selves from the enemy, the Dutch retired on board ship, carrying
with them the sacks of greens which they had gathered. This rencounter
had so great an effect on the Dutch, that when it was proposed to
land again, not a man could be prevailed upon to make the dangerous
attempt.

They had given to this island, before this unfortunate affair, the
name of the _Island of Recreation_,[3] which is in lat. 16 deg. S. and
long. 285 deg.. It is about twelve leagues in compass, with a fertile
soil, producing a great number of trees, especially cocoa nuts, palms,
and iron-wood. The Dutch conceived that there might be rich mines
in the heart of the country, and other valuable things, but were not
allowed to search. The natives were of middle size, but robust
and active, having long black shining hair, which they anoint with
cocoa-nut oil, a practice very common among the Indians. They were
painted all over, like the inhabitants of Easter island; the men
wearing a kind of net-work round their middles, which they stick
up between their legs. The women were entirely covered by a kind of
mantles of their own manufacture, the stuff of which to the sight and
touch resembled silk;[4] and they wear long strings of pearls about
their necks and wrists.

[Footnote 3: By Arrowsmith, this island is placed in lat. 16 deg. 32' S.
and long. 148 deg. 50' W. The longitude in the text is inexplicable on any
supposition.--E.]

[Footnote 4: The cloth of the South-sea islands is a substance in
a great measure resembling paper, composed of the inner bark of the
paper mulberry, the preparation of which will be afterwards detailed
in the narratives of the modern circumnavigators--E.]

Roggewein thought proper to sail from this island without farther loss
of time, and before his departure held a council of his officers,
in which he stated his instructions, which were,--If no discovery of
importance could be made in the latitude and longitude in which they
then were, that he should return home. Some of the council were much
astonished at this, and remonstrated, That having already gone so
far, and met with such encouragement to hope for discoveries of great
importance, they thought it would betray a great want of spirit not
to proceed. To this Roggewein answered, That they had now been out ten
months, having still a long voyage to make to the East Indies; that
provisions began to grow scarce, and, above all, that the crews were
already so much diminishe