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there is a peculiar cavern, situated on thewestern coast, the entrance to which is somefeet beneath the surface of the sea even at lowwater ; and was first discovered by a youngchief, whilst diving after a turtle. The natureof this cavern will be better understood if weimagine a hollow rock rising sixty feet or moreabove the surface of the water ; into the cavityof which there is no known entrance but one,and that is on the side of the rock, several feetunder the water, which flows into it; and con-sequently the base of the cavern may be said tobe the sea itself*. Finow and his friends, be-ing on this part of the island, proposed one af-ternoon on a sudden thought, to go into thiscavern, and drink cava. Mr. Mariner was notwith them at the time the proposal was made ;but happening to come down a little while af-ter to the shore, and seeing some of the youngchiefs diving into the water, one after another,and not rise again, he was a little surprised,and enquired of the last, who was just prepar-ing to take the same step, what they were

* The depth of the entrance below the surface differs ofcourse with the different heights of the tide: when Mr. Ma-riner entered, it was about six feet below the surface: Jere-miah Higgins says it was two or three feet when he went in,at nearly low water, at which period it is very difficult toenter, on account of the swell.