and affording little nutriment. Neceflity feems to have
forced the people to content themfelves with the moft
fcanty means of fubfiftence, at certain feafons; and no
time of the year is more likely to be feverely felt, than that
of fpring, when their winter ftores is exhaufted, and the
new crop is not yet come up. They doubtlefs fupply the
deficiency by fifhing, for which the extenfive reefs round
their ifland furnifli the beft opportunity; but fince our
arrival in the harbour it had blown rather frefti, and the
wind daily encreafed to fuch a pitch, that it would have
been to no purpofe to venture from the (hore. Mahine,
whilft he accompanied us, frequently ufed to mention,
that even the opulent natives of Taheitee and the Society
Iflands, fometimes, though rarely, feel the inconveniences
of a dry or barren year, and are obliged during forne
months, to have recourfe to fern-roots, the bark of various
trees, and the fruit pf wild bufhes, to fatisfy the cravings
o f hunger.
We found near thefe huts a number of tame fowls of a
large breed, and bright plumage, which were the only
domeftic animals of any kind, belonging to the natives ;
and alfo faw heaps of fhells, which they had collected on
the reefs, and of which they had eaten the fifh. The temper
of thefe people in general was indolent, and almoft
deftitute of curiofity ; the greater part of them did not ftir
from their feats, when we palled by their huts, fpoke very
feldom,
feldom, and almoft always in a ferious tone. The women
were fomewhat more cheerful, and thofe who were married,
carried their infants on their backs in a kind of fatchel.
We returned on board about one o’clock, but landed _
again after dinner. Having obferved that the bufhes and
trees near the fea-fide, were better flocked with birds than
thofe in the interior country, becaufe they afforded more
fhade and more food, we confined our excurfion to the
plain, being defirous of encreafing our zoological collection.
We fell in with another group of huts, clofe to the water*
here the natives had put one of their large earthen pots
over the fire, and filled it with fhells, of which by this
means they roafted the fifh. We faw one of them who
had a hatchet in his hand, of a very remarkable fhape. It
Was made of a crooked piece of wood, which forms a great
knob, but has a ftiort handle, not exceeding fix inches. The
other end is hollowed out, and a black ftone juft, fitting the
cavity is placed in it, without being tied on, as is the cafe
with the hatchets of the Society and Friendly Iflands. We
purchafed this hatchet, it being the firft inftrument relating
to agriculture which we had feed in this country. We
likeWife made an aequifition of fome clubs, flings, and
fpears, and had an opportunity of admiring the {kill of
feveraf youths, who made ufe of their flings With the greateft
precision. In the courfe of our rambles, we came to anenclofure
of flicks, round a little hillock or mound, four
.'. ■ ■ n „ „ feet
V ol. II. G S S
T774*
AuGU ST i