and had actually drawn a map of their respective
situations and magnitudes, of which Lieutenant
Pickersgill obligingly communicated a copy to me.
In this map we found all the names now mentioned,
except two; but if his drawing had been exact,
our ships must have sailed over a number of the
islands which he had laid down. It is therefore
very probable, that the vanity of appearing more
intelligent than he really was, had prompted him
to produce this fancied chart of the South Sea, and
perhaps to invent many of the names of islands
in it, which amounted to more than fifty.”—G.F.
[2] Some of our readers might be profited, perhaps, by considering the moral of the following incident, which occurred at this play.—“Among the spectators we observed several of the prettiest women of this country; and one of them was remarkable for the whitest complexion we had ever seen on all these islands. Her colour resembled that of white wax a little sullied, without having the least appearance of sickness, which that hue commonly conveys; and her fine black eyes and hair contrasted so well with it, that she was admired by us all. She received at first a number of little presents, which were so many marks of homage paid at the shrine of beauty; but her success, instead of gratifying, only sharpened her love of trinkets, and she incessantly importuned every one of us, as long as she suspected we had a single bead left. One of the gentlemen fortunately happened to have a little padlock in his hand, which she begged for as soon as she had perceived it. After denying it for some time, he consented to give it her, and locked it in her ear, assuring her that was its proper place. She was pleased for some time; but finding it too heavy, desired him to unlock it. He flung away the key, giving her to understand, at the same time, that he had made her the present at her own desire, and that if she found it encumbered her, she should bear it as a punishment for importuning us with her petitions. She was disconsolate upon this refusal, and weeping bitterly, applied to us all to open the padlock; but if we had been willing, we were not able to comply with her request, for want of the key. She applied to the chief, and he as well as his wife, son, and daughter, joined in praying for the release of her ear: They offered cloth, perfume-wood, and hogs, but all in vain. At last a small key was found to open the padlock, which put an end to the poor girl’s lamentation, and restored peace and tranquillity among all her friends. Her adventure had, however, this good effect, that it cured her, and some of her forward country-women, of this idle habit of begging.”—G.F.
SECTION XIV.
An Account of a Spanish Ship visiting Otaheite; the present State of the Islands; with some Observations on the Diseases and Customs of the Inhabitants; and some Mistakes concerning the Women corrected.