THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 



147 



from the South Eaftward are commonly moderate, but at- 1777- 

 tended with cloudy weather, or rain. The South Weft uU!!!Z^ 

 winds blow very ftrong, and are alfo attended with rain; 

 but they feldom lad long. The North Weft winds are the 

 * moft prevailing; and though often pretty ftrong, are al- 

 moft conftantly conneded with fine weather. In fhort, 

 the only obftacle to this being one of the fineft coimtries 

 upon earth, is its great' hillinefs ; which, allowing the woods 

 to be cleared away, would leave it lefs proper for pafturage 

 than flat land ; and ftill more improper for cultivation, 

 which could never be effected here by the plough. 



The large trees which cover the hills are chiefly of two 

 forts. .One of them, of the fize of our largeft firs, grows 

 much after their manner; but the leaves, and fmall ber- 

 ries on their points, are much liker the yew. It was 

 this which fupplied the place of fpruce in making beer ; 

 Vv^hich we did with a ftrong decocftion of its leaves, fer- 

 mented with treacle or fugar. And this liquor, when well 

 prepared, was acknowledged to be little inferior to the 

 American fpruce beer, by thofe who had experience of both. 

 The other fort of tree is not unlike a maple ; and grows 

 often to a great fize ; but it only ferved for fuel, as the 

 wood, both of this and of the preceding, was found to be 

 rather too heavy for raafts, yards, and other fimilar re- 

 pairs. 



There is a greater variety of trees on the fmall flat fpots 

 behind the beaches. Amongft thefe are tv/o that bear a 

 kind of plum of the fize of prunes ; the one yellow, called 

 karraca; and the other black, called maitao ; but neither of 

 them of a very agreeable tafte ; though the natives eat both, 

 and our people did the fame. Thofe of the firft fort grow 



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