250 
POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
impossible to behold without emotion either the 
scenery or inhabitants. 
The Plate which forms the frontispiece to the 
third volume of this work, exhibits an accurate 
representation of the outline and character of the 
scenery in the north-eastern parts of the district and 
harbour, though taken at a period subsequent to our 
arrival, when the landscape had been improved by 
partially clearing the ground near the shore, and 
erecting a number of houses. 
In the forenoon of the day after we came to 
anchor, accompanied by Matapuupuu, we walked 
through the district, in search of a house for Mr. 
Orsmond and myself, and at length selected one 
on the southern side of the bay, belonging to 
Taaroarii, the young chief of the island, while Mr. 
and Mrs. Williams were accommodated with an¬ 
other belonging to Maau, a raatira, who resided 
near the anchorage. Towards noon, our goods 
were most of them landed, and taken into our new 
habitation. It was a large oval building, standing 
within ten or twelve yards of the sea, without either 
partitions or even sides, consisting simply of a 
large roof, supported by three pillars along the 
centre, and a number round the sides. The floor 
was composed of stones, sand, and clay. Mr. and 
Mrs. Orsmond occupied one end, and we took up 
our abode in the other. 
When our goods, &c. were all brought under its 
cover, and the boats had returned to the ship, we 
sat down to rest, and could not avoid gazing on the 
scene around us, before we began to adjust our 
luggage. Large fragments of rock were scattered 
at the base of the mountains that rose on one side 
of our dwelling, the sea rolled within a few yards 
on the other, and in each direction along the shore 
