an oven, when the inner part is like the crumb of wheaten bread, and found to be very nutritive. Captain William Dampier, who sailed round the world in the year 1688, describes the bread-fruit as having "neither seed nor stone in the inside; but all of pure substance like bread. It must be eaten new; for if it is kept above twenty-four hours, it grows harsh and choaky; but it is very pleasant before it is too stale. This fruit lasts in season eight months of the year, during which the natives of Guam eat no other sort of food of bread kind. I did never," says he, "see of this fruit anywhere but here. The natives told us that there is plenty of this fruit growing on the rest of the Ladrone Islands; and I did never hear of it anywhere else." Lord Anson corroborates this account of the bread-fruit, and says that while at Tinian it was constantly eaten by his officers and ship's company during their two months' stay, instead of bread; and so universally preferred, that no ship's bread was expended in that whole interval. The only essential difference between Dampier's and Cook's description is, where the latter says, which is true, that this fruit has a core, and that the eatable part lies between the skin and the core. Cook says also that its taste is insipid, with a slight sweetness, somewhat resembling that of the crumb of wheaten bread mixed with a Jerusalem artichoke. From such a description, it is not surprising that the West India planters should have felt desirous of introducing it into those islands; and accordingly the introduction of it was subsequently accomplished, notwithstanding the failure of the present voyage. It has not, however, been found to answer the expectation that had reasonably been entertained. The climate, as to latitude, ought to be the same, or nearly so, as that of Tahiti, but there would appear to be some difference in the situation or nature of the soil, that prevents it from thriving in the West India islands. The Bounty, of nearly 215 tons burden, left Spithead on the 23d of December, 1787, carrying forty-six persons, including the commander, and a botanist, and gardener. They started with a fresh breeze, which moderated on the 25th, so that they were able to keep the Christmas festival with cheerfulness; but it increased to such a heavy gale by the 27th, that the vessel suffered damage; a sea which she shipped having broken some of the planks of the boats, and an azimuth compass. It also wet and injured a few bags of bread in the cabin, which, when the weather improved, were got up, and dried. The voyage was attended with many circumstances of difficulty and danger. The few hours of respite from the hard westerly winds that blew, were, according to a fine expression in Lord Anson's voyage, like the elements drawing breath, to return upon them with redoubled violence. Having tried in vain, in a tempestuous ocean, to go by Cape Horn, they at last made a passage round the Cape of Good Hope; and having visited Van Diemen's Land, and New Zealand, the ship arrived at Tahiti, anchoring in Matavai Bay, at ten in the forenoon of the 26th |