carry them about easily. When they had emptied a few of them, they went to fill them again out of little holes, which they had dug in the ground, that the water might flow into them. Though these holes were about a hundred and fifty toises only from the shore, the water was scarcely to be called brackish. As we found it necessary to replace what we had expended since leaving Adventure Bay, we dug a hole in the ground, more than a yard deep, and at a good distance from the shore, and it was presently supplied with very drinkable water. With this we filled small casks, which the natives of the toua class were very ready to carry on their shoulders to the boat: but the part on which the iron hoops of the cask rested being bare, was soon galled, and they gave up their work. We had on board, however, a little cart, which we had brought from Europe, and on this they readily consented to draw the barrels down to the shore. The touas, twelve in number, sung to mark the time of uniting their efforts in pulling. These twelve soon increased to twenty, and at first required no addition to the pay we had agreed upon for each turn, which was twelve glass beads: a few days after, however, they demanded a higher price for their labour. They assured us that we should not find water at Tongataboo, except inponds,
