They Clung To The Twigs By The Hooked Claws,
Which Are At The Extremity Of Their Webbed Fingers And Toes; Sometimes
They Hung With The Head Downwards, And Sometimes The Reverse.
We shot
at them, and brought down six or eight at once, besides wounding
several others which held foot on the tree.
They were of the kind
which is commonly called the vampyre, and measured from three to four
feet between the expanded wings. A great number of them were disturbed
at our firing, and flew from the tree very heavily, uttering a shrill
piping note; some likewise arrived from remote parts at intervals to
the tree, but the greatest number remained in their position, and
probably go out to feed only by night. As they live chiefly upon
fruit, it is likely that they commit great depredations in the
orchards of the natives, some of whom being present when we fired,
seemed very well pleased with the death of their enemies." "We had
already observed at Otaheite, at the Society Islands, and even at Ea-
oonhe, that wherever we met with a casuarina, a burying-place was at
hand. Therefore, at sight of this venerable tree, which was hung with
ill-omened creatures, we immediately conjectured that it would lead us
to a cemetery or place of worship, and the event shewed that we were
not mistaken. We found a beautiful green lawn, inclosed on all sides
by shady bushes and trees, amongst which casuarinas, pandangs, and
wild sago-palms, appeared with their various tints of green. A row of
Barringtonians, as big as the loftiest oaks, formed one side of it,
and strewed it with their large blushing flowers. At the upper end of
it, there was a rising two or three feet high, set out with coral-
stones cut square. The area above was covered with a green sod, like
the rest of the lawn. Two steps, likewise of coral rock, led up to
this part, in the midst of which a house was situated, exactly like
that which we saw at Ea-oonhe," &c. - G.F.
[3] "We continued our walk through the plantations, and met with very
few inhabitants, they being almost all gone towards the trading-place.
Those we saw passed by us, or continued their occupations without
stopping on our account. Neither curiosity nor distrust and jealousy
excited them to prohibit our farther progress; on the contrary, they
always spoke in a kind tone to us, which sufficiently characterized
their disposition. We looked into many of the houses and found them
empty, but always laid out with mats, and delightfully situated among
odoriferous shrubs. Sometimes they were separated from the plantations
by a little fence, through which a door, like those of Ea-oowhe, gave
admittance, which could be shut on the inside. In that case only the
area, which this fence inclosed around the hut, was planted with the
odoriferous grove, which is so much in request with the natives. A
walk of three miles, brought us to the eastern shore of the island,
where it forms a deep angle, which Tasman called Maria Bay. Where we
fell in with it, the ground sloped imperceptibly into a sandy beach;
but as we walked along towards the north point, we found it rose
perpendicularly, and in some places it was excavated and overhanging.
It consisted, however, entirely of coral, which is a strong proof of
some great change on our globe, as this rock can only be formed under
water. Whether it was left bare by a gradual diminution of the sea, or
perhaps by a more violent revolution which our earth may formerly have
suffered, I shall not venture to determine. So much, however, may be
assumed as a certainty, that if we suppose a gradual diminution of the
sea, at the rate which they pretend to have observed in Sweden (see
Mem. of the Swed. Acad. of Sciences at Stockholm), the emersion of
this island must be of so modern a date, that it is matter of
astonishment how it came to be covered with soil, herbage, and
forests; so well stocked with inhabitants, and so regularly adorned as
we really found it." "After a long walk, during which we missed our
way, and engaged one of the natives to become our guide, we entered a
long narrow lane between two fences, which led us directly to the
Fayetooca, or burying-place, we had left before. Here we found
Captains Cook and Furneaux and Mr Hodges, with a great number of
natives, seated on the fine lawn. They were in conversation with an
old blear-eyed man," &c. "From this place we returned to the sea
shore, where a brisk trade for vegetables, fowls, and hogs was carried
on," &c. "It was near sun-set when we returned on board with our
collection, and found the vessels still surrounded by many canoes, and
the natives swimming about extremely vociferous. Among them were a
considerable number of women, who wantoned in the water like
amphibious creatures, and were easily persuaded to come on board,
perfectly naked, without professing greater chastity than the common
women at Otaheite and the Society Isles," &c. - G.F.
[4] "He was drest in mats, one of which, on account of the coolness of
the morning, he had drawn over his shoulders. He resembled all other
uncivilized people in the circumstance that his attention could not be
fixed to one object for any space of time, and it was difficult to
prevail on him to sit still whilst Mr Hodges drew his portrait. After
breakfast, the captains and my father prepared to return to the shore
with him; but just as he was going out of the cabin, he happened to
see an Otaheitean dog running about the deck; at this sight he could
not conceal his joy, but clapped his hands on his breast, and, turning
to the captain, repeated the word goorree near twenty times.
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