214 



REMARKS 



.© N 



THE 



S 



E 



C 



T 



I 



O 



N 



I 



On the Numbers of Inhabitants in the South-Sea-Isles 



and their Population. 



Non tej7icri '<S for: uito fail ^ creatifumrcs, i^j frofeHo ejl q^u^chm vis, qua- gcnerl confuUt huniano 



M. TuLLius Cicero. 



top u l a- 



T I ON., 



w 



E fliall beg 



with O-Taheitee 



of the largefl, mofl 



populous, and befl-cultivated illands of the Pacific O 



The high hills of this happy country are without inhabitants j and, 

 if we except fome fertile well-watered vallies, containing a few 



't> 



the midft of the mountains, the whol 



coun- 



try is flill 



proved 



an 



d fuch as it came out of the hands of 



nature. The flat grounds, furrounding the ifland towards the fea 

 contain chiefly the habitations 



of the natives -, and nothing can be 



feen more beautiful, more cultivated, and more fertile, than thefe 

 extenlive plains. The whole ground is covered v^^ith coco-nut and 

 bread-fruit trees, which yield the chief fabfiftence for its inhabit- 



ants : all is interfperfed with plantations of bananas, young mm- 



I - 



berry-trees for the manufacfture of their cloth, and other ufeful 

 plants J fuch as yams, eddoes. 



fugar-canes, and many o 



thers too 



tedious to enumerate. Under the fliade of thefe agreeable groves, 



w.e 



every where beheld numerous houfcs^ which we Hiould have 



con- 



