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.