TO GUAHON. 199 



Kadii had made himself many friends here, 

 where several things excited his astonishment; 

 among others, he was once extremely frightened 

 by a man on horseback, as he took him for a 

 dreadful monster. The islanders took pleasure 

 in teaching him, and as he particularly in- 

 terested himself in the cultivation of the land, I 

 hoped, through him, to instruct the inhabitants of 

 Radack with respect to the plants which I intended 

 to take with me. 



The 8th. The captain of an American schooner 

 has concluded with Kareimoku a bargain for a 

 cargo of sanders-wood, giving in return a copper- 

 bottomed vessel. This shows how dear the Ame- 

 ricans are paid in China for sanders-wood. Several 

 ships which lay here at anchor paid for this wood 

 in goods or piasters, and it is delivered to them in 

 the presence of Kareimoku, according to weight. 



I took a walk every evening when the air was 

 cooled. This may be done here without any fear 

 of attack, for though one frequently meets with 

 drunken people, they are in this state the most 

 cheerful and affectionate. They intoxicate them- 

 selves with the Ava-root, which is prepared in the 

 same manner as in the other South- Sea islands, 

 with this exception, that here only the old women 

 chew the root, and the young ones only spit into 

 the dish to dilute the pap. How unhealthy the 

 constant use of this root must be is proved by the 

 many ulcers with which the inhabitants are af- 



o 4f 



