me of these in the Noumea Museum.-G.C.]

It was supposed that they made some beverage, because in the pots and in
cavities were found certain sour fruits.

It appeared to us that we saw there quarries of good marble*; I say good,
because several things were seen that were made of it and of jasper.
There were also seen ebony and large mother-o'-pearl shells; also some
moderate-sized looms. In one house a heap of heavy black stones was seen,
which afterwards proved to be metal from whence silver could be
extracted. Two of our people said they had seen the footprints of a large
animal.

[* Coral cliffs.]

The climate appeared to be very healthy, both from the rigour and size of
the natives, as because none of our men became ill all the time we were
there, nor felt any discomfort, nor tired from work. They had not to keep
from drinking while fasting, not at unusual times, nor when sweating, nor
from being wet with salt or fresh water, nor from eating whatever grew in
the country, nor from being out in the evening under the moon, nor the
sun, which was not very burning at noon, and at midnight we were glad of
a blanket. The land is shown to be healthy, from the natives living in
houses on terraces, and having so much wood, and because so many old
people were seen. We heard few claps of thunder, and had little rain. As
the river flowed with clear water, it was understood that the rains were
over.

It is to be noted that we had not seen cactus nor sandy wastes, nor were
the trees thorny, while many of the wild trees yielded good fruit. It is
also to be noted that we did not see snow on the mountains, nor were
there any mosquitos or ants in the land, which are very harmful, both in
houses and fields.

There were no poisonous lizards either in the woods or the cultivated
ground, nor alligators in the rivers. Fish and flesh keep good for
salting during two or more days. The land is so pleasant, so covered with
trees; there are so many kinds of birds, that owing to this and other
good signs, the climate may be considered to be clement and that it
preserves its natural order. Of what happens in the mountains we cannot
speak until we have been there. As no very large canoes were seen, with
so large a population, and such fine trees, but only some small ones, and
the mountain ranges being so very high to W. and E., and to the S., and
the river Jordan being so large, with great trees torn up and brought
down at its mouth, we ca