1778. being a bad ftation, and much fuperior to thofe -which ne-
ceffity obliges ihips daily to ufe, in regions where the winds
are both more variable and more b o ifte rous; as at i eneriffe,
Madeira, the Azores, and elfewhere. T h e landin g too is
more eafy than at mod o f thofe places ; and, unlefs in very
bad weather, always practicable. T h e water to be got in the
neighbourhood is excellent, and eafy to be conveyed to the
boats. But no wood can be cut at any diftance, convenient
enough to bring it from, unlefs the natives could be pre-
vailed upon to part w ith the few etooa trees (for fo they call
the cordia febajlina), that g row about their village s, or a fort
called dooe dooe, that g row farther up the country.
T h e land, as to its general appearance, does not, in the
leaft, refemble any o f the iflands w e have hitherto vifited
with in the tropic, on the fouth fide o f the equator; i f we except
its h ills 'n e a r the centre, w h ich are high, but Hope
g en tly to the fea, or lower lands. T h o u g h it be deftitute o f
the d e ligh tfu l borders o f Otaheite, and o f the luxuriant
plains o f Tongataboo, covered w ith trees, w hich at once
afford a friendly ihelter from the fcorching fun, and an
enchanting profpect to the eye, and food for the natives,
w hich may be truly faid to drop from the trees into their
mouths, without the laborious talk o f r e a r in g ; though, I
fay, Atooi be deftitute o f thefe-advantages, its poffefling a
greater quantity o f g en tly-rilin g land, renders it, in fome
meafure, fuperior to the above favourite iflands, as be in g
more capable o f improvement.
T h e he ight o f the land within, the quantity o f clouds
w hich we faw, during the whole time we ftaid, han ging
over it, and frequently on the o ther parts, feems to put it beyond
a ll doubt, that there is a fuf&cient fupply o f w a te r ; and
3 that
that there are fome ru n n in g ftreams w hich we did not fee, ,7?8-
, _ F e b ru a r y .
e fpecially in the deep valleys, at the entrance o f w h ich \ — -•
the village s commonly ftand. From the wooded part to the
fea, the ground is covered w ith an excellent fort o f grafs,
about two feet h igh , w h ich grows fometimes in tufts, and,
thou gh not ve ry thick at the place where w e were, feemed
capable o f being converted into plentiful crops of" fine hay.
But not even a ihrub grows naturally on this extenfive
fpace.
In the break, or narrow va lley , through w h ich w e had
our road to the moral, the foil is o f a brownilh. bla ck colour,
fomewhat loofe; but as we advanced upon the high ground,
it changed to a reddiih brown, more iliff and clayey, though,
at this time, brittle from its drynefs. It is moil probably
the fame all over the cultivated p a r ts ; fo r what adhered to
moil o f the potatoes, bought b y us, which, no doubt, came
from ve ry different fpots, was o f this fort. Its quality,
however, ma y be better underilood from its products, than
from its appearance. For the vale, or moiil ground, produces
taro, o f a much larger fize than any w e had ever feen ;
and the h igh e r ground furniihes fweet potatoes, that often
w e ig h ten, and fometimes twelve or fourteen p ound s ; ve ry
few b eing under tw o or three.
T h e temperature o f the climate m a y he eafily gueffed
from the fituation o f the ifland. Were we to ju d g e o f it
from our experience, it m igh t be faid to be ve ry variable ;
for, according to the gen era lly received opinion, it was
now the feafon o f the year, when the weather is fuppofed
to be moft fettled, the fun being at his greateil annual distance.
The heat was, at this time, v e r y moderate; and
few o f thofe inconveniences, which many tropical countries
are fubjeft to, either from heat or moifture, feem to be
V o l . II. G g expq