THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 
i °3 
more even than the country to the North Weft, and lefs 
broken by ravines. Off thefe two diftridts we cruized for 
almoft a month; and, whenever our diftance from fhore 
would permit it, were fure of being furrounded by canoes 
laden with all kinds of refrefliments. We had frequently a 
very heavy fea, and great fwell, on this ftde of the iiland, 
and as we had no foundings, and could obferve much foul 
ground off the fhore, we never approached nearer the land 
than two or three leagues, excepting on the occafton already 
mentioned. 
The coaft to the North Eaft of Apoona, which forms the 
Eaftern extremity of the ifland, is low and flat; the acclivity 
of the inland parts is very gradual, and the whole country 
covered with cocoa-nut and bread-fruit trees. This, as far 
as we could judge, is the fineft part of the ifland, and we 
were afterward told that the king had a place of reftdence 
here. At the South Weft extremity the hills rife abruptly 
from the fea-ftde, leaving but a narrow border of low 
ground toward the beach. We were pretty near the fhore 
at this part of the ifland, and found the ftdes of the hills co¬ 
vered with a fine verdure; but the country feemed to be very 
thinly inhabited. On doubling the Eaft point of the ifland, 
we came in fight of another fiiowy mountain, called Mouna 
Roa (or the extenfive mountain), which continued to be a 
very confpicuous objedt all the while we were failing along 
the South Eaft fide. It is flat at the top, making what is 
called by mariners table-land: the fummit was conftantly 
buried in fnow, and we once faw its fides alfo flightly cover¬ 
ed for a confiderable w T ay down; but the greateft part of this 
difappeared again in a few days. 
According to the tropical line of fnow, as determined by 
Mr. Condamine, from obfervations taken on the Cordilleras, 
this 
1779 - 
March. 
V, —-*' 
