^4f2 cook's FIRST VOYAGE 1769» 



among these people no man can be much injured or 

 benefited by theft, it is not necessary to restrain it 

 by such punishments, as in other countries are abso- 

 lutely necessary to the very existence of civil society. 

 Tupia, however, tells us, that adultery is sometimes 

 committed as well as theft. In all cases where an 

 injury has been committed, the punishment of the 

 offender lies with the sufferer : adultery, if the parties 

 are caught in the fact, is sometimes punished with 

 death in the first ardour of resentment ; but w^ithout 

 circumstances of immediate provocation, the female 

 sinner seldom suffers more than a beating. As punish- 

 ment, however, is enforced by no law, nor taken into 

 the hand of any magistrate, it is not often inflicted, 

 except the injured party is the strongest ; though 

 the chiefs do sometimes punish their immediate de- 

 pendents, for faults committed against each other, 

 and even the dependents of others, if they are ac- 

 cused of any offence committed in their district. 



Having now given the best description that I can 

 of the island in its present state, and of the people, 

 with their customs and manners, language and arts, 

 I shall only add a few general observations, which 

 may be of use to future navigators, if any of the 

 ships of Great Britain should receive orders to visit 

 it. As it produces nothing that appears to be con- 

 vertible into an article of trade, and can be used only 

 by affording refreshments to shipping in their pas- 

 sage through these seas, it might be made to answer 

 this purpose in a much greater degree, by transport- 

 ing thither sheep, goats, and horned cattle, with 

 European garden-stuff, and other useful vegetables, 

 which there is the greatest reason to suppose will 

 flourish in so fine a climate, and so rich a soil. 



Though this, and the neighbouring islands lie 

 within the tropic of Capricorn, yet the heat is not 

 troublesome, nor did the winds blow constantly 

 from the east. We had frequently a fresh gale from 

 the S. W. for two or three days, and sometimes, 



