' I7G9. ROUND THE WORLD. 319 



water from ten to twelve fathom. The main land 

 between this flat island and Mowtohora is of a mo- 

 derate height, but level, pretty clear of wood, and 

 full of plantations and villages. The villages, which 

 were larger than any we had yet seen, were built 

 upon eminences near the sea, and fortified on the 

 land side by a bank and ditch, with a high pahng 

 within it, which was carried all round : beside a 

 bank, ditch, and pallisadoes, some of them appeared 

 to have outworks. Tupia had a notion that the 

 small inclosure of pallisadoes, and a ditch that we 

 had seen before, were morais or places of worship ; 

 but we were of opinion that they were forts, and con- 

 cluded that these people had neighbouring enemies, 

 and were always exposed to hostile attacks. 



At two o'clock we passed a small high island, lying 

 four miles from a high round head upon the main. 

 From this head the land trends N. W. as far as can 

 be seen, and has a rugged and hilly appearance. As 

 the weather was hazy, and the wind blew fresh on 

 the shore, we hauled off for the weathermost island 

 in sight, which bore from us N. N. E., distant about 

 six or seven leagues. 



Under this island, which I have called the Mayor, 

 we spent the night. At seven in the morning it bore 

 S. 47 E., distant six leagues, and a cluster of small 

 islands and rocks bore N. J E., distant one league, to 

 which I gave the name of the Court of Aldermen. 

 They lie in the compass of about half a league every 

 way, and five leagues from the main, between which 

 and them lie other islands, most of them barren rocks, 

 of which there is great variety : some of them are as 

 small in compass as the Monument of London, but 

 h rise to a much greater height, and some of them are 

 ^ inhabited. They lie in latitude 36° 57', and at 

 noon bore S. 60 E., distant three or four leagues ; 

 and a rock like a castle, lying not far from the main, 

 bore N. 40 W., at the distance of one league. The 

 country that we passed the night before appeared to 



