EASTER ISLAND. 9.TJ 



Lisianskoy, with our own experience, a supposition 

 arises that the population of Easter Island has in- 

 creased, and that the situation of the islanders is 

 improved. But if the generous intentions of the 

 philanthrophic Louis XVI., who sent to this people, 

 hy La Pe}'rouse, our domestic animals, useful plants 

 and fruit trees, have succeeded, we were not able 

 to ascertain, and must therefore doubt it; we only 

 saw the productions enumerated by Cook, as ba- 

 nanas, sugar-cane, roots, and very small fowls. 



When we weighed anchor in the evening fer- 

 tilizing clouds rested on the mountains of the 

 island. 



We have since learnt, the probable occasion of 

 the doubtful reception we met with at Easter 

 Island, and had cause to blush for ourselves who 

 call these people savages. 



The island Sala y Gomez is merely a naked, low 

 rock, which rises like a saddle at both ends, where 

 the kind of rock is exposed to view, the middle 

 appearing to be strewed with congeries. It does 

 not belong to the coral reefs, which only appear 

 farther to the west. We may suppose a connection, 

 and a similar nature with the high volcanic land of 

 the neighbouring Easter Island. As yet there are 

 no signs of the beginning of a future vegetation 

 visible. It serves as the residence of innumerable 

 sea-fowls, which seem to prefer these naked rocks 

 to green though uninhabited islands, as the plants 



Q 2 



