404 



MASSACRE ISLANDS. 



[1830. 



Encouraged by the approbation of Henneen and his people, I now 

 went on, and planted potatoes, yams, pumpkins, oranges, apples, pears, 

 peaches, plums, onions, cabbages, beets, carrots, parsnips, artichokes, 

 beans, pease, watermelons, and muskmelons. While we were plant- 

 ing the seeds of these vegetables and fruits, I told Henneen that there 

 must be a fence around them, to prevent their being trampled upon and 

 destroyed. He immediately set his men to work, and before night 

 the little garden was all planted and fenced. I then told Nero and 

 Henneen that in the course of a few moons they might expect to find 

 a variety of edible productions in this young plantation ; and in two 

 or three years a number of trees bearing wholesome and delicious 

 fruits. Henneen explained this to the natives, and was answered by 

 a loud and general shout of approbation and joy. 



This was followed by a speech from King Nero, in which his 

 majesty assured his chiefs and subjects that I was taking all this 

 trouble and pains for their general good, from generous and disinter- 

 ested motives. At the conclusion of this address the whole welkin 

 rang with their joyous shouts. When this clamour had subsided, I 

 made Nero and Henneen understand that this garden was intended for 

 them ; and that in due time it would furnish seeds enough for all his 

 people, on every island. By this mark of respect from me they ap- 

 peared to feel themselves highly honoured, and promised to see that 

 the garden was cultured with great care. 



These arrangements and operations being completed, we proceeded 

 in a body towards the village, taking a route round the south end of 

 the island, where I could not help pausing a while to contemplate the 

 ceaseless but unavailing warfare which ocean wages against the 

 coral bulwarks that protect these lovely islands. I gazed upon the 

 foaming breakers with mingled sensations of astonishment and awe, 

 and silently adored that Being who gave to the smallest insects the 

 power to perform such wonderful miracles ! It is true that the 

 mighty ocean may tear away mountains from their foundations of ada- 

 mant ; it may ingulf cities in irretrievable ruin ; dash fleets of shipping 

 to atoms, and destroy all the feeble operations of man, the proud self- 

 styled lord of the creation ; and yet here it exerts its force in vain 

 against the works of tiny animals, scarcely perceptible to the naked 

 eye. Neptune sees his domains thus continually intruded upon in a 

 thousand, nay a million different directions, and storms, and frets, and 

 fumes, and wages eternal war against the intruders. But how impo- 

 tent his wrath ! The little labourers still go on, unmindful of his frothy 

 rage — new mountains of coral still rise from the oozy abyss, and 

 imagination may gaze into futurity, until it sees the vast Pacific con- 

 verted into a continent, resting, as it were, on a base of coral. 



At sundown we returned to the vessel, with all our labourers of the 

 point ; and after partaking of a hearty supper, with that best of all 

 sauces, a good appetite, we set our watches, and all turned-in upon 

 deck, beneath the awning, which extended the whole length of the 

 vessel. The nights here are very beautiful, and more favourable to 

 health than those of any other country that I have ever visited, on 

 account of there being no dews falling here. The cause of this total 



