A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels, Volume 17 | Page 8

road, ever
since the path ceased, had become exceedingly fatiguing; and every
step they advanced was growing still more so. The deep chinks, with
which the ground was every where broken, being slightly covered with
moss, made them stumble at almost every step; and the intermediate
space was a surface of loose burnt stones, which broke under their feet
like potsherds. They threw stones into several of these chinks, which,
by the noise they made, seemed to fall to a considerable depth, and the
ground sounded hollow under their feet. Besides these discouraging

circumstances, they found their guides so averse to going on, that they
believed, whatever their own determinations might have been, they
could not have prevailed on them to remain out another night. They
therefore at last agreed to return to the ships, after taking a view of the
country, from the highest trees which the place afforded. From this
elevation they saw themselves surrounded, on all sides, with wood
toward the sea; they could not distinguish, in the horizon, the sky from
the water; and between them and the snowy mountain, was a valley
about seven or eight miles broad, above which the mountain appeared
only as a hill of a moderate size.
They rested this night at a hut in the second wood, and, on the 30th,
before noon, they had got clear of the first, and found themselves about
nine miles to the north-east of the ships, toward which they directed
their march through the plantations. As they passed along, they did not
observe a single spot of ground that was capable of improvement left
unplanted; and indeed it appeared, from their account, hardly possible
for the country to be cultivated to greater advantage for the purposes of
the inhabitants, or made to yield them a larger supply of necessaries for
their subsistence. They were surprised to meet with several fields of
hay; and, on enquiring to what uses it was applied, were told, it was
designed to cover the young tarrow grounds, in, order to preserve them
from being scorched by the sun. They saw a few scattered huts amongst
the plantations, which served for occasional shelter to the labourers; but
no villages at a greater distance than four or five miles from the sea.
Near one of them, about four miles from the bay, they found a cave,
forty fathoms long, three broad, and of the same height. It was open at
both ends; the sides were fluted, as if wrought with a chisel, and the
surface glazed over, probably by the action of fire.
Having given this account of the most material circumstances that
occurred on the expedition to the snowy mountain, I shall now return to
the other islands that remain to be described.
The island next in size and nearest in situation to Owhyhee, is Mowee,
which lies at the distance of eight leagues N.N.W. from the, former,
and is one hundred and forty geographical miles in circumference. A

low isthmus divides it into two circular peninsulas, of which that to the
east is called Whamadooa, and is double the size of the western
peninsula called Owhyrookoo. The mountains in both rise to an
exceeding great height, having been seen by us at the distance of
upward of thirty leagues. The northern shores, like those of Owhyhee,
afford no soundings; and the country presents the same appearance of
verdure and fertility. To the south-east, between this and the adjacent
isles, we had regular depths with a hundred and fifty fathoms, with a
sandy bottom. From the west point, which is low, runs a shoal,
stretching out toward Ranai, to a considerable distance; and to the
southward of this is a fine spacious bay, with a sandy beach, shaded
with cocoa-nut trees. It is probable that good anchorage might be found
here, with shelter from the prevailing winds, and that the beach affords
a convenient place for landing. The country behind presents a most
romantic appearance. The hills rise almost perpendicularly, in a great
variety of peaked forms; and their steep sides, and the deep chasms
between them, are covered with trees, amongst which those of the
bread-fruit were observed particularly to abound. The tops of these hills
are entirely bare, and of a reddish brown colour. We were informed by
the natives that there is a harbour to the southward of the east point,
which they affirmed to be superior to that of Karakakooa; and we were
also told, that, on the north- west side, there was another harbour,
called Keepookeepoo.
Tahoorowa is a small island lying off the S.W. part of Mowee, from
which it is distant three leagues. This island is destitute of wood, and
the soil seems to be sandy and barren. Between Tahowrowa and
Mowee lies the small