The kindness of fome tribes to ftrangers deserves more attention, being not a little fingular. Gonneville, commander of a French fhip in a voyage to the Eaft Indies in the year 1503, was driven by a tempeft into an unknown country, and continued there fix months while his veffel was refitting. The manners he defcribes were in all appearance original. The natives had not made a greater progrefs in the arts of life than the favage Canadians have done; ill clothed and worfe lodged, having no light in their cabins but what came in through a hole in the roof. They were d divided into fmall tribes, governed each by a king; who,, tho' neither better clothed nor lodged than others, had power of life and death over his fubjects. They were a fimple and peaceable people; and in a manner worshipped the French, providing them with neceffaries, and in return thankfully, receiving knives, hatchets, fmall looking-glaffes, and other fuch baubles. In a part of California the men go naked; and are fond of feathers and fhells. They are governed by a king, with great mildness; and of all favages are the most humane, even to ftrangers. E

VOL. I.

An i

fland

fland discovered in the South sea by Tafman, 21ft degree of fouthern latitude and 177th of longitude weft from London, was called by him Amfterdam. The natives, who had no arms offenfive or defenfive, treated the Dutch with great civility, except in being given to pilfering. At no great distance another island was discovered, named Annamocha by the natives, and Rotterdam by Tafman; poffeffed by a people resembling those last mentioned, particularly in having no arms. The Dutch, failing round the island, faw abundance of cocoa-trees planted in rows, with many other fruit-bearing trees, kept in excellent order. Commodore Roggewein, Roggewein, commander of a Dutch fleet, difcovered, anno 1721, a new ifland in the South fea; inhabited by a people lively, active, and fwift of foot; of a sweet and modeft deportment: but timorous and faint-hearted; for having on their knees prefented fome refreshments to the Dutch, they retired with precipitation. Numbers of idols cut in ftone were placed along the coaft, in the figure of men with large ears, and the head covered with a crown; the

whole nicely proportioned and highly finished.

nished. They fled for refuge to these idols and they could do no better; for they had no weapons either offenfive or defenfive. Neither was there any appearance of government or fubordination; for they all spoke and acted with equal freedom. This ifland, fituated 28 degrees 30 minutes fouthern latitude, and about 115 degrees of longitude weft from London, is by the Dutch called Eafter or Pafch Iland *. The Commodore directing his courfe north-weft, discovered in the southern latitude of 12 degrees, and in the longitude of 190, a cluster of islands, planted with variety of fruit-trees, and bearing herbs, corn, and roots, in plenty. When the fhips approached the fhore, the inhabitants came in their canoes with fish, cocoa-nuts, Indian figs, and other refreshments; for which they received fmall looking-glaffes, ftrings of beads, and other toys. These iflands were well peopled many thoufands thronged to the fhore to fee the fhips, the men being armed with bows and arrows, and appearing

* The women were very loving, enticing the Dutchmen by every female art to the most intimate familiarity.

to be governed by a chieftain: they had the complexion of Europeans, only a little more fun-burnt. They were brifk and lively, treating one another with civility; and in their behaviour exprefling nothing wild nor favage. Their bodies were not painted; but handfomely clothed, from the middle downward, with filk fringes in neat folds. Large hats fcreened the face from the fun, and collars of odoriferous flowers furrounded the neck. The view of the country is charming, finely diverfified with hills and vallies.

Some

of the islands are ten miles in circumference, fome fifteen, fome twenty. The historian adds, that these islanders are in all refpects the moft civilized and the best tempered people he difcovered in the South fea. Far from being afraid, they treated the Dutch with great kindness; and expreffed much regret at their departure. Thefe iflands got the name of Bowman's iflands, from the captain of the Tienhoven, who difcovered them. In Commodore Byron's voyage to the South fea, while he was paffing through the freights of Magellan, fome natives approached in their canoes; and upon invitation came

on

on board, without fear, or even shyness. They at the fame time appeared grossly ftupid; and particularly could not comprehend the use of knives, offered to them in a prefent. In another part of the ftreights, the natives were highly delighted with the prefents made them. M. Bougainville, in his voyage round the world, describes a people in the streights of Magellan, probably those last mentioned, as of small ftature, tame and peaceable, having scarce any cloathing in a climate bitterly cold. Commodore Byron difcovered another island in the South fea covered with trees, which was named Byron island. The inhabitants were neither favage nor fhy, trafficking freely with the crew, tho' they feemed addicted to thieving. One of them ventured into the fhip. After leaving Otaheite, Mr Banks and Dr Solander, failing weftward, difcovered a cluster of islands, termed by them Society iflands: the natives were extremely civil, and appeared to have no averfion to ftrangers. The island of Oahena, north-west from that of Otaheite, is a delightful spot; the foil fertile, and the fhores adorned with fruit-trees of various kinds. The inhabitants