steep wall. It is nearly even
with the surface of the water, and of a brown or brick colour; but the
texture is rather porous, yet sufficient to withstand the washing of the
surf which continually breaks upon it."

Though the landing of our gentlemen proved the means of enriching my
journal with the foregoing particulars, the principal object I had in
view was, in a great measure, unattained; for the day was spent without
getting any one thing from the island worth mentioning. The natives,
however, were gratified with a sight they never before had, and
probably will never have again. And mere curiosity seems to have been
their chief motive for keeping the gentlemen under such restraint, and
for using every art to prolong their continuance amongst them.

It has been mentioned that Omai was sent upon this expedition; and
perhaps his being Mr Gore's interpreter was not the only service he
performed this day. He was asked by the natives a great many questions
concerning us, our ships, our country, and the sort of arms we used;
and, according to the account he gave me, his answers were not a little
upon the marvellous. As, for instance, he told them that our country had
ships as large as their island, on board which were instruments of war
(describing our guns) of such dimensions that several people might sit
within them, and that one of them was sufficient to crush the whole
island at one shot. This led them to enquire of him what sort of guns we
actually had in our two ships. He said, that though they were but small
in comparison with those he had just described, yet, with such as they
were, we could, with the greatest ease, and at the distance the ships
were from the shore, destroy the island, and kill every soul in it. They
persevered in their enquiries, to know by what means this could be done;
and Omai explained the matter as well as he could. He happened luckily
to have a few cartridges in his pocket. These he produced; the balls,
and the gunpowder which was to set them in motion, were submitted to
inspection; and, to supply the defects of his description, an appeal was
made to the senses of the spectators. It has been mentioned above, that
one of the chiefs had ordered the multitude to form themselves into a
circle. This furnished Omai with a convenient stage for his exhibition.
In the centre of this amphitheatre, the inconsiderable quantity of
gunpowder collected from his cartridges was properly disposed upon the