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

when they laugh at his heinously red nose, or chorus in his ribaldry. The islanders of the South Seaare not singular then, in mentally disjoining official dignity from moral excellence.--E.Attago was very importunate with me to return again to this isle, and to bring with me cloth, axes, nails,&c. &c. telling me that I should have hogs, fowls, fruit, and roots, in abundance. He particularly desiredme, more than once, to bring him such a suit of clothes as I had on, which was my uniform. This goodnaturedislander was very serviceable to me, on many occasions, during our short stay. He constantly cameon board every morning soon after it was light, and never quitted us till the evening. He was always ready,either on board or on shore, to do me all the service in his power: His fidelity was rewarded at a smallexpence, and I found my account in having such a friend.[8][8] "Here, however, as in all other societies of men, we found exceptions to the general character,and had reason to lament the behaviour of vicious individuals. Dr Sparrman and myself having leftthe beach where the Latoo attracted the attention of all our people, entered the wood in pursuit offarther discoveries in our branch of science. The first discharge of my fowling-piece at a birdbrought three natives towards us, with whom we entered into conversation, as far as our superficialknowledge of their tongue would permit. Soon after, Dr Sparrman stepped aside into a thicket insearch of a bayonet, which he had lost from the end of his musket. One of the natives, finding thetemptation of the moment irresistible, grasped my fowling-piece, and struggled to wrest it from me. Icalled to my companion, and the two other natives ran away, unwilling to become the accomplicesin this attack. In the struggle, our feet were entangled in a bush, and we both fell together; but thenative, seeing he could not gain his point, and perhaps dreading the arrival of Dr Sparrman, got upbefore me, and took that opportunity of running off. My friend joined me immediately; and weconcluded, that if there was something treacherous or vicious in the behaviour of this fellow, ourseparation was also imprudent, because it had furnished him with an opportunity to exercise histalents."--G.F.In heaving in the coasting cable, it parted in the middle of its length, being chafed by the rocks. By thisaccident we lost the other half, together with the anchor, which lay in forty fathoms water, without anybuoy to it. The best bower-cable suffered also by the rocks; by which a judgment may be formed of thisanchorage. At ten o'clock we got under sail; but as our decks were much encumbered with fruit, &c. wekept plying under the land till they were cleared.[9] The supplies we got at this isle, were about onehundred and fifty pigs, twice that number of fowls, as many bananoes and cocoa-nuts as we could findroom for, with a few yams; and had our stay been longer, we no doubt might have got a great deal more.This in some degree shews the fertility of the island, of which, together with the neighbouring one ofMiddleburg, I shall now give a more particular account.[9] "We had made such good use of the four months, after our departure from New Zealand, as tohave crossed the South Sea in the middle latitudes, in the depth of winter, examined a space of morethan forty degrees of longitude between the tropics, and refreshed our people at Otaheite, the SocietyIslands, and the Friendly Islands, during one and thirty days. The season for prosecuting ourdiscoveries in high southern latitudes advanced, and the savage rocks of New Zealand were only togive us shelter, whilst we changed our fair-weather rigging, for such as might resist the storms andvigours of more inhospitable climates."--G.F.SECTION III.A Description of the Islands and their Produce; with the Cultivation, Houses, Canoes, Navigation,Manufactures, Weapons, Customs, Government, Religion, and Language of the Inhabitants. [1]