1835.] WEALTH OF THE CHIEFS. 



405 



white or scarlet flower in the back of the head, or through a 

 small hole in each ear, is pretty. A crown of woven cocoa-nut 

 leaves is also worn as a shade for the eyes. The women appear 

 to be in greater want of some becoming costume even than the 



men. 



Nearly all the natives understand a little English that is, 



I they know the names of common things ; and by the aid of this' 



I together with signs, a lame sort of conversation could be carried 



! on. In returning in the evening to the boat, we stopped to wit- 



! ness a very pretty scene. Numbers of children were playing on 



the beach, and had lighted bonfires which illumined the placid 



sea and surrounding trees; others, in circles, were singing 



Tahitian verses. We seated ourselves on the sand, and joined 



their party. The songs were impromptu, and I believe related 



to our arrival : one little girl sang a line, which the rest took up 



in parts, forming a very pretty chorus. The whole scene made 



us unequivocally aware that we were seated on the shores of an 



island in the far-famed South Sea. 



17th. This day is reckoned in the log-book as Tuesday the 

 17th, instead of Monday the 16th, owing to our, so far, success- 

 ful chase of the sun. Before breakfast the ship was hemmed in 

 by a flotilla of canoes ; and when the natives were allowed to 

 come on board, I suppose there could not have been less than two 

 hundred. It was the opinion of every one that it would have 

 been difficult to have picked out an equal number from any other 

 nation, who would have given so little trouble. Everybody 

 brought something for sale: shells were the main article of 

 trade. The Tahitians now fully understand the value of money, 

 and prefer it to old clothes or other articles. The various coins, 

 however, of English and Spanish denomination puzzle them, and 

 they never seemed to think the small silver quite secure until 

 changed into dollars. Some of the chiefs have accumulated 

 considerable sums of money. One chief, not long since, offered 

 800 dollars (about 160/. sterling) for a small vessel; and fre- 

 quently they purchase whale-boats and horses at the rate of from 

 50 to 100 dollars. 



After breakfast I went on shore, and ascended the nearest 

 slope to a height of between two and three thousand feet. The 

 outer mountains are smooth and conical, but steep ; and the old 



