TO RADACK, 39 



boats, ordered the arms to be placed in readiness, 

 and stood myself, with Schischmareff and our na- 

 turalists unarmed, and with eager expectation on 

 the shore. Both soon anchored at a short distance, 

 and the dexterity with which they brought their 

 canoes under the wind, and took in the sails, 

 proved to us that they were very experienced sea- 

 men, and gave us great pleasure. Their sails con- 

 sisted of very finely braided mat, and were shaped 

 with so much art, that even the closest side- 

 wind could not fail to catch them. The large 

 boat, on board of which we counted five and 

 twenty men, was thirty feet long, had on the out- 

 riggers a small hut, and a number of ropes hung 

 down from the very high mast. 



After they had, amidst much noise, finished their 

 manoeuvres, four men leaped into the water, and 

 swam towards us. One of them led the way, bear- 

 ing a large shell-horn ; the others followed with 

 cocoa-nuts and pandanus fruit ; and those who had 

 remained behind, awaited in silence the success of 

 their embassy, which advanced towards us with 

 much confidence. The leader, with the horn, was 

 advantageously distinguished by his whole appear- 

 ance : he was a tall, well-made man, of thirty ; his 

 black hair, which was elegantly bound together 

 upon his head, was ornamented with a wreath of 

 white flowers, in the form of a crown. In his ear- 

 holes, which were remarkably large, he wore rolls 

 of tortoise-shell, ornamented with flowers ; round 



D i 



