Page:Journal of the Right Hon. Sir Joseph Banks.djvu/264

206 possible. We gave him a musket ball, and with a little talking he seemed to be fully sensible of the escape he had had.

In the evening we went ashore on another island where were many more people, who lived in the same peaceable style, and had very large plantations of sweet potatoes, yams, etc., about their village. They received us much as our friends in the morning had done, and, like them, showed much satisfaction at the little presents of necklaces, etc., which were given to them.

4th. We went ashore at a large Indian fort or heppah. A great number of people immediately crowded about us, and sold almost a boat-load of fish in a very short time. They then showed us their plantations, which were very large, of yams, cocos, and sweet potatoes: and after having a little laugh at our seine, a common king's seine, showed us one of theirs, which was five fathoms deep. Its length we could only guess, as it was not stretched out, but it could not from its bulk be less than four or five hundred fathoms. Fishing seems to be the chief business of this part of the country. About all their towns are abundance of nets laid upon small heaps like haycocks, and thatched over, and almost every house you go into has nets in process of making.

After this they showed us a great rarity, six plants of what they called aouta, from whence they make cloth like that of Otahite. The plant proved exactly the same, as the name is the same, Morus papyrifera, Linn. (the Paper Mulberry). The same plant is used by the Chinese to make paper. Whether the climate does not well agree with it I do not know, but they seemed to value it very much; that it was very scarce among them I am inclined to believe, as we have not yet seen among them pieces large enough for any use, but only bits sticking into the holes of their ears.

9th. Many canoes came off, and Tupia inquired about the country: they told him that at the distance of three days' rowing in their canoes, at a place called Moore-