10 cook's first voyage SEPT. 



almost as high as the eye can distinguish ; and the 

 vines are green when every kind of lierbage, except 

 where they shade the ground, and here and there 

 by the sides of a rill, is entirely burnt up, which was 

 the case at this time. 



On the 13th, about eleven o'clock in the forenoon, 

 a boat, which our sailors call the product boat, came 

 on board from the officers of health, without whose 

 permission no person is suffered to land from on 

 board a ship. As soon as this permission was obtained, 

 we went on shore at Funchiale, the capital of the 

 island, and proceeded directly to the house of 

 Mr. Cheap, who is the English consul there, and 

 one of the most considerable merchants of the place. 

 This gentleman received us with the kindness of a 

 brother, and the liberality of a prince ; he insisted 

 npon our taking possession of his house, in which 

 he furnished us with every possible accommodation 

 during our stay upon the island ; he procured leave 

 for Mr. Banks and Dr. Solander to search the island 

 for such natural curiosities as they should think worth 

 their notice ; employed persons to take fish and 

 gather shells, which time would not have permitted 

 them to collect for themselves ; and he provided 

 horses and guides to take them to any part of the 

 country which they should choose to visit. With 

 all these advantages, however, their excursions were 

 seldom pushed farther than three miles from the town, 

 as they were only five days on shore ; one of which 

 tliey spent at home, in receiving the honour of a 

 visit from the governor. The season was the worst 

 in the year for their purpose, as it was neither that 

 of plants nor insects ; a few of the plants, however, 

 were procured in flower, by the kind attention of 

 Dr. Heberden, the chief physician of the island, and 

 brother to Dr. Heberden of London, who also gave 

 them such specimens as he had in his possession, 

 and a copy of his Botanical Observations; containing, 

 among other things, a particular description of the 



17 



