50 PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY OF TILE SEA. 
known, as its entrance even at low water is completely hidden 
under the surface of the sea. Mariner, to whom we owe our 
first knowledge of this wonderful play of nature, relates that 
while he was one day rat-hunting * in the island of Hunga with 
king Finow, who at that time reigned over Tonga, the barbarian 
monarch took a fancy to drink his kawa f inthe cave. Mariner, 
who had absented himself for a few moments from the company, 
was very much astonished when, returning to the strand, he saw 
one chieftain after another dive and disappear. He had but 
just time to ask the last of them what they were about. 
* Follow me,” answered the chieftain, “‘ and I will show thee a 
place where thou hast never been before, and where Finow and 
his chieftains are at present assembled.” Mariner immediately 
guessed that this must be the celebrated cave of which he had 
frequently heard, and, anxious to see it, he immediately followed 
the diving chieftain, and swimming close after him under the 
water, safely reached the opening in the rock through which he 
emerged into the cave. On ascending to the surface, he imme- 
diately heard the voices of the company, and still following his 
guide, climbed upon a projecting ledge on which he sat down. 
All the light of the cave was reflected from the sea beneath, 
but yet it was sufficient, as soon as the eye had become accus- 
tomed to the twilight, to distinguish the surrounding objects. 
A clearer light being, however, desirable, Mariner once more 
dived, swam to the strand, fetched his pistol, poured a good 
quantity of powder on the pan, wrapped it carefully up in tapa- 
cloth and leaves, and, providing himself with a torch, returned 
as quickly as possible to the cave. Here he removed the cloth, 
a great part of which was still quite dry, and igniting it by the 
flame of the powder made use of it to light his torch. This 
was probably the very first time since its creation that the cave 
had ever been illumined by artificial light. Its chief compart- 
ment, which on one side branched out into two smaller cavities, 
seemed to be about forty feet wide and the mean height above 
the water amounted to as much. The roof was ornamented in 
a remarkable manner by stalactites resembling the arches and 
fantastic ornaments of a Gothic hall. According to a popular 
* A favourite pastime of the Polynesian chiefs. 
+ An intoxicating beverage extracted from the Piper methysticum, a species of 
pepper plant. 
