.777- in about three months, begins to bear f r u i t ; d u r in g w hich
DeccmbtJ-. time it gives yo u n g fhoots, w h ich fup ply a fucceffion o f
fruit. F o r the old flocks are cut down, as the- fru it is
taken off.
T h e products o f the iiland, however, are not fo remarkable
for their variety, as^great abundance ; and cunofities
o f any kind are not numerous. Amongft thefe we may
reckon a pond or lake o f fre ih water,, at the top o f one o f
the higheft mountains, to go to, and to return from which,
takes three or fo u r days. It is remarkable for its depth ;
and has eels o f an enormous fize in i t ; w h ich are fome-
times caught by the natives, who go upon this water in little
floats o f two or three w ild plantain-trees fattened together.
This is efteemed one o f the greateft natural curiofities o f
the country ; infomuch, that travellers, who come from
the other iflands, are commonly aiked, amongft the firft
things, b y their friends, at their return, i f they have feen
it ? The re is alfo a fort o f water, o f w h ich there is only one
fm a ll pond upon the iiland, as far diftant as the lake, and
to appearance very good, w ith a y e llow fediment at the
bottom i but it has a bad tafte, and proves fatal to thofe who
‘ drink any quantity ; or makes them break out in blotches,
i f they bathe in it.
Nothing could make a ftronger impreflion, at firft fight,
on our arrival here, than the remarkable contrail betweeii
the robuft make and dark colour o f the people o f T on g a-
taboo, and a fort o f delicacy and whitenefs, which d'iftin-
gu ifh’ the inhabitants o f Otaheite. It was even fome time
before that difference could preponderate in favour o f the
Otaheiteans ; and then only, perhaps, becaufe w e became
accuftomed to them, the m a rk s w h ich had recommended
6 the
%
the others began to be forgotten. T h e ir women, however, De’c^ 1
ftruck us as fuperior in every refpeCt; and as pofleiling all ;---- ,—
thofe delicate ch a ra iler iftics,. w hich diftinguiih them- from
the other fex in many countries. T h e beard which the
men here wear long, and the hair w h ich is not cut fo
ihort, as is the fafhion at Tongataboo, made alfo a great
d ifferen ce ; and we could not help thinking, that, on every
occaiion, they ihewed a greater degree o f timidity and
ficklenefs. T he mufcu lar appearance, fo common amongft
the Friendly Iilanders, and w h ich feems a confequence o f
their being accuftomed to much a ilion , is loft here, where
the fuperior fertility o f their country enables the inhabit-
ant% to lead a more indolent l i f e ; and its place is fupplied
b y a plumpnefs and fmoothnefs o f the ik in ; which,
though, perhaps, more confonant w ith our ideas o f beauty,
is no real advantage ; as it feems attended with a kin d o f
languor in all their motions, not obfervable in the others. '
This obfervation is fu lly verified, in their boxing and wreft-
lin g , which may be called little better than the feeble e f forts
o f children, i f compared to the v ig ou r w ith w hich
thefe exercifes are performed at the Friend ly Iflands.
Perfonal endowments be in g in great efteem amongft
them, they have recourfe to feveral methods o f improving
fhem, according to their notions o f beauty. In particular,
it is a pra&ice, efpecially amongft the Erreoes, or unmarried
men o f fome confequence, to undergo a kind o f phyfical
operation to render them fair. T h is is done by remaining
a month or two in the houfe ; during which time they wear
a great quantity o f clothes, eat nothing but bread-fruit to
w hich they afcribe a remarkable property in whiten ing
them. T h e y alfo fpeak, as i f their corpulence and colour,
a t other times, depended upon their fo o d ; as they are
U 2 obliged,