17 2 R E M A R K S. o n t u b
v e g e - this famous navigator; and, as he likewife mentions 'filver, ebony,.,
T A B L E '
K I N G D O M PePPer> and cinnamon among the productions of Tierra del, Efpi—
ritu Santo, and the ides in the neighbourhood, I. anv inclined, to?
believe, that they are really to be m et with, there...
Another- material obilacle to our. compleating the Flora o f the
South-Seas, and. w hich indeed is connected with the former,, arifes
from the changes, o f feafons : for. though,., between the tropics, they
be not ftrongly marked with the alternatives o f heat and cold,, yet, ,
according to the approach or rceefs* o f the fun, vegetation is.' more:
or lefs active. This we experienced, by touching at fome o f the
ides, two. diderent times,, after an interval o f feven months.. T h e
firfl was in Auguil (17 73 ) or the height o f the dry feafon ;. when:
we found every thing wearing a yellow.iih orexhaufted colour y. many,
trees had died their leaves,, and few plants were in flower... T h e
fecond time; being in, A p r il (17 74 ) , fooh. after the rainy, ., or at the
beginning o f the dry feafon, we were furprized beyond meafure by
the lively hues which now appeared in thofe very objeffs,. that had
feemed as it were, dead at our firfl; v i f i t : we found many plants
which we had never feen. before; obferved' many others in flower,,
and every thing covered with a. thick, foliage o f a freflt and vivid*
green : and from this circumftance, and the longer time we fpent
at the Society Mes, our collections from thence are the moil per-
fedl. It is true, the difference o f dry and rainy leafons is not fo
ftrongly*
O R G A N T C B O D I E S .
f t r o n g l y m a r k e d . a s o n c o n t i n e n t s , o r in : i f l e s c o n t i g u o u s t o t h e m ; v e g e t
a b l e
efpecially as fruits o f all kinds chiefly ripen during the wet months, k in o d om
which would be impoflible,, were the rains confiant ; and fecondly,
fince even the dry months-are not wholly exempted from fliowers
but the relative diftinftion holds, notwithftanding,'as* the proportion
o f rain in* one, is confiderably greater than In another.
It i&.owing to the exceeding final! fize o f the low ifles, that their
vegetable productions are fo inconfiderable ; though I miifi confefs,
we never landed on ■ any one without meeting with: fomething new.
S a v a g e - I s l e , which is in fa f f no more than-a low ifland,. raifed
feveral feet abo.ve water, and clearly manifefts its origin,, by the
bare coral rocks o f which-it conflits».. has feme new plants, which,
in the out-ikirts. o f the iile, grew in the cavities of the coral without
any .the leaft fo il- W e might have made feveral acquiiitions on
this ifland, but the lavage difpofition of the natives forced us to.
abandon it - As a. contrail to the tropical ifles, we ought to mention
Eafter-Ifland,. which lies fo little without the tropic, that it.
may well be clafled with thofe ifles which are. affually included' in.
it. This ifle is either groflly mifieprefented* by the Dutch, difeo-
verers, or has fince then been almoil totally ruined. Its wretched
foil, loaded with innumerable Hones, furnifhes. a Flora o f only zo.
^ecies }. among theft, ten are cultivated ; not one grows to a tree,
and almoil all .are low, ihrivelled and dry. In the oppofite, of
Weftern