ooked into the groves which skirted the flat hill before spoken of.
We found these groves to consist of coco-palms, and several species of
shady fig-trees, with eatable fruits, nearly of the size of the common
figs. We also observed several sheds, under which some of their canoes
were secured from the sun and weather; but there were no habitations,
except towards the eastern point. We found a path, which led through a
variety of bushes upon the flat hills. In our way to it, we crossed
some glades, or meadows, enclosed in woods on all sides, and covered
with a very rich herbage of the most vivid green. We passed through a
little airy grove, into several extensive plantations of bananos,
yams, eddoes, and fig-trees, which were in some places enclosed in
fences of stone two feet high."--G.F.

[6] "We took the opportunity of the absence of the natives, to walk
out upon the plain, behind the watering-place. We met with several
ponds of stagnant water, in which the natives had planted great
quantities of eddoes. The coco-palms formed spacious groves, full of
different shrubberies, where a great number of birds of different
sorts, chiefly fly-catchers, creepers, and parroquets, resided. We saw
likewise many lofty trees, covered with nuts, which are common at
Otaheite, (_isrocarpus_ Nov. Gen.). These trees were commonly the
resort of pigeons of different kinds, and chiefly of the sort which
are to be met with at the Friendly Islands, where the natives catch
and tame them. We passed by some plantations of bananas and sugar-
canes, but saw no houses, the greatest part of the ground being
uncultivated, and covered with shady forests, or low shrubberies. At
the east end of the plain we observed a long and spacious valley, from
whence we saw a great number of smokes rising, and heard the
promiscuous voices of many men, women and children. We stood in a
path, on both sides of which were thick shrubberies; and the vale
itself was so full of groves, that we neither saw the people, whose
voices we heard, nor any of their dwellings. It being late in the
evening, we proceeded no farther, and without discovering ourselves,
retreated to the beach."--G.F.

[7] The elder Forster has some judicious and important remarks on
volcanos, in his observations, but they are too long to be given here.
"It may be re