TO GUAIION. 243 



voyage is therefore Concliided in five clays. They 

 visit Guahon in April, and commence their voyage 

 home in May, or at the latest in June, as, after 

 that, the S. W. monsoon becomes dangerous. Their 

 boats are of such a kind, that they upset with the 

 least carelessness, which happens several times 

 a-day in such a voyage ; but as they are expert 

 swimmers and divers, it has no other consequence 

 than that they have a hearty laugh. On such au 

 occasion they all immediately leap into the water, 

 right their canoe, and swim along with it till they 

 have baled out the water with their hands. It is 

 much w^orse when the outrigger breaks, for tJien 

 they are not able to preserve the equilibrium of 

 their canoe on accountof their narrow construction. 

 There, however, does not pass a voyage but this 

 accident happens, and they repair it while swim- 

 ming, which requires several hours. A European 

 would hardly be able to hold out in a voyage of 

 five days, constantly washed by the waves. The 

 Carolinians are often even fourteen days in this 

 situation, without any food except a few cocoa- 

 nuts, as their canoes cannot carry a cargo ; and 

 sea water for their drink, as much as they please. 

 They have, when there is a whole fleet, generally 

 two pilots, who are only of the lower class, but 

 far exceed the higher in sagacity, and are often 



elevated to the rank of nobility for their merit. 

 Some years ago, a fleet, which was only a day's 



voyage from Guahon, was overtaken by a violent 



R 2 



