*774-
AUGUST*
Tirefday 16,
Mr. Hodges made feveral lketches of views, and particularly
drew this little farm, with a group of natives of both fexes,
feated under the fliady branches of the fig-tree. From
thence he afterwards compofed an elegant pidiure, which
is engraved for captain Cook’s account of this voyage, and
gives a perfect idea of the iiland of Tanna, and its inhabitants.
Towards fun-fet we returned on board.
The next morning we came afhore again, and immediately
walked into the woods on the plain. We faw a
great number of large and beautiful parroquets, of black,
red, and yellow plumage ; but they kept on the tops of the
higheft fig-trees, where they were wholly out of the reach
of fmall fhot, guarded by the thick foliage. The fize of
thefe trees can fcarcely be imagined. Their roots grow
above ground a confiderable part of their length, and converge
together into one enormous Hem about ten or twelve
feet above the furface. This ftem which is frequently no
lefs than three yards in diameter, feems to confift of feveral
trees grown together, which form every where fliarp longitudinal
angles, projefting above three feet from the main
body. Thus it rifes thirty or forty feet, before it divides
into branches, which are above a yard in diameter. Thefe
run up nearly to the fame height without dividing, and the
fummit of the tree is at leaft one hundred and fifty feet
high. The place where they were moft frequent, was a
marlh or fwamp, occafioned by feveral branches of the
fame
3 IS
fame pond, from which we fupplied our fhip with frefli avSo»t.
water. We were not able to determine whether this pond
is the remains of a river, coming from the inland mountains,
and lofing itfelf in the volcanic fand and aflies which
cover the plain ; or whether it is only the produce of the
rains in the fummer months. It had innumerable quantities
of mufketoes which were very troublefome to us,
and was likewife the abode of rails and ducks, of which
we 'could never obtain any, though they appeared to be of
a new fpecies. We walked on through the plain, keeping
on its weftern part, and croffed feveral fpots, which being
covered with grafifes, refembled our meadows, but were
much overun with bind-weeds, and feparated from each
other by wild fhrubberies which had the effect of hedges.
Now and then we met with great fpots entirely covered
with tall reeds (faccharum fpontaneum, Linn.) which we could
hardly imagine to have grown in fuch great quantities
without cultivation. They fupply the natives with fhafts
for their arrows, and are made ufe of in bafket-work,
fences, &c. Beyond thefe fields we came into a foreft, confiding
of trees of the fame fort with thofe which cover the
weftern fhores of the bay. Here we fhot a fpecies of wild
dove hitherto unknown to naturalifts, and faw fome parroquets,
which were exceffively fhy, and may perhaps be
feared by the natives, whofe orchards they infeft. Advancing
ftill farther we came into a hollow road, which appeared