captain cook’s first vovage.

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grafped the Indian’s hand, and gave him an old broad fword. This well-timed prefentproduced all the good effects that could be wifhed ; the prime minifter was enrapturedat fo honourable a mark of diflinction, and, brandifhing his fword over the head ofthe impertinent Portuguefe, he made both him, and a man who commanded the party,fit down behind him on the ground. The whole bufinefs was now accomplilhed ; thenatives, eager to fupply whatever was wanted, brought their cattle in for fale, and themarket was foon flocked. For the firft two buffaloes Captain Cook gave ten guineas jbut he afterwards purchafed them by way of exchange, giving a mufquet for each jand at this rate he might have bought any number he thought proper. There feemsto be no doubt but that Lange had a profit out of the firft two that were fold, and thathis reafon for having faid that the natives would take nothing but gold for their cattle,v/as, that he might the more eafily fhare in the produce. Captain Cook purchafed ofthe natives of this ifland fome hundred gallons of palm-fyrup, a fmall quantity of gar-lick, a large number of eggs, fome limes, and cocoa-nuts, thirty dozen of fowls, threehogs, fix fheep, and nine buffaloes.

Having at length obtained thefe neceffary refrefhments, Captain Cook prepared forfailing from this place.

This ifland is called Savu; it is fituated in io° 35'fouth latitude, and 237 0 30'■Weft longitude, and has hitherto been very little known, or very imperfeftly described.Its length is between twenty and thirty miles; but its breadth could not be afcertained.At the time the Endeavour lay there it was near the end of the dry feafon, when it hadnot rained for almoft feven months, nor was there a running ftream of frefh water tobe feen, and the natives were fupplied only by fmall fprings, fituated at a diftance upthe country. The rains in this country ceafe in March or April, and fall again inOctober or November: and thefe rains produce abundance of indico, millet, andmaize, which grow beneath the nobleft trees in the univerfe.

Befides thefe articles, the ifland produces tobacco, cotton, betle, tamarinds, limes,oranges, mangoes, rice, Guinea-corn, callevances, and water-melons. A triflingquantity of cinnamon was feen, and fome European herbs, fuch as garlic, fennel,celery and marjoram ; befides which, there are fruits of various kinds, and particularlythe blimjji, which has a fharp tafte, and is faid to be a fine pickle, but it is noteaten raw.

Several buffaloes were feen on this ifland, which were almoft as large as an ox;and from a pair of enormous horns of this animal which Mr. Banks faw, it was con-jectured, that fome of them were much larger ; yet they did not weigh more than halfas much as an ox of the fame apparent fize, having loft the greater part of their flefh“trough the late dry weather; the meat, however, was juicy, and of a delicate flavour.I he horns of thefe animals bend backwards, they have no dewlaps, nor fcarce any hairPJ* their fkins, and their ears are remarkably large. The other tame animals on themand are dogs, cats, pigeons, fowls, hogs, goats, Iheep, affes and horfes.

Few of the horfes are above twelve hands high, yet they are full of mettle, and paceJjsturally in an expeditious manner; the natives ride them with a halter only. Themeep are not unlike a goat, and are therefore called cabritos. The fea-coaft furnifhest “ e inhabitants with turtle, but not in any great abundance.

The natives of the ifland of Savu are rather below the middle ftature ; their hair isblack and ftraight, and perfons of all ranks, as veil thofe that are expofed to thefather, as thofe that are not, have one general complexion, which is dark brown.■*-ne men are well formed and fprightly, and their features differ much from eachother: the women, on the contrary, have all one fet of features, and are very Ihort andbr °ad built.

V OL. XI. 4 c

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