Their Situation Is Well Chosen For This Use,
As Most Of Their Large Houses Are Built In An Open Airy Place, Or Where The
Wind Has A Free Passage, From Whatever Direction It Blows.
Near most, if
not all of them, is a large tree or two, whose spreading branches afford an
agreeable retreat from the scorching sun.
This part of the island was well
cultivated, open and airy; the plantations were laid out by line, abounding
wilh plantains, sugar-canes, yams and other roots, and stocked with fruit-
trees. In our walk we met with our old friend Paowang, who, with some
others, accompanied us to the water side, and brought with them, as a
present, a few yams and cocoa-nuts.
On the 15th, having finished wooding and watering, a few hands only were on
shore making brooms, the rest being employed on board setting up the
rigging, and putting the ship in a condition for sea. Mr Forster, in his
botanical excursion this day, shot a pigeon, in the craw of which was a
wild nutmeg. He took some pains to find the tree, but his endeavours were
without success. In the evening a party of us walked to the eastern sea-
shore, in order to take the bearing of Annattom, and Erronan or Footoona.
The horizon proved so hazy that I could see neither; but one of the natives
gave me, as I afterwards found, the true direction of them. We observed
that in all, or most of their sugar plantations, were dug holes or pits,
four feet deep, and five or six in diameter; and on our enquiring their
use, we were given to understand that they caught rats in them.
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