THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 107 



fet out in rows. The walls that fenarate them are made of I 7/9- 



r March. 



the loofe burnt flones, which are got in clearing the ground; ' — *- — ' 

 and, being entirely concealed by fugar-canes, planted clofc 

 on each fide 3 make the moil beautiful fences that can be 

 conceived. The party flopped for the night at the fecond 

 hut they found amongft the plantations, where they judged 

 themfelves to be about fix or fevcn miles from the mips. 

 They defcribed the profpecf. from this fpot as very delight- 

 ful ; they fa w the (hips in the bay before them ; to the left, 

 a continued range of villages, interfperfed with groves of 

 cocoa-nut trees, fpreading along the fea-fhore; a thick wood 

 flretching out of fight behind them ; and to the right, an ex- 

 tent of ground laid out in regular and well cultivated plant- 

 ations, as far as the eye could reach. 



Near this fpot, at a diflance from any other dwelling, the 

 natives pointed out to them the refidence of an hermit, 

 who, they faid, had formerly been a great Chief and war- 

 rior, but had long ago quitted the mores of the ifland, and 

 now never {lined from his cottage. They proftrated them- 

 felves as they approached him, and afterward prefer) ted to 

 him a part of fuch provifions as they had brought with 

 them. His behaviour was eafy and cheerful ; he fcarce 

 fhevved any marks of afloniflimcnt at the fight of our peo- 

 ple, and though prefTed to accept fome of our curiofitics, he 



bufhel of light mould ; the latter is left bare to the root, and the mould round it is made 

 in the form of a bafon, in order to hold the rain-water, as this root requires a certain 

 degree of moifture. It has been before obferved, that the tarrow, at the Friendly and 

 Society Ifland?, was always planted in low and moift fituations, and, generally, where 

 there was the conveniency of a rivulet to flood it. It was imagined that this mode of 

 culture was abfolutely necefiary ; but we now found, that, with the precaution above 

 mentioned, it fitcceeds equally well in a drier fituation : indeed, we all remarked, that 

 the tarrow of the Sandwich Iflands is the belt we had ever tailed. The plantains are 

 not admitted in thefe plantations, but grow amongft the bread-fruit trees. 



P 2 declined 



