31G 
POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
transparent waters^ the playful movements of the shoals 
of small and variegated rock-fish, of every rich and glow¬ 
ing hue, which often shone in brilliant contrast with the 
novel and beautiful groves of many-coloured coral, that 
rendered the sandy bottom of the sea, though frequently 
several fathoms beneath us, in appearance at least, an 
extensive and charming submarine shrubbery, or flower- 
garden. The corallines were spread out with all the 
endless variety and wild independence exhibited in the 
verdant landscape of the adjacent shore. 
The heat of the sun, and the oppressiveness of the 
atmosphere, with the labour of rowing with their pad¬ 
dles our heavily laden canoes every inch of the way, had 
so fatigued our men, that when we reached A-ti-ma-ha, 
fifteen miles from the place whence we started in 
the morning, we deemed it expedient to land for the 
night. 
I took a ramble through the district a short time be¬ 
fore sunset, and was delighted with the wild and roman¬ 
tic beauty of the surrounding scenery,—the luxuriant 
groves of trees, and the shrubs, that now covered the 
fertile parts of this almost uninhabited district. In 
every part I met with sections of pavement, and other 
vestiges of former inhabitants 3 and was deeply affected 
in witnessing the depopulation thus indicated, and which 
is found to have taken place throughout the island. 
Notwithstanding the total absence of every thing 
resembling accommodation in our lodging, where we 
spread our bed upon the ground, we should probably 
have enjoyed a night of refreshing sleep, but for the 
musquitoes. In these thinly peopled, damp, and woody 
districts, they are exceedingly numerous and annoying, 
especially to those who have recently arrived; and 
