A*p77r4i-l. hands, chiefly in imitation of fifhes', which furnifli a great
part of their food. Their features were not difagreeable,
but more mild than thofe of the natives of all the high
iflands about them. They went perfectly naked, having
only a'very fmall piece of cloth about their loins. Their
women did not come near u s ; but thofe whom we faw
at a diftance had the fame colour as the men, and
their piece of cloth was enlarged to the fize of a
fhort apron. The hair and beards were generally black
and curling, but fometimes cut; however I took notice of
a Angle man, whofe hair was quite yellowifh at the points.
As foot* as we landed they embraced Us, touching our nofes,
after the cuftom of New Zeeland, and began to bring coconuts
and dogs for fale to .'the boats. Mahine, who was
with us, purchafed feveral dogs for fmall nails, and feme
for ripe bananas, which he had brought from the Maf-
quefas. This fruit was much valued by the people of the
low ifland, who immediately knew i t ; it fliouldTeem therefore
that they have fome acquaintance With the high1 iflands,
Ante bananas never grow upon their barren coral-ledges.
The dogs were not unlike thofe at the Society Iflands, but
had fine long hair of a white colour. Mahine therefore
was eager to purchafe them, becaufe that very fort of hair
is made ufe of in his country to adorn the breaft-plates of
the warriors:- We attempted to go diredtly into the grove,
•under which the habitations were fituated ; but the natives
opoppofing
it, we advanced along the point, picking various
plants, and particularly a feurvy-grafs, which was common,
and feemed to be very wholefome. The natives
fhewed us that they bruifed this plant, mixed it with fliell-
fiffli, and threw it into the fea, wherever they perceive a
flioal of fifhes. This food intoxicates them for fome time,
and thus they are caught on the furface, without any other
trouble than that of taking them up. The name which
they give to this ufeful plant is e-Nrrw. We likewife met
with plenty of purflane, refembling the common fort,
which the natives call e-T’ooree. This plant likewife grows
at the Society Iflands, and is there drefled under-ground,
and eaten by the people. There were feveral forts of trees
on this ifland which grow in the Society Ifles, and likewife
fome plants which we had not feen before. The foil was
extremely fcanty ; the foundation confifted of coral, very
little elevated above the furface of the water. On this we
found a coarfe white fand, mixed with fragments of coral
and fhells, and a very thin covering of mould. We advanced
infenfibly round the point, fo as to come behind the
habitations, and difeovered another point jutting out into
the lagoon, and forming a kind of bay, of which the Ihore
was perfectly covered with fhrubberies and groves. Between
the two points the water was very fhallow; and we
perceived a great body of the natives crofling over from
the far the ft point, and dragging their fpears after them.
Von. II, g We