PREVALENCE OF ELEPHANTISM. 285 
recover from the shock, and the wind falling 
again, they succeeded in overtaking us. Inthe 
effort to accomplish this, they left all those to 
their fate who were still swimming about in 
search of their lost oars, and took no notice 
whatever of their cries for assistance. We 
pointed their attention to their forsaken compa- 
nions, but the volatile creatures only laughed, 
and not a single canoe would return to take 
them in. At length, towards nightfall, they 
left us with the cry of “* Marua! Marua!” 
Among these islanders we observed the dis- 
ease of elephantism, from which the Tahaitians 
suffer so much; otherwise they appeared heal- 
thy. If, as the Tahaitian captain said, they are 
subject to the Friendly Islanders, and must 
pay a yearly tribute to Tongatabu, the island 
Maouna, which Nature herself has made a 
strong fortress, and whose inhabitants are such 
fierce warriors, is probably excepted. 
The following day we surveyed the magnifi- 
cent island of Pola. Its lofty mountain was 
enveloped in thick white clouds, which seemed 
to roll down its sides, while the majestic sum- 
mit rose into a cloudless region above them. 
