1774* SlPT£MB£R. and vegetable fpecies in this ifland. To confirm this
afièrtion, we may quote the teftimony of captain Cook, and
of all thofe perfons who had feen New Holland with him
in the Endeavour, and who, upon examining New Caledonia,
unanimoufly pronounced that in its general appearance it
perfeftly refembled that continent. New Holland is faid to
differ from New Caledonia only in having a more fertile
foil in feme places, confiding of a flratum of vegetable
earth ; but there is no difference in the growth of the trees,
the want of fhrubbery in the forefts, and the general dry-
nefs or parched appearance of the country. We flopped
at feveral houfes of the natives, fituated in a group of lhady
trees ; the inhabitants of thefe huts were feated on the
ground, without any occupation, and none but young people
rofe- from their feats at our approach. We found here
aman who had perfectly flaxen hair, a complexion much;
fairer than common, and his face covered with freckles»
Anomalous individuals have been found among the Negroes
of Africa, and the inhabitants o f America, the Moluccas,,
and the tropical iflands of the South Sea ; but their weak;
habit of body, and particularly a weaknefs in their eyes,,
have given the greateft room to believe, that a difeafe of the
parents occafioned thefe varieties *. In the man whom we
* T h is opinion is very a b ly fe t forth by M . Paauw,- in the Recherches
Philofophiques for le Américains, vol. II. fe£l, 1 , Des Blafards & des Nègres
blancs,
faw.
few, no fymptom of weaknefs, and no defect in the organs Sept7,«h
of fight could be obferved; and therefore fome flighter
eaufe muft have influenced the colour of his hair and Ikim
A gentleman cut off a lock of his hair, as well as another
from a man of the common colour, and gave them both to
us. The natives expreffed fome diflike on lofing .their lock
of hair, but as he had performed the operation before they
were aware, he foon pacified them with a few trifles. Their
.good temper, and their indolence, feem to make their re-
fentment very fhort-lived, efpedally upon trifling occafions.
After leaving thefe huts, we rambled feparately all
the morning, and did not rejoin each other till it
was time to return. Dr. Sparrman, with my father,
bad gone upon the hills, whilft I remained in;
the woody ikirts of the plain, and converted as well as
I could with the natives. They gave me the names of
many diftrids upon their ifland, of which we had not heard
before, and of which we could not make ufe, for want of
knowing their proper fituations. Here I few again many
individuals with one leg, or arm, of an enormous- fize, in;
the fame manner as I had obferved fome at our firft landing,
(fee p. $83.) and one had both his legs afflifted in the fame
manner. I touched this fwelling, and found it extremely
hard; but the fkin was not harfli and fcaly alike in all the
fick perfons. The preternatural expanfion of the leg or arm
did not appear to be a great inconvenience to them, and, as