1774- ROUND THE WORLD. 289 



has been exceedingly sparing of her favours to this 

 spot. As every thing must be raised by dint of la- 

 bour, it cannot be supposed the inhabitants plant, 

 much more -than is sufficient for themselves ; and 

 as they are but few in number, they cannot have 

 much to spare to supply the wants of visitant 

 strangers. The produce is sweet potatoes, yams, 

 taraoreddy-root, plantains, and sugar-canes, all pretty 

 good, the potatoes especially, which are the best of 

 the kind I ever tasted. Gourds they have also ; but 

 so very few, that a coca-nut shell was the most 

 valuable thing we could give them. They have a 

 few tame fowls, such as cocks and hens, small but 

 well tasted. They have also rats, which it seems 

 they eat ; for I saw a man with some dead ones in 

 his hand, and he seemed unwilling to part with them, 

 giving me to understand they were for food. Land 

 birds there were hardly any, and sea birds but few ; 

 these were, men-of-war, tropic, and egg-birds, nodies, 

 tern, &c. The coast seemed not to abound with 

 fish ; at least we could catch none with hook and 

 line, and it was but very little we saw amongst the 

 natives. 



Such is the produce of Easter Island, or Davis's 

 Land, which is situated in the latitude of Q~j 5' 3W S., 

 longitude 109 46' 20" W. It is about ten or twelve 

 leagues in circuit, hath a hilly and stony surface, and 

 an iron-bound shore. The hills are of such an height 

 as to be seen fifteen or sixteen leagues. Off the 

 south end, are two rocky islots lying near the shore. 

 The north and east points of the island rise directly 

 from the sea to a considerable height ; between 

 them, on the south-east side, the shore forms an open 

 bay, in which I believe the Dutch anchored. We 

 anchored, as hath been already mentioned, on the 

 west side of the island, three miles to the north of 

 the south point, with the sandy beach bearing east- 

 south-east. This is a very good road with easterly 



VOL. III. u 



