A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels Volume Xiv Part 32

Perhaps there may be some difference in the roots, which may make these two methods of raising them necessary. Some are better tasted than others, and they are not all of a colour; but be this as it may, they are very wholesome food, and the tops make good greens, and are eaten as such by the natives. On these plantations men, women, and children were employed.

In the afternoon I went on sh.o.r.e, and, on a large tree, which stood close to the sh.o.r.e, near the watering-place, had an inscription cut, setting forth the s.h.i.+p's name, date, &c. as a testimony of our being the first discoverers of this country, as I had done at all others, at which we had touched, where this ceremony was necessary. This being done, we took leave of our friends, and returned on board; when I ordered all the boats to be hoisted in, in order to be ready to put to sea in the morning.

[1] "The land, when discovered, appeared to be very high, and its distance from us was about eight leagues, being seen through a haze, which made it appear farther off than it really was. M. de Bougainville takes notice of meeting with a part of the sea which was entirely smooth, and where several pieces of wood and fruits floated past his s.h.i.+p. This was nearly to the N.W. of the land which we now discovered, and which, as an able and intelligent navigator, he had conjectured to be in that direction."--G.F.

[2] A very striking proof of this is mentioned by Mr G.F. These people, he says, laid some of their canoes on both sides of the channel, in a place where it was narrow, and then beckoned to the boats to keep in the middle between them. According to this gentleman, the face of the country had a barren appearance, and was covered with a sort of whitish gra.s.s, and trees somewhat resembling willows were thinly spread on the mountains.--E.

[3] Mr. G.F. who shot the duck, tells us, that the natives expressed some admiration, but not the smallest fear, at the report and effects of the firearms.--E.

[4] "The whole plantation we saw, had a very scanty appearance, and seemed to be insufficient to afford nourishment to the inhabitants throughout the year. We entirely missed that variety of fruits, which we had hitherto met with in the tropical islands, and naturally recollected the poverty of the inhabitants of Easter Island, above whom it appeared, that the people before us enjoyed but few advantages. Towards the hills, of which the first risings were at the distance of about two miles, the country looked extremely dreary; here and there, indeed, we saw a few trees, and small uncultivated spots, but they appeared to be lost on the great extent of barren and unprofitable country, which resembled our moors more than any thing else."--G.F.

[5] Mr G.F., who seems to have accompanied the watering-party, gives the following account of the appearance of the country.--"We walked along the beach which was sandy, and bounded by a fine wild shrubbery; we soon came to a hut, from whence a number of plantations extended to the back of the bank and wild wood. We rambled into the country, and came to a ca.n.a.l that watered this plantation, but of which the water was very brackish. From hence, however, we ran immediately to an eminence near us, where the nature of the country appeared evidently changed. The plain was covered with a thin stratum of vegetable soil, which being very poor, was manured in the plantations with broken sh.e.l.ls and corals. The eminence, on the contrary, was a rocky ground, consisting of large pieces of quartz and glimmer (_mica_). Here grew a quant.i.ty of dry gra.s.ses, about two or three feet high, very thin in most places; and at the distance of fifteen or twenty yards asunder, we saw large trees black at the root, but with a bark perfectly whole and loose, and having narrow long leaves like our willows. They were of the sort which Linne calls _melaleuca leucadendra_, and Rumphius _arbor alba_, who says that the natives of the Moluccas make the oil of _cayputi_, from the leaves, which are indeed extremely fragrant and aromatic. Not the least shrub was to be seen on this eminence, and the trees did not intercept the distant prospect. We discerned from hence a line of tufted trees and shrubberies, which extended from the sea- side towards the mountains, and immediately concluded that they stood on the banks of a rivulet. The banks of this were lined with mangroves, beyond which a few other sorts of plants and trees occupied a s.p.a.ce of fifteen or twenty feet, which had a layer of vegetable mould, charged with nutritive moisture, and covered with a green bed of gra.s.ses, where the eye gladly reposed itself after viewing a painted prospect. The border of shrubberies and wild-trees which lined the sea-sh.o.r.e, was the most advantageous to us as naturalists; here we met with some unknown plants, and saw a great variety of birds of different cla.s.ses, which were for the greatest part entirely new. But the character of the inhabitants, and their friendly inoffensive behaviour towards us, gave us greater pleasure than all the rest. We found their number very inconsiderable, and their habitations very thinly scattered. They commonly had built two or three houses near each other, under a group of very lofty fig-trees, of which the branches were so closely entwined, that the sky was scarcely visible through the foliage, and the huts were involved in a perpetual cool shade. They had another advantage besides, from this pleasant situation; for numbers of birds continually twittered in the tufted tops of the tree, and hid themselves from the scorching beams of the sun. The wild circle of some species of creepers was very agreeable; and conveyed a sensible pleasure to every one who delighted in this kind of artless harmony. The inhabitants themselves were commonly seated at the foot of these trees, which had this remarkable quality, that they shot long roots from the upper part of the stem, perfectly round, as if they had been made by a turner, into the ground, ten, fifteen, and twenty feet from the tree, and formed a most exact strait line, being extremely elastic, and as tense as a bow-string prepared for action. The bark of these trees seems to be the substance of which they make those little bits of cloth, so remarkable in their dress."-- G.F.

[6] Wafers met with Indians in the Isthmus of Darien of the colour of a white horse. See his Description of the Isthmus, page 134. See also Mr de Paw's Philosophical Enquiries concerning Americans, where several other instances of this remarkable whiteness are mentioned, and the causes of it attempted to be explained.--This note is by Captain Cook. The reader may not have forgotten some remarks on the subject, in a former volume.--E.

[7] It is also worth while noticing the following circ.u.mstance, which occurred during this excursion. "The appearance of a large beef-bone, which some of our people began to pick towards the conclusion of their supper, interrupted a conversation that was carried on with the natives. They talked very loud and earnestly to each other, looked with great surprise, and some marks of disgust, at our people, and at last went away altogether, expressing by signs that they suspected the strangers of eating human flesh. Our officer endeavoured to free himself and his s.h.i.+pmates from this suspicion; but the want of language was an insurmountable obstacle to his undertaking, even supposing it possible to persuade a set of people, who had never seen a quadruped in their lives."--G.F.

Notwithstanding this appearance of dislike to so horrid a practice, it must not be hastily inferred, that these people are themselves free from the vice which they condemned. On the contrary, one might rather imagine that their so readily conjecturing the circ.u.mstance, from what they saw, proceeded from a conviction of their own occasional acquiescence in it; and that their present umbrage arose from apprehension of their own danger in the hands of persons so much more powerful than themselves. But we reserve the subject of cannibalism for another place, where perhaps it will be shewn that those very people are not free from this opprobrium of the savage state. The reader is already aware, that the younger Forster is not to be too strictly relied on as to his accounts of our species in its rude condition, more particularly where it is possible, with some stretch of liberality, to subst.i.tute the pleasing dreams of fancy for the disagreeable realities of truth.--E.

SECTION IX.

_A Description of the Country and its Inhabitants; their Manners, Customs, and Arts._

I shall conclude our transactions at this place with some account of the country and its inhabitants. They are a strong, robust, active, well-made people, courteous and friendly, and not in the least addicted to pilfering, which is more than can be said of any other nation in this sea. They are nearly of the same colour as the natives of Tanna, but have better features, more agreeable countenances, and are a much stouter race; a few being seen who measured six feet four inches. I observed some who had thick lips, flat noses, and full cheeks, and, in some degree, the features and look of a negro. Two things contributed to the forming of such an idea; first, their rough mop heads, and, secondly, their besmearing their faces with black pigment. Their hair and beards are, in general, black. The former is very much frizzled, so that, at first sight, it appears like that of a negro. It is, nevertheless, very different, though both coa.r.s.er and stronger than ours. Some, who wear it long, tie it up on the crown of the head; others suffer only a large lock to grow on each side, which they tie up in clubs; many others, as well as all the women, wear it cropped short.

These rough heads, most probably, want frequent scratching; for which purpose they have a most excellent instrument. This is a kind of comb made of sticks of hard wood, from seven to nine or ten inches long, and about the thickness of knitting-needles. A number of these, seldom exceeding twenty, but generally fewer, is fastened together at one end, parallel to, and near one-tenth of an inch from each other. The other ends, which are a little pointed, will spread out or open like the sticks of a fan, by which means they can beat up the quarters of an hundred lice at a time. These combs or scratchers, for I believe they serve both purposes, they always wear in their hair, on one side their head. The people of Tanna have an instrument of this kind for the same use; but theirs is forked, I think, never exceeding three or four p.r.o.ngs; and sometimes only a small pointed stick. Their beards, which are of the same crisp nature as their hair, are, for the most part, worn short. Swelled and ulcerated legs and feet are common among the men; as also a swelling of the s.c.r.o.t.u.m. I know not whether this is occasioned by disease, or by the mode of applying the wrapper before-mentioned, and which they use as at Tanna and Mallicollo. This is their only covering, and is made generally of the bark of a tree, but sometimes of leaves. The small pieces of cloth, paper, &c. which they got from us, were commonly applied to this use. We saw coa.r.s.e garments amongst them, made of a sort of matting, but they seemed never to wear them, except when out in their canoes and unemployed. Some had a kind of concave, cylindrical, stiff black cap, which appeared to be a great ornament among them, and, we thought, was only worn by men of note or warriors. A large sheet of strong paper, when they got one from us, was generally applied to this use.

The women's dress is a short petticoat, made of the filaments of the plantain-tree, laid over a cord, to which they are fastened, and tied round the waist. The petticoat is made at least six or eight inches thick, but not one inch longer than necessary for the use designed. The outer filaments are dyed black; and, as an additional ornament, the most of them have a few pearl oyster-sh.e.l.ls fixed on the right side. The general ornaments of both s.e.xes are ear-rings of tortoise-sh.e.l.l, necklaces or amulets, made both of sh.e.l.ls and stones, and bracelets, made of large sh.e.l.ls, which they wear above the elbow. They have punctures, or marks on the skin, on several parts of the body; but none, I think, are black, as at the Eastern Islands. I know not if they have any other design than ornament; and the people of Tanna are marked much in the same manner.[1]

Were I to judge of the origin of this nation, I should take them to be a race between the people of Tanna and of the Friendly Isles, or between those of Tanna and the New Zealanders, or all three; their language, in some respects, being a mixture of them all. In their disposition they are like the natives of the Friendly Isles; but in affability and honesty they excel them.

Notwithstanding their pacific inclination they must sometimes have wars, as they are well provided with offensive weapons, such as clubs, spears, darts, and slings for throwing stones. The clubs are about two feet and a half long, and variously formed; some like a scythe, others like a pick- axe; some have a head like an hawk, and others have round heads, but all are neatly made. Many of their darts and spears are no less neat, and ornamented with carvings. The slings are as simple as possible; but they take some pains to form the stones that they use into a proper shape, which is something like an egg, supposing both ends to be like the small one.[2]

They use a becket, in the same manner as at Tanna, in throwing the dart, which, I believe, is much used in striking fish, &c. In this they seem very dexterous; nor, indeed, do I know that they have any other method of catching large fish, for I neither saw hooks nor lines among them.

It is needless to mention their working-tools, as they are made of the same materials, and nearly in the same manner, as at the other islands. Their axes, indeed, are a little different; some, at least, which may be owing to fancy as much as custom.

Their houses, or at least most of them, are circular, something like a bee- hive, and full as close and warm. The entrance is by a small door, or long square hole, just big enough to admit a man bent double. The side-walls are about four feet and a half high, but the roof is lofty, and peaked to a point at the top; above which is a post, or stick of wood, which is generally ornamented either with carving or sh.e.l.ls, or both. The framing is of small spars, reeds, &c. and both sides and roof are thick and close covered with thatch, made of coa.r.s.e long gra.s.s. In the inside of the house are set up posts, to which cross spars are fastened, and platforms made, for the conveniency of laying any thing on. Some houses have two floors, one above the other. The floor is laid with dry gra.s.s, and here and there mats are spread, for the princ.i.p.al people to sleep or sit on. In most of them we found two fire-places, and commonly a fire burning; and, as there was no vent for the smoke but by the door, the whole house was both smoky and hot, insomuch that we, who were not used to such an atmosphere, could hardly endure it a moment. This may be the reason why we found these people so chilly when in the open air, and without exercise. We frequently saw them make little fires any where, and hustle round them, with no other view than to warm themselves. Smoke within doors may be a necessary evil, as it prevents the musquitoes from coming in, which are pretty numerous here. In some respects their habitations are neat; for, besides the ornaments at top, I saw some with carved door-posts. Upon the whole, their houses are better calculated for a cold than a hot climate; and as there are no part.i.tions in them, they can have little privacy.

They have no great variety of household utensils; the earthen jars before mentioned being the only article worth notice. Each family has at least one of them, in which they bake their roots, and perhaps their fish, &c. The fire, by which they cook their victuals, is on the outside of each house, in the open air. There are three or five pointed stones fixed in the ground, their pointed ends being about six inches above the surface. Those of three stones are only for one jar, those of five stones for two. The jars do not stand on their bottoms, but lie inclined on their sides. The use of these stones is obviously to keep the jars from resting on the fire, in order that it may burn the better.

They subsist chiefly on roots and fish, and the bark of a tree, which I am told grows also in the West Indies. This they roast, and are almost continually chewing. It has a sweetish, insipid taste, and was liked by some of our people. Water is their only liquor, at least I never saw any other made use of.

Plantains and sugar-canes are by no means in plenty. Bread-fruit is very scarce, and the cocoa-nut trees are small and but thinly planted; and neither one nor the other seems to yield much fruit.

To judge merely by the numbers of the natives we saw every day, one might think the island very populous; but I believe that, at this time, the inhabitants were collected from all parts on our account. Mr Pickersgill observed, that down the coast, to the west, there were but few people; and we knew they came daily from the other side of the land, over the mountains, to visit us. But although the inhabitants, upon the whole, may not be numerous, the island is not thinly peopled on the sea-coast, and in the plains and valleys that are capable of cultivation. It seems to be a country unable to support many inhabitants. Nature has been less bountiful to it than to any other tropical island we know in this sea. The greatest part of its surface, or at least what we saw of it, consists of barren rocky mountains; and the gra.s.s, &c. growing on them, is useless to people who have no cattle.

The sterility of the country will apologise for the natives not contributing to the wants of the navigator. The sea may, perhaps, in some measure, compensate for the deficiency of the land; for a coast surrounded by reefs and shoals, as this is, cannot fail of being stored with fish.

I have before observed, that the country bears great resemblance to New South Wales, or New Holland, and that some of its natural productions are the same. In particular, we found here, the tree which is covered with a soft white ragged bark, easily peeled off, and is, as I have been told, the same that, in the East Indies, is used for caulking of s.h.i.+ps. The wood is very hard, the leaves are long and narrow, of a pale dead green, and a fine aromatic; so that it may properly be said to belong to that continent.

Nevertheless, here are several plants, &c. common to the eastern and northern islands, and even a species of the pa.s.sionflower, which, I am told, has never before been known to grow wild any where but in America.

Our botanists did not complain for want of employment at this place; every day bringing something new in botany or other branches of natural history.

Land-birds, indeed, are not numerous, but several are new. One of these is a kind of crow, at least so we called it, though it is not half so big, and its feathers are tinged with blue. They also have some very beautiful turtle-doves, and other small birds, such as I never saw before.[3]

All our endeavours to get the name of the whole island proved ineffectual.

Probably it is too large for them to know by one name. Whenever we made this enquiry, they always gave us the name of some district or place, which we pointed to; and, as before observed, I got the names of several, with the name of the king or chief of each. Hence I conclude, that the country is divided into several districts, each governed by a chief; but we know nothing of the extent of his power. Balade was the name of the district we were at, and Tea Booma the chief. He lived on the other side of the ridge of hills, so that we had but little of his company, and therefore could not see much of his power. _Tea_ seems a t.i.tle prefixed to the names of all, or most, of their chiefs or great men. My friend honoured me by calling me _Tea_ Cook.

They deposit their dead in the ground. I saw none of their burying-places, but several of the gentlemen did. In one, they were informed, lay the remains of a chief who was slain in battle; and his grave, which bore some resemblance to a large mole-hill, was decorated with spears, darts, paddles, &c. all stuck upright in the ground round about it. The canoes, which these people use, are somewhat like those of the Friendly Isles; but the most heavy clumsy vessels I ever saw. They are what I call double canoes, made out of two large trees, hollowed out, having a raised gunnel, about two inches high, and closed at each end with a kind of bulk-head of the same height; so that the whole is like a long square trough, about three feet shorter than the body of the canoe; that is, a foot and a half at each end. Two canoes, thus fitted, are secured to each other, about three feet asunder, by means of cross spars, which project about a foot over each side. Over these spars is laid a deck, or very heavy platform, made of plank, and small round spars, on which they have a fire-hearth, and generally a fire burning; and they carry a pot or jar to dress their victuals in. The s.p.a.ce between the two canoes is laid with plank, and the rest with spars. On one side of the deck, and close to the edge, is fixed a row of knees, pretty near to each other, the use of which is to keep the masts, yards, &c. from, rolling over-board. They are navigated by one or two lateen-sails, extended to a small lateen-yard, the end of which fixes in a notch or hole in the deck. The foot of the sail is extended to a small boom. The sail is composed of pieces of matting, the ropes are made of the coa.r.s.e filaments of the plantain-tree, twisted into cords of the thickness of a finger; and three or four more such cords, marled together, serve them for shrouds, &c. I thought they sailed very well; but they are not at all calculated for rowing or paddling. Their method of proceeding, when they cannot sail, is by sculling, and for this purpose there are holes in the boarded deck or platform. Through these they put the sculls, which are of such a length, that, when the blade is in the water, the loom or handle is four or five feet above the deck. The man who works it stands behind, and with both his hands sculls the vessel forward. This method of proceeding is very slow; and for this reason, the canoes are but ill calculated for fis.h.i.+ng, especially for striking of turtle, which, I think, can hardly ever be done in them. Their fis.h.i.+ng implements, such as I have seen, are turtle- nets, made, I believe, of the filaments of the plantain-tree twisted; and small hand-nets, with very minute meshes made of fine twine and fish-gigs.

Their general method of fis.h.i.+ng, I guess, is to lie on the reefs in shoal water, and to strike the fish that may come in their way. They may, however, have other methods, which we had no opportunity to see, as no boat went out while we were here; all their time and attention being taken up with us. Their canoes are about thirty feet long, and the deck or platform about twenty-four in length, and ten in breadth. We had not, at this time, seen any timber in the country so large as that of which their canoes were made. It was observed that the holes, made in the several parts, in order to sew them together, were burnt through, but with what instrument we never learnt. Most probably it was of stone, which may be the reason why they were so fond of large spikes, seeing at once they would answer this purpose. I was convinced they were not wholly designed for edge-tools, because every one shewed a desire for the iron belaying-pins which were fixed in the quarter-deck rail, and seemed to value them far more than a spike-nail, although it might be twice as big. These pins, which are round, perhaps have the very shape of the tool they wanted to make of the nails. I did not find that a hatchet was quite so valuable as a large spike. Small nails were of little or no value; and beads, looking-gla.s.ses, &c. they did not admire.

The women of this country, and likewise those of Tanna, are, so far as I could judge, far more chaste than those of the more eastern islands. I never heard that one of our people obtained the least favour from any one of them. I have been told that the ladies here would frequently divert themselves by going a little aside with our gentlemen, as if they meant to be kind to them, and then would run away laughing at them. Whether this was chast.i.ty or coquetry, I shall not pretend to determine; nor is it material, since the consequences were the same.[4]

[1] Mr G.F. says their dress was very disfiguring, and gave them a thick squat shape. He describes it much like Captain Cook. According to him, these women's features, though coa.r.s.e, expressed great good- nature; they had high foreheads, broad flat noses, rather small eyes, and very prominent cheek-bones. His reflections on the degraded state in which these women live, as subservient entirely to the arbitrary will and necessary purposes of their husbands, have not so much originality as force, but possess, however, enough of both to deserve a place here. "They commonly kept at a distance from the men, and seemed fearful of offending them by a look or gesture; they were the only persons in the family who had any employment, and several of them brought bundles of sticks and fuel on their backs. Their insensible husbands seldom deigned to look upon them, and continued in a kind of phlegmatic indolence, whilst the women sometimes indulged that social cheerfulness, which is the distinguis.h.i.+ng ornament of the s.e.x. Thus, in every country, mankind are fond of being tyrants, and the poorest Indian, who knows no wants but those which his existence requires, has already learnt to enslave his weaker help-mate, in order to save himself the trouble of supplying their wants, and cruelly exacts an obedience from her, which has been continued among savages as a curse upon the s.e.x. Considering these humiliations and cruel oppressions of the s.e.x, we have sometimes the greatest reason to admire, that the human race has perpetuated itself, and that the Creator has wisely planted a motive in the female breast, which stands the test of every outrage, which makes them patient to suffer, and prevents their withdrawing from the power of their tyrants." This indeed is one of the most striking and important instances that can be adduced, of what has been called final causes, the determinate choice of an end, and the skilful adaptation of means to the accomplishment of it. A nation of women, we may confidently say, is as much a chimera, as a nation of two-headed men; and that individual has little acquaintance with herself that knows not, there is an insuperable objection to so anomalous an occurrence. With whatever abuses of authority, therefore, the other s.e.x may be chargeable, it is not to be denied, that they a.s.sert their superiority on the ground of natural const.i.tution, and that they cannot be considered as usurpers. Admitting this, it is important to enquire, what is the principle common to both, on which their mutual welfare depends, and which is as certainly violated by unfeeling rigour on one side, as by peevish rebellion on the other.

Several principles might be mentioned, claiming in part this distinction, but none will answer all the conditions, except a right sense of their entire and common dependence on the source of their being and judge of their conduct, which is indeed the essence of religion and morality. It is vain, in fact, to determine almost any thing respecting such a creature as man, but by reasons of an eternal nature, and referring to the laws of an invisible world. Every system of an inferior kind, will be found inadequate in its application, and unsatisfactory in its sanctions--calculated, it may be, to amuse the philosopher in his closet, and attract the admiration of young and inexperienced minds, but too weak to sustain the shock of human pa.s.sions, and too circ.u.mscribed to reach the heights of human hopes and fears. The condition of women improves, undoubtedly, as a people advances towards civilization; but there is a period in the process, at which voluptuousness, more cruel than indifference, and often maddened by jealousy, subjects her to greater degradation than her original insignificance, and destroys all hope of her amelioration in the tyranny of her own licentiousness. It is only where the principle alluded to, is publicly recognised in the civil inst.i.tutions of a country, and conscientiously reverenced by the piety of its citizens, that she attains the true dignity of her destiny in an equal subordination, and vindicates the benevolence of the Deity in her creation, by the increase of happiness she confers on her consort.

This cannot be looked for in a state of nature.--E.

[2] "These slings consisted of a slender round cord, no thicker than a packthread, which had a ta.s.sel at one end, and a loop at the other end and in the middle. The stones which they used were oblong, and pointed at each end, being made of a soft and unctuous soap-rock (_smect.i.tis_), which could easily be rubbed into that shape. These exactly fitted the loop in the middle of the sling, and were kept in a wallet or pocket of coa.r.s.e cloth, strongly woven, of a kind of gra.s.s, which was tied on about the middle. Their shape gives them a striking resemblance to the _glandes plumbeae_ of the Romans."--G.F.

[3] Unfortunately the severe effects of the noxious fish, so sparingly partaken of, disabled the two Forsters from their favourite pursuits, during the greater part of their residence at New Caledonia. The result of their labours was, in consequence, very scanty, and, according to the younger F.'s a.s.sertions, received little or no encouragement from the friendly services of many of their fellow voyagers. He has inveighed with no small asperity against the ignorant selfishness and unprincipled hostility with which they had to contend.

These seem to have been of a flagrant appearance, and almost systematic consistency. "If there had not been a few individuals,"

says he, "of a more liberal way of thinking, whose disinterested love for the sciences comforted us from time to time, we should in all probability have fallen victims to that malevolence, which even the positive commands of Captain Cook were sometimes insufficient to keep within bounds." However the reader may conjecture the existence of certain personal causes which are here complained of, he cannot but regret, that the interests of the expedition should in any manner have suffered loss by the contention. But such things, he will say, are incident to human nature, and have frequently taken place on even more important occasions. This is very true, but gives no comfort.--E.

[4] Mr G.F. calls this deceptive amus.e.m.e.nt, "an innocent recreation, which shewed them good-humoured, and not dest.i.tute of ingenuity!" He agrees with Cook respecting the universal decency of these people, which forms so striking a dissimilarity to the immodest conduct of the other islanders met with in this voyage. The following remarks specify other differences, and are worthy of being transcribed:--"It is easy to be conceived, that the contrast between New Caledonia and the New Hebrides, was very striking to us, who had so lately visited those rich and fertile islands, where the vegetable kingdom glories in its greatest perfection. The difference in the character of the people was no less surprising. All the natives of the South-Sea islands, excepting those only which Tasman found on Tonga-Tabboo and Annamocka, (and those perhaps had been informed of what had pa.s.sed between Le Maire, and the natives of Horne, Cocos, and Traitor's island, some years before,) made some attempt to drive away the strangers who came to visit them. But the people of New Caledonia, at the first sight of us, received us as friends; they ventured to come on board our s.h.i.+p, without the least marks of fear or distrust, and suffered us to ramble freely throughout their country as far as we pleased. As nature has been so sparing here of her gifts, it is the more surprising that instead of seeing the inhabitants savage, distrustful, and warlike, as at Tanna, we should find them peaceable, well-disposed, and unsuspicious. It is not less remarkable, that, in spite of the drought which prevails in their country, and the scanty supply of vegetable food, they should have attained to a greater size, and a more muscular body. Perhaps, instead of placing the causes which effect disparity of stature among various nations in the difference of food, this instance ought to teach us to have retrospect likewise to the original races from which those tribes are descended, that fell under our examination. Let us, for instance, suppose, that the people of New Caledonia are the offspring of a nation, who, by living in affluence and in a genial climate, have not been stinted in their growth; the colony which removed into the barren soil of New Caledonia, will probably preserve the habit of body of their ancestors for many generations. The people of Tanna may have undergone a contrary revolution, and being descended of a slender and short race, like the Mallicollese, the richness of their present country may not yet have entirely taken effect. The inoffensive character of the people of New Caledonia appears to great advantage in their conduct towards us. They are the only people in the South Seas who have not had reason to complain of our arrival among them. When we consider how easy it is to provoke the mariner to sport with the lives of Indians, from the numerous examples throughout this narrative, we must acknowledge that it required an uncommon degree of good temper, not to draw upon themselves a single act of brutality. Those philosophers who are of opinion that the temper, the manners, and genius of a people, depend entirely upon the climate, will be at a loss to account for the peaceful character of the inhabitants of New Caledonia. If we admit that they are only strangers to distrust, because they have little to lose, we shall not solve the difficulty; since the people of New Holland, under the influence of a similar climate and soil, and in a more wretched situation than the inhabitants of New Caledonia, are savage and unsociable. The different characters of nations seem therefore to depend upon a mult.i.tude of different causes, which have acted together during a series of many ages. The inhabitants of New Caledonia do not owe their kind disposition to a total ignorance of wars and disputes; the variety of their offensive weapons being alone sufficient to put this matter out of doubt. By conversing with them we learnt that they have enemies, and that the people of an island called Mingha had a very different character from their own. Civilization is much farther advanced in some respects among them, than with their more opulent neighbours. That higher degree of culture, however, where the understanding is sufficiently enlightened to remove the unjust contempt shown to the fair s.e.x, is unknown to them; their temper is too grave to be captivated by female blandishments, or to set a proper value upon the refined enjoyments of life. They are obliged to work hard, at times, for the means of subsistence; but their leisure hours are spent in indolence, without those little recreations which contribute so much to the happiness of mankind, and diffuse a spirit of chearfulness and vivacity throughout the Society and Friendly Islands. Besides a sort of whistle, made of wood, about two inches long, and shaped like a bell, having two holes at its base and one at the upper end, we never saw a musical instrument among the people of New Caledonia. Their dances and songs are equally unknown to us; and what we observed during our short stay, gave us reason to suppose, that even laughter is an uncommon guest among them."--G.F.

SECTION X.

_Proceedings on the Coast of New Caledonia, with Geographical and Nautical Observations._

Everything being in readiness to put to sea, at sun-rise, on the 13th of September, we weighed, and with a fine gale at E. by S., stood out for the same channel we came in by. At half past seven we were in the middle of it.

Observatory Isle bore S. 5 E., distant four miles, and the isle of Balabea W.N.W. As soon as we were clear of the reef, we hauled the wind to the starboard tack, with a view of plying in to the S.E.; but as Mr Gilbert was of opinion that he had seen the end, or N.W. extremity of the land, and that it would be easier to get round by the N.W., I gave over plying, and bore up along the outside of the reef, steering N.N.W., N.W., and N.W. by W., as it trended. At noon the island of Balabea bore S. by W., distant thirteen miles; and what we judged to be the west end of the great land, bore S.W. 1/2 S., and the direction of the reef was N.W. by W., lat.i.tude observed 19 53' 20". Longitude from Observatory Isle 14' W. We continued to steer N.W. by W. along the outside of the reef till three o'clock, at which time the isle of Balabea bore S. by E. 1/2 E. In this direction we observed a part.i.tion in the reef, which we judged to be a channel, by the strong tide which set out of it. From this place the reef inclined to the north for three or four leagues, and then to the N.W. We followed its direction, and as we advanced to N.W., raised more land, which seemed to be connected with what we had seen before; so that Mr Gilbert was mistaken, and did not see the extremity of the coast. At five o'clock this land bore W. by N. 1/2 N., distant twenty miles; but what we could see of the reef trended in the direction of N.W. by N.

Having hauled the wind to the starboard tack, and spent the night plying, on the 14th, at sun-rise, the island of Balabea bore S. 6 E., and the land seen the preceding night W., but the reef still trended N.W., along which we steered with a light breeze at E.S.E. At noon we observed in lat.i.tude 19 28', longitude from Observatory Isle 27' W. We had now no sight of Balabea; and the other land, that is, the N.W. part of it, bore W. by S.

1/2 S., but we were not sure if this was one continued coast, or separate islands. For though some part.i.tions were seen, from s.p.a.ce to s.p.a.ce, which made it look like the latter, a mult.i.tude of shoals rendered a nearer approach to it exceedingly dangerous, if not impracticable. In the afternoon, with a fine breeze at E.S.E., we ranged the outside of these shoals, which we found to trend in the direction of N.W. by W., N.W. by N., and N.N.E. At three o'clock we pa.s.sed a low sandy isle, lying on the outer edge of the reef, in lat.i.tude 19 25', and in the direction of N.E. from the north-westernmost land, six or seven leagues distant. So much as we could see of this s.p.a.ce was strewed with shoals, seemingly detached from each other; and the channel leading in amongst them appeared to be on the S.E. side of the sandy isle; at least, there was a s.p.a.ce where the sea did not break. At sun-set we could but just see the land, which bore S.W. by S., about ten leagues distant. A clear horizon produced the discovery of no land to the westward of this direction; the reef too trended away W. by N.

1/2 N., and seemed to terminate in a point which was seen from the mast- head. Thus every thing conspired to make us believe that we should soon get round these shoals; and with these flattering expectations we hauled the wind, which was at E.N.E., and spent the night making short boards.

Next morning at sun-rise, seeing neither land nor breakers, we bore away N.W. by W., and two hours after saw the reef extending N.W. farther than the eye could reach; no land was to be seen. It was therefore probable that we had pa.s.sed its N.W. extremity; and, as we had seen from the hills of Balade its extent to the S.W., it was necessary to know how far it extended to the east or southeast, while it was in our power to recover the coast; for, by following the direction of the shoals, we might have been carried so far to leeward as not to be able to beat back without considerable loss of time. We were already far out of sight of land; and there was no knowing how much farther we might be carried, before we found an end to them. These considerations, together with the risk we must run in exploring a sea strewed with shoals, and where no anchorage, without them, is to be found, induced me to abandon the design of proceeding round by the N.W., and to ply up to the S.E, in which direction I knew there was a clear sea. With this view we tacked and stood to the S.E., with the wind at N.E. by E., a gentle breeze. At this time we were in the lat.i.tude of 19 7' S., longitude 163 57' E.

In standing to the S.E. we did but just weather the point of the reef we had pa.s.sed the preceding evening. To make our situation the more dangerous the wind began to fail us; and at three in the afternoon it fell calm, and left us to the mercy of a great swell, setting directly on the reef, which was hardly a league from us. We sounded, but found no bottom with a line of two hundred fathoms. I ordered the pinnace and cutter to be hoisted out to tow the s.h.i.+p, but they were of little use against so great a swell. We, however, found that the s.h.i.+p did not draw near the reef so fast as might be expected; and at seven o'clock a light air at N.N.E. kept her head to the sea, but it lasted no longer than midnight, when it was succeeded by a dead calm.