150 VOYAGE TO THE 



chap, hie . yet there was very little to interest us beyond 

 w - y-w the first gratification of our curiosity. They were 

 1825 so engrossed by their own efforts to purloin some of 

 the many things which they saw, that it was im- 

 possible to engage their attention in other matters. 

 It was besides necessary to keep so strict a watch 

 over the stores of the ship, and their conduct was so 

 noisy and importunate, that our desire for their 

 company was hourly lessened, and we were not 

 sorry when, on preparing the boats to land, we saw 

 the rafts put off from the ship, and every man upon 

 our decks throw himself into the sea and swim 

 ashore. 



On approaching the beach, we found the coral 

 animals had reared their structure all round the 

 island, and had brought it so near to the surface 

 that the large boats could not come within two hun- 

 dred yards of the landing-place, and the smaller 

 ones could approach only by intricate windings be- 

 tween the rocks. 



The natives were very numerous upon the shore, 

 the usual population being greatly increased by 

 parties which curiosity had brought from the other 

 islands. The women and children at first formed 

 part of the noisy multitude, all of whom were cla- 

 morous for us to effect a landing ; but the females 

 shortly retired out of sight, and the men formed 

 themselves into two lines, and ceremoniously pro- 

 ceeded to a place where their katamarans usually 

 disembarked, humming in chorus a sullen tune not 

 devoid of harmony. Some of them seeing we were 

 greatly impeded by the coral rocks, waded out and 

 laid hold of the boats, while others pushed off upon 

 rafts, and attempted to drag us in, by fixing their 



