THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 113 



order to preferve them from being fcorched by the fun. '779- 

 They faw a few fcattered huts amongft the plantations, 

 which fcrved for occafional fhelter to the labourers ; but no 

 villages at a greater diftance than four or five miles from 

 the fea. Near one of them, about four miles from the bay, 

 they found a cave, forty fathoms long, three broad, and of 

 the fame height. It was open at both ends; the fides were 

 fluted, as if wrought with a chiffel, and the furface glazed 

 over, probably by the action of fire. 



Having given this account of the mod material cir- 

 cumftanccs that occurred on the expedition to the fnowy 

 mountain, I mail now return to the other iflands that remain 

 to be defcribed. 



The ifland next in fize, and neareft in fituation, to Owhy- 

 hee, isMowee ; which lies at the diftance of eight leagues 

 North North Weft from the former, and is 140 geographical 

 miles in circumference. A low ifthmus divides it into two 

 circular peninfulas, of which that to the Eaft is called 

 Wham ad 00a, and is double the fize of the Weftern penin- 

 fula called Owhyrookoo. The mountains in both rife to an 

 exceeding great height, having been feen by us at the dif- 

 tance of upward of thirty leagues. The Northern mores, 

 like thofe of Owhyhee, afford no foundings ; and the coun- 

 try prefents the fame appearance of verdure and fertility. 

 To the South Eaft, between this and the adjacent iiles, we 

 had regular depths with a hundred and fifty fathoms, with 

 a fandy bottom. From the Weft point, which is low, runs 

 a flioal, ftretching out toward Ranai, to a confiderablc dif- 

 tance; and to the Southward of this, is a fine fpacious bay, 

 with a fandy beach, fhaded with cocoa-nut trees. It is pro- 

 bable that good anchorage might be found here, with fliel- 



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