A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels, Volume 17 | Page 9

uninhabited island Morrotinnee.
Morotoi is only two leagues and a half from Mowee to the W.N.W. The
south- western coast, which was the only part near which we
approached, is very low, but the land rises backward to a considerable
height; and, at the distance from which we saw it, appeared to be
entirely without wood. Its produce, we are told, consists chiefly of
yams. It may, probably, have fresh water, and on the south and west
sides, the coast forms several bays that promise good shelter from the
trade-winds.

Ranai is about three leagues distant from Mowee and Morotoi, and lies
to the S.W. of the passage between these islands. The country to the S.
is high and craggy; but the other parts of the island had a better aspect,
and appeared to be well inhabited. We were told that it produces very
few plantains and bread-fruit trees; but that it abounds in roots, such as
yams, sweet potatoes, and tarrow.
Woahoo lies to the N.W. of Morotoi, at the distance of about seven
leagues. As far as we could judge from the appearance of the N.E. and
N.W. parts, (for we saw nothing of the southern side,) it is by far the
finest island of the whole group. Nothing can exceed the verdure of the
hills, the variety of wood and lawn, and rich cultivated vallies, which
the whole face of the country displayed. Having already given a
description of the bay, formed by the N. and W. extremities, in which
we came to an anchor, I have only to observe, that in the bight of the
bay, to the S. of the anchoring- place, we found rocky foul ground, two
miles from the shore. Should the ground tackling of a ship be weak,
and the wind blow strong from the N., to which quarter the road is
entirely open, this circumstance might be attended with some danger;
but with good cables there would be little risk, as the ground from the
anchoring-place, which is opposite to the valley through which the
river runs to the N. point, is a fine sand.
Atooi lies to the N.W. of Woahoo, and is distant from it about
twenty-five leagues. The face of the country to the N.E. and N.W., is
broken and ragged, but to the S. it is more even; the hills rise with a
gentle slope from the seaside, and, at some distance back, are covered
with wood. Its productions are the same with those of the other islands;
but the inhabitants far surpass all the neighbouring islanders in the
management of their plantations. In the low grounds, adjoining to the
bay where we lay at anchor, these plantations were divided by deep and
regular ditches; the fences were made with a neatness approaching to
elegance, and the roads through them were thrown up and finished in a
manner that would have done credit to any European engineer.
Oneeheow lies five leagues to the westward of Atooi. The eastern coast
is high, and rises abruptly from the sea, but the rest of the island

consists of low ground, excepting a round bluff head on the S.E. point.
It produces abundance of yams, and of the sweet root called Tee, but
we got from it no other sort of provisions.
Oreehow aad Tahoora are two small islands in the neighbourhood of
Oneeheow. The former is a single high hummock, joined by a reef of
coral rocks to the northern extremity of Oneeheow. The latter lies to the
S.W., and is uninhabited.
The climate of the Sandwich islands differs very little from that of the
West India islands, which lie in the same latitude. Upon the whole,
perhaps, it may be rather more temperate. The thermometer on shore in
Karakakooa Bay, never rose higher than 88°, and that but one day; its
mean height at noon was 83°. In Wymoa Bay, its mean height at noon
was 76°, and when out at sea 75°. The mean height of the thermometer
at noon, in Jamaica, is about 86°, at sea 80°.
Whether they be subject to the same violent winds and hurricanes, we
could not discover, as we were not there in, any of the stormy months.
However, as the natives gave us no positive testimony of the fact, and
no traces of their effects were any where visible, it is probable that, in
this respect, they resemble the Society and Friendly islands, which are,
in a great measure, free from these dreadful visitations.
During the four winter months that we remained amongst these islands,
there was more rain, especially in the interior parts, than usually falls
during the dry season in the islands of the West Indies. We generally
saw clouds collecting round the tops of the hills, and producing rain to