1777* THE pacific OCEAN. 413 



they sometimes met there to drink /cava. They 

 called it Etcliee ; by which name, an erection, which 

 we had seen at Tongataboo, as already mentioned, 

 was distinguished. Not many paces from it, was a 

 spring of excellent water ; and, about a mile lower 

 down, a running stream, which we were told found 

 its way to the sea, when the rains were copious. 

 We also met with water, in many little holes ; and, 

 no doubt, great plenty might be found, by digging. 



From the elevation to which we had ascended, we 

 had a full view of the whole island, except a part of 

 the south point. The south-east side, from which 

 the highest hills we were now upon are not far 

 distant, rises with very great inequalities, immediately 

 from the sea ; so that the plains and meadows, of 

 which there are here some of great extent, lie all on 

 the north-west side ; and, as they are adorned with 

 tufts of trees, intermixed with plantations, they form 

 a very beautiful landscape in every point of view. 

 While I was surveying this delightful prospect, I 

 could not help flattering myself with the pleasing 

 idea that some future navigator may, from the same 

 station, behold these meadows stocked with cattle, 

 brought to these islands by the ships of England ; 

 and that the completion of this single benevolent 

 purpose, independently of all other considerations, 

 would sufficiently mark to posterity that our voyages 

 had not been useless to the general interests' of hu- 

 manity. Besides the plants common on the other 

 neighbouring islands, we found, on the height, a 

 species of acrosticum, melastoma, and fern tree ; with 

 a few other ferns and plants, not common lower 

 down. 



Our guides informed us, that all, or most of the 

 land on this island, belonged to the great chiefs of 

 Tongataboo ; and that the inhabitants were only 

 tenants or vassals to them. Indeed, this seemed to 

 be the case at all the other neighbouring isles, except 

 Annamooka, where there were some chiefs, who 



