220 cook's SECOND VOYAGE OCT. 



reefs of rocks along the N. E. side of the island, 

 which seemed to extend to the N. E. farther than the 

 eye could reach. The island of Amsterdam or Ton- 

 gatabu is wholly laid out in plantations, in which are 

 planted some of the richest productions of nature ; 

 such as bread-fruit, cocoa-nut trees, plantains, ban- 

 anoes, shaddocks, yams, and some other roots, sugar 

 cane, and a fruit like a nectarine, called by them 

 Fighega, and at Otaheite Ahuya : in short, here are 

 most of the articles which the Society Islands pro- 

 duce, besides some which they have not. Mr. Forster 

 tells me, that he not only found the same plants here 

 that are at Otaheite, and the neighbouring isles, but 

 several others which are not to be met with there. 

 And I probably have added to their stock of veget- 

 ables, by leaving with them an assortment of garden 

 seeds, pulse, &c. Bread-fruit here, as well as at all 

 the other isles, was not in season ; nor was this the 

 time for roots and shaddocks. We got the latter 

 only at Middleburg. 



The produce and cultivation of this isle is the same 

 as at Amsterdam ; with this difference, that a part 

 only of the former is cultivated, whereas the whole 

 of the latter is. The lanes or roads necessary for 

 travelling, are laid out in so judicious a manner as to 

 open a free and easy communication from one part of 

 the island to the other. Here are no towns or 

 villages, most of the houses are built in the planta- 

 tions, with no other order than what conveniency re- 

 quires ; they are neatly constructed ; but do not 

 exceed those in the other isles. The materials of 

 which they are built are the same ; and some little 

 variation in the disposition of the framing is all the 

 difference in their construction. The floor is a little 

 raised, and covered with thick strong mats ; the same 

 sort of matting serves to inclose them on the wind- 

 ward side, the other being open. They have little 

 areas before the most of them, which are generally 

 planted round with trees, or shrubs of ornament, 



