THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 289 
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the land is quite flat, and partly overflowed by the fea every 1777. 
tide. When that retires, the furface is feen to be compofed ~^ e ‘ , 
of coral rock, with holes of yellowifh mud fcattered up and 
down ; and toward the edges, where it is a little firmer, are 
innumerable little openings, from which iffue as many 
fmall crabs, of two or three different forts, which fwarm 
upon the fpot, as flies upon a carcafe; but are fo nimble, 
that, on being approached, they difappear in an inff ant, and 
baffle even the natives to catch any of them. 
At this place is a work of art, which fhews, that thefe 
people are capable of fome defign, and perfeverance, when 
they mean to accomplifh any thing. This work begins, 
on one fide, as a narrow caufeway, which, becoming gra¬ 
dually broader, rifes, with a gentle afcent, to the height of 
ten feet, where it is five paces broad, and the whole length 
feventy-four paces. Joined to this is a fort of circus, 
whofe diameter is thirty paces, and not above a foot or two 
higher than the caufeway that joins it, with fome trees 
planted in the middle. On the oppofite fide, another caufe¬ 
way of the fame fort defcends; but this is not above forty 
paces long, and is partly in ruin. The whole is built with 
large coral ftones, with earth on the furface, which is quite 
overgrown with low trees and fhrubs ; and, from its de¬ 
caying in feveral places, feems to be of no modern date. 
Whatever may have been its ufe formerly, it feems to be 
of none now; and all that we could learn of it from the 
natives was, that it belonged to Poulaho, and is called 
Etchee .” 
On the 16th, in the morning, after vifiting the feveral Monday 16. 
works now carrying on afhore, Mr. Gore, and I, took a walk 
into the country ; in the courle of which nothing remark¬ 
able appeared, but our having opportunities of feeing the 
Vol. I. P p whole 
