A VOYAGE TO 
nB 
1779. 
March. 
V«gw«*Y 
have been dilcovered in the South fea, are confined to three 
forts, dogs, hogs, and rats. The dogs are of the fame fpe- 
cies with thofe of Otaheite, having fhort crooked legs, long- 
backs, and pricked ears. I did not obferve any variety in 
them, except in their fkins ; fome having long and rough 
hair, and others being quite fmooth. They are about the 
fize of a common turnfpit; exceedingly fluggifh in their 
nature; though perhaps this may be more owing to the 
manner in which they are treated, than to any natural dif- 
pofition in them. They are, in general, fed, and left to 
herd, with the hogs ; and I do not recolledt one inffcance in 
which a dog was made a companion in the manner we do 
in Europe. Indeed the cuftom of eating them is an infe- 
parable bar to their admiffion into fociety ; and, as there are 
neither beafts of prey in the ifland, nor objedts of chace, 
it is probable, that the focial qualities of the dog, its fide¬ 
lity, attachment, and fagacity, will remain unknown to the 
natives. 
The number of dogs in thefe iflands did not appear to be 
nearly equal, in proportion, to thofe in Otaheite. But on 
the other hand, they abound much more in hogs; and the 
breed is of a larger and weightier kind. The fupply of 
provifions of this kind, which, we got from them, was really 
aftonilhing. We were near four months, either cruifing off 
the coaft, or in harbour at Owhyhee. During all this time, 
a large allowance of frefli pork was conftantly ferved to both 
crews : fo that our confumption was computed at about fix- 
ty puncheons of five hundred weight each. Befides this, 
and the incredible wafte which, in the midfi: of fuch plenty, 
was not to be guarded againft, fixty puncheons more were 
failed for fea ftore. The greateft part of this fupply was 
drawn from the ifland of Owhyhee alone, and yet we could 
1 not 
