We remained at this station till eleven o'clock the next day, when we weighed, and plyed to the eastward. But it was ten at night before we weathered the east end of the island, and were enabled to stretch away for Middleburgh, or Eooa, (as it is called by the inhabitants,) where we anchored, at eight o'clock in the next morning, in forty fathoms water, over a bottom of sand, interspersed with coral rocks; the extremes of the island extending from N. 40° E., to S. 22° W.; the high land of Eooa, S. 45° E.; and Tongataboo, from N. 70° W., to N. 19° W., distant about half a mile from the shore, being nearly the same place where I had my station in 1773, and then named by me, English Road.
We had no sooner anchored, than Taoofa, the chief, and several other natives, visited as on board, and seemed to rejoice much at our arrival. This Taoofa[172] had been my Tayo, when I was here, during my last voyage; consequently, we were not strangers to each other. In a little time, I went ashore with him, in search of fresh water, the procuring of which was the chief object that brought me to Eooa. I had been told at Tongataboo, that there was here a stream, running from the hills into the sea; but this was not the case now. I was first conducted to a brackish spring, between low and high water mark, amongst rocks, in the cove where we landed, and where no one would ever have thought of looking for what we wanted. However, I believe the water of this spring might be good, were it possible to take it up before the tide mixes with it. Finding that we did not like this, our friends took us a little way into the island, where, in a deep chasm, we found very good water; which, at the expence of some time and trouble, might be conveyed down to the shore, by means of spouts or troughs, that could be made with plantain leaves, and the stem of the tree. But, rather than to undertake that tedious task, I resolved to rest contented with the supply the ships had got at Tongataboo.
[Footnote 172: In the account of Captain Cook's former voyage, he calls the only chief he then met with, at this place, Tioony.--D.]
Before I returned on board, I set on foot a trade for hogs and yams. Of the former, we could procure but few; but of the latter, plenty. I put ashore, at this island, the ram and two ewes, of the Cape of Good Hope breed of sheep, entrusting them to the care of Taoofa, who seemed proud of his charge. It was fortunate, perhaps, that Mareewagee, to whom I had given them, as before mentioned, slighted the present. Eooa not having, as yet, got any dogs upon it, seems to be a properer place than Tongataboo for the rearing of sheep.
As we lay at anchor, this island bore a very different aspect from any we had lately seen, and formed a most beautiful landscape. It is higher than any we had passed since leaving New Zealand, (as Kao may justly be reckoned an immense rock,) and from its top, which is almost flat, declines very gently toward the sea. As the other isles of this cluster are level, the eye can discover nothing but the trees that cover them; but here the land, rising gently upward, presents us with an extensive prospect, where groves of trees are only interspersed at irregular distances, in beautiful disorder, and the rest covered with grass. Near the shore, again, it is quite shaded with various trees, amongst which are the habitations of the natives; and to the right of our station, was one of the most extensive groves of cocoa-palms we had ever seen.
The 13th, in the afternoon, a party of us made an excursion to the highest part of the island, which was a little to the right of our ships, in order to have a full view of the country. About half way up, we crossed a deep valley, the bottom and sides of which, though composed of hardly any thing but coral rock, were clothed with trees. We were now about two or three hundred feet above the level of the sea, and yet, even here, the coral was perforated into all the holes and inequalities which usually diversify the surface of this substance within the reach of the tide. Indeed, we found the same coral till we began to approach the summits of the highest hills; and it was remarkable, that these were chiefly composed of a yellowish, soft, sandy stone. The soil there, is, in general, a reddish clay, which, in many places, seemed to be very deep. On the most elevated part of the whole island, we found a round platform, or mount of earth, supported by a wall of coral stones; to bring which to such a height, must have cost much labour. Our guides told us, that this mount had been erected by order of their chief; and that they, sometimes, meet there to drink/kava. They called it etchee; by which name, an erection which we had seen at Tongataboo, as already mentioned, was distinguished. Not many paces from it, was a spring, of excellent water; and, about a mile lower down, a running stream, which, we were told, found its way to the sea when the rains were copious. We also met with water in many little holes; and, no doubt, great plenty might be found by digging.
From the elevation to which we had ascended, we had a full view of the whole island, except a part of the south point. The S.E. side, from which the highest hills we were now upon, are not far distant, rises with very great inequalities, immediately from the sea, so that the plains and meadows, of which there are here some of great extent, lie all on the N.W. side; and as they are adorned with tufts of trees, intermixed with plantations, they form a very beautiful landscape in every point of view. While I was surveying this delightful prospect, I could not help flattering myself with the pleasing idea, that some future navigator may, from the same station, behold these meadows stocked with cattle, brought to these islands by the ships of England; and that the completion of this single benevolent purpose, independently of all other considerations, would sufficiently mark to posterity, that our voyages had not been useless to the general interests of humanity. Besides the plants common on the other neighbouring islands, we found, on the height, a species of acrosticum, melastoma, and fern tree, with a few other ferns and plants not common lower down.
Our guides informed us, that all, or most of the land, on this island, belonged to the great chiefs of Tongataboo, and that the inhabitants were only tenants or vassals to them. Indeed, this seemed to be the case at all the other neighbouring isles, except Annamooka, where there were some chiefs, who seemed to act with some kind of independence. Omai, who was a great favourite with Feenou, and these people in general, was tempted with the offer of being made chief of this island, if he would have staid amongst them; and it is not clear to me, that he would not have been glad to stay, if the scheme had met with my approbation. I own I did disapprove of it, but not because I thought that Omai would do better for himself in his own native isle.
On returning from my country expedition, we were informed that a party of the natives had, in the circle where our people traded, struck one of their own countrymen with a club, which laid bare, or as others said, fractured his skull, and then broke his thigh with the same, when our men interposed. He had no signs of life when carried to a neighbouring house, but afterward recovered a little. On my asking the reason of so severe a treatment, we were informed, that he had been discovered in a situation rather indelicate, with a woman who was taboo'd. We, however, understood, that she was no otherwise taboo'd, than by belonging to another person, and rather superior in rank to her gallant. From this circumstance we had an opportunity of observing how these people treat such infidelities. But the female sinner has, by far, the smaller share of punishment for her misdemeanor, as they told us that she would only receive a slight beating.
The next morning, I planted a pine-apple, and sowed the seeds of melons and other vegetables, in the chief's plantation. I had some encouragement, indeed, to flatter myself, that my endeavours of this kind would not be fruitless; for, this day, there was served up at my dinner, a dish of turnips, being the produce of the seeds I had left here during my last voyage.