miles long from fouth to north, into which the fea enters by
a canal not above a quarter ■ o f a mile broad in iome places.
There are alfo two fmaller lakes on the iiland j one near VlaJJich
abounding in fiih, particularly eels and one near the hamlet
o f S/aline.
O f the Glimat'e..
The climate of the .ifland-of Pago, is the the fame as that:
o f (he mountain Morlacca, and the fea coaft at the bottom o f it-
The winter is dreadfully • cold ; and the fummer feorching hot,.
T he ftormy fea beats furioufly againft the rocky coaft of the
iiland oppofite to the mountain ; and, on that fide, the heights-
and fides o f th e ' hills are rendered defolate by the wind,, fo
that neither wood, nor pafture, nor corn lands are found upon
them, or only in a few places ; but frightful bare rocks, de-
fert and uninhabitable, cover almoft the whole. The air is generally
darkened, by the fait mift, that is raifed by the colli-
lion o f the waves, in the narrow channel o f Morlaeca,, altogether
flanked by fteep naked rocks. The lake itfelf is not calm
in the ftormy feafon, and far from being a harbour, as might
at firft fight be fuppofed, it is tempeftuous and impracticable.
The inhabitants o f the city cannot go out o f their houfes during
the violence o f the wind j and are obliged to have' the roofsc
defended all round by large ftones, Thofe who have been there
in the winter time, fpeak o f it as a Siberia quite covered with
fnow and ice, and always expofed to the cold north wind ;
I who was there in the hot feafon, thought it equal to the moft
feorching parts o f the world. The naked rocks, which not
only form the organization, but alfo the fuperficies of almoft
all the iiland ; the narrownefs o f the val l iesthe reverberation
o f
©f the water of the lake, generally quite calm in fummer, multiply
the heat fo prodigiouily among thofe ftones, that the vines,
which are planted’ all round the lake, ripen the grapes by the
b e g i n n i n g of Auguft:. and thefew other prod ufts, that grow,
there, anticipate the ufual time of maturity in the fame manner,
The meteors are exceedingly irregular in the fummer timej
fudden whirlwinds are frequent, and heavy ihowers o f rain ;
the laft are hurtful to the inhabitants of one part of the
iiland,: and favourable to the cultivation of the oppofite end,
I ihall in the fequel give fome account o f various fuperftitious
euftoms to which this diverfity of wants has. given rife.
O f the• Cultivation, 'and chief Products o f the IJlands.
The banks o f the interior marine lake are almoft all cultivated
with , vines, and particularly near the city o f Pago, and
the fait pits, which are at the fouth end o f the lak e . The
abfolute want o f wood on the iiland, is the caufe, that a great
part of the vines are left without any fupport. Some o f
t h e m , however,, are fupporl.ed by canes which are planted for •
that purpofe. The part of the iiland under the jurisdiction o f
Pago, produces about forty thoufand barrels o f good wine,:
and about two thoufand o f Rakia, one year with another.
The great quantityof fage and other odoriferous- plants, with
which the iiland is covered, furniihes excellent food for the
. bees and the honey forms no inconfiderable branch of trade;
it:is generally carried to Fuime, and fold again, there as the
h o n e y of that country. The fame pafture among thofe barren
rocks maintains a large number of iheep and goats, and the
wool, which is very bad, and cheefe, make a fmall article for
export. The tunpy fiihing at Zapka, near the extremity o f