TONGATABOO. 33 



man accordingly turned his face towards Hapai, and resolved to 

 reach it if possible ; he knew the wind was north, and directed his 

 course by feeling the wind in his right and left ear, intending to swim 

 before it ; he continued swimming, and resting by floating upon the 

 water, until the moon rose ; he then steered his course by that lumi- 

 nary, and thus continued until morning, when he was near land and 

 almost within reach of the coral reef. When he had thus nearly 

 escaped drowning, he was on the point of becoming the prey of a huge 

 shark, whose jaws he avoided by reaching the coral shelf; he then 

 landed upon the island, which proved to be Ofalanga, where the first 

 canoe had been driven : the crew found him on the beach senseless, 

 and attended to him ; he soon was brought to, and shortly afterwards 

 recovered his strength. This man's name is Theophilus Tohu ; he 

 is a native of Huano on the island of Hapai. The canoe from which 

 he was lost returned to Huano before Theophilus did, and when he 

 reached his home, he found his friends had passed through the usual 

 ceremonies of his funeral. 



The island of Tongataboo is of coral formation, and with extensive 

 coral reefs to the northward of it; it has a shallow lagoon, which 

 extends about ten miles into the interior. The soil is deeper than upon 

 any island of coral formation we have yet visited ; it is nearly a dead 

 level, with the exception of a few hillocks, thirty or forty feet high ; 

 the soil is a rich and fertile vegetable mould, and it is not composed 

 of sand, as in the other coral islands. The vegetation, probably for 

 this reason, does not altogether resemble that found on those islands. 

 The luxuriance of the foliage is not surpassed. Some few specimens 

 of pumice have been found on its shores, probably drifted there from 

 the island of Tofooa, which is said to have an active volcano. Tofooa 

 is the highest island of the group, and next in height is Eooa. There 

 is a marked difference in the appearance of the islands of Eooa and 

 Tonga ; on the former of which there is comparatively little vege- 

 tation. 



On Tonga, althoiigh the vegetation equals any within the tropics, 

 I was struck with the exaggerated accounts of the cultivation of the 

 island ; for, so far from finding it a perfect garden, exhibiting the 

 greatest care in its cultivation, it now appeared to be entirely 

 neglected. The yam-grounds are more in the interior of the island, 

 and in consequence of the war, there was no safety in passing beyond 

 the limits of the party which possessed the north part of the island, 

 or that in the vicinity of Nukualofa. 



