.«T7**
©C-TO.BE R.
coco-nut, or fixed upon banana leaves, forming rhomboidal
frontlets or diadems, &c. With a degree of extafy which
gave the greateft weight to his aflertion, he (hewed us that
a little piece; of feathered-work, as broad as two or three
fingers, would purchafe the largeft hog in his ifiand. Both
this youth and O-Mai were much pleafed with the inhabitants
of thefe iflands, and began to underfta.nd their language
tolerably well.
We left the beach after the firft acquaintance with the
natives, and afcended a few feet into a wild foreft confiding
o f tall trees, intermixed with fhrubberies. This wood though
■ narrow, being in many places not above one hundred yards
wide, was continued along the £hore of Van Diemen’s road,
being more or lefs open in various parts, Beyond it the
whole ifiand was perfectly level. We walked acrofs a piece
of uncultivated land, about five hundred yards wide, which
adjoined to the wood, fart of it appeared to have been
.planted with yams, but the reft was full of grafs, and had
a little fwanip in the middle, where the purple water-hen,
or foule fuitane, refided in great numbers. As. foon as we
left this, we entered into a lane about fix feet wide, between
two fences of reed, which encloled -extenfive plantations on
■ each fide. Here -we met many of the natives, who were
travelling to the beach with loads of provifions, and cour-
teoufly bowed their heads as they palled by us in fign of
friendfhip, generally pronouncing fome -monofyllable or
.other,
4 4 9
■ other, which feemed to correfpond to the Taheitian tayo. octobes.
The enclofures, plantations, and houfes were exactly in the
fame ftyle as at Ea-oowhe, and the people had never failed
to plant odoriferous Ihrubs round their dwellings. The
mulberry, of which the bark is manufactured into cloth,
and the bread-tree, were more fcarce than at the Society
Ifles, and the apple of thofe iflands was entirely unknown,
but the (haddock well fupplied its place. The feafon of
fpring, which revived the face of all nature, adorning every
plant with bloffoms, and infpiring with joyful fongs the
feathered tribe, doubtlefs contributed in a great meafure to
■ make every objetSf pleafing in our eyes. But the induftry
and elegance of the natives, which they difplayed in planting
every piece of ground to the greateft advantage, as well
as in the neatnefs and regularity of all their works, demanded
our admiration, whilft it gave us 'room to fup-
•pofe, that they enjoyed a confiderable degree of happinefs.
One of the lanes between the enclofures led us to a
little grove, which we admired for its irregularity. An
immenfe cafuarina tree far out-topped the reft, and its
branches were loaded with a vaft number of blackifh
creatures, which we took for crows at a diftance, but which
proved to be bats when we came nearer. They clung to
the twigs-, by the hooked claws, which are at the extremity
of their webbed fingers and toes ; fometimes they hung with
the head downwards, and fometimes the reverfe. We (hot
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