64 cook's second voyage august* 



a few hands only were on shore making brooms, the rest 

 being employed on board, setting up the rigging, and 

 putting the ship in a condition for sea. Mr. Forster, 

 in his botanical excursion this day, shot a pigeon, in 

 the craw of which was a wild nutmeg. He took 

 some pains to find the tree, but his endeavours were 

 without success. In the evening a party of us walked 

 to the eastern sea-shore, in order to take the bearing of 

 Annattom, and Erronan or Foottoona. The horizon 

 proved so hazy that I could see neither ; but one of 

 the natives gave me, as I afterwards found, the true 

 direction of them. We observed that in all, or most 

 of their sugar plantations, were dug holes or pits, 

 four feet deep, and five or six in diameter, and on 

 our inquiring their use, we were given to understand, 

 that they caught rats in them. These animals, which 

 are very destructive to the canes, are here in great 

 plenty. The canes, I observed, were planted as 

 thick as possible round the edge of these pits, so that 

 the rats in coming at them are the more liable to 

 tumble in. 



Next morning we found the tiller sprung in the 

 rudder-head, and by some strange neglect, we had 

 not a spare one on board, which we were ignorant of 

 till now it was wanting. I knew but of one tree in the 

 neighbourhood fit for this purpose, which I sent the 

 carpenter on shore to look at, and an officer, with a 

 party of men, to cut it down, provided he could 

 obtain leave of the natives ; if not, he was ordered to 

 acquaint me. He understood that no one had any 

 objection, and set the people to work accordingly. 

 But as the tree was large, this required some time ; 

 and, before it was down, word was brought me that 

 our friend Paowang was not pleased. Upon this I 

 gave orders to desist, as we found that, by scarfing a 

 piece to the inner end of the tiller, and letting it 

 farther into the rudder-head, it would still perform 

 its office. But, as it was necessary to have a spare 

 one on board, I went on shore, sent for Paowang, 



