1770' ROUND THE WORLD. 31 



to find a cabbage-tree, which afforded us a deli- 

 cious meal ; and, except the fern-root, and one 

 other vegetable, totally unknown in Europe, and 

 which, though eaten by the natives, was extremely 

 disagreeable to us, we found no other vegetable 

 production that was fit for food, among those that 

 appeared to be the wild produce of the country; 

 and we could find but three esculent plants among 

 those which are raised by cultivation, yams, sweet 

 potatoes, and coccos. Of the yams and potatoes 

 there are plantations consisting of many acres ; and 

 I believe that any ship which should happen to be 

 here in the autumn, when they are dug up, might 

 purchase them in any quantity. 



Gourds are also cultivated by the natives of this 

 place, tbefruit of which furnishes them with vessels for 

 various uses. We also found here the Chinese paper 

 mulberry-tree, the same as that of which the inha- 

 bitants of the South Sea islands make their cloth ; 

 but it is so scarce, that though the New Zealand- 

 ers also make cloth of it, they have not enough 

 for any other purpose than to wear as an ornament 

 in the holes which they make in their ears, as I 

 have observed before. 



But among all the trees, shrubs, and plants of this 

 country, there is not one that produces fruit, except 

 a berry which has neither sweetness nor flavour, and 

 which none but the boys took pains to gather, should 

 be honoured with that appellation. There is, how- 

 ever, a plant that serves the inhabitants instead of 

 hemp and flax, which excels all that are put to the 

 same purposes in other countries. Of this plant there 

 are two sorts ; the leaves of both resemble those of 

 flags, but the flowers are smaller, and their clusters 

 more numerous ; in one kind they are yellow, and in 

 the other a deep red. Of the leaves of these plants, 

 with very little preparation, they make all their com- 

 mon apparel ; and of these they make also their 

 strings, lines, and cordage for every purpose, which 



