R O U N D T H E W O R L D . 311
extremely conducive to the cure of the malady we had long laboured
under, fuch as water-melons, dandelion, creeping purllain,
mint, fcurvy-grafs, and forrel ; all which, together with the frelh
meats o f the place, we devoured with great eagernefs, prompted
thereto by the ftrong inclination, which, in fcorbutick difoiders,
nature never fails of exciting for thofe powerful fpecifics.
It will ealily be conceived from what hath been already faid, that
our cheer upon this Ifland was in feme degree luxurious ; but I have
not yet recited all the varieties of provifion which we here indulged
in. Indeed we thought it prudent totally to abftain from fifh, the
few we caught at our firft arrival having furfeited thofe who eat
o f them; but confidering how much we had been inured to that
fpecies of food, we did not regard this circumftance as a difadvan-
tage, efpecially as the defedt was fo amply fupplied by the beef,
pork and fowls already mentioned, and by great plenty of wild
fowl ; for it is to be remembered, that near the center of the
Ifland there were two conliderable pieces of frelh water, which
abounded with duck, teal, and curlew : Not to mention the whittling
plover, which we found there in prodigious plenty.
It may now perhaps be wondered at, that an Ifland, fo exqui-.
fitely furnilhed with the conveniencies of life, and fo well adapted,
not only to the fubfiftence, but likewife to the enjoyment of mankind,
Ihould be entirely deftitute of inhabitants, efpecially as it is
in the neighbourhood of other Iflands, which in fome meafure depend
upon this for their fupport. To obviate this difficulty, I mull
obferve, that it is not fifty years fince the Ifland was depopulated.
The Indians we had in our cuftody affined us, that formerly the
three Iflands of 'Tinian, Rota, and Guam, were all full of inhabitants;
and that Tinian alone contained thirty thoufand fouls : But
a ficknefs raging amongft thefe Iflands, which deftroyed multitudes
o f the people, the Spaniards, to recruit their numbers at Guam,
which were extremely diminilhed by the mortality, ordered all the
inhabitants of Tinian thither ; where, languiihing for their former
habitations, and their cuftomary method of life, the greateft part
o f them in a few years died of grief. Indeed, indépendant of that
attachment