) 
Chap.' I. Commodore Roggewein. 27 f 
on board, by way of Prcfent ; which they received kindly: 
But, when they fhewed them more, of thefe, and gave them 
to underhand, that they were that fort of Merchandize, which 
they intended to barter with them for Refrefhments, they 
contented themfelvcs with turning them over, and looking at 
them, without expreffing any Intention to deal. They re- 
turned, however, the next Day, with great Quantities of 
the fame kind of Things they had brought before, when 
the Butch endeavoured to perfuade them to bring fome 
Hogs on board ; but, as they converfed only by Signs, 
the Indians miftook them lo far, as to bring them the next 
Day two or three Dogs ; which proved an inexpreffible 
Difappointment. Our Author was, at this time, again in 
a very bad State of Health ; but the Refrefhments procured 
from the Bland of Arimoa had fo good an Effect, that, in a 
little time, he found himfelf much better; and allures us, 
that, if he could but have had Liberty to have gone on ihore 
for two or three Days, he fhould have found himfelf per- 
fectly recovered. The Iflanders did all that in their Power 
lay to perfuade them to take this Step, and never came on 
board without inviting them on Ihore •, but, inafmuch as 
they were now extremely weakened, and, for fome Days 
before their Arrival, had thrown over-board regularly four 
or five of their People a Day, it was thought too great an 
Hazard to run, the rather, fays our Author, becaufe, in 
the midft of all their Civilities, there was fomething in the 
Air, the Look, and the Language, of thefe People, that 
feemed to favour of Perfidy : But he afterwards feems to 
affign a better Reafon for this Precaution ; for he tells us, 
that the Hand of Arimoa was extremely populous ; which 
might well render them afraid of venturing afhore. 
They obferved, however, that as often as thefe Wanders 
went on board their Velfels, they took in their Hands a 
Stick, with a Piece of fome white Stuff fixed to it ; which 
they gueffed to be in the nature of a Flag of Truce; and 
from thence, very probably, conjedured, that they were in 
continual War with fome Nation or other, moil likely with 
their Neighbours the Inhabitants of the Illand of Mo a ; in 
which Conjecture they were foon confirmed, when they 
obferved, that none of their Canoes ever went afhore on that 
Bland, but, on the contrary, paffed it with vifible Precipi- 
tation. Thefe Remarks furnifhed them with a new Scheme 
for acquiring fpeedily a confiderable Stock of Provifions : 
They were fatisfied, that the Ifland of Mo a was but thinly 
peopled, tho’ as pleafant and fertile as the other ; and this 
engaged them to attempt, by a fudden Defcent upon that 
Ifland, to carry off at once what might enable them to pro- 
fecute their Voyage, without Danger of falling into the 
Diftreffes, which they had fo lately endured. This Projed 
was very bold in itlelf, and required a great deal of Prudence 
in the Condud of it : It was therefore thought expedient to 
land in different Places ; but at the fame time Orders were 
given, that one Party only fhould advance into the Country, 
and that the others fhould join as foon as poffible, in order 
to be at hand to fupport them. This Scheme they carried 
into Execution as happily as they could wifli ; for though, 
as foon as they began to fell the Cocoa-trees, the Indians , 
who lay in Ambufcade behind the Bufhes, difcharged a 
Shower of Arrows at them, yet they were fo fortunate as 
to efcape unhurt ; whereas the Difcharge of their Small- 
arms laid abundance of the Natives dead on the Ground ; 
which fo frighted the reft, that they took Shelter imme- 
diately in their Canoes, and afterwards endeavoured, by 
Cries and Shouts, to alarm the reft of their Countrymen, 
and bring them to their A ffi fiance : But it was in vain ; for 
the Butch had pofted themfelves fo judicioufly, as to be able 
to attack them in Flank and Rear, in cafe they had defcend- 
ed from their Mountains. However, as they remained 
quiet, the Butch had Time given them to bring away 800 
Cocoa-nuts ; with which Booty they returned fafe on board 
their Shallops, and foon after rejoined their Ships, very well 
fatisfied with their Expedition. 
The Cocoa-tree is a Species of the Palm, which grows in 
moft Places in the Eafi and V/eji Indies. It is large, ftrait, 
and grows narrow inienfibly from the Bottom to the Top. 
The Bruit hangs to the Trunk by Bunches, united by a 
Tendril, not unlike the Twig of a Vine, but ftronger. Its 
Flowers are yellow, like thofe of the Cheihut. The Threads 
or Branches hang up towards the Top. As it bears Bunches 
of Fruit every Month, there are always fome full- ripe, others 
green, and fome juft beginning to button. The Fruit is 
triangular, of a greenifh Flue, and of different Bignels ; 
viz. from that of an ordinary Ball, to the Size of a Man’s 
Head. It is covered with two Rinds, the outer compofed 
of long, toughThreads, of a Colour between red and yellow j 
the fecond Shell is as hard as a Man’s Skull, Within thefe 
there is a thick, firm, white Subftance, which, in Tafte* 
refembles a fweet Almond. The Inhabitants of the Coun- 
tries, where thefe Trees grow, eat them with their Viduals* 
as we do Bread ; and draw, by preffing, a Liquor, which, 
in Tafte and Confidence, refembles Almond-milk, This 
Milk, being expofed to the Fire, changes into a kind of Oil, 
which they ufe, as we do Butter, in their Sauces, and alfo 
in their Lamps. They likewife ufe it medicinally, and often 
rub their Bodies with it. Befides this white Subftance, that 
is found in the Nut, there is, in the Middle of it, acorilL 
derable Quantity of a clear, bright, cool Liquor, which, in 
Tafte, refembles fugared Water. They draw likewife from 
the Tree itfelf a Liquor, which the Indians cali Sura. This 
is what the Europeans ftyle Palm-wine. It is of a very 
agreeable Tafte, and falls but little fhort of Spanifh white 
Wine, except in keeping; for, in about two Days time, 
it turns four. They then expofe it to the Sun, and, by this 
Method, render it excellent Vinegar/ As the Sura is very 
ftrong and heady, they, generally fpeaking, temper it with 
that frefh clear Water, which is drawn from the Nut. In 
order to extrad this Wine, they cut one of the iargeft 
Twigs at the Diftance of about a Foot from the Tree, and 
hang to it either a Bottle, or a Calabaffi, This Wine, 
when boiled, produces another, which the Natives call 
Orraqua y and, by diftilling it, they acquire a ftrong Water 
or Spirit, which they ftyle Arac , and which many People 
prefer to that of the fame Name made in the Eafi Indies y 
and which is fo well known, and fo much efteemed, in Eu- 
rope. 
They found in this Ifland likewife a vaft plenty of Pome- 
granates of a moft excellent Tafte, as well as Pifans, or In- 
dian Figs, which have been before defcribed. Thefe Re- 
frefhments were of prodigious Service to them ; and our 
Author declares, that, without them, the Whole of both 
Ships Companies muft have infallibly perilhed. They were 
no fooner on board their Veffels, than they began to make 
the neceffary Preparations for quitting that Place. While 
they were doing this, the Iflanders from Moa came off in 
about 200 Canoes, all laden with Provifions of different 
Kinds, which they exchanged with them for various Sorts 
of Merchandize. This the Butch underftood as intended 
purely to prevent a fecond Defcent ; and therefore, though 
they received them kindly, and treated them fairly in the 
Purchace of their Cargo, yet they buffered only a few of 
them to enter their Ships ; and, when they attempted to 
rulh on board by Crouds, they fired upon them ; upon 
which they all ducked their Heads, and, as foon as they had 
raifed them up again, broke out into a loud Laugh. The 
Exchange was no fooner over, than they weighed Anchor, 
and parted with their Indians in pretty good Terms. One 
thing, our Author remarks, as very fingular ; viz. that, 
while they remained here, fuch of their Sick, as had any 
Strength left, recovered wonderfully ; and fuch as were 
quite exhaufted, died. 
22. After leaving the Hands of Moa and Arimoa , they 
continued their Voyage through a Sea fo very full of Blands, 
that, finding it difficult, if not impoffible, to count them, 
they contented themfelves with impofing on them the ge- 
neral Name of Ehoufand IJlands, The Inhabitants of thefe 
Countries were Negroes, of a ffiort fquat Make, and their 
Heads covered with thick curled Wool. They were a bold, 
mifchievous, intradable Race of Savages, They went all 
naked, Men, Women, and Children, having no other Or- 
nament than a kind of Belt, about two Fingers broad, com- 
pofed of Teeth; and they likewife wore Bracelets of the 
fame. Some of them wore on their Heads light Straw Hats, 
mingled with the Feathers of the Birds of Paradife. It is faid, 
that thefe Birds are found no-where but in thefe Blands, 
There are indeed feme, that go under the fame Name, 
found on the Coaft of Africa ; but they differ very much 
from thefe in their Plumage. Such of thefe Blands as arq 
fftuated near the Weft Point of the Continent of New- GuE 
nev 9 
