tfo8
NoyS 'ei. to us> went dire&ly into Indian Cove, whilft the reft came-
on board with a great variety of drefles and arms, which';
they fold to our people. They were more drefled than we
had commonly feen any, during this fecond ftay at Queen*
Charlotte’s Sound, their hair was tied up, and; their cheeks-
painted red. All foefe circumftances confpired to confirm
the account which the women had given us the day before,,
that their hufbands were gone to fight, as it is ufual forth
em to put. on their beft apparel on thofe occafions. l am;
much afraid that their unhappy differences with other1
tribes, were revived on our account. Our people notfatis--
fied with purchafing all the hatchets of ftone, patoo-patoos;.
battle-axes, clothes, green jaddes, fifh-hooks, &c. of which ;
the natives of. our acquaintance'were poffefled, continually*
enquired for more, and fhewed them fuch large and valuable*'
pieces of Taheitee cloth; as would not fail to excite their-
defires. It is not improbable that as foon as this appetite
prevailed among the New Zeelanders, they would reftedt that
the fhorteft way to gratify it, would be to rob their neighbours
of fuch goods, as the Europeans coveted. The great
ftore of arms, ornaments, and clothes which they produced
at this time, feemed to prove that fuch a daring and villainous
defign had really been put in execution ; nor was
it to be fuppofed that this could have been accomplifhed
without bloodfhed.
In c
Ih the morning, which was very foggy, the natives at
our watering-place were feen to cat a root boiled or baked
by means of hot ftones s and Mr. Whitehoufe the firft mate
brought fome of it on board, which tailed rather better
than a turnep.- My father returned: on fhore with him
for a few trifles obtained fome large pieces- of: this root;
and with fome difficulty prevailed'on two of the natives to
accompany Mr. Whitehoufe and him into the woods, in-
order to point out to them the fpecies of plant to which
the root belonged. They : walked up a confiderable way
without any arms whatsoever, trufting to the honefty of
their guides. Thefe men pointed out a fpecies of fern-tree,
which they called mamaghoo, as having the eatable root; and
at the fame time lhewed the difference between this, and
another kind; of fern-tree, which they named pnga. The
firft is full of: a tender pulp or pith, which when cut ex-
fudes a reddifh juice of a gelatinous nature, nearly related
to fago.. This-is fo much the lefs Angular, as the real
fago-tree is a fpecies of fern. The good nutritive root of
foe mamaghoo muft not, however, be confounded with
that wretched article of New Zeeland diet, the common
fern-root, or acrojiicbumfurcatum Linn. The latter confifts of
nothing but infipid flicks, which after being broiled over
the fire for fome time, are beaten or bruifed on a ftone'
with a piece of wood much refembling the Taheitian •
eloth-beater, but round inftead of fquare, and without.
any
JNNT Ov1E7iM-73B'ER,
Tuefday a 3,