The rock that forms the sides of the Valley, and which seems to be the same with that seen by us at different parts of the coast, is a greyish black, ponderous stone; but honey-combed, with some very minute shining particles, and some spots of a rusty colour interspersed.  The last gives it often a reddish cast, when at a distance.  It is of an immense depth, but seems divided into strata, though nothing is interposed.  For the large pieces always broke off to a determinate thickness, without appearing to have adhered to those below them.  Other stones are probably much more various, than in the southern islands.  For, during our short stay, besides the lapis lydius, which seems common all over the South Sea, we found a species of cream-coloured whetstone, sometimes variegated with blacker or whiter veins, as marble; or in pieces, as brecciae; and common writing slate, as well as a coarser sort; but we saw none of them in their natural state; and the natives brought some pieces of a coarse whitish pumice-stone.  We got also a brown sort of haematites, which, from being strongly attracted by the magnet, discovered the quantity of metal that it contained, and seems to belong to the second species of Cronstedt, though Linnaeus has placed it amongst his intractabilia.  But its variety could not be discovered; for what we saw of it, as well as the slates and whetstones, was cut artificially.

Besides the vegetable articles bought by us as refreshments, amongst which were, at least, five or six varieties of plantains, the island produces bread-fruit; though it seems to be scarce, as we saw only one tree, which was large, and had some fruit upon it.  There are also a few cocoa-palms; yams, as we were told, for we saw none; the kappe of the Friendly Islands, or Virginian arum; the etooa tree, and sweet-smelling gardenia, or cape jasmine.  We saw several trees of the dooe dooe, so useful at Otaheite, as bearing the oily nuts, which are stuck upon a kind of skewer, and burnt as candles.  Our people saw them used, in the same manner, at Oneeheow.  We were not on shore at Atooi but in the day-time, and then we saw the natives wearing these nuts, hung on strings, round the neck.  There is a species of sida, or Indian mallow, somewhat altered, by the climate, from what we saw at Christmas Island; the morinda citrifolia, which is called none; a species of convolvulus; the ava, or intoxicating pepper; and great numbers of gourds.  These last grow to a very large size, and are of a vast variety of shapes, which probably is effected by art.  Upon the dry sand, about the village, grew a plant, that we had never seen in these seas, of the size of a common thistle, and prickly, like that; but bearing a fine flower, almost resembling a white poppy.  This, with another small one, were the only uncommon plants, which our short excursion gave us an opportunity of observing.