1773*
October.
profufion is become the fource of that great luxury among
the chiefs which we do not meet with at Toriga-Tabboo.
There the coral rock is covered only with a thin bed of
mould, which fparingly affords nourifhment to all- forts of
trees; and the moll ufeful of all, the bread-fruit tree,
thrives imperfeftly on the ifland, as it is deftitute of wateiy
except when a genial fhower happens to impregnate and
fertilize the ground. The labour of the natives is therefore
greater than that of the Taheitians, and accounts for.
the regularity of the plantations, and the accurate divifion
of property. It is likewife to this fource we muft afcribe it,,
that they have always fet a higher value on their provifions-
than on their tools, dreffes, ornaments, and weapons, though
many of thefe muft have coft them infinite time and application.
They very juftly conceive the articles of food to
be their principal riches, of which the lofs is abfolutely not
to be remedied. If we obferved their bodies more Sender
and their mufcles harder than thofe. of the Taheitians, this
feems to be the confequence of a greater and more conftant
exertion of ftrength. Thus, perhaps, they become induftri-
ous by force of habit, and when agriculture does not occupy
them, they are aft u a ted to employ their vacant hours in
the fabrick of that variety of tools and inftruments on which
they bellow fo much time, patience, labour, and ingenuity.
This induftrious turn has alfo led them, in the cultivation
of all their arts, to fo much greater perfection than the
Taheitians,
Taheitians. By degrees they have hit upon new inventions,
and introduced an active fpirit and enlivening
chearfulnefs even into their amufements. Their happi-
nefs of temper they preferve under a political confti-
tution, which does not appear to be very favourable to
liberty ; but we need not go fo far from home to wonder-
at fuch a phenomenon, when one of the moft enflaved
people in all Europe, are characterifed as the merrieft and-
moft facetious of mankind. Still there may be more fin-
cerity in the chearfulnefs of the natives of Tonga-Tabboo;
for, exclufive of'great and almoft fervile fubmilfion, their-
king does not feem to-exact any- thing from them, which,
by depriving them of the means to fatisfy the moft indif-
penfible wants of nature, could make them miferable. Be
this as it may, fo much feems to be certain, that- their
fyftems of politics and religion, from their fimilarity with
the Taheitian, as far as we could judge, muft have had one
common origin, perhaps in the mother country, from
whence both thefe colonies iffued. Single diflonant cufloms,.
and opinions may have acceded to the primitive ideas,.in i
proportion as various accidents, or human caprices have -
given rife to them. . The affinity of their languages is- ftill.
more decifive. The greateft part of the neceffaries of life ,,
common to both groups of illands, the parts- of- the body,.
in Ihort the moft obvious and univerfal ideas, were expreffed .
at the Society and Friendly IHes nearly by the fame words. g
We
4 7 7
1773v
OCTOBER,