From the summit of this bank we pursued a path leading to the upper Plantations in a direct line towards Mownaroa, and as we advanced the natives pointed out to us, on both sides of our path, places where battles and skirmishes were fought in the late civil wars between the adherents of the present King and the party of Kaooa, the son of the late Tereoboo who was King of the Island in Capt. Cook's time. Tamaika-maika's warriors were headed by Tianna who at that time made use of fire-arms which obliged Kaooa's warriors to intrench themselves by digging small holes in the ground into which they squatted flat down at the flash of the muskets ; many of these little intrenchments are still very conspicuous and they were pointed out to us by the natives with seeming satisfaction, as it was to them a new mode of eluding the destructive powers of firearms on plain ground. Here, then, we behold the first beginnings of fortification amongst these people, which they probably never thought of till these arms were intro duced amongst them ,and we also see that the same mode of fight ing naturally begets the same mode of defence in every part of the world. It was in these Wars that Tianna, by his knowledge of fire-arms gained so much ascendancy on the Island and be came so powerful a Chief. We continued our ascent through a rich tract of land which appeared to have laid fallow or neg lected ever since these wars, till we came to a grove of the Dooe Dooc tree and under their shade we stopped to rest and refresh ourselves, in the heat of the day. Close by us was a fine Planta tion, belonging to Tamaika Maika, called Tahookoo where our Purveyor was particularly ordered to demand supplies for our journey, which he did, and only received one small Hog. This, however, did not come to our knowledge till after we had passed it, and when the Chief told me of it I made a show of noting it down in my little Memorandum Book in order to make it known to the King: this had the desired effect for it instantly spread through the crowd and from them to the Steward of the Planta tion, whom we found extremely assiduous in supplying our wants on our return.
In the afternoon we resumed our journey, and soon after reached the upper Plantations, where instead of ascending direct ly up the Mountain as we expected, they led us across these Plantations, to the North Eastward at a distance of 5 or 6 miles from the shore, by a narrow winding path which in some places was very rugged, and seldom admitted more than one person at a time, so that we followed one another in a string and occupied a considerable space in length from the number of our own party and the crowds that followed us from village to village through curiosity and flocked to see us from far and near : this path we found to be the public road leading to the East end of the Island, and on the small eminences here and there we met cleard spots for resting on, where the wearied travelers generally set down to chew sugar-cane and admire the surrounding prospect.
Towards evening we descended into a fine fertile valley, and put up for the night at a village called Keeoraka on a rich Planta tion belong to Cavahero, and we computed that we had this day travelled 18 or 20 miles, though we did not seem to be much more than half way that distance, in a straight line from where we set out in the morning, the path was so circuitous and winding, and we observed that a great deal of ground on both sides of our path lay waste, which appeared to have been cultivated not many years ago. This we ascribed to the late commotions on this
part of the Island, as it is the common custom of these people to destroy the Plantations of the vanquished.
When we stoppd in the evening we were surrounded by such a concourse of people who pressd so close upon us that we could scarcely stir. Rookea, observing our situation, took a stick in his hand and soon cleard a circle for us : he afterwards Tabood a large house for us and seemed to manage the natives with great authority. This was by far the most populous village we had yet met with since we left Karakakooa. Towards the dusk of the evening there fell some showers of rain which gave a gay and refreshing look to the most enchanting scenes of rural industry with which we were surrounded. The economy with which these people laid out and managed their ground, and the neatness with which they cultivated their little fields, made the whole Valley appear more like a rich garden than a Plantation : a stream of water which fell from the Mountain through the middle of it was in-. geniously branchd off, on each side, to flood and fertilize the most distant fields at pleasure.
//t/t. We set out early on the morning of the uth and as cended a steep verdant hill on the Eastern side of the Valley, from the summit of which we had a charming prospect of the coun try for a long way before us, presenting extensive and rich planta tions industriously cultivated : as we passed on through them the natives pointed out one which they said the King had given to Tooworero soon after we left him on the Island : this was further confirmed to us by the vassals on it readily owning Tooworero as their Chief. We found the people everywhere busily employed in their little fields many of which were here croppd with Plan tains and Bananas which had a ragged appearance from having little or no shelter, yet they bore fruit tolerably well. We sel dom observed these vegetables cultivated so low down on the Western side of the Island where they generally occupy the verge of the Forest, a situation which for shelter, seems more congenial to their tender foliage. We observed here that they suffer many of their fields here and there to lay fallow and these, in general, were croppd with fine grass which they cut down for the pur pose of covering their new planted fields of Taro or Yams, to preserve them from the powerfull heat of the sun.
After crossing these Plantations we came to a barren woody tract, without even a Hut or the least arable land for a consider able distance, and so arid that we could get no water to quench our thirst or refresh ourselves : this made us quite out of humour with our guides as the day was far advanced before we could get any breakfast, and by the time we got through this dreary tract we were ready to drop with hunger and fatigue.