The government is monarchical, and the king is abfolute, but his power is exercised more with the mildness of a father than a fovereign. In the language of Europeans, he is the fountain of honour; he occafionally creates his nobles, called Rupacks or chiefs, and confers a fingular honour of knighthood, called the Order of the Bone, the members of which are diftinguifhed by wearing a bone on their arm.

The idea which the account published by captain Wilfon gives us of these islanders, is that of a people who, though naturally ignorant of the arts and sciences, and living in the fimpleft ftate of nature, yet poffefs all that genuine politenefs, that delicacy, and chastity of intercourfe between the fexes, that refpect for perfonal property, that fubordination to government, and those habits of industry, which are fo rarely united in the more civilifed focieties of modern times.

"

It appears, that when the English were thrown on one of these inlands, they were received by the natives with the greateft humanity and hofpitality; and, till their departure, experienced the utmoft courtefy and attention. "They felt our people were diftreffed, and in confequence wifhed they thould fhare whatever they had to give. It was "not that worldly munificence that beftows and fpreads its favours " with a diftant eye to retribution. It was the pure emotion of native "benevolence. It was the love of man to man. It was a scene that "pictures human nature in triumphant colouring; and, whilft their liberality gratified the fenfe, their virtue ftruck the heart."

THE MARQUESAS ISLANDS.

THESE iflands were first discovered by Quiros in 1595: their fituation was better afcertained by captain Cook in 1774. They are five in - number, and named St. Chriftina, Magdalena, St. Dominica, St. Pedro, and Hood. Captain Cook, in his fecond voyage, lay fome time at the first of thefe, which is fituated in 9° 55′ fouth latitude, and 139° 9' weft longitude. St. Dominica is the largeft, about 16 leagues in circuit. The inhabitants, their language, manners, and clothing, with the vegetable productions, are nearly the fame as thofe of the Society Ifles.

INGRAHAM's ISLANDS.

THESE islands were discovered by captain Jofeph Ingraham, of Boi

ton, commander of the brigantine Hope, on the 19th of April, 1791. They lie N. N. W. from the Marquefas Iflands, from 35 to 50 leagues diftant, in about 9o of fouth latitude, and from 140 to 141 weft longitude from London. They are seven in number, and were named by captain Ingraham, Washington, Adams, Lincoln, Federal, Franklin, Hancock, Knox.

Moft, if not all, of thefe iflands are inhabited, and appear generally to be diverfified with hills and valleys, and to be well wooded, and very pleafant. The people refemble thofe of the Marquefas Iflands, as do their canoes, which are carved at each end. They appeared

under lip, extending from one corner of the m
through the fleth, which orifice is by degre
admit an ornament made of wood, which is
of the lower jaw, with the external furt
Thefe wooden ornaments are oval, and ro
dith made concave on both fides: the
them above three inches in length, and
chief object of civilized nations in n
been to traffic with the natives for fu

and between the ...weft longitude. : form, joined by rocks, which form

pieces of iron, nails, beads, penknit of furs are carried to China, and dif, where there is room and depth of obtained are thofe of the fea- the largest hips. The face of the and earlefs marmot. Ginfengra border of low land almoft entirely ties, might alfo be procured.nd behind this border the land rifes in In 1788, fome English middle of thefe divifions, and thefe form tlement in King George's Se fixty leagues diftance. The foil, except name by which it is calleridges, is remarkably rich and fertile, wabeing jealous of the intruf rivulets, and covered with fruit trees of which they long regardedthe moft delightful groves. The border of Mexico, which capture the ridges and the fea is in few places more fettlement. The Briti

action, fitted out a pee out under the command of captain Wallis, with the of reparation; but the captain Carteret, at the expenfe of the British goversin 1790.

onder to make difcoveries in the fouthern hemisphere. gether till they came within fight of the South Sea, at Strait of Magellan, and from thence returned by different the ath of June, 1767, captain Wallis difcovered an land and three wide, to which he gave the name of Whis land, Whitfun-eve. Its latitude is 19° 26 S. and its longitude the difcovered another ifland, to which he gave the nume

The inhabitants of this illand, captain Wallis fays, were of complain, and long black hair, which hung loofe over their verre will mail, and the women handfome. Their clothing matting, which was fattened about their middle, and gg upp out their elders. This land is about fix with, and hs to aritude 19° 18' S., longitude 135° 4' W. att, he allo dilcoveted fereral other fall ifands, to the names of Egal, Glacier Mast, Canterland Ifland, land, and faargh and

the fame month be difcoured the ifland of Otaheite; and after iland, he difcovered, on the 28th of July, 1767, another iland which he called Sir Charles Sanders's land; and on the 30th of another about ten miles long, and four broad, which he called Land er having difcovered fome other fmall lands, one of which was and, he arrived at Batavia on the 30th of November; at the Cape the 4th of February, 1768; and his fhp anchored fafely in the of May following.

in the Swallow, after he had parted with captain Walls in the fed through the Strait of Magellan, and made fone day at the dicevered, on the od of July, 1767, an illand about five ce, to which he gave the name of P's. It lies in gde 135 21 W. and about a thefand ages to the wal of America. The 11th of the fame month be dicovered an which he gave the name of the of Gargaland. The eret ether Small lands, which he called the Duke of GleThe following month he diced achter of fall Dands, to which Chen's me there others, which be same!

1.

ther with fome of the valCaptain Wallace made fome viited again by captain Cook Commander was accompanied Banks, and Dr. Solander; and in, made a very accurate furvey

e are very populous; and captain r of inhabitants on the whole island Nomen and children. They are of a

tall, ftrong, well-limbed, and finely erior fize, but handfome, and very amoof cloth or matting of different kinds; food eaten here is vegetable, as cocoa-nuts, ns, and a great variety of other fruit. Their of a middling fize, are of an oblong fquare, long, and eleven wide, with a shelving roof

of pofts, parallel to each other, one row on the middle. The utmoft height within is about aves on each fide reach to within about three feet ground. All the reft is open, no part being inThe roof is thatched with palm-leaves, and the he inches deep with foft hay, over which they lay they fit in the day, and fleep in the night. They mong them made of metal; and those they use are made me kind of bones. The inhabitants of Otaheite are retheir cleanlinefs; for both men and women constantly whole bodies inú. running water three times a day. Their foft and melodious, and abounds with vowels. There were imals upon the island but hogs, dogs, and poultry; but the and Spaniards have ince carried thither bulls, cows, theep, horfe and mare, geefe, ducks, peacocks, turkeys, and alfo The only wild animals are tropical birds, paroquets, pigeons, , and a few other birds; rats, and a very few ferpents. The fea, ver, fupplies the inhabitants with a very great variety of the moft lent fifl.

in other countries the men cut their hair fhort, and the women pride mfelves on its length; but here the women always cut it thort round ir ears, and the men (except the fishers, who are almoft continually in the water, fuffer it to fpread over their fhoulders, or tie it up in a bunch on the top. They have the cuftom of difcolouring the fkin, by pricking it with a fmall inftrument, the teeth of which are dipped into a mixture of a kind of lamp-black, and this is called tattooing. This is performed upon the youth of both fexes, when they are about twelve or fourteen years of age, on feveral parts of the body, and in various figures. Their principal manufacture is their cloth, of which there are three kinds, made of the bark of three different kinds of trees. The finest and whiteft is made of the Chinese paper-mulberry-tree, and this is chiefly worn by the principal people. Another confiderable manufacture is matting, fome of which is finer, and in every reIpect better, than any we have in Europe. The coarfer fort serves them to fleep upon, and the finer to wear in wet weather. They are likewife very dexterous in making wicker-work; their baskets are of a thoufand different patterns, and many of them exceedingly neat. The inhabitants of Otaheite believe in one fupreme Deity, but at the fame

NEW DISCOVERDELE

Ef bmad and ide

that are in

exactly the fame, but itants feem to be larger Mr. Banks measured three inches and a half not perfuade one of them 1, if they were to attempt en are fairer than thofe of and lefs curious; though other circumftance, they are hey have boat-houtes that are

ppointed for that purpose; the firft was er by captain Tobias Furneaux. They July, 1772; and on the 29th of the fame rom thence they proceeded to the Cape of ved at New Zealand, having fought in vain the Refolution and the Adventure feparated, y joined company again in Queen Charlotte's

In Auguft they arrived at Otaheite; and in land. On the fecond of October they came to lands; and about the close of that month the Refeparated, and did not join company any more. ed in the Refolution, in order to make difcoveries in was stopped in his progress by the ice, in the latitude a; longitude 100 degrees 54 minutes weft. He then where he arrived in March, 774, as he did alfo in the as Iflands. He afterwards difcovered four islands, which ; and again fteered for Otaheite, where he arrived on the .ome ftay, and alfo vifited the neighbouring ifles. In Auguft brides, fome of which were firft difcovered by him. After e fteered to the fouthward a few days, and difcovered New Caveyed the fouth-weft coaft of this ifland, captain Cook fteered nd, in order to refresh his crew, and pat his ship into a condition anger attending the navigation in the high fouthern latitudes. Dito the fouth and eaft, after leaving New Zealand, till he arrived in 5 degrees 6 minutes fouth, longitude 138 degrees 56 minutes weft, ag with any continent, captain Cook gave up all hopes of difcovering ean; and therefore came to a refolution to fteer directly for the weft ene Straits of Magellan, with a view of coafting and furveying the outerith fide of Terra del Fuego. Keeping accordingly in about the latitude of and fteering nearly eaft, he arrived off the western mouth of the Straits of n, without meeting with any thing remarkable in his new route. In January, he discovered a large and dreary ifland, to which he gave the name of South 4. He afterwards difcovered various capes and elevated fnow-clad coafts, to the fouthern part of which he gave the name of the Southern Thule, as being the reft land to that pole which has yet been discovered. In February he discovered andwich Land, and feveral islands covered with fnow. He then proceeded round the Cape of Good Hope to England, where he arrived on the 30th of July, 1775. Captain Furneaux had returned to England in the Adventure a year before, having proceeded home round the Cape of Good Hope without making any remarkable discovery. Ten of his men, a boat's crew, had been murdered and eaten by fome of the favages of New Zealand; fo that this voyage afforded a melancholy proof that cannibals really exift; and, indeed, in the course of these voyages of dilcovery, other evidence appeared of this fact. As to captain Cook, in the course of his voyage in the Refolution, he had made the circuit of the fouthern ocean, in a high latitude, and had traverfed it in fuch a manner, as to leave not the leaft room for the poffibility of there being a fouthern continent, unleis near the pole, and out of the reach of navigation. It deferves alfo to be remembered, in honour of that able commander, captain Cook, that, with a company of a hundred and eighteen men, he performed this voyage of three years and eighteen days, throughout all the climates, from fifty-two decrees north to feventy-one degrees fouth, with the lofs of only one man by ficknefs; and this appears, in a confiderable degree, to have arifen from the great humanity of the commander, and his uncommon care and attention to adopt every method for preferving the health of his men.