the Fruit of the Mellori, 153 



it will not be difficult to account for that want of longevity, which feems 

 to prevail much in thofe iflands, more efpecially amongft the men, where 

 none were to be feen older than forty or forty-eight years. The wo- 

 men, on the contrary, feem to live much longer. 



They are themfelves fo fenfible of the fcanty population of their iflands, 

 that they ftudy to increafeit by inviting, and even feducing, fome Mala- 

 bars or Bengakfe to remain amongft them when brought thither by the 

 country fhips, and of whom there are in almoft all villages fome to be found, 

 who may be eafily difcerned from the natives, by their figure, features, 

 colour, and language. The natives encourage their ftay by grants of land 

 with plantations of cocoa trees and arecas, and, after a certain number of 

 years, they are permitted to make choice of a female companion. 



Their indolence is not to be equalled by any other people of the Eafr. 

 They go out a fifhing in their canoes at night ; and with harpoons, which 

 they dart very dextroufly at the fifh, after having allured them into mal- 

 low water with burning ftraw, a fufficient number is foon caught to 

 ferve the family for a meal : they immediately return home ; and, if by 

 chance they catch a very large fifh, they will readily difpofe of one half, 

 and keep the remainder for their own ufe. 



They entertain the higheft opinion of fuch as are able to read' and 

 write : they b( lieve, that all Europeans by this qualification only are able to 

 perform a<5ts more (ban human, that the power of divination, controlling 

 the winds and ftorms, and directing the appearance of the planets, is en- 

 tirely at oui command, 



U 



