,-,6 A V O Y A G E T O 



»777- ther at the firfl: faltin?, left the pieces in the middle fliould 



December. ° ^ 



heat, and, by that means, prevent the fah from penetrating 

 them. This once happened ro us, when we killed a larger 

 quantity than ufual. Rainy, Sultry weather, is unfavour- 

 able for faking meat in tropical climates. 



Perhaps, the frequent vifits Europeans have lately made 

 to thefe iflandcrs, may be one great inducement to their 

 keeping up a large ftock of hogs, as they have had experi- 

 ence enough to know, that, whenever we come, they may 

 be fure of getting from us what they eftecm a valuable con- 

 fideration for them. At Otaheite, they expeft the return of 

 the Spaniards every day ; and they will look for the Eng- 

 lifli, two of three years hence, not only there, but at the 

 other iflands. It is to no purpofe to tell them, that you will 

 not return. They think you muft ; though not one of them 

 knows, or will give himfclf the trouble to inquire, the rea- 

 fon of your coming. 



I own, I cannot avoid exprefling it as my real opinion, 

 that it would have been far better for thefe poor people, 

 never to have known our fuperiority in the accommodations 

 and arts that make life comfortable, than, after once know- 

 ing it, to be again left and abandoned to their original inca- 

 pacity of improvement. Indeed, they cannot be reflored to 

 that happy mediocrity in which they lived before we difco- 

 vcred them, if the intcrcourfe between us fhould be difcon- 

 linucd. It feems to me, that it has become, in a manner, 

 incumbent on the Europeans to vifit them once in three or 

 four years, in order to fupply them with thofe convenien- 

 cies which we have introduced among them, and liave 

 given them a prcdilecflion for, 1 he want of fuch occafional 

 fupplics will, probably, be felt very heavily by them, when 

 it may be too late to go back to their old Icfs perfect con- 

 trivances, 



