Their vegetable productions are nearly the same with the rest of the South Sea islands. I have before mentioned, that the tarrow root is much superior to any we had before tasted, and that we attributed this excellence to the dry method of cultivating it. The bread-fruit trees thrive here, not in such abundance, but produce double the quantity of fruit, they do on the rich plains of Otaheite. The trees are nearly of the same height, but the branches begin to strike out from the trunk much lower, and with greater luxuriance. Their sugar-canes are also of a very unusual size. One of them was brought to us at Atooi, measuring eleven inches and a quarter in circumference, and having fourteen feet eatable.
At Oneeheow, they brought us several large roots of a brown colour, shaped like a yam, and from six to ten pounds in weight. The juice, which it yields in great abundance, is very sweet, and of a pleasant taste, and was found to be an excellent substitute for sugar. The natives are very fond of it, and use it as an article of their common diet; and our people also found it very palatable and wholesome. We could not learn to what species of plant it belonged, having never been able to procure the leaves; but it was supposed by our botanists to be the root of some kind of fern.
Agreeably to the practice of Captain Cook, I shall subjoin an abstract of the astronomical observations which were made at the observatory in Karakakooa Bay, for determining its latitude and longitude, and for finding the rate and error of the time-keeper. To these are subjoined the mean variation of the compass, the dip of the magnetic needle, and a table of the latitude and longitude of the Sandwich Islands.
| The latitude of the observatory, deduced from meridian zenith distances of the sun, eleven stars to the south, and four stars to the north of the zenith | 19° | 28ʹ | 0ʺ | north. | ||
| The longitude of the observatory, deduced from 253 sets of lunar observations; each set consisting of six observed distances of the sun from the moon, or stars; fourteen of the above sets were only taken at the observatory, 105 sets being taken whilst cruizing off Owhyhee; and 134 sets, when at Atooi and Oneeheow; all these being reduced to the observatory, by means of the time-keeper | 204° | 0ʹ | 0ʺ | east. | ||
| The longitude of the observatory, by the time-keeper, on the 19th January, 1779, according to its rate, as found at Greenwich | 214° | 7ʹ | 15ʺ | east. | ||
| The longitude of the observatory, by the time-keeper, on the 19th January, 1779, according to its rate, corrected at different places, and last at Samganoodha Harbour, in Oonalaschka | 203° | 37ʹ | 22ʺ | east. | ||
| The daily rate of the time-keeper losing on mean time, was 9ʺ, 6; and on the 2d February, 1779, it was 14h 41ʹ 1ʺ slow for mean time. | ||||||
| The variation of the compass, by azimuths observed on shore, with four different compasses | 8° | 6ʹ | 0ʺ | east. | ||
| The variation of the compass, by azimuths, observed on board the Resolution, with four different compasses | 7° | 32ʹ | 0ʺ | east. | ||
| Dip of the north pole of the magnetic needle on shore, with | Balanced needle | 40° | 22ʹ | 30ʺ | ||
| Unbalanced or plain needle | 40° | 41ʹ | 15ʺ | |||
| Dip of the north pole of the magnetic needle on board, with | Balanced needle | 41° | 50ʹ | 0ʺ | ||
| Unbalanced needle | 40° | 30ʹ | 45ʺ | |||
A Table of the Latitude and Longitude of the Sandwich Islands.
| Latitude. | Longitude. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Owhyhee | The North point | 20° | 17ʹ | 204° | 2ʹ | |
| South point | 18° | 54ʹ | 204° | 15ʹ | ||
| East point | 19° | 34ʹ | 205° | 6ʹ | ||
| Karakakooa Bay | 19° | 28ʹ | 204° | 0ʹ | ||
| Mowee | East point | 20° | 50ʹ | 204° | 4ʹ | |
| South point | 20° | 34ʹ | 203° | 48ʹ | ||
| West point | 20° | 54ʹ | 203° | 24ʹ | ||
| Morokinnee | 20° | 39ʹ | 203° | 33ʹ | ||
| Tahoorowa | 20° | 38ʹ | 203° | 27ʹ | ||
| Ranai. South point | 20° | 46ʹ | 203° | 8ʹ | ||
| Morotoi. West point | 21° | 10ʹ | 202° | 46ʹ | ||
| Woahoo. Anchoring-place | 21° | 43ʹ | 202° | 9ʹ | ||
| Atooi. Wymoa Bay | 21° | 57ʹ | 200° | 20ʹ | ||
| Oneeheow. Anchoring-place | 21° | 50ʹ | 199° | 45ʹ | ||
| Oreehoua | 22° | 2ʹ | 199° | 52ʹ | ||
| Tahoora | 21° | 43ʹ | 199° | 36ʹ | ||
CHAP. VII.
GENERAL ACCOUNT OF THE SANDWICH ISLANDS CONTINUED.—OF THE INHABITANTS.—THEIR ORIGIN.—PERSONS.—PERNICIOUS EFFECTS OF THE AVA.—NUMBERS.—DISPOSITION AND MANNERS.—REASONS FOR SUPPOSING THEM NOT CANNIBALS.—DRESS AND ORNAMENTS.—VILLAGES AND HOUSES.—FOOD.—OCCUPATIONS AND AMUSEMENTS.—ADDICTED TO GAMING.—THEIR EXTRAORDINARY DEXTERITY IN SWIMMING.—ARTS AND MANUFACTURES.—CURIOUS SPECIMENS OF THEIR SCULPTURE.—KIPPAREE, OR METHOD OF PAINTING CLOTH.—MATS.—FISHING-HOOKS.—CORDAGE.—SALT-PANS.—WARLIKE INSTRUMENTS.
The inhabitants of the Sandwich Islands are undoubtedly of the same race with those of New Zealand, the Society and Friendly Islands, Easter Island, and the Marquesas; a race that possesses, without any intermixture, all the known lands between the latitudes of 47° south, and 20° north, and between the longitudes of 184° and 260 east. This fact, which, extraordinary as it is, might be thought sufficiently proved by the striking similarity of their manners and customs, and the general resemblance of their persons, is established, beyond all controversy, by the absolute identity of their language.
From what continent they originally emigrated, and by what steps they have spread through so vast a space, those who are curious in disquisitions of this nature, may perhaps not find it very difficult to conjecture. It has been already observed, that they bear strong marks of affinity to some of the Indian tribes, that inhabit the Ladrones and Caroline Islands; and the same affinity may again be traced amongst the Battas and the Malays. When these events happened, is not so easy to ascertain; it was probably not very lately, as they are extremely populous, and have no tradition of their own origin, but what is perfectly fabulous; whilst, on the other hand, the unadulterated state of their general language, and the simplicity which still prevails in their customs and manners, seem to indicate, that it could not have been at any very distant period.