/ 



178 



R E M A R K S 



O N 



THE 



VEGE- veflmeiits, fo that they care not (efpecially in the Southern ifl'and)' 



TABLE 



KINGDOM 



.4 



to have recourfe to agriculture. The plant of which they make all 



their clothing, fifhing lines, cords, &c. is a new genus, which we • 



have called Phormium,. and properly belongs to the natural order 



J 



of the coronarlce^ which it clofely conneds with the enfafce or"' 

 flags.- But in the tropical ifles, where the climate foftens what is 

 favage in human nature, and as I may fay naturally leads to tlie - 

 civilization of mankind, the people are fond of variety of food, , 



of conveniencies at home 



d of neatnefs and ornament in drefs 



> 



hence it happens that they cultivate (one ifland with another) almofl 

 fifty different fpecies, befides m^aking ufe of feveral that are fponta- 



neous. 



The little trouble which agriculture is attended with, and 



r 



the great advantages which arife from it in the Society and Friendly. 



* w 



% 



Illes, are the reafons why the number of plants cultivated in thofe 

 ifles, fo much exceeds thofe of the others. In the m.ore Wefierly 

 ifles of the New Hebrides, the country being very woody every 

 where, it became a more difficult taflc to till the ground j for this 

 reafon, only fome of the moil neceffary plants are feledled there for 

 cultivation, andwe find the manners of the people, more unpoliihed, 



New Caledonia feems to be but a refractory foil, 



a 



nd favage. 



' -f 



d therefore the few inhab 



on 



barely procure a fub 



/ 



fiilence at the expence of much toil and labour. 



V 



CLASSES. 



