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

expeditious as it can well be. They lop off the small branches of the large trees, dig under the roots, andthere burn the branches and small shrubs and plants which they root up. The soil, in some parts, is a richblack mould; in other parts, it seemed to be composed of decayed vegetables, and of the ashes the volcanosends forth throughout all its neighbourhood. Happening to turn out of the common path, we came into aplantation where we found a man at work, who, either out of good-nature, or to get us the sooner out of histerritories, undertook to be our guide. We followed him, accordingly, but had not gone far before we cameto the junction of two roads, in one of which stood another man with a sling and a stone, which he thoughtproper to lay down when a musquet was pointed at him. The attitude in which we found him, the ferocityappearing in his looks, and his behaviour after, convinced us that he meant to defend the path he stood in.He, in some measure, gained his point, for our guide took the other road, and we followed, but not withoutsuspecting he was leading us out of the common way. The other man went with us likewise, counting usseveral times over, and hallooing, as we judged, for assistance; for we were presently joined by two orthree more, among whom was a young woman with a club in her hand. By these people we were conductedto the brow of a hill, and shewn a road leading down to the harbour, which they wanted us to take. Notchoosing to comply, we returned to that we had left, which we pursued alone, our guide refusing to go withus. After ascending another ridge, as thickly covered with wood as those we had come over, we saw yetother hills between us and the volcano, which seemed as far off as at our first setting out. This discouragedus from proceeding farther, especially as we could get no one to be our guide. We therefore came to aresolution to return; and had but just put this in execution when we met between twenty and thirty people,whom the fellow before mentioned had collected together, with a design, as we judged, to oppose ouradvancing into the country; but as they saw us returning they suffered us to pass unmolested. Some of themput us into the right road, accompanied us down the hill, made us stop by the way, to entertain us withcocoa-nuts, plantains, and sugar- cane; and what we did not eat on the spot, they brought down the hillwith us. Thus we found these people hospitable, civil, and good-natured, when not prompted to a contraryconduct by jealousy; a conduct I cannot tell how to blame them for, especially when I considered the lightin which they must view us. It was impossible for them to know our real design; we enter their portswithout their daring to oppose; we endeavour to land in their country as friends, and it is well if thissucceeds; we land, nevertheless, and maintain the footing we have got, by the superiority of our fire-arms.Under such circumstances, what opinion are they to form of us? Is it not as reasonable for them to thinkthat we are come to invade their country, as to pay them a friendly visit? Time, and some acquaintancewith us, can only convince them of the latter. These people are yet in a rude state; and, if we may judgefrom circumstances and appearances, are frequently at war, not only with their neighbours, but amongthemselves; consequently must be jealous of every new face. I will allow there are some exceptions to thisrule to be found in this sea; but there are few nations who would willingly suffer visitors like us to advancefar into their country.Before this excursion, some of us had been of opinion that these people were addicted to an unnaturalpassion, because they had endeavoured to entice some of our men into the woods; and, in particular, I wastold, that one who had the care of Mr Forster's plant bag, had been once or twice attempted. As the carryingof bundles, &c. is the office of the women in this country, it had occurred to me, and I was not singular inthis, that the natives might mistake him and some others for women. My conjecture was fully verified thisday. For this man, who was one of the party, and carried the bag as usual, following me down the hill, bythe words which I understood of the conversation of the natives, and by their actions, I was well assuredthat they considered him as a female; till, by some means, they discovered their mistake, on which theycried out, "Erramange! Erramange!" "It is a man! It is a man!" The thing was so palpable, that every onewas obliged to acknowledge, that they had before mistaken his sex: and that, after they were undeceived,they seemed not to have the least notion of what we had suspected. This circumstance will shew how liablewe are to form wrong conjectures of things, among people whose language we are ignorant of. Had it notbeen for this discovery, I make no doubt that these people would have been charged with this vile custom.