1787. The land on the 'Eaft fide o f the river is here much eafier o f
t ebruary. > t ,
^ acceis, than down at the Moral; lo that I might have taken a walk
into thatpartof the country, had time permitted. This, however,
not being the cafe, I was obliged not only to relinquilh jhat, but
alfo my original intention, o f tracing tire river to its fource, though
■ from what I could difeern, the pafiage is not fufficiently level for
canoes much farther up the country than where I was at prefent,
-and which may be called about two miles from the fea-fide.
Haying difmilTedthe canoe, I went towards a draggling village,
;at a fmall diftance from the river; here I met feveral of our people,
who had walked up the valley amongft the plantations.
Some of them had been a confiderable diftance farther up, but
none fofar as the river head; they confirmed me, however, in my
conjecture, that it was not navigable for canoes more than half a
.mile higher up.
We learnt that this village was the place of Abbenoue’s refi-
dence, andwere (hewn feveral houfes which belonged to him ; but
that he had not been on ihore fince the morning, having been all
the day with Popote, or Captain Portlock.
v There are a number o f houfes foattered here and there all the
■ way, from this village to the beach} and as we walked leifurely
along, the inhabitants were continually prefiing us to flop a while,
and repofe our&lves under the trees, which generally grow about
their habitations. It was evident that this was not done merely to
gratify a wild impatient curiofity, but proceeded from a kindnefs
and good-natured hofpitality, which did them infinite credit. A
heart-felt joy was vifibly feen in the countenance o f any one whofe
houfe
houfe we happened to ftop at, and the whole family would croud ■ tglj7»
about ns, bringing cocoa-nuts to quench our third, fanning fuch
o f us as feemed fatigued with walking, and in (hort, feduloufly endeavouring
to render us every kind office in their powfer.
The valley all the way vte walked along to the beach, is entirely
planted with taro 9 and thefe plantations are laid out with a great
deal of judgment.
The ground is very low, and the taro grounds are entirely covered
with water, and furrounded with trendies, fo that they can
either be drained, or frefli watered, from the river at pleafure.
They are laid out in a variety of forms, according to the fancy of
the different owners, whofe various (hares are marked with the
mod fcrupulous exaftnefs : thefe are interfered at convenient dif-
tances by raifed foot-paths, about two feet wide. I (heuld obferve,
that thefe plantations range entirely along the river-fide, and the
houfes I have been fpeaking of are fituated to the Weftward of
the extreme path. The trees, which are pretty numerous about.
the houfes, are generally the cloth mulberry.
The houfes, and whatever ellfe I faw worthy of notice, fhall be
the fubjeft of a future letter ; at prefent I (hall clofe the fubjedt,
by obferving, that whether we regard the found judgment and (I
had almoft faid fcientific) drill with which thefe grounds are laid
out, or the clofe attention and unremitting diligence (hewn in their
cultivation, in either of thefe points of view, they would refledt
credit even on a Britijh hulbandman.
By the time we got to the beach, the day was far (pent; our
boat was already come for us, and lay at anchor much in the fame
filuation .