Atooi, which is the largest, being the principal scene of our operations, I shall now proceed to lay before my readers what information I was able to collect about it, either from actual observation, while on shore, or from conversation with its inhabitants, who were perpetually on board the ships while we lay at anchor; and who, in general, could be tolerably well understood, by those of us who had acquired an acquaintance with the dialects of the South Pacific islands. It is, however, to be regretted, that we should have been obliged, so soon, to leave a place which, as far as our opportunities of knowing reached, seemed to be highly worthy of a more accurate examination. Atooi, from what we saw of it, is, at least, ten leagues in length from east to west; from whence its circuit may nearly be guessed, though it appears to be much broader at the east than at the west point, if we may judge from the double range of hills which appeared there. The road, or anchoring-place, which we occupied, is on the south-west side of the island, about six miles from the west end, before a village which has the name of Wymoa. As far as we sounded, we found that the bank has a fine grey sand at the bottom, and is free from rocks; except a little to the eastward of the village, where there spits out a shoal, on which are some rocks and breakers; but they are not far from shore. This road would be entirely sheltered from the trade wind, if the height of the land, over which it blows, did not alter its direction, and make it follow that of the coast; so that it blows at north-east, on one side of the island, and at east south-east, or south-east, on the other, falling obliquely upon the shore. Thus the road, though situated on the lee-side of the island, is a little exposed to the trade-wind; but notwithstanding this defect, is far from being a bad station, and much superior to those which necessity obliges ships daily to use, in regions where the winds are both more variable and more boisterous; as at Teneriffe, Madeira, the Azores, and elsewhere. The landing too is more easy than at most of those places; and, unless in very bad weather, always practicable. The water to be got in the neighbourhood is excellent, and easy to be conveyed to the boats. But no wood can be cut at any distance, convenient enough to bring it from, unless the natives could be prevailed upon to part with the few _etooa_ trees (for so they call the _cordia sebastina_), that grow about their villages, or a sort called _dooe dooe_, that grow farther up the country. [Illustration: _Inland View in Atooi._]