214 POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
quently 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 oppresiveness of 
the atmosphere, with the labour of rowing with 
their paddles 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 
before sunset, and was delighted with the wild and 
romantic 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 ; 
and was deeply affected in witnessing the depopu¬ 
lation 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 although during my 
subsequent residence in the island, I was less in¬ 
commoded by them, I was on this occasion glad to 
escape their noise, &c. by leaving the house soon 
after midnight, and walking along the shore, o? 
sitting on the beach until day-break. 
