THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 



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only one that was vifited, a ftone fence running acrofs it 1779- 

 within, we imagine they are principally defigned for 

 places of retreat, in cafe of an attack from an enemy. 



The food of the lower clafs of people confifts principally 

 of fifth, and vegetables ; fuch as yams, fweet-potatoes, tar- 

 row, plantains, fugar-canes, and bread-fruit. To thefe, the 

 people of a higher rank add the flefh of hogs and dogs, 

 drefTed in the fame manner as at the Society Iflands. They 

 alfo eat fowls of the fame domeftic kind with ours ; but 

 they are neither plentiful, nor much efleemed by them. It 

 is remarked by Captain Cook, that the bread-fruit and yams 

 appeared fcarce amongft them,, and were reckoned great 

 rarities. We found this not to be the cafe on our fecond 

 vifit ; and it is therefore mod probable, that, as thefe vege- 

 tables were generally planted in the interior parts of the 

 country, the natives had not had time to bring them down to 

 us, during the fhort flay we made in Wymoa Bay. Their fifh 

 they fait, and preferve in gourd-ihells ; not, as we at fir ft 

 imagined, for the purpofe of providing againft any tempo- 

 rary fcarcity, but from the preference they give to faired' 

 meats. For we alfo found, that the Erees ufed to pickle 

 pieces of pork in the fame manner, and elleemed it a great 

 delicacy. 



Their cookery i3 exaaiy of the fame fort with that al- 

 ready defcribed, in the accounts that have been published 

 of the other South Sea iflands ; and though Captain Cook 

 complains of the fournefs of their tarrow puddings, yet, in 

 juflice to the many excellent meals they afforded us in Kara- 

 kakooa Bay, I muft be permitted to refcue them from this 

 general cenfure, and to declare, that I never eat better even in 

 the Friendly Iflands. It is however remarkable, that they had 



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