THEPACIFICOCEAN. 335 



This ifland is fomewhat higher than the other fmall ifles '"7 



that furround it ; but, flill, it cannot be admitted to the 

 rank of thofe of a moderate height, fuch as Mangeea and 

 Wateeoo. The fliore, at that part where our fliips lay, is 

 compofed of a lleep, rugged coral rock, nine or ten feet 

 high, except where there are two fandy beaches, which 

 have a reef of the fame fort of rock extending crofs their 

 entrance to the fliore, and defending them from the fea. 

 The fait water lake that is in the centre of the ifland, is 

 about a mile and a half broad ; and round it, the land rifes 

 like a bank, with a gradual afcent. But we could not trace 

 its having any communication with the fea. And yet, the 

 land that runs acrofs to it, from the largell fandy beach, 

 being flat and low, and the foil fandy, it is moil likely that 

 it may have, formerly, communicated that way. The foil, 

 on the rifmg parts of the ifland, and efpecially toward the 

 fea, is either of a reddifli clayey difpofition, or a black, loofe 

 mould J but there is, no where, any llream of frefli water. 



The ifland is very well cultivated, except in a few places ; 

 and there are fome others, which, though they appear to 

 lie wafte, are only left to recover the flrength exhaufted by 

 conftant culture; for we frequently faw the natives at work 

 upon thefe fpots, to plant them again. The plantations 

 confifl chiefly of yams and plantains. Many of them are 

 very extenfive, and often inclofed with neat fences of reed, 

 difpofed obliquely acrofs each other, about fix feet high. 

 Within thefe, we often faw other fences of lefs compafs, 

 furrounding the houfes of the principal people. The bread- 

 fruit, and cocoa-nut trees, are interfperfed with little order ; 

 but chiefly near the habitations of the natives ; and the 

 other parts of the ifland, efpecially toward the fea^ and 

 about the fides of the lake, are covered with trees and 

 buflics of a moil luxuriant growth ; the lafc place having a 



H h 2 great 



ay. 



