loves to view human nature in new
situations, and to speculate on singular, but faithful representations
of the persons, the customs, the arts, the religion, the government, and
the language of uncultivated man, in remote and fresh-discovered
quarters of the globe, will perhaps find matter of amusement, if not of
instruction, in the information which I have been enabled to convey to
him, concerning the inhabitants of this Archipelago. I shall suspend my
narrative of the progress of the voyage, while I faithfully relate what
I had opportunities of collecting on these several topics.

We found by our experience, that the best articles for traffic at these
islands, are iron tools in general. Axes and hatchets, nails, from the
largest spike down to tenpenny ones, rasps, files, and knives, are much
sought after. Red cloth, and linen, both white and coloured,
looking-glasses and beads are also in estimation; but of the latter
those that are blue are preferred to all others, and white ones are
thought the least valuable. A string of large blue beads would at any
time purchase a hog. But it must be observed, that such articles as are
merely ornaments, may be highly esteemed at one time, and not so at
another. When we first arrived at Annamooka, the people there would
hardly take them in exchange even for fruit; but when Feenou came, this
great man set the fashion, and brought them into vogue, till they rose
in their value to what I have just mentioned.

In return for the favourite commodities which I have enumerated, all the
refreshments may be procured that the islands produce. These are, hogs,
fowls, fish, yams, breadfruit, plantains, cocoa-nuts, sugar-cane, and,
in general, every such supply as can be met with at Otaheite, or any of
the Society Islands. The yams of the Friendly Islands are excellent,
and, when grown to perfection, keep very well at sea. But their pork,
bread-fruit, and plantains, though far from despicable, are nevertheless
much inferior in quality to the same articles at Otaheite, and in its
neighbourhood.

Good water, which ships on long voyages stand so much in need of, is
scarce at these islands. It may be found, it is true, on them all; but
still either in too inconsiderable quantities, or in situations too
inconvenient, to serve the purposes of navigators. However, as the
islands afford plenty of provisions, and particularly of cocoa-nuts,
ships may make a tolerable shift with such water as is to be