EASTER IsLA xn, is the name of an island in the South Pacific Ocean, situated in West. Long. 109° 46' 20", and South Lat. 27' 5' 30". It is supposed, without much reason, to have been visited by Captain Davis, in 686. It was touched at by Roggewein in 1722, and has since been visited and examined by Captain Cook in 1774, and La Perouse in 1785.
This island is from 30 to 36 miles in circumference ; its surface is mountainous and stony, and the hills rise to such a height, that they are visible at the distance of about 45 miles. On the north-east coast of the island, the land is remarkably high ; on the south-east, the shore forms an open bay, where Roggewein is supposed to have anchored. On the south arc two rocky islands ; and, about three miles to the north of the south point, is Cook's Bay, having 20 fathoms of water over a sandy bottom, at the distance of three quarters of a mile from the shore. This bay, however, is very dangerous when westerly winds prevail.
At the southern extremity of the island is the crater of a volcano, of great size, depth, and regularity. It was like the frustum of a cone, whose upper and low er bases appeared more than two miles in circumference, and it was at least 800 feet deep. The marsh at the bot tom was surrounded with plantations of bananas and mulberry trees, and contained several pools of fresh wa ter, apparently on a level with the sea.
Although the soil is so exceedingly fertile that three clays labour is sufficient to procure the Indian subsist ence for a year, yet only about a tenth part of the island is under cultivation ; the rest being covered with a coarse kind of grass, which extends to the tops of the mountains. The cultivated portions are of an oblong form, without any enclosures. The weeds are carefully pulled up, and burned in heaps to fertilize the soil ; and the soil is kept cool and moist by large stones that lie loose upon the surface. The principal productions of the island are potatoes, yarns, taraoreddy root, gourds, plantain and sugar-canes.
The appearance, dress, language, and manners of the people, has such an affinity to those of the other South Sea islanders, that it would be unnecessary to give any particular account of them in this article. The females
offered their favours for presents, and the men assisted in this interchange of commodities. They even dragged along girls of 13 or 14 years of age, with the hope of receiving a part of the reward. Their houses are form ed of upright sticks,bent towards each other, and tied at the top ; and one of them, seen by Captain Cook, was 60 feet long, nine feet high in the middle, and three or four at each end, its breadth being nearly equal to its heighth. La Perouse, however, saw one which was 300 feet long, 10 broad, and 10 high, and capable of holding 200 persons.
Easter Island abounds with monuments and statues, which appear to bear the character of antiquity. The monuments are small pyramidal heaps of stones, the upper stone being whitened with lime water, and are erected near the sea shore. The statues, which are of a gigantic size, are raised on platforms of solid masonry, 35 feet long, 14 feet broad, and from 3 to 12 feet high. They arc faced with hewn stones, and are specimens of excellent workmanship. Although no cement is em ployed, yet the joints are very close, and the stones are morticed into one another with great skill. The statues are rudely sculptured out ofa volcanic production. The nose and chin are not badly shaped ; the ears are out of all proportion, and the bodies have no resemblance to the human form. The largest of these statues is about 14 feet six inches long, seven feet six inches across the shoulders, three feet thick and six feet broad in the belly, and five feet thick at the base.
Only three or four canoes were seen. They were about 19 feet long, and seemed unfit for any distant na vigation.
According to Captain Cook, the population did not exceed 600 er 700, about two-thirds of whom were males. In 1785, La Perouse considered the population as nearly 2000, and saw no marks of their being upon the decline. See Cook's Second Voyage, vol. i. and La Perouse's Voyage, vol. i. (j)