A General History & Collection of Voyages and Travels ... - Nauticus

they did not seem willing to part with. Nor did any one, during the whole day, offer in exchange any fruit,or roots, worth mentioning, which determined me to leave this island, and to visit that of Amsterdam.[5] "They beat time to the music by snapping the second finger and thumb, and holding the threeremaining fingers upright. Their voices were very sweet and mellow, and they sung in parts. Whenthey had gone, they were relieved by others, who sung the same tune, and at last they joined togetherin chorus."--G.F.[6] "The inhabitants seemed to be of a more active and industrious disposition than those of Otaheiteand instead of following us in great crowds wherever we went, left us entirely by ourselves, unlesswe entreated them to accompany us. In that case we could venture to go with our pockets open,unless we had nails in them, upon which they set so great a value, that they could not always resistthe temptation. We passed through more than ten adjacent plantations or gardens, separated byinclosures, communicating with each other by means of doors. In each of them we commonly metwith a house, of which the inhabitants were absent. Their attention to separate their property seemedto argue a higher degree of civilization than we had expected. Their arts, manufactures, and music,were all more cultivated, complicated, and elegant, than at the Society Isles. But, in return, theopulence, or rather luxury, of the Otaheiteans seemed to be much greater. We saw but few hogs andfowls here; and that great support of life, the bread-tree, appeared to be very scarce. Yams, therefore,and other roots, together with bananoes, are their principal article of diet. Their clothing, too,compared to that of Otaheite, was less plentiful, or at least not converted into such an article ofluxury as at that island. Lastly, their houses, though neatly constructed, and always placed in afragrant shrubbery, were less roomy and convenient."--G.F.The evening brought every one on board, highly delighted with the country, and the very obligingbehaviour of the inhabitants, who seemed to vie with each other in doing what they thought would give uspleasure.[7] The ships were crowded with people the whole day, trafficking with those on board, in whichthe greatest good order was observed; and I was sorry that the season of the year would not admit of mymaking a longer stay with them. Early the nest morning, while the ships were getting under sail, I went onshore with Captain Furneaux and Mr Forster, to take leave of the chief. He met us at the landing-place, andwould have conducted us to his house, had we not excused ourselves. We therefore were seated on thegrass, where we spent about half an hour in the midst of a vast crowd of people. After making the chief apresent, consisting of various articles, and an assortment of garden-seeds, I gave him to understand that wewere going away, at which he seemed not at all moved. He, and two or three more, came into our boat, inorder to accompany us on board; but seeing the Resolution under sail, he called to a canoe to put alongside,into which he and his friends went, and returned on shore. While he remained in our boat, he continued toexchange fish-hooks for nails, and engrossed the trade in a manner wholly to himself; but, when on shore, Inever saw him make the least exchange.[7] "We were accosted with caresses by old and young, by men and women. They hugged us veryheartily, and frequently kissed our hands, laying them on their breast, with the most expressive looksof affection that can be imagined."--G.F.SECTION II.The Arrival of the Ships at Amsterdam; a Description of a Place of Worship; and an Account of theIncidents which happened while we remained at that Island.As soon as I was on board, we made sail down to Amsterdam. The people of this isle were so little afraid