JUNE 1769 THE TRANSIT OF VENUS 95 
chief attendants; we showed them the planet upon the sun, 
and made them understand that we had come on purpose 
to see it. I spent the rest of the day in examining the 
produce of the island, and found it very nearly similar to 
that of Otahite. The people, indeed, were exactly the 
same. Many of them we had often seen at Otahite, and 
every one knew well what kind of trade we had and the 
value it bore in that island. The hills in general came 
nearer to the water, and the plains were consequently 
smaller and less fertile than in Otahite. The low point 
near which we lay was composed entirely of sand and coral ; 
here neither bread-fruit nor any other useful vegetables 
would grow; the land was covered with Pandanus sectorius, 
with which grew several plants we had not seen at Otahite. 
Among them was Iberis,\ which Mr. Gore tells me is the 
plant called by the voyagers scurvy grass, and which grows 
plentifully upon all the low islands. 
4th. What with presents and trade our stock of provi- 
sions was so large that we were obliged to give away a large 
quantity ; this done we put off, and before night arrived at 
the tents, where we had the great satisfaction to find that the 
observation there had been attended with as much success 
as Mr. Green and the captain could wish, the day having 
been perfectly clear, without so much as a cloud interven- 
ing. We also heard the melancholy news that a large part 
of our stock of nails had been purloined by some of the 
ship’s company during the time of the observation, when 
everybody who had any degree of command was ashore. 
One of the thieves was detected, but only seven nails out of 
one hundredweight were found upon him, and he bore his 
punishment without impeaching any of his accomplices. 
This loss is of a very serious nature, as these nails, if circu- 
lated by the people among the Indians, will greatly lessen 
the value of iron, our staple commodity. 
5th. During our absence at Imao an old woman of some 
consequence died, and was placed not far from the fort to 
rot above ground, as is the custom of the island. I went 
1 Lepidiwm piscidium, Forst. 
