at there were so many cocoa-nut
trees, near the skirts of the harbour, which seemed not to be private
property; so that we could generally prevail on the natives to bring us
some of these nuts, when nothing would induce them to bring any out of the
country.

We were not wholly without refreshments; for besides the fish, which our
seine now and then provided us with, we procured daily some fruits or roots
from the natives, though but little in proportion to what we could consume.
The reason why we got no more might be our having nothing to give them in
exchange, which they thought valuable. They had not the least knowledge of
iron; consequently, nails and iron tools, beads, etc. which had so great a
run at the more eastern isles, were of no consideration here; and cloth can
be of no use to people who go naked.

The produce of this island is bread-fruit, plantains, cocoa-nuts, a fruit
like a nectarine, yams, tarra, a sort of potatoe, sugar-cane, wild figs, a
fruit like an orange, which is not eatable, and some other fruit and nuts
whose names I have not. Nor have I any doubt that the nutmeg before
mentioned was the produce of this island. The bread-fruit, cocoa-nuts, and
plantains, are neither so plentiful nor so good as at Otaheite; on the
other hand, sugar-canes and yams are not only in greater plenty, but of
superior quality, and much larger. We got one of the latter which weighed
fifty-six pounds, every ounce of which was good. Hogs did not seem to be
scarce; but we saw not many fowls. These are the only domestic animals they
have. Land-birds are not more numerous than at Otaheite, and the other
islands; but we met with some small birds, with a very beautiful plumage,
which we had never seen before. There is as great a variety of trees and
plants here, as at any island we touched at, where our botanists had time
to examine. I believe these people live chiefly on the produce of the land,
and that the sea contributes but little to their subsistence. Whether this
arises from the coast not abounding with fish, or from their being bad
fishermen, I know not; both causes perhaps concur. I never saw any sort of
fishing-tackle amongst them, nor any one out fishing, except on the shoals,
or along the shores of the harbour, where they would watch to strike with a
dart such fish as came within their reach; and in this they were expert.
They seemed much to admire our catching fish with the seine; and, I
believe, were not well plea