A V £9 * O Y A G E ROUND THE WORLD.
m I” ch into a difficult path had all left us, except one man and a
little boy. Finding that our officers with their party, went
too much out of their way, by miftaking the dire&ion of
our ffiip, I left them ; and with Dr. Sparrman, a failor,
and the two natives, purfued the neareft path, which the
latter had plainly pointed out. The man feeing me very
faint, offered me his hand, and walking on the loofe flones
by the fide of the path, with amazing dexterity fupported
me fot a confiderable way ; the little boy going hefore, and
picking up the ftones which obftrutfted the path. By reffing
feveral times, we were at laft enabled to reach the fummit
of the hill, from whence we faw the fea tG the weft, and the
fhip at anchor. The hill was covered with a fhrubbery of
the mimofa, which grew here to the height of eight or mine
feet, and fame of whofe Items near the root, were about the
thicknefs of a man’s thigh. We found another well hereabouts,
of which the water was infefted with a putrid tafte,
and the fmell of beparfulpburis, but of which we drank, notwithstanding
its naufeoufnefs. The fun fet very foon after
we had left this well i fo that we continued our walk downwards,
for more than two hours entirely in the dark, during
which my Indian’s affiftance was particularly valuable to
me. I waited for Mr. Pickerfgill and the reft of the party,
having gained near three miles upon them, and arrived
fafely at the fea-fide with them, after walking at the loweft
computation, at leaft five and twenty miles on the moft
deteftable
A VO Y AGE ROUND THE WO RLE). £93
•deteftable roads, where not a fingle tree appeared to give us march.
fhelter from the fcorching fun. I rewarded my friendly
conductors with all the Taheitee doth, and iron ware,
which I had about me, and arrived'fafely on board with
fhe party.”
From this narrative it is evident, that the moft diligent
enquiries on our part, have not been fufficient to throw a
clear light on the furprifing objefts which ftruck our eyes
in this ifland. We may however, attempt to account for
thofe gigantic monuments, of which great numbers exift in
every part; for as they are fo difproportionate to the pre-
fent flrength of the nation, it is moft reafohable to look
•upon them as the remains of better times. The niceft calculations
which we could make, never brought the number
o f inhabitants in this ifland beyond feven hundred *, who,
deftitute of tools, of fhelter, and clothing, are obliged to
■ fpend all their time in providing food to fupport their precarious
exiftence. It is obvious that they are too much
occupied with their wants, to think of forming ftatues,
which would coft them ages to finiffi, and require their
united flrength to eredt. Accordingly, we did not fee a
fingle inftrument among them on all our excurfions, which
* T h e Spaniards in the S. Lorenzo, and frigate Rofalia, make the-population
o f Eafter Ifland amount to between two and three thoufand ; but it may be
doubted whether they examined the interior country, as well .as our people.
See Mr. Dalrymple’s Letter to D r . Hawkefworth.
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