6 1 6 Voyage of the Novara. 



the advice and consent of their better halves. Hence it 

 frequently happened that the article first selected was ex- 

 changed for some other widely different, or the whole 

 bargain given up. 



The women whom wo afterwards saw in their huts were 

 all tall and powerfully built, but very unattractive, the 

 majority appearing prematurely old. The sole covering was 

 a piece of gay-coloured calico tolerably wide, which they 

 wore around their loins. Their lower limbs and faces were 

 tattooed, the latter however with only a few cross-bars. 



The two hampers of assorted articles, which was our stock in 

 trade, were ere long nearly emptied, and as the sailors would 

 have found it hard work to bring off the provisions we had 

 purchased in our small boat, it was agreed to break up our 

 improvised exchange, and return to Faole with our valuable 

 cargo of fresh provisions.* 



While the barter was going on, the author of this narrative 



* As it is not uninteresting to know the course of exchange at Sikayana existing 

 between the products of European industry and its native products, we subjoin a 

 few of the most important equivalents : 



For 5 lbs. tobacco ... ... one pig., 



,, 20 Steel fish-hooks 



,, 5 Strings of red corals 



, , 5 , , , , green and red glass beads 



,, 5 Packets of needles and thread 



,, 10 Ells of calico ... 



,, 5 Fish-hooks ten eggs. 



,, ,, .» ,, two hens. 



,,10 ,, ,, ... ... ... ... 30 pieces of Taro. 



,, 2 Packets needles and threads ,, ,, ,, 



,, 1 Packet old playing cards , ... ... ... ... 4 hens. 



