AFRO-INDIAN REGIONS. 



in some places a long line of beach in front; the land behind rising 

 continuously, gently-swelling with some slight ledges, to the broad, 

 rounded, ridge-like summit. Though the highest land in the scattered 

 Tongan Group, " except, perhaps, the active volcano of Tofua," the 

 extreme elevation proved only " six hundred feet." The component 

 rock is doubtless volcanic; and, indeed, we heard afterwards of a 

 kind of " sand procured on Eoa, that is useful for polishing." Arriving 

 direct from New Zealand, we were chiefly impressed with the luxu- 

 riant freshness of the foliage : the larger portion of the surface being 

 of a light green color, attributed to "clearings and yam-patches;" the 

 strips and tracts of darker green, extending over the acclivities and 

 shallow ravines near the coast, consisting probably of relics of the 

 original forest-growth. Detached trees in the clearings, as well as we 

 could make out with the glass, appeared to be Casaarinas ; while cocoa' 

 palms were readily recognized, some of them growing even on the 

 higher portion of the island. 



A channel "eight miles" wide, separates Eoa from Tongatabu ; 

 and we w^ere baffled by the weather; heavy rain during the greater 

 part of the day, with wind-squalls, thunder, and lightning. At length, 

 on the 24th, the Vincennes was enabled to pass up this channel, and 

 around the extreme point of Tongatabu : and thence, close along the 

 shore to the anchorage; behind the outlying coral-reefs of the North 

 side of the island. These coral-reefs are very extensive, and succeed 

 each other in a series, the outermost being " nine miles from shore ;" 

 but rising to the surface oidy in spots crowned witli forest-growth, 

 they present the appearance of mere widely-scattered islets. 



Tongatabu itself is only a coral-island ; a flat expanse, twenty feet 

 or so in average elevation, with here and there a coral knob or hillock, 

 projecting as much more above the general level. Yet these knobs, 

 examined to the depth of six feet or more, presented the component 

 coral undisturl)ed, in the position of life. A wide, shallow inlet ex- 

 tends back several miles, to the centre of the island ; but in place of 

 any lagoon-like expansion, its low flat border is infiltrated for a long 

 distance, by the rising tide. There are no water-courses; and the in- 

 habitants derive their sup[)ly of fresh water by digging pits. 



Climate. As well as we could judge during a stay of only ten 

 days, the climate seemed much the same as that of the Samoan Group ; 

 but the heat was more oppressive, calms more prevalent, and there was 

 less rain ; indeed, the only rain we experienced was that encountered 



79 



