3$0 STUDIES OF NATURE» 



fer to their canoes bafons at all feafons tranquil 

 fwarming with fifties and fea-fowls : fuch is that 

 known by the name of Woejierland, or the Land of 

 Water, difcovered by the Dutch Navigator Schouten. 

 Others, in the morning, appeared to them, in the 

 bofom of the azure main, all over irradiated with 

 the light of the Sun, as that one of the fame Ar- 

 chipelago which goes by the name of Aurora. Some 

 announce themfelves in the darknefs of night, by 

 the flames of a volcano, as a pharos blazing aloft 

 amidft the waters, or by the odoriferous emana- 

 tions of their perfumes. 



There was not one of them of which the woods* 

 the hills, and the downs, did not maintain fome 

 animal, naturally familiar and gentle, but which 

 becomes favage only from the cruel experience 

 which it acquires of Man. They faw fluttering 

 around them, as they difembarked on their ftrands, 

 the filken- winged birds of paradife, the blue pi- 

 geons, the cacatoès all over white, the lauris all 

 over red. Every new ifland tendered them fome 

 new prefent ; crabs, fifties, (hells, pearl-oyfters, 

 lobfters, turtles, ambergris ; but the raoft agree- 

 able, beyond all doubt, were the vegetables. Su- 

 matra difplayed, on her ftiores, the pepper plant ; 

 Banda, the nutmeg; Amboyna, the clove; Ceram, 

 the palm-fagoe ; Florès, the benzoin and fandal- 

 woodj New-Guinea, groves of cocoa-trees ; Tani, 



the 



