The Chief here packed up a quantity of dried fish to be carried with us, and presented each of us with a mat and a quantity of Island Cloth to lay on at night during our journey.
9th. After an early breakfast on the morning of the 9th we were again launched in our canoes and proceeded to the South ward, keeping close along shore within the recoil of the surges where, tho the water is much agitated they conceive less danger of swamping as their canoes are much more lively upon it than much further out at sea ; yet, notwithstanding our great confidence in their dexterity and management, we could hardly divest our minds of the idea of danger when beholding every moment the boisterous surges dashing with such furious violence against the rugged and cavernous cliffs high over our heads and threatening us, as it were, every instant with over whelming destruction, nor were the appearances of the surges breaking on the other side of us at times less awfull, as they threatened to deluge and waft us, in their foaming course towards the rocks. We, however, got through this wild navigation with no other inconvenience than that of our apprehensions, and getting all very wet.
This part of the coast is a dreary rugged tract composed of black porous rock of lava forming here and there grotesque arches, vaults and deep caverns into which the sea pushes by the violence and agitation of the waves with great force and frequently gushes up again several yards inland through chinks and crevices with a hissing noise, into the form of fountains which in the sunshine reflect all the colours of the rainbow. These often rivetted attention as we went along and made us forget our own danger in admiring their beautiful and picturesque appearances.
We at last prevailed on them to quit the windings of the Shore where we were under so much dread, and steer a straighter course across some small bays none of which appeared fit for anchorage, from their being too much exposed, and early in the afternoon we landed at a small village called Pateence near the South point of the Island. We took up our abode in a house belonging to Cava hero, and they told us that the village, which consisted only of a few fishermen's huts, belong to Namahanna, Teamottoo's wife.
The country between this and Manaka, the place we left in the morning, is one continued tract of loose, rough and picked lava, the most dreary and barren that can possibly be conceived, so that it would be a tedious and fatiguing journey to come from thence by land and such as even the natives themselves seldom attempt, for when they wish to visit the south side of the Island they generally come thus far in canoes from the west side, and leave them here till they return again, so that this forms a com mon port at which there were several arrivals to and fro in the course of the evening.
Our Chief advised us to remain here all night and as we knew so little of the country we were obliged to be entirely under his controul. The afternoon was spent in covering up our canoes upon the beach, to preserve them from the sultry weather, and in pre paring everything for our land expedition which was to commence the next morning. From hence we had a full view of the snowy summit of the mountain which shewd a remarkable glaring lustre from the sun's reflection. Some of the party that were despatched across the country from Honomazino met us with Cocoa Nuts.
_Toth. After giving our several attendants strict charge of their respective burthens we left our canoes at Pateence and set out early on the morning of the loth to prosecute the remainder of our journey by land. We had not travelled far when we found we had to ascend an elevated, steep, rugged, bank that took its rise at the south point of the Island and running along the southern side of Pateence Bay continued its direction inland behind the village : on gaining its summit, which was not an easy task, an extensive tract of the most luxurious pasture we had yet seen amongst these Islands rushed at once upon our sight, extending itself from the South point to a considerable distance inland : it was croppd with fine soft grass reaching up to our knees and naturally of a thick bottom that would afford excellent feeding for cattle where herds of them might live at their ease, if it was not for the scarcity of fresh water which we experienced in all the low grounds we had yet visited.