NATIVES GET TIRED OF US. 229 



in her hand^ and sprang* up into one of the huts 

 like a harlequin^ shewing* at the same time more of 

 her long- shrivelled shanks than was strictly decorous. 

 Besides the usual petticoat reaching- to the knee, 

 made of a g-rass or some leaf— perhaps of the pan- 

 danus, — cut into long* shreds, this dame wore a 

 somewhat similar article round the neck, hang-ing* 

 over the breast and shoulders, leavino;- the arms free. 

 An axe was offered to one of the men, who had pre- 

 viously sat for his portrait, to induce him to bring* 

 the woman to Mr. Huxley, who w^as anxious to g'et 

 a sketch of a female, but in spite of the strong* in- 

 ducement we did not succeed, and any further 

 notice taken of the woman seemed to g'ive offence. 

 While wandering' about the place we came upon a 

 path leading' in to the adjacent brush, but blocked up 

 by some cocoa-nut leaves recently thrown across. 

 This led past an enclosm-e of about three-quarters of 

 an acre, neatly and strong'ly fenced in, probably 

 used as a pen for keeping* pig'S in, judg'ing' from the 

 absence of anything- like cultivation, and the 

 trodden-down appearance, apparently made by these 

 animals, a jaw bone of one of which was picked up 

 close by. 



At length the natives appeared anxious to g*et 

 rid of us, after obtaining* about seventeen axes and a 

 few knives, in return for 868 pounds of yams, 

 which cost us little more than a halfpenny per pound. 

 After wading* out to the boat, the natives assisted in 

 shoving* her off, and when we had got well clear of 



