. V E G E T
A B L E
K I N G D O M
■ ANIMAL
■ KINGDOM
were not the cafe, nothing is more.eafily to be conceived, than that the
almoft conftant-ftrong Wefterly winds in that part, may detach thefe
weeds, and carry them over all the ocean. I f this laft circumftance
were well afcertained, it is jiioli likely, that the weeds once torn
up, begin from that time to decay, and a kind of random-guefs of
the vicinity of land, might be formed upon the bare infpeftion of
.the ftate of the weeds.
S E C T I O N. IL
. A N I M A L K I N G D O M .
f | 'HE countries of the South Sea, and the Southern coafts, con-
- tain a confiderable variety of animals, though they are confined
to a few dalles only. We have feen by what degrees nature defcended
from the gay enamel of the plains o f the Society Ifles, to the horrid
barrennefs of the Southern S a n d w i c h L a n d . In the fame
manner the animal world, from being beautiful, rich, enchanting,
between the tropics; -falls into deformity, poverty, arid difguftfulnels
in the Southern coafts. We cannot help being-in raptures, when
we tread the paths of O-Taheitean groves, which at each-ftep
ftrike us with the moft fimple, and at the fame time the moft beautiful
profpcds of rural life; prefenting fcenes of happinefs- and
.affluence
•affluence to our eyes, among a people, which, from our narrow a n i m a l
prejudices we are too readily accuftomed to call favage. Herds of INGD0M
fwirie are feen on every fide ; by every hut dogs lie -ftretched out at
■ their eafe, and the cock with his feraglio, ftruts about, ■ difplaying
his gay plumage, or perches on the fruit trees to reft. An unintermitted
chorus of ftifall birds warbles on the branches all the day
Jong, and from time to time, the pigeons cooe is heard with the
fame pleafure as in our woods. On the fea fhore, the natives are
employed in dragging, the net, and taking a variety of beautiful
fifh, -.whofe dying colours ■ change every moment: or they pick
.fome fhells from the reefs, which, though well known to the na-
turalift, yet have a right to the the philofopher’s attention, who admires
the wonderful elegance of nature alike, in her moft common
.as in her rareft productions. To enhance the fatisfadtion we feel,
this happy country is freefrom all noxious and troublefome infedts,;
no wafps, nor mofquitoes, infeft the inhabitants, as in other tropi-
•cal countries j no beafts of prey, nor poifonous reptiles ever -difturb
their tranquility *.
Let us remove from hence to the temperate zone -. what a falling
off from the foft fcenes of domeftic quiet, to the wilds of New-
B b Zeeland !
* Thecommon 'file's are, indeed* at fome feafons troublefome, on-aecount bf their im-
menfeTnumbers, but they cannot be called noxious infedts : the only difagreeable animal iii
O-Taheitee is the common black rat, which is very numerous there, and often-does'mi f-
<chief by its voracity.