Have been cut, or reduced by the hand of man, but to
have been prevented in its growth, by being often trod, or sat upon.
It cannot be supposed that we could know much, either of their civil or
religious policy, in so short a time as four or five days, especially as we
understood but little of their language: Even the two islanders we had on
board could not at first understand them, and yet as we became the more
acquainted with them, we found their language was nearly the same spoken at
Otaheite and the Society Isles. The difference not being greater than what
we find betwixt the most northern and western parts of England, as will
more fully appear by the vocabulary.[6]
[1] This subject is resumed in the account of Cook's third voyage, to
which we refer for additional information. A few observations,
however, are here given from the works already mentioned, as deserving
the reader's immediate attention. - E.
[2] "Next to the Society Isles, for richness of productions, and
beauty of appearance, we must place that group discovered by the Dutch
navigator Tasman, and not unaptly to be distinguished by the name of
Friendly Isles, from the peaceable kind disposition of their
inhabitants. They are raised so high above the level of the sea, that
they can no longer rank with the low islands; and being destitute of
mountains, they are equally distinct from the high islands.
