177**
JUN£. in its utmofi: extent, and one of the handfomefi ladies of
the ifland complimented the captain with an offer, which
was not accepted. Having examined the watering-place,
he returned on board to breafcfaft, and gave ftridt orders,,
that no perfons infected with or lately cured of venereal
complaints Should be fuffered to go on Ihore, and that no
woman fhould be admitted in the fliip. A number of ladies
came off in feveral canoes, and feemed very defirous of
making acquaintance with our failors ; but after paddling
about the fliip for feme time, they were obliged to return to
the fliore, very much difeontehted. Immediately after
breakfaft, Dr. Sparrman, my father and myfeif accompanied
captain Cook to the fliore, where a trade commenced for
fliaddocks and yams, which the natives fold us in prodigious
quantities. Bananas and coco nuts were fcarcc in
proportion, and bread-fruit ftill more rare, though the
trees of thefe forts were very numerous. All the men went
nearly naked, a flight covering on the loins excepted ; a few
of them, however, and mo® of the women, were dreft
from the waift to the ancles, in a piece of fiiff painted cloth
made of bark, wrapped feveral times round them, or in
mats.
As foon as our boats reached the (hore, the clamours of
all thofe who had fomething to fell became fo exceillvely
loud, that we haftened into the country, whofe afpedt was
very inviting. A confiderable variety of plants covered the
ground
ground in wild luxuriance; and the great number of plan-
tations of all forts, made the whole ifland referable a beautiful
garden. The fences which had confined the view at
Tonga-Tabboo, were here much lefs frequent, and only en-
clofed one fide of the path, leaving the other open to the
eye. The ground was not perfectly level in the interior
parts, but rofe in feveral little hillocks lined with hedges
and bufttes, which formed a mo® agreeable profpedt. The
path which we met with, fometimes went under long rows
of lofty trees, planted at confiderable diftances, between
which the ground was covered with the richeft verdure ;
fometimes a thick and impenetrable arbour of fragrant
fltrubberies vaulted over it for a confiderable fpace, and hid
it entirely from the fun ; fometimes plantations, and fometimes
wilds appeared on both fides. The houfes of the natives
were of a Angular ftrudture : their height was about |
eight or nine feet; but the walls, which were not perpendicular,
but converged towards the bottom, were not above
three or four feet from the ground, and very neatly made
of reeds. The roof converged into a ridge at the top ; fo
that the fedtion of the houfe refembled a pentagon. It was ■
thatched, and the roof projected beyond the Hoping walls of
the houfe. In one of the long fides there was always an
opening about two feet fquare, and eighteen inches from
the ground, which ferved inftead of a door. The length
of the houfe never exceeded thirty feet, and the breadth was
commonly