meadows, of which there are here fome of great extent, lie
all on the North Weft fide ; and, as they are adorned with
tufts of trees, intermixed with plantations, they form a very
beautiful landfcape, in every point of view! While I was
furveying this delightful profpect, I could not help flattering
myfelf with the pleafing idea, that fome future navigator
may, from the fame ftation, behold thefe meadows
flocked with cattle, brought to thefe iflands by the ihips of
England; and that the completion of this fingle benevolent
purpofe, independently of all other confiderations, would fuf-
ficiently mark to pofterity, that our voyages had not been
ufelefs to the general interefts of humanity. Befides the
plants common on the other neighbouring iflands, we
found, on the height, a fpecies of acrofticum, melajtoma, and
' fern tree; with a few other ferns and plants, not common
lower down.
Our guides informed us, that all, or moft of the land, on
this ifland, belonged to the grea,t Chiefs of Tongataboo:;
and that the inhabitants were only tenants, or vaflals, to
them. Indeed, this feemed to be the cafe at all the other
.neighbouring ifles, except Annamooka, where there were
fome Chiefs, who feemed to act with fome kind of independence.
Omai, who was a great favourite with Feenou,
and thefe people in general, was tempted with the offer of
being
being made Chief of this ifland, if he would have ftaid
amongft them; and it is not clear to me, that he would
not have been glad to flay, if the fcheme had met with my
approbation. I own, I did difapprove of i t ; but not becaufe
I thought that Omai would do better for himfelf in his own
native ille.
On returning from my country expedition, we were informed
that a party of the natives had, in the circle where
our people traded, ftruck one of their own countrymen
with a club, which laid bare, or, as others faid, frailured
his ikull, and then broke his thigh with the fame ; when
our men interpofed. He had no figns of life, when carried'
to a neighbouring houfe; but afterward recovered a little.
On my alking the reafon of fo fevere a treatment, we were -
informed, that he had been difcovered in a fituation rather
indelicate, with a woman who was taboo'd. We, however,-
underftood, that ihe was no otherwife taboo'd, than by belonging
to another perfon, and rather fuperior in rank to •
her gallant. From this circumftance, we had an opportunity
of obferving, how thefe people treat fueh infidelities.
But the female finner has, by far, the fmaller fhare of pu- -
niihment for her mifdemeanor; as they told us, that ih e '
would only receive a flight beating;
The next morning, I planted a pine-apple, and fowed the Monday i*.*
feeds of melons, and other vegetables in the Chief’s plantation.
I had fome encouragement, indeed, to-flatter my-:
felf, that my endeavours o f this kind would not be'fruit-
lefs ; for, this day, there was ferved up at my dinner, a diih
of turnips, being the produce of the feeds I had left here
during my laft voyage.
. I had: