The Three Voyages of Captain Cook Round the World. Vol. V. Being the First of the Third VoyageCook, James
History
The Three Voyages of Captain Cook Round the World. Vol. V. Being the First of the Third Voyage
Cook, James
Cook, James, 1728-1779 -- Travel; Explorers -- Great Britain -- Biography; Voyages around the world -- History -- 18th century
There is a greater variety of trees on the small flat spots behind the
beaches. Amongst these are two that bear a kind of plum of the size of
prunes, the one yellow, called _karraca_; and the other black, called
_maitao_; but neither of them of a very agreeable taste, though the
natives ate both, and our people did the same. Those of the first sort
grow on small trees, always facing the sea; but the others belong to
larger trees that stand farther within the wood, and which we frequently
cut down for fuel.
A species of _Philadelphus_ grows on the eminences which jut out into
the sea; and also a tree bearing flowers almost like myrtle, with
roundish-spotted leaves of a disagreeable smell. We drank the leaves of
the _Philadelphus_ as tea; and found that they had a pleasant taste and
smell, and might make an excellent substitute for the oriental sort.
Among other plants that were useful to us, may be reckoned wild celery,
which grows plentifully in almost every cove; especially if the natives
have ever resided there before; and one that we used to call
scurvy-grass, though entirely different from the plant to which we give
that name. This, however, is far preferable to ours for common use; and
may be known by its jagged leaves, and small clusters of white flowers
on the top. Both sorts were boiled every morning, with wheat ground in a
mill, and with portable soup, for the people’s breakfast, and also
amongst their pease-soup, for dinner. Sometimes they were used as salad,
or dressed as greens. In all which ways they are good; and together with
the fish, with which we were constantly supplied, they formed a sort of
refreshment, perhaps little inferior to what is to be met with in places
most noted by navigators for plentiful supplies of animal and vegetable
food.
Amongst the known kinds of plants met with here, are common and rough
bindweed; night-shade and nettles, both which grow to the size of small
trees; a shrubby speedwell, found near all the beaches; sow-thistles,
virgin’s bower, vanelloe, French willow, euphorbia, and crane’s bill;
also cudweed, rushes, bull-rushes, flax, all-heal, American night-shade,
knot-grass, brambles, eye-bright, and groundsel; but the _species_ of
each are different from any we have in Europe. There is also polypody,
spleenwort, and about twenty other different sort of ferns, entirely
peculiar to the place; with several sorts of mosses, either rare, or
produced only here; besides a great number of other plants, whose uses
are not yet known, and subjects fit only for botanical books.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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