70 cook's second voyage august, 



hostile visits from their neighbours, or quarrels among 

 themselves. Circumstances seemed to show that such 

 must frequently happen ; for we observed them very 

 expert in arms, and well accustomed to them ; seldom 

 or never travelling without them. It is possible all 

 this might be on our account ; but I hardly think it. 

 We never gave them the least molestation, nor did 

 we touch any part of their property, not even the 

 wood and water, without first having obtained their 

 consent. The very cocoa-nuts, hanging over the 

 heads of the workmen, were as safe as those in the 

 middle of the island. It happened, rather fortunately, 

 that there were so many cocoa-nut trees near the 

 skirts of the harbour, which seemed not to be pri- 

 vate property ; so that we could generally prevail on 

 the natives to bring us some of these nuts, when 

 nothing would induce them to bring any out of the 

 country. 



We were not wholly without refreshments ; for 

 besides the fish, which our seine now and then pro- 

 vided us with, we procured daily some fruits or roots 

 from the natives, though but little in proportion 

 to what we could consume. The reason why we 

 got no more might be our having nothing to give 

 them in exchange, which they thought valuable. 

 They had not the least knowledge of iron; conse- 

 quently, nails and iron tools, beads, &c. which had 

 so great a run at the more eastern isles, were of no 

 consideration here ; and cloth can be of no use to 

 people who go naked. 



The produce of this island is bread-fruit, plantains, 

 cocoa-nuts, a fruit like a nectarine, yams, terra, a 

 sort of potatoe, sugar-cane, wild figs, a fruit like an 

 orange, which is not eatable, and some other fruit 

 and nuts whose names I have not. Nor have I any 

 doubt that the nutmeg before mentioned was the pro- 

 duce of this island. The bread-fruit, cocoa-nuts, and 

 plantains, are neither so plentiful nor so good as at 

 Otaheite j on the other hand, sugar-canes and yams 



