Its Stems Were From Two To Four Feet
High, And Planted In Rows, Among Very Large Rocks, Where The Rains Had
Washed A Little Soil Together.
In the neighbourhood of these we saw
some bushes of the hibiscus populneus, Linn, which is common also in
The Society Isles, where it is one of the numerous plants made use of
to dye yellow; and likewise a mimosa, which is the only shrub that
affords the natives sticks for their clubs and patoo-patoos, and wood
sufficient to patch up a canoe. We found the face of the country more
barren and ruinous the farther we advanced. The small number of
inhabitants, who met us at the landing-place, seemed to have been the
bulk of the nation, since we met no other people on our walk; and yet
for these few we did not see above ten or twelve huts, though the view
commanded a great part of the island. One of the sightliest of these
was situated on a little hillock, about half a mile from the sea,
which we ascended. Its construction was such as evinced the poverty
and wretched condition of its owners. The natives told us they passed
the night in these huts; and we easily conceived their situation to be
uncomfortable, especially as we saw so very few of them, that they
must be crammed full, unless the generality of the people lie in the
open air, and leave these wretched dwellings to their chiefs, or make
use of them only in bad weather. Besides these huts, we observed some
heaps of stones piled up into little hillocks, which had one steep
perpendicular side, where a hole went under ground. The space within
could be but very small, and yet it is very probable that these
cavities served to give shelter to the people during night. They may,
however, communicate with natural caverns, which are very common in
the lava currents of volcanic countries. We should have been glad to
have ascertained this circumstance, but the natives always denied us
admittance into these places." - G.F.
[6] "Captain Cook had not been very fortunate in trading with the
people. They seemed indeed to be so destitute as to have no provisions
to spare. A few matted baskets full of sweet potatoes, some sugar-
canes, bunches of bananas, and two or three small fowls ready dressed,
were the whole purchase which he had made for a few iron tools, and
some Otaheite cloth. He had presented the people with beads, but they
always threw them away with contempt, as far as ever they could.
Whatever else they saw about us, they were desirous of possessing,
though they had nothing to give in return. - G.F.
SECTION VIII.
A Description of the Island, and its Produce, Situation, and
Inhabitants; their Manners and Customs; Conjectures concerning their
Government, Religion, and other Subjects; with a more particular Account of
the gigantic Statues.
I shall now give some farther account of this island, which is undoubtedly
the same that Admiral Roggewein touched at in April 1722; although the
description given of it by the authors of that voyage does by no means
agree with it now. It may also be the same that was seen by Captain Davis
in 1686; for, when seen from the east, it answers very well to Wafer's
description, as I have before observed. In short, if this is not the land,
his discovery cannot lie far from the coast of America, as this latitude
has been well explored from the meridian of 80 deg. to 110 deg.. Captain Carteret
carried it much farther; but his track seems to have been a little too far
south. Had I found fresh water, I intended spending some days in looking
for the low sandy isle Davis fell in with, which would have determined the
point. But as I did not find water, and had a long run to make before I was
assured of getting any, and being in want of refreshments, I declined the
search; as a small delay might have been attended with bad consequences to
the crew, many of them beginning to be more or less affected with the
scurvy.
No nation need contend for the honour of the discovery of this island, as
there can be few places which afford less convenience for shipping than it
does. Here is no safe anchorage, no wood for fuel, nor any fresh water
worth taking on board. Nature has been exceedingly sparing of her favours
to this spot. As every thing must be raised by dint of labour, it cannot be
supposed that the inhabitants plant much more than is sufficient for
themselves; and as they are but few in number, they cannot have much to
spare to supply the wants of visitant strangers. The produce is sweet
potatoes, yams, tara or eddy root, plantains, and sugar-canes, all pretty
good, the potatoes especially, which are the best of the kind I ever
tasted. Gourds they have also, but so very few, that a cocoa-nut shell was
the most valuable thing we could give them. They have a few tame fowls,
such as cocks and hens, small but well tasted. They have also rats, which
it seems they eat; for I saw a man with some dead ones in his hand, and he
seemed unwilling to part with them, giving me to understand they were for
food. Of land-birds there were hardly any, and sea-birds but few; these
were men-of-war, tropic, and egg-birds, noddies, tern, &c. The coast seemed
not to abound with fish, at least we could catch none with hook and line,
and it was but very little we saw among the natives.
Such is the produce of Easter Island, or Davis's Land, which is situated in
latitude 27 deg. 5' 30" S., longitude 109 deg. 46' 20" W. It is about ten or twelve
leagues in circuit, hath a hilly and stony surface, and an iron-bound
shore.
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