Se ptember, thus fulfill tO US, had 1 i l iC wifll afT'cclcd feveral dogs, taken
on board at the Society Iflands 5 thefe creatures having
feized upon the remains of the liver, were extremely ill,
and had the fame fymptoms as thofe which were poifoned
at Mallicollo. A little pig, the only one which we obtained
at Tanna, having eaten the entrails of the fifli, died foon
after, being fwelled to an unufual fize.
The natives who came on board, began now to admire
our iron ware, and readily took nails, knives, and hatchets.
Tea-booma, the chief, fent captain Cook a prefent of fome
fugar-canes and yams, which, confidering the poverty of
the country, was indeed a kingly prefent. He was complimented
in return with a hatcher, a gimlet, and a Ta-
heitian dog of each fex, theft; animals being entirely unknown
in the country. We endeavoured to obtain the
name of this great ifland from the natives, but we could
not fucceed, being always put off with the appellations of
particular diftri&s. Thus for inflance, they called the part
oppofite to the fliip, Baladd ; the obfervatory ifland, Poozooe ;
and the diftrict beyond the hills on the S. W. coaft, Teaboo-
ma ; which being alfo the name of the chief, occafioned
feveral conje&ures. The general name of New Caledonia
was therefore preferved, particularly as it fuited not only
. with the good difpofition of the people, but alfo with the
nature of the country.
We
407
We ventured, though exceffively weakened, to go on Se ptem b e b .
Ihore the next morning. Having landed to the eaftward Saturday w.
of the watering-place, we walked acrofs a part of the plain,
which was wholly uncultivated, and covered with thin
dry graffes. A path brought us into a fine wood at the
foot of the hills, which abounded with new plants, birds,
and infefts. Every thing confpired here, to make us look
upon the country as a folitude. We faw the hills before
us, and on both fides, without a Angle habitation upon
them, and the plain which we had crofled, was in this
neighbourhood equally deftitute of inhabitants. The
population of New Caledonia muft indeed be extremely
thin; for the foil is unfit for cultivation on the mountains,
and the narrow plain itfelf, is for the greateft part very
barren and defert. We proceeded to the eaftward, till we
came near a few houfes, placed among fwamps. Some of
the inhabitants came to us with great good-nature in their
countenances, and pointed out the places where we might
walk with fafety without finking into the mud. We ob-
ferved that their houfes had not only a covering of mats,
made of coco-nut leaves, but that the innermoft coating
fometimes confifted of the bark of the cayputi-tree. Before
one of the huts, fome of the natives were eating a few leaves-
which had been Hewed ; and others fucking the bark of the
bibifcics tiliaceus, after they had broiled it over the fire. We
tailed of this bark, but found it extremely infipid, naufeous,
and