280 Captain Beg's Discovert/ of an Inhabited Inland, Sfc. 



previous to the discovery of the island. The land had a pleasing- 

 aspect, and appeared fertile. The number of natives as- 

 sembled on shore was estimated at about 300. They were of 

 a dark copper hue, tall and well-made. Few were less than six 

 feet Rhinland measure, or 6.166 English. The women were 

 also very stout. Some of the people were tatooed, but not so 

 much as at Nukahiwa. They were naked, except some cover- 

 ing made of leaves. A few others had some cloth of cocoa bark 

 wrapped round the waist. The heads of some were adorned 

 with feathers. Their conduct appeared very fierce and wild, 

 and they contrived to steal whatever they thought within 

 their reach. The boat-hooks soon disappeared, and they even 

 attempted to tear the oars from the hands of the boat's crew. 

 An old man, with a white beard, and of respectable appear- 

 ance, carrying a green bough in his hand, was at their bead. 

 He continually kept singing some monotonous song, in a 

 melancholy tune. They bartered some cocoa-nuts, and some 

 of their tools, against some old handkerchiefs and empty 

 bottles; and it appeared that their language had some re- 

 semblance with that spoken at Nukahiwa. When the boat 

 again put to sea, they tried the effect of firing a few musket 

 shots in the air, but the natives did not show symptoms of 

 fear, and thus appeared unconscious of the effects of Euro- 

 pean arms. No canoes were seen in the possession of these 

 people, nor did they attempt to approach the ships, although 

 the weather was excellent, and the sea very calm. The com- 

 manders of the two vessels regretted very much that their 

 large complement, and the small quantity of Avater, obliged 

 them to make every possible dispatch. They accordingly 

 pursued ther journey to Sourabaya in Java, where they found 

 other work at hand than the discovery of new countries. 



I am, Dear Sir, 



With very great esteem, 

 Your humble servant, 



G. Moll. 



Utrecht, 9th Feb. 1836. 



