3 3 - A VO Y AGE ROUND THE WORLD.
>774-
A ucust. of arrows for one of them; whereas another fifh-hook,
equally good, but with a mother of pearl barb, was not
efteemed by the natives. We rambled about among the
woods on the plain, and fhot feveral birds, of which this
ifland has a great variety. We alfo met with a number of
Eaft-Indian plants* which we had never obferved in the more
eafterly iflands. But the mod valuable acquifition, in our
opinion, was a pigeon, of the fort which is common at the
Friendly Illands. This bird had the fides of its bill covered
with a red fubftance, and, upon farther examination, had
in its mouth and craw two nutmegs, recently fwallowed.
They were ftill furrounded by a fcarlet coating, which was
their mace, and had a bitter aromatic tafte, but no fmell.
The nutmeg itfelf was confiderably more oblong than the-
true fpice of that name, but had likewife a very bitter and
aromatic tafte. We foon met with a native, to whom we
fhewed the fruit, and defired him to point out the tree on
which it grew, offering him a mother of pearl fhell for his
trouble. He conducted us about half a mile up into the
country to a young tree, which, as he affirmed, bore the
nutmeg. We gathered its leaves, but faw no fruit, which
the native faid had all been eaten by the pigeons. The
name of the fruit, in the language of the country, was
* T h e Jierculia balanghas, Jierculia fcetida| diofcorea oppofttfolia, ricinus niappa,
acanthus ilicfolius, ifchamum muticum, paniaim dimidiatum, croton variegatum, and
many others,
guannatan,
guannatan, We heard fome mufkets fired, -which had an Atto&T.
unufual report, and made us apprchenfive that fome diftur-
bance had happened, efpecially as we thought we under-
ftood fomething to that purpofe from the mouth of a native
who paffed by us coming from the beach. We therefore
haftened to the fea-fide, but foon found that every thing,
had been quiet there. However, (hewing the leaves of the
tree, which we had received as belonging to the nutmeg-tree,,
all the natives on the beach agreed in giving it a different
name from that which our guide had told us, though 4 te
endeavoured to cover his deceit by telling his countrymen,
to name the leaf as he had done. We expreffed ftrong.
marks of indignation at his behaviour, and the other natives
likewife rebuked him.
In the afternoon captain Cook, with lieutenants Cooper
and Pickerfgill, Mr. Patton, Mr. Hodges, Dr. Sparrman,
my father, and myfelf, went upon the flat hill to the eaft-
ward, and paffed through the plantation to the fea-ffiore
on the other fide. The Ifle of Anattom, which the captain
was particularly defirous to fee, was for the greateft part
involved in haze. We returned therefore leifurely through
other gardens, fhooting feveral birds, till we came to the
huts of our friendly Indians. The father of the child
which I mentioned page 325, brought me a prefent of bananas,
fugar-canes, and coco-nuts, and thus confirmed us
in the good opinion we had formed of his fenfibility.
Mr..