iffuei through cracks or fiffures in the earth : thefe feemed to keep pace with
the volcano; for, at every explofion of the latter, the quantity of fmoke or
fleam in thefe was greatly increafed, and forced out fo' as to rife in fmall
P-6l- columns. A thermometer placed in a fmall hole made in one of them, rofe
from 80, at which it flood in the open air, to 170; feveral other parts of
the hill emitted fmoke or fleam all day the 12th, and the volcano was unufually
furious, infomuch that the air was loaded with aflies; the rain which fell at the
fame time was a compound of water, fand, and earth, fo that it might
properly be called ihowers of mire.
Notwithftanding the natives feemed well enough fatisfied with the few expeditions
made in the neighbourhood of the harbour, they were unwilling they
ihould be extended any farther. As a proof of this, fome of them undertook
to guide feveral of the gentlemen who were in the country to a place where
they might fee the mouth of the volcano : they readily embraced the offer, and
were conducted down to the harbour before they perceived the cheat.
And on the 14th Captain Cook and a party'making an excurfion, they happened
to turn out of the common path, when they came to a plantation, where
they found a man at work, who, either out of good-nature, or to get them the
fooner out of his territories, undertook to be their guide: they followed him
accordingly, but had not gone far before they came to the junftion of two
roads, in one of which flood another man, with a fling and a flone, theie
however, he thought proper to lay down when a mufquet was pointed at him:
but the attitude in which they found him, the ferocity appearing in his looks
and his behaviour after, convinced them that he' meant to defend the path he
flood in. He, in fome meafure, gained his point, for their guide took the other
road, and they followed, but not without fufpeiling he was leading them out
of the way. The other man-went with them iikewife, counting them feveral
times over, and hallooing, as i f for afliftance; for two or three more preiently
joined him, among whom was a young woman with a club in her hand. By
thefe people they were condufted to the brow of a hill, and lhewn a road
leading down to the harbour, which they wanted them to take. Not choo'fing
to comply, the party returned to the road they had left, which they purfued for
fome
fome time alone, the* guide refuiing to go with them: but, after they had
afcended another ridge, the volcano appeared to be as far off as ever* they
came to a refolution to return. They had but juft put this in execution, when
they met between twenty and thirty people, whoih the fellow before mentioned
had colle&ed together, with a defign, as they'judged, to oppofe their advancing
into the country: but, as they faw them returning, they fuffered them to
p.afs unmolefted. Some of thefe now put them into the right road, accom- ~
panied them down the hill, and made them flop by the way to entertain them
with cocoa nuts, plantains, and fugar cane, and what they did. not eat on the
fpot they carried down the hill with them. Thus they found thefe people
hofpitable, civil, and good natured, when not prompted to a contrary conduit
by jealoufy.
On the 15th Mr. Forfter, in his botanical excurlions, iliot a pigeon, in the P - 69.
craw of which was a wild nutmeg. He took fome pains to find the tree, but
his endeavours were without fuccefs. They obferved, that in the fugar, plantations
were dug holes or pits four feet deep, an.d five or^fix in diameter; and, on
enquiring their ufe, were given to underitand that they caught rats in them.
Thefe animals, which are very deftrudtive to the canes, are here in great plenty.
The canes, they remarked, were planted as thick as pofiible round the edge of
thefe pits, fo that the rats in coming at them were the more liable to tumble in.
Thelfland o f Tannalies in latitude I9°3a’ fouth, and in longitude 169° 44’ eaft. P- 84.
The harbour Captain Cook named Port Refolution, after the fhip: lhe being
the firft which ever entered it. The foil, in fome parts, is a rich black mould; p. 64.
in other parts it feemed to be compofed of decayed vegetables, and of the
aihes the volcano fends forth throughout all its neighbourhood. The earth, p. 63.
about the hot fmoaking fprings before mentioned, is a kind of white clay, which
had a fulphureous fmell, and was foft and wet, the furface only excepted,
over which was fpread a thin dry cruft, that had upon it fome fulphur, and a
vitriolic fubftance tailing like allum.
The country appeared, adjacent to the volcano, to be fo covered with trees, P-^4*
ihrubs, and plants; that the bread fruit and cocoa nut trees, which feemed to
have