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CCTOBER.
the tree under which we were feared. The tree was remarkable
for its roots, which came out of the ftem near
eight feet above the ground, and for its pods of more than
a yard long, and two or three inches broad- This fecluded
fpot, fo rich in the belt produftions of nature, where we
fat folitary with no other human being befides our two
natives, (truck us with the idea of enchanted ground, which
being the creation of our own gay fancy, is commonly
adorned with all poffible beauties at once. In fa&, there-
could not have been a more definable fpot for a little place
of retirement, according to the elegant imagination of
Horace, if it had only been fupplied with a eryftal fountain
or a little murmuring r ill! But water is unfortunately
the only bleffing denied this charming little ifland. To the
left of this fpot we difeovered a fhady walk, that brought
us to another graffy lawn, at the bottom of which we perceived
a little mount with two huts upon it. A number
of reeds ftuck into the ground, at the diftance of one foot
afunder, encompafled this' riling, and feveral cafuarinas,.
with their (lender branches and thread-like leaves, were
planted before it. The natives, whom we had engaged to
accompany us, would not approach this mount; but we
advanced and looked into the huts, though with great difficulty,
becaufe the bottom of the roof was not above a
fpan from the ground. We found a corfe in one of thefe
huts, which had been lately depofited; but the other was
empty.
A VOYAGE ROUND T H E WORLD.
empty. Thus the eafuarina or club-wood (tba), here, as 0&&1.
in the Society Iflands, pointed out the repolitories of the
dead. Its dull browrrifh-green colour, and its long fpread-
ing branches, where the leaves are thinly fcattered and hang
weeping down, certainly become thefe melancholy places
to the full as well as the funereal cyprefs. It is therefore
probable that the fame train of ideas, which confecrated
the latter in one part of the world to fhade the tombs,
might fix upon the former in thefe regions for a fimilar
purpofe. The mount on which the huts were placed was
formed of ftnall pieces of coral rock, like gravel, accumulated
without any particular order. From thence we proceeded
a little farther, and dill found the fame elegant
plantations and the fame kind of houfes in the middle as
before. Our natives conducted us through one of them,
where they entreated us to fit down, and procured fome
coco nuts, which proved extremely refrelhing. At our return
we found our boats juft ready to put off, and embarked
with them immediately. We had only feen a few of
the natives on our walk, who paffed unconcernedly by us
towards the place where the captains traded ; and I believe
we fliould have been entirely left to, ourfelves if we had
not engaged two of them to become our conductors. The
difeharge of our guns, and their effect, neither excited their
admiration nor their fear ; but they always appeared kind
and courteous towards us.. Their women were, in., general,
L l l 2 referved,