During The Seventeen Days We Were At This
Island, We Got But Twenty-Four Hogs, The Half Of Which Came From The Two
Kings Themselves; And, I Believe, The Other Half Were Sold Us By Their
Permission Or Order.
We were, however, abundantly supplied with all the
fruits the island produces, except bread-fruit, which was not in season
either at this or the other isles.
Cocoa-nuts and plantains were what we
got the most of; the latter, together with a few yams and other roots, were
to us a succedaneum for bread. At Otaheite we got great plenty of apples,
and a fruit like a nectarine, called by them Aheeva. This fruit was
common to all the isles; but apples we got only at Otaheite, and found them
of infinite use to the scorbutic people. Of all the seeds that have been
brought to those islands by Europeans, none have succeeded but pumpkins;
and these they do not like, which is not to be wondered at.
The scarcity of hogs at Otaheite may be owing to two causes; first, to the
number which have been consumed, and carried off by the shipping which have
touched here of late years; and, secondly, to the frequent wars between the
two kingdoms. We know of two since the year 1767; at present a peace
subsists between them, though they do not seem to entertain much friendship
for each other. I never could learn the cause of the late war, nor who got
the better in the conflict.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 306 of 885
Words from 82696 to 82951
of 239428
