that we did not like this, our friends took us a little way
into the island, where, in a deep chasm, we found very good water;
which, at the expence of some time and trouble, might be conveyed down
to the shore, by means of spouts or troughs, that could be made with
plantain leaves, and the stem of the tree. But, rather than to undertake
that tedious task, I resolved to rest contented with the supply the
ships had got at Tongataboo.

[Footnote 172: In the account of Captain Cook's former voyage, he calls
the only chief he then met with, at this place, _Tioony_.--D.]

Before I returned on board, I set on foot a trade for hogs and yams. Of
the former, we could procure but few; but of the latter, plenty. I put
ashore, at this island, the ram and two ewes, of the Cape of Good Hope
breed of sheep, entrusting them to the care of Taoofa, who seemed proud
of his charge. It was fortunate, perhaps, that Mareewagee, to whom I had
given them, as before mentioned, slighted the present. Eooa not having,
as yet, got any dogs upon it, seems to be a properer place than
Tongataboo for the rearing of sheep.

As we lay at anchor, this island bore a very different aspect from any
we had lately seen, and formed a most beautiful landscape. It is higher
than any we had passed since leaving New Zealand, (as Kao may justly be
reckoned an immense rock,) and from its top, which is almost flat,
declines very gently toward the sea. As the other isles of this cluster
are level, the eye can discover nothing but the trees that cover them;
but here the land, rising gently upward, presents us with an extensive
prospect, where groves of trees are only interspersed at irregular
distances, in beautiful disorder, and the rest covered with grass. Near
the shore, again, it is quite shaded with various trees, amongst which
are the habitations of the natives; and to the right of our station, was
one of the most extensive groves of cocoa-palms we had ever seen.

The 13th, in the afternoon, a party of us made an excursion to the
highest part of the island, which was a little to the right of our
ships, in order to have a full view of the country. About half way up,
we crossed a deep valley, the bottom and sides of which, though composed
of hardly any thing but coral rock, were clothed with trees. We were now
about two or three hundred feet above the level of the sea, and yet,
even here, the coral was perforated into all the holes and inequalities
which usually d