548 FIIOM CALIFORNIA TO 



into the Pearl River is in the same situation as the 

 harbour of Hana-ruraj but the windings between 

 the reefs are, however, said to render a passage 

 more difficult. If this place were in the hands of 

 the Europeans, they would certainly employ means 

 to make this harbour the finest in the world. In 

 the Pearl River there are sharks of remarkable 

 size, and there have been many instances of their 

 having swallowed people while bathing. The na- 

 tives have made on the banks an artificial pond of 

 coral stones, in which a large shark is kept, to 

 which, I was told, they often threw grown-up people, 

 but more frequently children, as victims. On my 

 journey back I observed half-putrefied swine hang- 

 ing on different trees ; and learnt, that this was a 

 precaution of the herdsmen to prove to their masters 

 that they had died, and had not been killed by 

 them. In the evening, we returned safe to the 

 Rurick. 



The 9th of December. To-day, I received an 

 invitation from Kareimoku, through Manuja, to 

 witness a lance-fight. Young, who was very much 

 astonished that the Governor had yielded to my re- 

 quest in this respect, considered it as a mark of very 

 particular favour, and was of opinion that I owed 

 it to my rank as commander of the first ship of 

 war that had been seen at Hana-rura. The Sand- 

 wich islanders, as I had frequent opportunities of 

 observing, make a great distinction between a ship 

 of war and a merchantman. They take all kinds of 



