Page:Voyage of Discovery to the North Pacific Ocean, and Round the World in the Years 1791–95, volume 1.djvu/393

324 179*. June. I'n fan and from tliiij appearance were fuppofed to be intended for the purpofe of drying lidi ; but as finiilar works, though perhaps not quite fo extcn- fi f, JKid been often ob(crved without being appropriated to that ufe, and were alv.'as at a confulerable diilance from any known habitation ; the objetl they were defigned for, remained as uncertain to us, as the ap- phcation of the high beacons we found fo frequently erefted on the more fouthern parts of New Georgia.

'I'he furrounding country up this arm nearly correfponded with that in the neighbourliood of Howe's found; and, like it, was nearly defti- tule of inhabitants. Two canoes were feen, which the owners had very recently quitted, as their garments and many of their utenlils were re- maining in them, to which tiie officers added fome articles of iron, cop- per, beads, and other trinkets. From hence they direded their courfe towards the (hips, and arrived as before Hated. The country they 'lad vifited differed little, ccepting in one or two fmall fpots, from the re- gion in which we were then flationed : the whole prefented one defolate, rude, and inhofpitable afpeff. It has already been confidered as not in- tireiy deflitute of the human race ; and that it had been more populous than at prefent, was manifefled by the party having difcovered an exten- five deferted village, computed to have been the refidence of nearly three hundred perfons. It was built on a rock, whofe perpendicular cliffs were nearly inacceflible on evexy fide ; and connected with the main, by alow narrow neck of land, about the center of which grew a tree, from whofe branches planks were laid to the rock, forming by this means a communication that could eafdy be removed, to prevent their being mo- lefled by their internal unfriendly neighbours ; and proiecled in front, which was prefented to the fea, from their external enemies, by a plat- form, which, with much labour and ingenuity had been conftrufted on a level M-ith their houfes, and overhung and guarded the rock. This, with great flability, was formed by large timbers judicioufly placed for fupporting each other in every direction; their lower ends were well fecured in the chalms of the rocks about half way to the water s edge, admitting the platform to be fo projefted as to comm.and the foot of the rock aguiufl any attempt to fform the village. The whole feemed fo fkilfully