576 A V O Y A G E ROUND THE WORLD.
’774* March. we compared it to the cuftoms of civilized nations, who
have almoft entirely laid afide all tender feelings for the
wants of their fellow-creatures. At the fame time we were
very glad to be convinced, that the conjectures of the Dutch
concerning the fires which they faw on this ifland, were
ill-founded, as we did not fee the leaft reafon to fuppofe,
that they were lighted for religious purpofes. We now
embarked with a fmall quantity of potatoes, and with about
fix or feven common plants which we had gathered, and
returned on board. Thofe only who were ill of the fcurvy,
reaped fome benefit from their vifit to the ffiore. I who
went out in the morning with my legs exceffively fwelled,
and fo tender that I could hardly ftand upon them, returned
on board much better ; the fwelling was fomething reduced,
and my pains at leaft were gone. I could not attribute this
fudden change to any thing elfe, than the exercife I had
taken on fhore, and perhaps to thofe falutary antifcorbutic
effluvia of the land, which it is faid, are alone fufficient
to recover thofe, who have contracted the fcurvy on a long
cruize at fea.
Tuefday 15. Early the next morning, captain Cook appointed a party
of marines and failors, under the command of lieutenants
Pickerfgill and Edgecumbe, to reconnoitre the interior parts
of the country, in order to be convinced if poflible, whether
any other part was better cultivated, or more clofely inhabited
than that which we had hithertp feen. Mr. Wales,
Mr.
Mr. Hodges, Dr. Sparrman, and my father affociated with
them, fo that the whole party confifted of twenty-feven
men.
After breakfaft I accompanied captain Cook and feveral
officers affiore, where we found about two hundred inhabitants
affembled, amongft whom were fourteen or fifteen
women, and very few children. It was impoffible for us
to guefs at the caufe of this difproportion in the number of
the different fexes; but as all the women we faw were
very liberal of their favours, I conjectured at that time, that
the married and the modeft, who might be fuppofed to
form the greater part, did not care to come near us, or were
forced by the men to flay at their dwellings in the remote
parts of the ifland. Thofe few who appeared were the moft
lafcivious of their fex, that perhaps have ever been noticed
in any country, and fhame feemed to be entirely unknown
to them; our failors likewife difclaimed all acquaintance
with modefty, for nothing but the ffiadow of the gigantic
monument fcreened them from the fun.
Mr. Patton, lieutenant Clerke, and rnyfelf left the fea-
fide, where the concourfe was greateft, and took a walk
into the country. The heat of the fun was very violent,
rhe beams being reverberated from the broken ground, and
there was not a Angle tree to give us flicker. My companions
had taken their fowling-pieces in hopes of meeting
with fome birds; but they were greatly difappointed, there
V ol. I. 4 E being
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