they had received from on
board the Dolphin, to grind and repair; but among others there was one
which became the subject of much speculation, as it appeared to be
French: After much enquiry, we learnt that a ship had been here between
our arrival and the departure of the Dolphin, which we then conjectured
to have been a Spaniard, but afterwards knew to have been the Boudeuse,
commanded by M. Bougainville.

SECTION X.

_An Excursion to the Eastward, an Account of several Incidents that
happened both on board and on shore, and of the first Interview with
Oberea, the Person who, when the Dolphin was here, was supposed to be
Queen of the Island, with a Description of the Fort._

On the 24th, Mr Banks and Dr Solander examined the country for several
miles along the shore to the eastward: For about two miles it was flat
and fertile; after that the hills stretched quite to the water's edge,
and a little farther ran out into the sea, so that they were obliged to
climb over them. These hills, which were barren, continued for about
three miles more, and then terminated in a large plain, which was full
of good houses, and people who appeared to live in great affluence. In
this place there was a river, much more considerable than that at our
fort, which issued from a deep and beautiful valley, and, where our
travellers crossed it, though at some distance from the sea, was near
one hundred yards wide. About a mile beyond this river the country
became again barren, the rocks every where projecting into the sea, for
which reason they resolved to return. Just as they had formed this
resolution, one of the natives offered them refreshment, which they
accepted. They found this man to be of a kind that has been described by
various authors, as mixed with many nations, but distinct from them all.
His skin was of a dead white, without the least appearance of what is
called complexion, though some parts of his body were in a small degree
less white than others: His hair, eye-brows, and beard, were as white as
his skin; his eyes appeared as if they were bloodshot, and he seemed to
be very short-sighted.[89]

[Footnote 89: Several authors have collected facts, and reasoned on the
subject of that remarkable race of beings, denominated, from their
colour, Albinos. Mention is made of some of them in the article
Complexion, in the Edinburgh Encyclopaedia, to which the reader is
referred. After all, however, it remains very doubtful whethe