A VOYAGE TO 
226 
177s. 
February. 
few of thofe inconveniences, which many tropical countries 
are fubjedt to, either from heat or moifture, feem to he 
experienced here, as the habitations of the natives are quite 
clofe; and they fait both fhh and pork, which keep well, 
contrary to what has ufually been obferved to be the cafe, 
when this operation is attempted in hot countries. Neither 
did we find any dews of confequence, which may, in fome 
meafure, be accounted for, by the lower part of the country 
being deftitute of trees. 
The rock that forms the fides of the valley, and which 
feems to be the fame with that feen by us at different 
parts of the coaft, is a greyifh black, ponderous ftone; but 
honey-combed, with fome very minute fhining particles, 
and fome fpots of a rufty colour interfperfed. The laft gives 
it often a reddifh caft, when at a diftance. It is of an im~ 
menfe depth, but feems divided into Jirata , though nothing 
is interpofed. For the large pieces always broke off to a 
determinate thicknefs, without appearing to have adhered 
to thofe below them. Other ftones are probably much 
more various, than in the Southern iflands. For, during 
our Ihort ftay, befides the lapis lydius , which feems com¬ 
mon all over the South Sea, we found a fpecies of cream- 
coloured whetftone, fometimes variegated with blacker or 
whiter veins, as marble; or in pieces, as breccia ; and com¬ 
mon writing flate, as well as a coarfer fort; hut we faw none 
of them in their natural ftate; and the natives brought 
fome pieces of a coarfe whitilh pumice-ftone. We got 
alfo a brown fort of hamatites , which, from being ftrongly 
attracted by the magnet, difcovered the quantity of metal 
that it contained, and feems to belong to the fecond fpecies 
of Cronftedt, though Linnaeus has placed it among!! his in- 
tradlabilia . But its variety could not be difcovered; for 
what 
