The Three Voyages of Captain Cook Round the World. Vol. II. Being the Second of the First VoyageCook, James
History
The Three Voyages of Captain Cook Round the World. Vol. II. Being the Second of the First Voyage
Cook, James
Cook, James, 1728-1779 -- Travel; Explorers -- Great Britain -- Biography; Voyages around the world -- History -- 18th century
Notwithstanding the natural sterility of the climate, industry has
supplied this place with all the necessaries, and even the luxuries of
life, in the greatest profusion. The beef and mutton are excellent,
though the cattle and sheep are natives of the country; the cattle are
lighter than ours, more neatly made, and have horns that spread to a
much wider extent. The sheep are clothed with a substance between wool
and hair, and have tails of an enormous size; we saw some that weighed
twelve pounds, and were told that there were many much larger. Good
butter is made of the milk of the cows, but the cheese is very much
inferior to our own. Here are goats, but they are never eaten, hogs, and
a variety of poultry. Hares are also found here, exactly like those of
Europe; antelopes of many kinds, quails of two sorts, and bustards,
which are well flavoured, but not juicy. The fields produce European
wheat and barley, and the gardens European vegetables, and fruit of all
kinds, besides plantains, guavas, jambu, and some other Indian fruits,
but these are not in perfection; the plantains, in particular, are very
bad, and the guavas no larger than gooseberries. The vineyards also
produce wine of various sorts, but not equal to those of Europe, except
the Constantia, which is made genuine only at one vineyard, about ten
miles distant from the town. There is another vineyard near it, where
wine is made that is called by the same name, but it is greatly
inferior.
The common method in which strangers live here, is to lodge and board
with some of the inhabitants, many of whose houses are always open for
their reception: the rates are from five shillings to two shillings a
day, for which all necessaries are found. Coaches may be hired at
four-and-twenty shillings a day, and horses at six shillings; but the
country affords very little temptation to use them. There are no public
entertainments; and those that are private, to which strangers of the
rank of gentlemen are always admitted, were suspended while we were
there by the breaking out of the measles.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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