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[Page 257]

South Sea

April 1769

& appearing of a brown copper colour as soon however as the ship had fairly pass'd the Island they retird higher up on the beach & seemd to put on some cloaths or at least cover themselves with something which made them appear of a light colour

The Island was coverd with trees of many very different verdures the Palms or Cocoa nut trees we could plainly distinguish particularly two that were amazingly taller than their fellows & at a distance bore a great resemblance to a flag the land seemd all very low tho at a distance several parts of it appeard high yet when we came near them they provd to be clumps of Palms, under the shade of these were the houses of the natives in places cleard of all underwood so that pleasanter groves can not be imagind at least so they appeard to us whose eyes had so long been unus'd to any other objects than water & sky

After dinner land was again seen which we came up with at sunset it provd a small Island not more than ¾ of a mile in lengh but almost round we ran within less than a mile of it but saw no signs of inhabitants nor any Cocoa nut trees or indeed any that bore the least resemblance to Palms tho there were

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