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

are inexplicable to us. Upon the whole, supposing Easter Island to have undergone a late misfortunefrom volcanic fires, its inhabitants are more to be pitied than any less civilized society, beingacquainted with a number of conveniences, comforts, and luxuries of life, which they formerlypossessed, and of which the remembrance must embitter the loss."--G.P.Forster the father is decided in opinion, as to the revolution that has undoubtedly occurred in thisisland, being occasioned by a volcano and earthquake, and gives a very curious account of a notionprevalent amongst the Society Isles, and forming indeed part of their mythological creed, which, ifto be credited, affords support to it. The subject altogether is of a most interesting and importantnature, but cannot possibly be investigated or even specified in an adequate manner in this place. Wehope to do it justice hereafter.--E.Besides the monuments of antiquity, which were pretty numerous, and no where but on or near the seacoast,there were many little heaps of stones, piled up in different places along the coast. Two or three ofthe uppermost stones in each pile were generally white, perhaps always so, when the pile is complete. Itwill hardly be doubted that these piles of stone had a meaning; probably they might mark the place wherepeople had been buried, and serve instead of the large statues.The working-tools of these people are but very mean, and, like those of all the other islanders we havevisited in this ocean, made of stone, bone, shells, &c. They set but little value on iron or iron tools, whichis the more extraordinary, as they know their use; but the reason may be, their having but little occasion forthem.SECTION IX.The Passage from Easter Island to the Marquesas Islands. Transactions and Incidents which happenedwhile the Ship lay in Madre de Dios, or Resolution Bay, in the Island of St Christina.After leaving Easter Island, I steered N.W. by N. and N.N.W., with a fine easterly gale, intending to touchat the Marquesas, if I met with nothing before I got there. We had not been long at sea, before the biliousdisorder made another attack upon me, but not so violent as the former. I believe this second visit wasowing to exposing and fatiguing myself too much at Easter Island.On the 22d, being in the latitude of 19° 20' S., longitude 114° 49' W., steered N.W. Since leaving EasterIsland, the variation had not been more than 3° 4', nor less than 2° 32' E.; but on the 26th, at six a.m., inlatitude 15° 7' S., longitude 119° 45' W., it was no more than 1° 1' E.; after which it began to increase.On the 29th, being in the latitude of 10° 20', longitude 123° 58' W., altered the course to W.N.W., and thenext day to west, being then in latitude 9° 24', which I judged to be the parallel of Marquesas; where, as Ihave before observed, I intended to touch, in order to settle their situation, which I find different indifferent charts. Having now a steady settled trade-wind, and pleasant weather, I ordered the forge to be setup, to repair and make various necessary articles in the iron way; and the caulkers had already been sometime at work caulking the decks, weather- works, &c.As we advanced to the west, we found the variation to increase but slowly; for, on the 3d of April, it wasonly 4° 40' E., being then in the latitude of 9° 32', longitude 132° 45', by observation made at the same time.