240 INHABITAISTS OF THE CALVADOS GROUP. 



canoe from a neig-hbourmg- island^ and on the follow- 

 ing* morning' two more canoes came off. The people 

 in one canoe kept at a safe distance^ hut those in the 

 other came along'side^ and after exhausting* their 

 stock of yams and other articles of barter^ went off 

 to their more cautious companions^ and speedily 

 returned to us with a fresh supply. The canoe was 

 an old patched-up affair^ and while one of the natives 

 was standing" up with a foot on each g-unwale, a 

 previous fracture in the bow^ united only by pitch, 

 g'ave way^ and a piece of the side^ four feet long', 

 came out, allowing* the water to rush in. The canoe 

 would speedily have been swamped, had not the 

 author of the mischief held on the piece in his hand^ 

 while some of the others bailed away as rapidly as 

 possible, and the remainder paddled off with despe- 

 ration, shouting* loudl}' to the people in the second 

 canoe for help. But their friends seemed as much 

 frig'htened as themselves, not knowing* the nature of 

 the accident, and probably supposing* that we had 

 been roug'hly treating* their companions ; — they made 

 sail for the shore, and did not stop until they had 

 g-ot half a mile away from the ship, when they 

 waited until the damag'ed canoe came up in a sinking- 

 state, bailed her out, and after taking* some people 

 out of her, both made off", under sail, and we saw no 

 more of them. 



But for this accident I Avould probably have g*ot 

 a few words of their lang'uag'e to compare with those 

 obtained at Brierly Island. Our visitors Avere pro- 



