334 cook's voyage to june, 



This island is scarcely accessible by boats, on ac- 

 count of coral reefs that surround it. It is not more 

 than a mile and half, or two miles, long ; and not so 

 broad. The north west end of it is low, like the 

 islands of Hapaee ; but it rises suddenly in the mid- 

 dle, and terminates in reddish clayey cliffs, at the 

 south-east end, about thirty feet high. The soil, in 

 that quarter, is of the same sort as in the cliffs ; but, 

 in the other parts, it is a loose, black mould. It 

 produces the same fruits and roots w r hich we found 

 at the other islands ; is tolerably cultivated, but 

 thinly inhabited. While I was walking all over it, 

 our people were employed in cutting some grass for 

 the cattle ; and we planted some melon seeds, with 

 which the natives seemed much pleased, and inclosed 

 them with branches. On our return to the boat, 

 we passed by two or three ponds of dirty water, 

 which was more or less brackish in each of them ; 

 and saw one of their burying-places, which was much 

 neater than those that were met with at Hapaee. 



On the 4th, at seven in the morning, we weighed ; 

 and, with a fresh gale at east south-east, stood away 

 for Annamooka, where we anchored, next morning, 

 nearly in the same station which we had so lately 

 occupied. 



I went on shore soon after, and found the inhabi- 

 tants very busy in their plantations, digging up 

 yams to bring to market \ and, in the course of the 

 day, about two hundred of them had assembled on 

 the beach, and traded with as much eagerness as 

 during our late visit. Their stock appeared to have 

 been recruited much, though w r e had returned so 

 soon ; but, instead of bread-fruit, which was the only 

 article we could purchase on our first arrival, nothing 

 was to be seen now but yams, and a few plantains. 

 This shows the quick succession of the seasons, at 

 least of the different vegetables produced here, at the 

 several times of the year. It appeared also that they 

 had been very busy, while we were absent, in culti- 



14 



