" It is true, indeed, that the bread fruit is not always in season ; but cocoa nuts, bananas, plantains, and a great variety of other fruits, supply the deficiency." Of a tree, respecting which so much has been said, it is very interesting to know every circumstance con nected with the cultivation; and captain Cook, whose enterprising mind lost nothing worthy of record, made some valuable observations, which will be most satis factorily exhibited in his own words. " I have enquired very carefully," says captain Cook, " into their manner of cultivating the bread fruit tree at Otaheite; but was always answered, that they never planted it. This, in deed, must be evident to every one who will examine the places where the young trees come up. It will be always observed, that they spring from the roots of the old ones, which run along near the surface of the ground ; so that the bread fruit trees may be reckoned those that would naturally the plains, even sup posing that the island was not inhabited, in the same manner that the white barked trees found at Van Die men's Land, constitute the forests there. And from this we may observe, that the inhabitant of Otaheite, instead of being obliged to plant his bread, will rather be under the necessity of preventing its progress, which I suppose is sometimes done, to give room for trees of another sort, to afford him some variety in his food." Captain King, in his valuable work, notes a singular fact, that the bread fruit tree does not thrive, in point of number, so well in the Sandwich islands as in the plains of Otaheite, but that they produce double the quantity of fruit. The trees, too, in the former, are of the same size with those in the latter; but differ in having their branches striking out much lower.
Admiral Bligh remarked, that the inhabitants of Ota heite take up the young shoots from the parent root with best success after wet weather, when the earth forms balls around the roots. The plants so removed, are not then liable to suffer.
It will not be uninteresting to give some account of the attempts made by Europeans to cultivate the bread fruit tree for economical purposes. As far as we know, the attempts have originated in this country, and have been made by Englishmen. An interesting narrative of the voyage, made for the purpose of conveying plants of this fruit, as well as of other fruit trees, to the West In dia colonies, has been long given to the public, by the gentleman who commanded both of the expeditions that have been sent out to the South Seas. We shall give a correct outline of that narrative, as well as an abstract of Admiral Bligh's MS. narrative of his last voyage, with which he has, with the utmost politeness and kindness, furnished us.
In consequence of the urgent applications of many West Indian merchants and proprietors, his Majesty de on sending out an expedition to the South Sea islands, from which plants of the bread fruit tree were to be conveyed to our West Indian settlements. This
was the first voyage undertaken to that part of the world with a view to advantage,—those that had pre ceded it, having been directed rather to discovery, than to immediate benefit.
A ship named the Bounty, was fitted up for the voy age, and, on the 16th of August 1787, Lieutenant (now Admiral) Bligh, who had accompanied Captain Cook in his last voyage, was appointed to command her. The character of this officer is now so well known, by his daring zeal in the public service, that it becomes scarcely necessary to remark on the extreme propriety of the se lection which was made. The crew consisted of forty four, officers, petty officers, and seamen ; besides, " two skilful and careful men were appointed, at Sir Joseph Banks' recommendation, to have the management of the plants intended to be brought home : the one, David Nelson, who had been on similar employment in Cap tain Cook's last voyage ; the other, William Brown, as an assistant to him." The whole number of men on board of the Bounty amounted to forty-six. " The bur then of the Bounty was nearly 215 tons; her extreme length on deck ninety feet ten inches ; extreme breadth twenty four feet three inches ; and height in the hold, under the beams at the main hatchway, ten feet three inches. In the cock pit, were the cabins of the sur geon, gunner, botanist, and clerk, with a steward's room, and store-rooms. The between decks was divided in the following manner : The great cabin was appropriat ed for the preservation of the plants, and extended as far forward as the alter hatchway. It had two large sky lights, and on each side three scuttles for air, and was fitted with a false floor, cut full of holes, to contain the garden pots in which the plants were to be brought home. The deck was covered with lead, and, at the foremost corners of the cabin, were fixed pipes, to carry off the water that was drained from the plants, into tubs placed below, to save it for future use." Being thus completely fitted up for carrying the design of the ex pedition into complete effect, Lieutenant Bligh, after having been baflled by contrary winds for nearly a month, at length sailed on his memorable voyage on the 23d of December, 1787. The instructions from the admiral ty were full and satisfactory, and detailed with care, all the objects to which the voyagers were especially to di rect their attention.
By these instructions, Mr Bligh was particularly en joined to proceed to the Society Islands, " where, ac cording to the accounts given by the late Captain Cook, and persons who accompanied him during his voyages, the bread fruit tree is to be found in its most luxuriant state." Lieutenant Bligh directed his course to the island of Teneriffe, whence he sailed for Cape Horn; off this he encountered such boisterous weather, that he bore away for the Cape of Good IIope. From the Cape he proceeded to Van Diemen's Land, and last of all to the island of Otaheite, where he arrived on the 25th of Oc tober, 1788.