PRiNCi- well tailed apples and pears, cherries and plumbs, peaches and
p l .e s of . ,
•s o c l e - apricots, cabbages and turnips, potatoes and yams, and fo many
t i e s - other fruits, herbs and roofs, which are meliorated by continued
cultivation, and have afforded us new varieties find forts o f the
fame kind o f vegetable. T h e more and the better all vegetables are
cultivated, the more they enable mankind to affociate together,
and to communicate to each other their afiiflànce, their experience,
their ideas and improvements. Invention is more and more at
work, life acquires new eafe and Comfort, the ties o f fbciety become
indiffoluble, all focial feelings are rendered polifhed and refined
3 every one lhares, in a higher degree, the happinefs, and is
better enabled to alleviate the adverfities o f his . fellow-creatures';
univerfal peace and order become more and more a check upon the
paffions, and their wild flights; thefe regulations are gradually turned
into laws, and caufe à more general equality o f temper, and man-!
ners 3 this is the next ftep to convince them o f the great influence,
o f vice and virtue, On their perfonal and focial happinefs ; and at laft
. confcience and moral fentiments begin to awake in every feeling
bread:, and prepare every one for that degree o f happinefs and enjoyment,
which humanity can attain in this tranfitory life. -This
therefore fhews evidently,, that' mankind, in a paftoral Ante, could
never attain to that degree of improvement and happinefs,: to which
agriculture, and the cultivation o f vegetables, will eafily and foon
6 lead
lead them. I do not, however,, intend fo. far to extol-, agriculture, es
. ' . PI
and vegetable food,, as to infill that mankind Ihould entirely negledl _
the culture,; and domeftication of animals 3 I am rather o f opinion,
that a moderate fhare. of animal food, mixed with vegetables,, is.-
very well adapted to our organization,, and that It is the joint care
o f animals and. agriculture, which, leads mankind to the highefl degree
o f content, and paves the way fo perfect happinefs- I congratulate,
therefore, the Taheiteans, who are pofiefled- of fuch a
variety and profufion o f well-tailed and lalubrious vegetable food,,
cultivated on their happy ifle, together with two domeftic quadrupeds
; and who made in' our laft voyage, a new acquifitioa o f the:
goat, a domeftic animal 3 and to whole ufe Captain Cook, in hiss .
prefent voyage, carried rams and ewes, as-well as bulls and cows;,
becaufe fo valuable a prefent. will enable that brave people to make
many improvements in their, domeftic life. I f rice, efpecially that'
kind which grows on. hilly ground’s, without requiring to be;
watered, as the common, rice does,, mayz, fome pine-apples, elief-
nuts, dates,, oranges,, and lemons, together with the fago-palm,.
were added to their vegetables; they, would form the moll
rational prelent, which ever was offered to a nation, and the moll,
grateful returns we could make, to a kind, humane and hofpitable.
people, who generoully gave us all the refrefhments we Hood in need,
o f , and enabled us to finilh a navigation, which will for. ever,,
Hand.
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