392 



A VOYAGE TO 



'777- The province allotted to the men is, as might be expected, 



July. 



far more laborious and extenfive than that of the women. 

 Agriculture, archite(5lure, boat-building, fifliing, and other 

 things that relate to navigation, are the objeds of their 

 care*. Cultivated roots and fruits being their principal 

 fupport, this requires their conftant attention to agriculture, 

 which they purfue very diligently, and feem to have 

 brought almofl: to as great perfedtion as circumftances will 

 permit. The large extent of the plantain fields has been 

 taken notice of already; and the fame may be faid of the 

 yams ; thefe two together, being, at lead, as ten to one, 

 v>^ith refpeft to all the other articles. In planting both thefe, 

 tiiey dig fmall holes for their reception, and, afterward, root 

 up the furrounding grafs, w^hich, in this hot country, is 

 quickly deprived of its vegetating power, and, foon rotting, 

 becomes a good manure. The inftruments they ufe for 

 this purpofe, which they call hooo^ are nothing more than 

 pickets or flakes of different lengths, according to the depth 

 they have to dig, Thefe are flattened and fliarpened to an 

 edge at one end ; and the largeft have a Ihort piece fixed 

 tranfverfely, for preffing it into the ground with the foot. 

 With thefe, though they are not more than from two to 

 four inches broad, they dig and plant ground of many 

 acres in extent. In planting the plantains and yams, they 

 obferve fo much cxadlinefs, tliat, whichever way you look, 

 the rows prefent themfelves regular and complete. 



* Hov/ remarkably does Captain Cook's account of the employments of the women 

 and men here, agree with Father Cantova's, of the Caroline Iflanders ? — " La 

 " principale occupation des hommes, eft de conftruire des barques, de pccher, & de 

 " cukivtr la terre. L'afFaire des fcmmes eft de faire la cuifine, & de mettre en 

 '*' .oetvte un efp«cc de plantc fauvage, h un arbre, — pour en faire de la tc-^fe." 



Lcitres EdiJianUi (J Curkufesy Tom. xv. p. 313. 



The 



