the climate hot ; but the heat is render¬ 
ed less oppressive by the trade winds, 
which blow constantly, and keep the at¬ 
mosphere heathful and salubrious for so 
low a latitude. 
The soil, in general, is productive of 
little besides trees and shrubs, and most 
of it is covered with rough coral stones. 
The productions are breadfruit in its 
proper season, and cocoanuts, which 
they have throughout the year; and a 
kind of fruit different from any that 
grows in America, which the natives 
call Bup—all growing spontaneously. 
Of the leaves of the trees the women 
manufacture very elegant mats, which 
they wear as blankets and clothing ; of 
the bark of a vine they make men’s 
clothing ; and of the husks of the cocoa 
they make ropes and rigging for their 
canoes, and for almost every other pur¬ 
pose. The waters round the Islands 
abound with fish, and the natives are 
very expert in catching them. 
There are no animals on the Islands, 
excepting rats; and by these little 
