177+- A u g u s t . of two or three different kinds, and one fort, in particular,
bears figs of the common fize, which are woolly, like
peaches, on the outfide, and have a beautiful crimfon pulp
like pomegranates. They are fweetifh and juicy, but, upon
the whole, rather infipid. The yamboos, (eugeniaj a cooling
watery fruit, of the fize of pears, but with an agreeable
tartnefs, likewife grew here in great abundance on large
trees ; and we alfo obferved fome fine cabbage-palms, (areca
ehracea.) We advanced into a little thicket of various
flowering fhrubs, and in a few minutes found ourfelves
on a fine open area not lefs than an hundred yards fquare,
on the fkirts of which we faw three habitations of the natives.
Many lofty trees, richly furnifhed with foliage, made
this recefs impenetrable to the eye from the outfide. Among
the reft we noticed an immenfe wild fig-tree in one corner
of the green, of which the ftem was three yards in diameter,
and the branches fpread at lead forty yards on all fides
in the mod picfturefque manner. At the foot of this beautiful
tree, which was ftill in full vigour, we faw a fmall
family feated round a fire, on which they roafted fome yams
and bananas. They ran away into their huts at fight of us,
but Paw-yangom telling them they had nothing to fear,
they came out again ; the women and girls, however, remained
at a great diftance, and only peeped at us behind
the bullies. We fat down with them, and they offered us
fome of their provifions, with the fame hofpitality which
we
we had experienced in other iflands. Their huts were, properly
fpeaking, large fheds, of which the roof reaches down
to the very ground, and forms a ridge at top. They are
open at both ends, having only a fmall enclofure or railing
of reeds and flicks about eighteen inches high. The height
of the ridge in the largeft was nine or ten feet, and the
■ width on the floor between the roofs nearly the fame. The
length, however, was confiderabl'e, and exceeded five and
thirty feet. The conftrutftion of thefe huts is very fimple r
two row of flakes are placed in the ground, bending towards
each other, and thofe which are oppofite are tied together;
Over thefe they lay feveral mats, made of coco-nut leavesj
which form a thatch fufficient to defend them from the inclemencies
of the air. We faw no- manner of utenfils or
furniture in thefe houfes. The floor was covered with dry
grafs, and a few mats of palm-leaves lay fpread in different
parts. We likewife obferved' that all the infide was blackened
by fmoke, and found'in every hut the veftiges of fev—
eral fire-places. In the middle of the area, we faw three
t-all poles Handing clofe together, which were made of the
ftems of coco-palms, and' connected together by means of
tranfverfe laths at the top. A vaft number of fmall flicks
were fattened* acrofs them from the top to within nine or-
ten feet of the bottom, and thefe were hung with old coco-
suts. As they make ufe of the oil in the kernel, and employ
the fhell for bracelets, they probably keep them in this
place