274 SKILL IN DIVING. 
gesticulation, and leaping into the air, to at- 
tract our notice. Many of the canoes were in 
this manner upset,—an accident of little con- 
sequence to such expert swimmers, and which 
only excited the merriment of their com- 
panions. 
Accident gave us specimens of their extra- 
ordinary skill in diving. We threw some pieces 
of barrel-hoops into the sea, when numbers of 
the islanders instantly precipitated themselves 
to the bottom, and snatched up the booty, for 
the possession of which we could plainly dis- 
tinguish them wrestling with each other under 
the water. They willingly obeyed our orders 
not to come on deck, and fastened their goods 
to a rope, by which they were drawn on board, 
walting with confidence for what we should 
give them, and appearing content with it. Some 
few had brought arms with them, but for 
trading, not warlike purposes; and although 
so vastly superior to us in numbers, they be- 
haved with great modesty. We saw no scars 
upon them, like those of their neighbours of 
Maouna—a favourable sign, though they cer- 
tainly seemed to belong to the same race. It 
