BAMBOO KNIFE. 297 



natives attached most value to articles of clothing* of 

 every description. Glass bottles were also eagerly 

 soug-ht after — but iron Avas not prized — indeed its 

 use appeared to be unknoAvn^ nor had they an}^ name 

 for it. While leaning* out of one of the wardroom 

 ports^ and g*etting* words from a very intelligent 

 native whose attention I secured by g'iving* him 

 various little presents from time to time^ I had 

 occasion to point to a bamboo scoop* lying* in the 

 canoe in order to g*et its name. The man^ to my 

 surprise^ immediately bit off a narrow strip from 

 one side^ as if to sharpen the edge^ and taking* 

 up a piece of sticky shcAved me that this scoop was 

 used as a knife. Not to be outdone I took one of 

 our common knives and cut away vig*orously at a 

 piece of wood to shew the superiority of our knives 

 over his one ; he appeared suddenly to become ter- 

 rified^ talked vehemently to the others, drew their 

 attention to me^ and repeated my motions of cutting* 

 the wood^ after Avhich his canoe pushed off from the 

 ship's side. My friend refused to accept of the 

 knife — as I afterwards found the natives had also 

 done to other people when iron implements Avere 

 offered them — nor Avould he pay any further atten- 

 tion to my attempts to effect a reconciliation. 



The g-reatest peculiarity among* these people is 

 their mode of dressing the hair * it is usually shaved 

 off the temples and occasionally a little Avay up the 



* Resembling that figured in Jukes' Voyage of the Fly, vol. i, 

 p. 2/7, — but smaller. 



