Page:Journal of the Right Hon. Sir Joseph Banks.djvu/88

30 The banks of the sea, and more remarkably all the edges of small brooks, were covered with innumerable quantities of small crabs (Cancer vocans, Linn.), one hand of which is very large. Among these were many whose two hands were remarkably small and of equal size; these my black servant told me were the females of the other, and indeed all I examined, which were many, proved to be females, but whether they were really of the same species as C. vocans, I cannot determine on so short an acquaintance.

I saw but little cultivation, and small pains seemed to be taken with that. Most of it was grass land, on which were many lean cattle; and lean they might well be, for almost all the species of grass which I observed here were creepers, and consequently so close to the ground that though there might be upon them a sufficient bite for horses or sheep, yet how horned cattle could live at all appeared extraordinary to me.

I also saw their gardens, or small patches in which they cultivate many sorts of European garden stuffs, such as cabbages, peas, beans, kidney beans, turnips, white radishes, pumpkins, etc., but all much inferior to ours, except perhaps the last. They also grow water-melons and pine-apples, the only fruits which I have seen them cultivate; the first are very good, but the pines were much inferior to those I have tasted in Europe; I have hardly had one which could be reckoned of average quality, many were worse than some I have seen sent away from table in England, where nobody would eat them. Though in general very sweet, they have not the least flavour. In these gardens grow also yams, and mandihoca or cassada, which supplies the place of bread, for as our European bread corn will not grow here, all the flour they have is brought from Portugal at great expense, too great even for the middle-class people to purchase, much less the poorer.

27th. On the boats returning from watering, we were told that men had been sent out yesterday in search of some of our people who were ashore without leave; we concluded that this referred either to Dr. Solander or myself, which