October time before we difcovered from whence it proceeded; but
at lad having looked at fome fliady trees at the back of the
houfe, we perceived they • were of the lemon tribe, and
covered with beautiful branches of white flowers, which
fpread this fragrant fmell. The natives foon brought us
fome of the fruits, which we knew to be of the kind called
(haddocks in the Weft-Indies, and pomplemofes at Batavia
and the adjacent Eaft-Indian ifles. Their fliape was
perfectly globular, their fize almoft as large as a child’s
head, and their tafte extremely pleafant.
On both fides of the lawn we took notice of a fence or
enclofure made of reeds, diagonally plaited in an elegant
tafte. A door, which confifted of feveral boards, and was
hung on a rope inftead of hinges, gave admittance into a
plantation on each fide. We feparated, in order to examine
this beautiful country, and at every ftep had reafon to be
well pleafed with our difcoveries. The door was fo contrived
as to £hut after us without any aififtance, and the
enclofures were over-run with climbers, and efpecially a
bind-weed, having flowers of a beautiful fky-blue. The
profpedt now changed into an extenfive garden, where we
f aw a number of tufted lhaddock-trees, tall coco-palms,
many bananas, and a few bread-fruit trees. In the midft of
this fpot the path led us to a dwelling-houfe, like that on
the lawn, furrounded by a great variety of fhrubsun blof-
fom whofe fragrance filled the air. We roamed through
thefe
thefe bufhe^, and collected a variety o f plants which we
had never met with in the Society Ifles. The inhabitants
feemed to be of a more a&ive and induftrious difpofiticn
than thofe of Taheitee, and inftead of following us in great
crouds wherever we went, left us entirely by ourfelves, un-
lefs we entreated them to accompany us. In that cafe we
could venture to go with our pockets open, unlefs we had
nails in them, upon which they fet fo great a value that
they could not always refill the temptation. We pafled
through more than ten adjacent plantations or gardens,
feparated by enclofures, communicating with each other by
means of the doors before mentioned. In each of them
we commonly met with a houfe, of which the inhabitants,
were abfent. Their attention to feparate their property
feemed to argue a higher degree of civilization than we had
expected. Their arts, manufactures, and mufic were all
more cultivated, complicated, and elegant than at the Society
Iflands. But, in return, the opulence,or rather luxury,,
of the Taheitians feemed to be much greater. We faw
but few hogs and fowls here, and that great fupport of
life, the bread-tree, appeared to be very fcarce. Yams,
therefore, and other roots, together with bananas, are
their principal articles of diet. Their cloathing too, compared
to that of Taheitee, was lefs plentiful, or at leaft not
converted into fuch an article of luxury as at that ifland.
Laftly, their ho.ufcs, though neatly conftruCted, and always.
placedl
*7'4-
October.