118 cook's voyage to march, 



Islands, it is also constantly drunk by the chiefs, but 

 so much diluted with water, that it does not appear 

 to produce any bad effects. At Atooi, also, it is 

 used with great moderation, and the chiefs are, in 

 consequence, a much finer set of men there, than in 

 any of the neighbouring islands. We remarked, that, 

 by discontinuing the use of this root, the noxious 

 effects of it soon wore off. Our good friends, 

 Kaireekeea and old Kaoo, were persuaded by us to 

 refrain from it; and they recovered amazingly 

 during the short time we afterward remained in the 

 island. 



It may be thought extremely difficult to form any 

 probable conjectures respecting the population of 

 islands, with many parts of which we are but imper- 

 fectly acquainted. There are, however, two circum- 

 stances, that take away much of this objection ; the 

 first is, that the interior parts of the country are 

 entirely uninhabited ; so that, if the number of 

 the inhabitants along the coast be known, the whole 

 will be pretty accurately determined. The other is, 

 that there are no towns of any considerable size, the 

 habitations of the natives being pretty equally dis- 

 persed in small villages, round all their coasts. It is 

 on this ground, that I shall venture at a rough 

 calculation of the number of persons in this group of 

 islands. 



The bay of Karakakooa, in Owhyhee, is three 

 miles in extent, and contains four villages of about 

 eighty houses each ; upon an average, in all three 

 hundred and twenty ; besides a number of straggling 

 houses; which may make the whole amount to three 

 hundred and fifty. From the frequent opportunities 

 1 had of informing myself on this head, I am con- 

 vinced, that six persons to a house is a very moderate 

 allowance ; so that, on this calculation, the country 

 about the bay contains two thousand one hundred 

 souls. To these may be added, fifty families, or three 

 hundred persons, which I conceive to be nearly the 



