32 TONGATABOO. 
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, although 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 conse- 
quence 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. 
The natives cultivate yams, sweet-potatoes, bananas, cocoa-nuts, 
bread-fruit, sugar-cane, shaddock, limes, and the ti (Spondias dulcis) ; 
the pandanus is much attended to, and is one of their most useful trees, 
and of it all their mats are made; a little corn is grown, and they have 
the papaw-apple (Papaya), and water-melon. The missionaries have 
introduced the sweet orange from Tahiti, and a species of cherimoyer 
(Annona); many other things have, as I learned, been attempted, but 
have hitherto failed. I presented the missionaries with a variety of 
both fruit and vegetable seeds, and trust that they will succeed and be 
of advantage to future visiters; the natives, I was told, understand the 
different kinds, discriminating among them in their planting. 
The botany of this island resembles that of the Samoan Group. A 
species of nutmeg was found here, differing from either of the Samoan 
ones: the trees were very full of fruit, and much larger; one of them 
was observed a foot and a half in diameter, and upwards of forty feet 
in height. There was a number of ornamental shrubs. A description 
of climbing plants, which it was found a difficult matter to trace among 
the varieties of forest trees, gave a peculiar character to some parts of 
this overgrown island. 
The climate of Tonga is humid and the heat oppressive, rising fre- 
quently to 98° in the shade; much rain falls; the mean temperature 
during our stay was 79:25°. The trade-winds are by no means con- 
stant, and westerly winds occasionally blow in every season, which, 
from their variable character, have obtained the name with the natives 
of “ foolish winds.” 
We had to regret the state the island was in, as it prevented our 
making that full examination of it that I had intended and hoped; we 
