A Voyage to the South Sea | Page 6

of the
crumb of wheaten bread mixed with a Jerusalem artichoke.
Pages 80, 81. See also the plate there and at page 232.
Of the many vegetables that have been mentioned already as serving
them for food, the principal is the breadfruit, to procure which costs
them no trouble or labour but climbing a tree. The tree which produces
it does not indeed shoot up spontaneously, but if a man plants ten of

them in his lifetime, which he may do in about an hour, he will as
completely fulfil his duty to his own and future generations as the
native of our less temperate climate can do by ploughing in the cold
winter, and reaping in the summer's heat, as often as these seasons
return; even if, after he has procured bread for his present household,
he should convert a surplus into money, and lay it up for his children.
It is true indeed that the breadfruit is not always in season; but coconuts,
bananas, plantains, and a great variety of other fruits supply the
deficiency. Page 197.
EXTRACT FROM THE ACCOUNT OF CAPTAIN COOK'S LAST
VOYAGE.
IN THE SOCIETY ISLANDS.
I (Captain Cook) have inquired very carefully into their manner of
cultivating the breadfruit tree at Otaheite; but was always answered that
they never planted it. This indeed must be evident to everyone who will
examine the places where the young trees come up. It will be always
observed that they spring from the roots of the old ones which run
along near the surface of the ground. So that the breadfruit trees may be
reckoned those that would naturally cover the plains, even supposing
that the island was not inhabited, in the same manner that the
white-barked trees, found at Van Diemen's Land, constitute the forests
there. And from this we may observe that the inhabitant of Otaheite,
instead of being obliged to plant his bread, will RATHER be under the
necessity of preventing its progress; which I suppose is sometimes done
to give room for trees of another sort, to afford him some variety in his
food. Volume 2 page 145.
IN THE SANDWICH ISLANDS.
The breadfruit trees are planted, and flourish with great luxuriance, on
rising grounds. Where the hills rise almost perpendicularly in a great
variety of peaked forms, their steep sides and the deep chasms between
them are covered with trees, amongst which those of the breadfruit
were observed particularly to abound. Volume 3 pages 105 and 114,

containing Captain King's Narrative.
The climate of the Sandwich Islands differs very little from that of the
West India Islands, which lie IN THE SAME LATITUDE. Upon the
whole perhaps it may be rather more temperate. Captain King ib page
116.
The breadfruit trees thrive in these islands, 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. Captain King ib page 120.

CHAPTER 2.
Departure from England. Arrival at Tenerife. Sail from thence. Arrival
off Cape Horn. Severity of the Weather. Obliged to bear away for the
Cape of Good Hope.
1787. December. Sunday 23.
On Sunday morning the 23rd of December 1787 we sailed from
Spithead and, passing through the Needles, directed our course down
channel with a fresh gale of wind at east. In the afternoon one of the
seamen, in furling the main-top-gallant-sail, fell off the yard and was so
fortunate as to save himself by catching hold of the main-top-mast-stay
in his fall. At night the wind increased to a strong gale with a heavy
sea.
Tuesday 25.
It moderated however on the 25th and allowed us to keep our
Christmas with cheerfulness; but the following day it blew a severe
storm of wind from the eastward, which continued till the 29th, in the
course of which we suffered greatly. One sea broke away the spare
yards and spars out of the starboard main chains. Another heavy sea

broke into the ship and stove all the boats. Several casks of beer that
had been lashed upon deck were broke loose and washed overboard,
and it was not without great difficulty and risk that we were able to
secure the boats from being washed away entirely.
Saturday 29.
On the 29th we were in latitude 39 degrees 35 minutes north and
longitude 14 degrees 26 minutes west when the gale abated and the
weather became fair. Besides other mischief done to us by the storm, a
large quantity of our bread was damaged and rendered useless, for the
sea had stove in our stern and filled the cabin with water. From this
time to our arrival at Tenerife we had