quainted. There are, however, two circumftances, that
take away much o f this objeition; the firft is, that the
interior parts o f the country are entirely uninhabited; fo
that, i f the number o f the inhabitants along the coaft be
known, the whole will be pretty accurately determined.
The other is, that there are no towns o f any confider-
able fize, the habitations o f the natives being pretty
equally difperfed in fmall villages round all their coafts.
It is on this ground that I ihall venture at a rough
calculation o f the number o f perfons in this group o f
iflands.
T h e bay o f Karakakooa, in Owhyhee, is three miles in
extent, and contains four villages o f about eighty houfes
each; upon an average, in all three hundred and twenty;
befides a number o f ftraggling houfes; which may make
the whole amount to three hundred and fifty. From the
frequent opportunities I had o f informing myfelf on this,
head, I am convinced, that fix perfons to a houfe is a very
moderate allowance ; fo that, on this calculation, the country
about the bay contains two thoufand one hundred fouls.
To thefe may be-added fifty families, or three hundred
perfons, which I conceive to be nearly the number employed
in the interior parts o f the country amongft their
plantations; making in all two thoufand four hundred.
If, therefore, this number be applied to the whole extent
o f coail round the iiland, deducting a quarter for the uninhabited
parts, it will be found to contain one hundred and
fifty thoufand. By the fame mode o f calculation, the reft
o f the iflands will be found to contain the following numbers
i
Owhyhee»
Owhyhee,
Mowee,
Woahoo, -
Atooi,
Morotoi,
Oneeheow,
Rapai, . -
Oreehoua, . -
T o ta lo f inhabitants,
. 1.50,000
65.400
60,200
,54,000
36.000
10.000
20.400
4,000
400,000
1779.
March.
I am pretty confident, that, in this calculation, I have not
exceeded the truth in the total amount. If we compare the
numbers fuppofed to be in Owhyhee, with the population
o f Otaheite, as fettled by Dr. Forfter, this computation will
be found very low. The proportion o f coaft, in the latter
iiland, is, to that o f Owhyhee, only as one to three: the
number o f inhabitants in Otaheite heftates-to be one hundred
and twenty-one thoufand five hundred; though, according
to his own principles, it fhould be double that
amount. Again, i f we compare it with the medium population
o f the countries in Europe, the proportion will be in
favour o f the latter nearly as two to one.
Notwithftanding the irreparable lofs we fuffered from the
fudden refentment and violence o f . thefe people, yet, in
juftice to their general conduit, it mull be acknowledged,
that they are o f the moft mild and affeilionate difpolition;
equally remote from the extreme levity and ficklenefs o f the
Otaheiteans, and the diftant gravity and referve o f the inhabitants
o f the Friendly Iflands. They appear to live in the
utmoft harmony, and friendfhip with one another. The women,
who had children, were remarkable for their tender
and conftant attention to them; and the men would often
V o l . Ilh S - lend