Chap, xvii.] BARTERING WITH THE NATIVES 377 



and threw down a gaudy handkerchief. It was at once fished 

 out of the water with a four-pronged fish-spear, and examined 

 by the glow of the fire-stick, and then another canoe which was 

 approaching, and which contained four natives, was shouted 

 to in the most excited language, expressive evidently of 

 satisfaction. 



Sigor being supposed to mean " tobacco," a cigar was let 

 down with a line and immediately taken and lighted, and more 

 were shouted for, and two cocoanuts neady husked and tied 

 together with a part of the husk left attached for the purpose, 

 as in the many islands visited by us, were fastened to the line, 

 to be drawn up in exchange. 



Then by cries of " sigor ! " which acted as a loadstone, the 

 canoes were drawn up opposite the gangway, and every attempt 

 was made from the bottom of the ladder to invite the natives 

 on board, but without success ; nor would they approach near 

 enough to receive presents from the hand, evidently fearing a 

 trap ; but they took a number of cigars, receiving them two at 

 a time, stuck between the prongs of a long fish-spear. The 

 placing of the cigars between the jagged points of the spear was 

 rather trying work, for the ship was rolling somewhat, and the 

 spear was thus prodded to and fro. 



Another gaudy handkerchief being given to the boat which 

 had received one already, it was passed over to the other boat 

 at once, either according to some agreement as to division of 

 spoil, or because perhaps the occupant of the boat was a chief. 

 The use of ships' biscuit was not understood. One native made 

 signs that he wanted a gun, by pretending to load his bow from 

 some implement picked up from the bottom of his canoe to 

 represent a powder flask, then ramming down in pantomime, 

 drawing the bow as if shooting, and saying " boom." 



The natives seemed frightened to some little extent by a 

 " blue light," and shoved off a bit, shouting sometimes as it 

 was lit. At last they left for the shore, using a word very 

 like " to-morrow." At one time they commenced a sort of 

 song in their canoe, as they lay off the ship hesitating to 

 approach. 



The canoes hung about the ship nearly all night, and in the 

 morning the ship was surrounded by them, and a brisk barter 

 commenced at daylight. At about 7.30 the ship was moved 

 nearer to the north-west shore of the bay, and to the dwellings 

 of the natives. The canoes paddled alongside, and formed a 

 wide trailing line as they accompanied the ship. 



There were then 67 canoes in all present, and this was the 

 greatest number that was seen. Some few of them contained 

 live natives, some four, some three, some only two. In 50 



