3 3 ^
ActfusT peared to have been formed by a current of water, but was
perfectly dry at prefent, and ferved as a path to the natives.
Its fides were fringed in the moft beautiful manner with
fhrubberies and palms; and in one part a huge venerable
fig-tree (ficu s religiofa, Linn.) of the fame fort to which the
Cinghalefe and natives of Malabar pay a particular regard *,
ftruck its roots into both fides, and formed an aflonifhing
vaulted arch over the lane, which was at leaf! five yards
wide. A prodigious number of birds, of a very diminutive
fize, fluttered about on its uppermoft branches, and
picked off the fruit. We relied fome time under its {hade,
whilft feveral natives palled by, who did not exprefs the
lealt uneafinefs at fight of us, and with perfeft unconcern,
heard our fowling-pieces fired at birds. Towards noon
we returned ro the fea fide, and though the weather was
very hot, yet as we walked almolt continually in the lhade,
we felt no inconvenience. Before we came to the watering
place, we palled through a fhrubbery, where we found
a native at work cutting flicks, on which the climbing
■ ftall-is of the yams (diofcorca oppofitijolia•) are fupporred. Seeing
that he cut them very flowly with his hatchet, which
had only a bit of fheli in lieu of a blade, we began to help
him with an Englifh hatchet, and in a few minutes cut a
jnuch greater heap than he had done the whole day. The
* They make facrifices under its fhade, where fome of their divinities are faid
to have been born.
natives
natives who were now frequently palling, as the hour of A;707*;T.
their meals was at hand, flood ftill, and exprefled the
greateft aftonilhment at the extreme utility of this tool, and
fome were very defirous to poffefs it, by offering their bows
and arrows for it. We thought this was a favourable opportunity
to encourage them to part with their hogs, and
told them we would exchange our hatchet for one of thefe
animals ; but they were deaf to this propofal, and never fold
us a Angle hog during our flay. Having Ihewn them the
wild nutmeg which we had found in the pigeon’s craw the
day before, one of them produced three others, which were
wrapped in their mace, but could not point out the tree on
which they grew. They gave thefe nuts feveral different
names, and told us they grew on a tree called neeraß. On
having recourfe to our books, we found that this fpecies
has fome refemblance to the wild nutmeg of Rumphius, and
feems to be exactly the fame with a fort which is found in
the Philipinas.. The pigeon which feeds upon it at Tanna
is the fame which Rumphius defcribes as the difl'cminator
o f the true nutmeg at the Spice lllands,. and we had the
honour o f prefenting one alive to her majefty.
We found a very old decrepit man fitting on the beach
whom we had never feen before. Many among the croud
told us his name was Yogat, and that he was their areekee.-
He was of a tall ftature, but very lean and worn out ; his
face was wrinkled, his head almolt entirely bald, and what
Vol. II. X x -httle