THE ST. LAWRENCE LSLAN'DS. 113 



Totahu was frequently repeated, and I only regret 

 that I could not understand the words. The 

 pantomime would perhaps not have been much 

 amiss if they had not, in the heat of action, distorted 

 the eyes and twisted the neck, and at the same time 

 gesticulated so furiously, that the foam stood in 

 their mouths. On departing, I presented the 

 princess with a silk handkerchief, and some other 

 trifles ; at which she was so delighted that she did 

 me the honour to present me wdth her own shell 

 wreath. The distinguished chief and his sister 

 were not yet tattooed ; probably the operation is 

 not performed so early, as it is concluded in this 

 island in one operation, and not, as in the Mar- 

 quesas, in several. Langedju told me, that after 

 tattooing, the body swelled very much, and suffered 

 a great deal of pain : and really this pain must be 

 very considerable ; the mate of Captain Krusen- 

 stern, a tall,, robust man, fainted when he had his 

 arm a little tattooed. 1 believe that tattooing in 

 these islands is a religious custom ; at least they 

 refused it to several of our gentlemen at Otdia, 

 assuring them that it could only be done in Eregup. 

 In an excursion which I made I have been con- 

 firmed in my opinion that this is one of the finest 

 islands ; nothing is seen here except fruit-trees and 

 taro plantations. We were told that the island 

 which we had seen in the south belonged to the 

 group of Aur ; Kawen and Aur are therefore only 

 ten miles distant from each other. 



VOL. II. 1 



