I7O9. HOUND THE WORLD. 313 



several places, so that the openings appear like the 

 arches of a bridge. Within these rocks is the cove 

 where we cut wood, and filled our water-casks. Off 

 the north point of the bay is a pretty high rocky 

 island ; and about a mile without it are some rocks 

 and breakers. The variation of the compass here is 

 14° SV E., and the tide flows at the full and change 

 of the moon, about six o'clock, and rises and falls 

 perpendicularly from five to six feet : whether the 

 flood comes from the southward or the northward I 

 have not been able to determine. 



We got nothing here by traffic but a few fish, and 

 some sweet potatoes, except a few trifles, which we 

 considered merely as curiosities. We saw no four- 

 footed animals, nor the appearance of any, either tame 

 or wild, except dogs and rats, and these were very 

 scarce : the people eat the dogs, like our friends at 

 Otaheite ; and adorn their garments w-ith the skins, 

 as we do ours with fur and ermine. I climbed many 

 of the hills, hoping to get a view of the country, but 

 I could see nothing from the top except higher hills, 

 in a boundless succession. The ridges of these hills 

 produce little besides fern ; but the sides are most 

 luxuriantly clothed with wood, and verdure of various 

 kinds, with little plantations intermixed. In the 

 woods, we found trees of above twenty different sorts, 

 and carried specimens of each on board ; but there 

 was nobody among us to whom they were not 

 altogether unknown. The tree which we cut for 

 firing was somewhat like our maple, and yielded a 

 whitish gum. We found another sort of it of a deep 

 yellow, which w^e thought might be useful in dyeing. 

 We found also one cabbage-tree, which we cut down 

 for the cabbages. The country abounds with plants, 

 and the woods with birds, in an endless variety, 

 exquisitely beautiful, and of which none of us had 

 the least knowledge. The soil both of the hills and 

 valleys is 'hght and sandy, and very fit for the pro- 

 duction of all kinds of roots ; though we saw none 

 except sweet potatoes and yams. 



