1774. ROUND THE WORLD. 1,9 



Amsterdam ; but the parts which are not inclosed are 

 not less fertile or uncultivated. There is, however, 

 far more waste lanql on this isle, in proportion to its 

 size, than upon the other, and the people seem to be 

 much poorer ; that is, in cloth, matting, ornaments, 

 &c. which constitute a great part of the riches of the 

 South Sea islanders. 



The people of this isle seem to be more affected 

 with the leprosy, or some scrophulous disorder, than 

 any I have seen elsewhere. It breaks out in the face 

 more than any other part of the body. I have seen 

 several whose faces were ruined by it, and their noses 

 quite gone. In one of my excursions, happening to 

 peep into a house where one or more of them were, 

 one man only appeared at the door, or hole by which 

 I must have entered, and which he began to stop up, 

 by drawing several parts of a cord across it. But the 

 intolerable stench which came from his putrid face 

 was alone sufficient to keep me out, had the entrance 

 been ever so wide. His nose was quite gone, and his 

 whole face in one continued ulcer ; so that the very 

 sight of him was shocking. As our people had not 

 all got clear of a certain disease they had contracted 

 at the Society isles, I took all possible care to pre- 

 vent its being communicated to the natives here ; and 

 I have reason to believe my endeavours succeeded. 



Having mentioned a house, it may not be amiss to 

 observe, that some here differ from those I saw at the 

 other isles \ being inclosed or walled on every side 

 with reeds neatly put together, but not close. The 

 entrance is by a square hole^ about two and a half 

 feet each way. The form of these houses is an ob- 

 long square; the floor or foundation every way 

 shorter than the eve, which is about four feet from 

 the ground. By this construction, the rain that falls 

 on the roof is carried off from the wall ; which other- 

 wise would decay and rot. 



We did not distinguish any king, or leading chief, 

 or any person who took upon him the appearance of 



c 2 



