4 4 4 R E M A R K S o n T i fE
eaten by the natives.. Th e knowledge only o f vegetables fit for'
food;, forms a coiifiderable lift o f names,, and of ideas connedted with
them ; nor have we enumerated all 'thole which are, oecafionally
eaten. In the Friendly-ifies,, die. fhaddoc-k. -(citrus decumaniis) is .
common, and called- moreen-, or mbleea x in Mallicollo they have
-oranges : in the ifle of Tanna, the ‘eitgeiüà iainb'os, and an. other eugénia
are ufed for food : the natives likewife eat lèverai, fo-rts o f figs, and,
o f one fpecifis the leaves are drefled in a kind of-pie, , made b f yams-
and plantahes ; the kernels of the (terminalia càtappa) and o f the.
jlerciilia balanghas, are likewife eaten : at New-Caledotaia, the bark,
o f the 'hibifdcs tiliacèüs, which they cultivate,' is ufed for. food, feat:
is, in my opinion,, a wretched kind o f aliment.
T h e next riecelfary care, after food, i s 'R a i m e n t , ; andih this re—
fpeft the natives o f Taheitee,. and the neighbouring ifles, are certainly
well provided ; it is therefore no final! trouble to- teach the.-
young people all the various branches o f manufactures relative to
clothing. Their dtefs confifts chiefly b f three different forts ; the
one is à kind o f cloth manufactured from the bark o f trees, the
fécond confifts o f various Ipecies of matting,, ferving for various, pur-
pofes ; and the laft article comprehends all the different, ornaments
and dreffés appropriated for certain ranks, or ufed only on certain
occafions, or for performing 'certain " ceremonies or religious
rites.
Th e
H ü M A N S P E C I E S.
. T h e art of making their' c l o t h is comprehended under.many, a r t s
............. '• . , AND
branches.. - ' ' ' ■ s c ie n c e s ;
Th e materials o f which they, are manufactured. are different : in
general the cloths are made from the bark of trees.; the belt fort o f
cloth is from the bark, o f the aohta,-ot morus papyrifera.- This plant
is very carefully cultivated, in a’good and .rich foil, which the natives
take care to manure and prepare-for the better growth o f thefe;
plants, by mixing with it-all kinds of. fhells ; the. ground which-
they de-ftine for the nurfery. df -aoûta, is commonly enclofed by deep-
trenches,, in. order. to prevent men and. animals from, hurting the.;
young trees ; in this foil they, plant the young fhoots of the août a-,.
in regular rows,, at the diftance o f about 18 inches,, or ;twb feet
they lop off the leaves and branches that are iprouting out, , which,
operation increafes the main ,lhoot,;and invigorates its ftrattgrowth
as foonas the faplings-have, attained.the fizejof an inch diameter,
and the heighth of.about.fix or eightfeet, they are. drawn .u p ; the-
roots and tops are then cut off, and fucli parts of the root as have,
young, fhoots, are carefully preferved and planted again : of the;
ftrait mainiho'ot, the harkis flit up longitudinally, and .put into a
running ftream, under, a board.loaded.with ftones.;, when the water,
has rendered the filamentous part, o f the bark-, more -flexible, dif—
folyed the gummous fubftance which joins them,. and foitened the.;
pulpy intermediate, fubftance,. then the women fcrape the bark, inor