His Manners At Table Were Extremely
Becoming And Decent; And The Only Practice Which Did Not Appear Quite
Cleanly In Our Eyes, Was His Making Use Of A Stick, Which He Wore In
His Hair, Instead Of A Fork, With Which He Occasionally Scratched His
Head." - G.F.
[4] These people, according to Mr G.F., frequently alluded to this
horrid practice, and threatened it indeed to those of the crew that,
in opposition to their will, offered to go to certain spots on the
island.
Hence, that gentleman infers the existence of the practice
among them, and perhaps with great justice, as there can be little or
no doubt that it either has prevailed or now prevails in all the
islands of the South Seas. - E.
[5] "We took a walk to the eastward along the shore of the bay, and
looked into the groves which skirted the flat hill before spoken of.
We found these groves to consist of coco-palms, and several species of
shady fig-trees, with eatable fruits, nearly of the size of the common
figs. We also observed several sheds, under which some of their canoes
were secured from the sun and weather; but there were no habitations,
except towards the eastern point. We found a path, which led through a
variety of bushes upon the flat hills. In our way to it, we crossed
some glades, or meadows, enclosed in woods on all sides, and covered
with a very rich herbage of the most vivid green. We passed through a
little airy grove, into several extensive plantations of bananos,
yams, eddoes, and fig-trees, which were in some places enclosed in
fences of stone two feet high." - G.F.
[6] "We took the opportunity of the absence of the natives, to walk
out upon the plain, behind the watering-place. We met with several
ponds of stagnant water, in which the natives had planted great
quantities of eddoes. The coco-palms formed spacious groves, full of
different shrubberies, where a great number of birds of different
sorts, chiefly fly-catchers, creepers, and parroquets, resided. We saw
likewise many lofty trees, covered with nuts, which are common at
Otaheite, (isrocarpus Nov. Gen.). These trees were commonly the
resort of pigeons of different kinds, and chiefly of the sort which
are to be met with at the Friendly Islands, where the natives catch
and tame them. We passed by some plantations of bananas and sugar-
canes, but saw no houses, the greatest part of the ground being
uncultivated, and covered with shady forests, or low shrubberies. At
the east end of the plain we observed a long and spacious valley, from
whence we saw a great number of smokes rising, and heard the
promiscuous voices of many men, women and children. We stood in a
path, on both sides of which were thick shrubberies; and the vale
itself was so full of groves, that we neither saw the people, whose
voices we heard, nor any of their dwellings. It being late in the
evening, we proceeded no farther, and without discovering ourselves,
retreated to the beach." - G.F.
[7] The elder Forster has some judicious and important remarks on
volcanos, in his observations, but they are too long to be given here.
"It may be remarked," says his son, "that the volcano and its
productions seem to contribute greatly to that prodigious luxuriance
of vegetation which is so remarkable on this island. Many plants here
attain twice the height which they have in other countries; their
leaves are broader, their flowers larger, and more richly scented. The
same observation has been made in various volcanic countries. The soil
of Vesuvius and Etna is reckoned the most fertile in Italy and Sicily;
and some of the best flavoured wines which Italy produces are raised
upon it. The volcanic ground on the Habichtswald in Hesse, though
situated in a high, cold, and barren country, is surprisingly fertile,
and covered with verdure. All kinds of plants, indigenous and foreign,
thrive with luxuriance, and make this beautiful spot, on which the
gardens of the landgrave are situated, the admiration of all
beholders. Nay, to confine ourselves to our own voyage, the Society
Islands, the Marquesas, and some of the Friendly Islands, where we
found volcanic remains, as well as Ambrrym and Tanna, where we
actually saw burning mountains, have a rich and fertile soil, in which
nature displays the magnificence of the vegetable kingdom. Easter
Island itself, wholly overturned by some volcanic eruption, produces
different vegetables and useful roots, without any other soil than
flags, cinders, and pumice-stones; though the burning heat of the sun,
from which there is no shelter, should seem sufficient to shrivel and
destroy every plant." - G.F.
[8] Mr G.F. has spoken of the atrocious deed above recited with much
indignation, and the more so apparently, as it broke in on a very
pleasing series of reflections he was indulging, on the felicity of
these islanders and the friendly intercourse with them that had been
at last effected. He concludes his account of it in the following
manner. - "Thus one dark and detestable action effaced all the hopes
with which I had flattered myself. The natives, instead of looking
upon us in a more favourable light than upon other strangers, had
reason to detest us much more, as we came to destroy under the
specious mask of friendship; and some amongst us lamented that instead
of making amends at this place for the many rash acts which we had
perpetrated at almost every island in our course, we had wantonly made
it the scene of the greatest cruelty. Captain Cook resolved to punish
the marine with the utmost rigour for having transgressed his positive
orders, according to which the choleric emotions of the savages were
to be repressed with gentleness, and prudently suffered to cool. But
the officer who commanded on shore, declared that he had not delivered
these orders to the sentry, but given him others which imported, that
the least threat was to be punished with immediate death.
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