ipS AVOYAGETO 



ing black on the furface ; which, from its iiTCgularity, is 

 not much unhke large mafles of a burnt fubftance. Bur, 

 on breaking fome pieces ofF, we found, that, at the depth 

 of two or three inches, it was jufl as frefli as the pieces that 

 had been lately thrown upon the beach by the waves. The 

 reef or rock, that lines the fliore entirely, runs to different 

 breadths into the fea, where it ends, all at once, and be- 

 comes like a high, fteep wall. It is, nearly, even with the 

 furface of the water, and of a brown or brick colour ; but 

 the texture is rather porous, yet fufficient to withftand the 

 wafliing of the furf which continually breaks upon it." 



Though the landing of our Gentlemen proved the means 

 of enriching my Journal with the foregoing particulars, 

 the principal objedt I had in view was, in a great meafurc, 

 unattained; for the day was fpent without getting any one 

 thing from the ifland worth mentioning. The natives, 

 however, were gratified with a fight they never befo?e had ; 

 and, probably, will never have again. And mere curiofity 

 feems to have been their chief motive for keeping the 

 gentlemen under fuch reflraint, and for ufmg every art to 

 prolong their continuance amongft them. 



It has been mentioned, that Omai was fent upon this ex- 

 pedition; and, perhaps, his being Mr. Gore's interpreter 

 was not the only fcrvice he performed this day. He was 

 aflced, by the natives, a great many queftions concerning 

 us, our fhips, our country, and the fort of arms we ufed ; 

 and, according to the account he gave me, his anfwcrs were 

 not a little upon the marvellous. As, for inftance, he told 

 them, that our country had Ihips as large as their ifland ; on 

 board vv-hich were inflruments of war (defcribing our guns), 

 ol fuch dimenfions, that feveral people might fit within them ; 

 I and 



