The Three Voyages of Captain Cook Round the World, Vol. III. Being the First of the Second VoyageCook, James
History
The Three Voyages of Captain Cook Round the World, Vol. III. Being the First of the Second Voyage
Cook, James
Cook, James, 1728-1779 -- Travel; Explorers -- Great Britain -- Biography; Voyages around the world -- History -- 18th century
The produce and cultivation of this isle is the same as at Amsterdam;
with this difference, that a part only of the former is cultivated,
whereas the whole of the latter is. The lanes or roads necessary for
travelling, are laid out in so judicious a manner as to open a free and
easy communication from one part of the island to the other. Here are no
towns or villages, most of the houses are built in the plantations, with
no other order than what conveniency requires; they are neatly
constructed; but do not exceed those in the other isles. The materials
of which they are built are the same; and some little variation in the
disposition of the framing is all the difference in their construction.
The floor is a little raised, and covered with thick strong mats; the
same sort of matting serves to inclose them on the windward side, the
other being open. They have little areas before the most of them, which
are generally planted round with trees, or shrubs of ornament, whose
fragrancy perfumes the very air in which they breathe. Their household
furniture consists of a few wooden platters, cocoa-nut shells, and some
neat wooden-pillows shaped like four-footed stools or forms. Their
common clothing, with the addition of a mat, serves them for bedding. We
got from them two or three earthen vessels, which were all we saw among
them. One was in the shape of a bomb-shell, with two holes in it
opposite each other; the others were like pipkins, containing about five
or six pints, and had been in use on the fire. I am of opinion they are
the manufacture of some other isle; for, if they were of their own, we
ought to have seen more of them. Nor am I to suppose they came from
Tasman’s ships; the time is too long for brittle vessels like these to
be preserved.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account