Page:Voyage in search of La Perouse, volume 2 (Stockdale).djvu/221

] fruits of his native isle, when reduced, like us, to feed on worm-eaten biscuit.

At the beginning of the night we fired off ten or a dozen muskets, and immediately we heard the shouts of a great number of the natives, which were repeated from different places along the shore.

Our stay at the Friendly Islands contributed greatly to restore the health of our crew. We found there plenty of vegetables, and laid in a great stock. The pork was excellent, which must be attributed in part to the good quality of the roots and fruits with which the natives feed their hogs. We took on board as many as our stye would contain; and we were convinced, in the sequel, that they could bear a long voyage, though Captain Cook informs us that he experienced the contrary with respect to those which he procured at the Friendly Islands in the different visits he paid them. We purchased upwards of four hundred while we lay at anchor, the greater part of which we salted. We adopted the process recommended by Cook in his third voyage, which consists in using a strong brine, with a sufficient quantity of vinegar to dissolve the salt. This we could do the more easily, as a great part of our wine was turned sour.

A small quantity of pork was salted by our