The coast here is composed of huge masses of rocky lava so porous and cavernous that the sea pervades it and renders all the springs of water in the low ground and about the villages brakish, that we were obliged to send 4 or 5 miles up the country for good water, yet such is the force of habit that the natives could use this brakish water very freely.
8th. At 8 next morning I observed the Barometer at high water mark where I found the Mercury stood at 3oin i5pts and the Thermometer was, at the same time, 74°.
Before I left the 'Discovery' I compared my Barometer with the Marine Barometer on board and found them to agree in height pretty nearly ; it was therefore settled on to register the height of the Marine Barometer in Karakakooa Bay every two hours between eight in the morning and six the evening, daily, during my absence, and at one or other of these hours I was to make my observations at the different stations on the Mountain, and by taking afterwards the difference of the corresponding ob servations made at the same instant of time, the result would cer tainly prove more accurate than the mode I adopted in my former journey, more especially in case of any particular change of weather taking place while we were ascending the Mountain.
After the whale party had breakfasted we left Honomazino in our canoes about nine in the morning and soon after passed the western part of the Island which is a dreary tract of the most rugged rocks of lava scattered here and there with some fisher men's huts. About noon we came to a small village named Manaka where found our Chief Rookea's residence and where we landed before his house at a small gape between rugged precipices against which the surges dashed and broke with such violence and agitation and with such horrific appearance, that even the idea of attempting it chilled us with the utmost dread. We, however, quietly submitted ourselves to their guidance and were highly pleased to see the extraordinary dexterity with which they man aged this landing. Having placed their canoe in readiness before the gape they watched attentively for a particular surge which they knew would spend itself or be overcome in the recoil of the preceding surges before it could reach the rocks, and with this surge they dashed in, landed us upon a rack from which we scrambled up the precipice and in an instant about 50 or 6o of the natives at the word of command shouldered the canoe with everything in her, and clambering up the rugged steep, lodged her safely in a large Canoe-House upon the brink of the precipice, to our utmost astonishment. The other canoe was landed in the
same manner, and as the Chief had some arrangements to make, we were obliged, in compliance with his request to remain at this dreary-looking place all night, and a situation more barren and rugged can scarcely be imagined. The kind civilities and good treatment received from the natives were, however, unremitting, and here, as if to make amends for the dreariness of the situation, they particularly exerted themselves by every means in their power to amuse and entertain us. The Chief and his people were equally eager and attentive in doing little acts of kindness and thereby assiduously displaying their unbounded hospitality.
On seeing near this village a large pile of stones built regularly up in a square form on the brink of the shore, curiosity prompted us to enquire what was the intent of it, when they informed us that it was erected to mark out the limits between the two dis tricts of Akona and Kaoo, by which we found out that we had now reached the southern limits of Akona.
In the afternoon our attention was at one time directed to a number of young women who stripped themselves quite naked upon the summit of a pending cliff, and taking a short run vaulted one after another from the brink of it headlong into the sea, re gardless of the foamed and agitated appearance of that element, and as it were setting its wildest commotions at defiance, for at this time the surf ran very high and dashed with furious force against the cliff, yet they dexterously disentangled themselves, and clambering up the rock again, repeated their leaps several times with seeming satisfaction till they were quite fatigued. The cliff was at least thirty feet high and so very rugged with packed rocks which were now and then deluged with a boisterous surf, that to look down the precipice was enough to intimidate any one not accustomed to such extraordinary feats of activity.