1/77- THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 183 



observed it, ordered all the women and children to 

 retire, which they obeyed, though some of them 

 shewed a little reluctance. 



This conduct of Europeans amongst savages to 

 their women, is highly blameable; as it creates a 

 jealousy in their men, that may be attended with 

 consequences fatal to the success ot % the common 

 enterprize, and to the whole body of adventurers, 

 without advancing the private purpose of the in- 

 dividual, or enabling him to gain the object of his 

 wishes. I believe it has been generally found 

 amongst uncivilized people, that where the women 

 are easy of access, the men are the first to offer them 

 to strangers; and that, where this is not the case, 

 neither the allurement of presents, nor the oppor- 

 tunity of privacy, will be likely to have the desired 

 effect. This observation, I am sure, will hold good 

 throughout all the parts of the South Sea where I 

 have been. Why then should men act so absurd a 

 part, as to risk their own safety, and that of all their 

 companions, in pursuit of a gratification which they 

 they have no probability of obtaining? 



In the afternoon I went again to the grass-cutters, 

 to forward their work. I found them then upon 

 Penguin Island, where they had met with a plentiful 

 crop of excellent grass. We laboured hard till sun- 

 set, and then repaired on board, satisfied with the 

 quantity we had collected, and which I judged suf- 

 ficient to last till our arrival in New Zealand. 



During our whole stay, we had either calms or 

 light airs from the eastward. Little or no time, 

 therefore, was lost by my putting in at this place. 

 For if I had kept the sea, we should not have been 

 twenty leagues advanced farther on our voyage. And, 

 short as our continuance was here, it has enabled me 

 to add somewhat to the imperfect acquaintance that 

 hath hitherto been acquired with this part of the 

 globe. 



Van Diemen's Land has been twice visited before. 



n 4 



