NATIVES SHEW THIEVISH PROPENSITIES. 201 



purpose to which they apphed the iron hoop we 

 found w^as to substitute it for the pieces of a hard 

 g-reen stone (nephrite) in the heads of their axes 

 and adzes. The one iig'ured on page 198 represents 

 the usual form of these instruments. The V-shaped 

 handle is a sing-le piece of wood^ and the stone^ pre- 

 viously g-round down to a fine edg*e^ is fixed in a 

 cleft at the end of the short arm^ and firmly 

 secured by cordage. This axe is usually carried by 

 beino' hooked over the left shoulder with the handle 

 crossing* the breast diagonall}^ 



Among our visitors to-day I noticed two who 

 had large w^hite patches on the skin^ as if caused by 

 some leprous complaint^ — one man had lost his nose^ 

 and in addition was affected with elephantiasis of the 

 left foot. 



After leaving us two of the canoes paddled up to 

 the tide pole on the neighbouring reef^ and before a 

 boat could reach them^ the natives managed to 

 secure the pigs of iron ballast with which it was 

 moored. They communicated with two canoes^ 

 coming from the direction of Piron Island^ which 

 soon afterwards came under the stern. As one of the 

 stolen pigs was seen partiall}^ concealed in the bow 

 of one of the last comers the jolly boat was manned 

 to recover it^ when the canoes left in great haste 

 with the boat in chase. As the boat approached 

 a cocoa-nut was thrown overboard from the canoe^ 

 as if to cause delay by stopping- to pick it up^ but^ 

 the intended effect not being produced^ the stolen 



