[BOOK III.--continued]
[CHAPTER V.--Continued.]
CAPTAIN KING'S JOURNAL OF THE TRANSACTIONS ON RETURNING TO THE SANDWICH ISLANDS.
SECTION VI.
General Account of the Sandwich Islands.--Their Number, Names, and Situation.--OWHYHEE.--Its Extent, and Division into Districts.--Account of its Coasts, and the adjacent Country.--Volcanic Appearances.--Snowy Mountains.--Their Height determined.--Account of a Journey into the Interior Parts of the Country.--MOWEE.--TAHOOROWA.--MOROTOI.--RANAI.-- WOAHOO.--ATOOI.--ONEEHEOW.--OBEEHOUA.--TAHOORA.--Climate.--Winds.-- Currents.--Tides.--Animals and Vegetables.--Astronomical Observations.[1]
[1] The general account of the Sandwich Islands given by Captain King, has been substantially confirmed by subsequent voyagers. Some additional particulars, not by any means very important, have resulted from their enquiries, from which, of course, it had been easy to have enlarged the present and two following sections, by supplementary notes. But no good end would be answered by such a practice in the present case, as the description in the text is abundantly complete for every important purpose, and as it is probable, that, in the course of this work, there will occur opportunities of communicating whatever is valuable in the narratives of more recent voyagers.--E.
As we are now about to take our final leave of the Sandwich Islands, it will not be improper to introduce here some general account of their situation and natural history, and of the manners and customs of the inhabitants.
This subject has indeed been, in some measure, preoccupied by persons far more capable of doing it justice than I can pretend to be. Had Captain Cook and Mr Anderson lived to avail themselves of the advantages which we enjoyed by a return to these islands, it cannot be questioned, that the public would have derived much additional information from the skill and diligence of two such accurate observers. The reader will therefore lament with me our common misfortune, which hath deprived him of the labours of such superior abilities, and imposed on me the task of presenting him with the best supplementary account the various duties of my station permitted me to furnish.
This group consists of eleven islands, extending in latitude from 18° 54' to 22° 15' N., and in longitude from 199° 36' to 205° 06' E. They are called by the natives, 1. Owhyhee. 2. Mowee. 3. Ranai, or Oranai. 4. Morotinnee, or Morokinnee. 5. Kahowrowee, or Tahoorowa. 6. Morotoi, or Morokoi. 7. Woahoo, or Oahoo. 8. Atooi, Atowi, or Towi, and sometimes Kowi.[2] 9. Neeheehow, or Oneeheow. 10. Oreehona, or Reehoua; and, 11. Tahoora; and are all inhabited, excepting Morotinnee and Tahoora. Besides the islands above enumerated, we were told by the Indians, that there is another called Modoopapapa,[3] or Komodoopapapa, lying to the W.S.W. of Tahoora, which is low and sandy, and visited only for the purpose of catching turtle and sea-fowl; and, as I could never learn that they knew of any others, it is probable that none exist in their neighbourhood.