Chap, xviii.] PREVIOUS VISITORS TO THE ISLANDS. 389 



the Isle of France, of what Commodore Hunter had seen, and 

 he in consequence visited the Admiralty Islands with his two 

 ships, arriving off the islands in July, 1792. He visited the 

 outlying islands of Jesus Maria and La Vandola lying to the 

 eastward, and then coasted along the northern shore of the 

 main island to the same spot as that visited by the " Chal- 

 lenger." He communicated with the natives by bartering 

 with them from his ships and from boats, but seeing no trace 

 of any European relics amongst them, he concluded that 

 Commodore Hunter had been mistaken in the manner already 

 described, and set sail without effecting a landing. Two 

 separate accounts were published of Dentrecasteaux's cruise, 

 one by himself, edited by Mr. Rossel, the other by M. 

 Labillardiere. Both contain very interesting information con- 

 cerning the Admiralty Islanders, the account by Labillardiere 

 being most complete in this respect, and accompanied by 

 large plates of natives and weapons, and a view of Dentre- 

 casteaux Island. 



In 1843 the islands were visited by the American clipper 

 " Margaret Oakley," Captain Morrell. The crew of this ship 

 landed at many points on the coast of the main island, which 

 according to Jacobs's account is called " Marso " by-the natives. 



They also visited many of the small outlying islands. 

 Jacobs's account * is full of interesting details, but evidently 

 not entirely trustworthy. It will be referred to in the sequel. 

 There is no account extant of the landing of any other Euro- 

 peans on the Admiralty Islands before the visit of the " Chal- 

 lenger." The well-known explorer Miklucho Maclay has paid 

 a lengthened visit to the islands since our departure. 



As the ship approached the anchorage canoes came off 

 through openings in the reef to the vessel, though a stiff 

 breeze was blowing, the natives being evidently in great 

 excitement and eager to reach the ship. Paddles were waved 

 to show friendship, and various articles of barter exhibited 

 to tempt us. The constant cry was " laban, laban ! " which 

 sounded to us at first like " tabac, tabac," but which we after- 

 wards found out to be, like the Humboldt Bay " sigor," the 

 word for iron. Iron was the wealth they coveted. 



Having seen the ship securely anchored, the chief ordered 

 all the canoes away, and we were left alone during the night. 

 In the morning trade went on briskly, the canoes crowding 

 round the ship, and the natives handing their weapons and 

 ornaments through the main deck ports. The barter we gave 

 in exchange principally was ordinary hoop iron broken up into 



* " Scenes, Incidents and Adventures in the Pacific^Ocean," etc., pp. 

 164 to 182. By T. J. Jacobs. New York, Harper cSc Bros., 1S44. 



