1774- or five feet. The entrance was by a fpace in the fence, made fo
\----— j low as to admit one to liep over. The two tides and one end of
San ay 14. jjUt were clofed, or built, up in the fame manner, and with
the fame materials, as the roof. The other end had been open,
but was now well clofed up with mats, which I could not prevail
on the man to remove, or fuffer me to do it. There
hung at this end of the hut a matted bag or balket, in which
was a piece of roafted yam, and fome fort of leaves, all quite
frelh. I had a ftrong delire to fee the infide of the hut, but
the man was peremptory in refufing this, and even fliewed
an unwillingnefs to permit me to look into the bafkef. He
wore round his neck, fattened to a firing, two or three locks
of human hair; and a woman prefent had feveral about
her neck, I offered fomething in exchange for them ; but
they gave me to uhderftand they could not part with them,
as it was the hair of the perfon who lay in the hut. Thus I
was led to believe that thefe people difpofe o f their dead in a
manner fimilar to that of Otaheite. The fame cuftom of
wearing the hair is obferved by the people of that illand, and
alfo by the New Zealanders. The former make Taman o f the
hair o f their deceafed friends, and the latter make ear-rings
and necklaces-of their teeth.
Near moft of their large houfes were fixed upright in the
ground, the Items of four cocoa-nut trees, in a fquare poli-
tion about three feet from each other. Some of our gentlemen,
who firft faw them, were inclined to believe they were
thus placed on a religious account; but I was now fatisfied
that it was for no other purpofe but to hang cöcöa-nuts on
to dry. For when I afked, as well as I could, thé üfé of
them, a man took me to one, loadèd with cocoa-nuts from
the bottom to the top; and no words could have informed
me better. Their fituation is well chofen for this ufe, as
moft
moft of their large houfes are built in an open airy place, or
where the wind has a free paffage, from whatever direction — >
it blows. Near moft, if not all of'them,-is a large tree, or
two, whofe fpreading branches afford an agreeable retreat
from the fcorching fun. This part of the illand was well
cultivated, open and airy.; -the plantations were laid out by
line, abounding with plantains, fugar-canes, yams, and
other roots, and flocked with fruit trees. In our walk we
met with our old friend Paowang, who, with fome others,
accompanied us to the water fide, and brought with them,
as a prefent, a few yams and cocoa-nuts.
On the 15th, having finilhed wooding and watering, a few Monday rS.
hands only were on lliore making brooms, the reft being
employed on board, fetting up the rigging, and putting the
fhip in a condition for fea. Mr. Forfter, in his botanical
excurfion this day, ftiot a pigeon, in the craw o f which was
a wild nutmeg. He took fome pains to find the tree, but his
endeavours were without fuccefs. In the evening a party o f
us walked to the eaftern fea-lhore, in order to take the bearing
of Annattom, and Erronan or Foottoona. The horizon
proved fo hazy that I could fee neither; but one of the natives
gave me, as Tafterwards found, the true direction of
them. We obferved that in all, or moft of their fugar plantations,
were dug holes or pits, four feet deep, and five
or fix in diameter; and on pur inquiring their ufe, we
were given to,underhand, that they caught rats in them.
Thefe animals, which are very deftrudlive to the canes, are
here in great plenty. The, canes, I obferved, were planted
as thick as poffible round the edge of thefe pits, fo that the
rats in coming at them are the more liable to tumble in.
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