OF LA PEROUSE. I79 



gaiety of the other iflanders. Perhaps fomc 

 domeftic troubles had been one of the principal 

 caufes of the wifli which he had exprefTed of 

 leaving his country. Had he put his delign in 

 execution, he would, when like us reduced toput 

 up with wormr eaten bifcuitjhave often regretted 

 the want of tUe delicious fruits of his ifland. 



In the early part of the night we let off a 

 dozen fky-rockets, and immediately we heard the 

 Ihouts of a great number of inhabitants, which 

 were repeated from different quarters along the 

 fea-fhore. 



Our ftay at the Friendly Iflands greatly con- 

 tributed to the re-eftabliiliment of the health of 

 the fhips' companies. We had there found 

 abundance of vegetables, and we laid in a large 

 llock. The pork was excellent, which may be 

 partly attributed to the good quality of the roots 

 and fruits with which the inhabitants feed their 

 hogs : we took on board as many as our flye 

 xvould contain, and we were in the fequel con- 

 vinced that they could bear a long voyage, al- 

 though Captain Cook alTerts that he has ex- 

 perienced the contrary with refpecl to thofe 

 which he had procured at the Friendly Iflands^ 

 at the different tinies that he had put in rh .e. 

 During our ftay we had purchafed upwards of 

 four hundred, the greater part of which we had 

 iaited down. We had followed the method re- 

 N 2 commended 



