Jan. 

 1826. 



PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 175 



manding in her manner, and from her intimacy with chap. 

 the chief she was evidently a person of superior 

 rank. She addressed her conversation to me with a 

 volubility and earnestness which showed she felt 

 confident of being understood, but I regret that our 

 total ignorance of their language denied me the 

 pleasure of interpreting even one word ; and I could 

 only infer from her tears and actions, that her tale 

 was of a serious and distressing nature. She soon 

 however dried her tears, and sat beside us with the 

 greatest composure. 



While I was engaged with the chief, the officers 

 strolled about, each accompanied by a circle of 

 friends, and were kindly treated. Mr. Belcher, in 

 his researches, discovered three drums, very similar 

 to those at Otaheite, as described by Captain Cook. 

 The largest was about five feet six inches high, and 

 fourteen inches in diameter. It was made of the 

 trunk of a porou tree (hibiscus tiliaceus), hollowed 

 out, and covered with a shark's skin, which had been 

 strained over it when wet ; the edges were secured 

 with sinnet, neatly made, and finished with pieces of 

 cloth plaited in with fine line : it was otherwise 

 ornamented about the trunk, and stood upon four 

 feet. It was brought to me, and I offered the areghe 

 some knives in exchange, which he refused until the 

 number was increased. When the bargain was con- 

 cluded, the young chief showed the manner of play- 

 ing upon the instrument, and convinced us that his 

 skill must have been the result of long practice. — 

 The art consisted in giving rapid strokes with the 

 palm of the right hand, and placing the left at the 

 same time so nicely as to check the vibrations without 

 stopping them, which produced a harmonic sound, 



