16 THE WHALEMAN'S ADVENTURES. 



therefore stood off until twelve o'clock, mid- 

 night, and then tacking, were up with it again 

 by ten o'clock next morning, on the leeward 

 side. 



The island presented a beautiful appear- 

 ance, being thickly wooded to the water's edge, 

 and elevated in some parts into gentle hills, 

 crowned with all the various and luxuriant 

 growth of the tropics. Canoes soon launched 

 out through the boisterous surf, and came along- 

 side of us, having two or three lads and men in 

 each, much fairer- skinned and better looking 

 than the majority of Hawaiians. 



The captain's boat anchored off the reef, 

 while the natives brought their articles of trade 

 in their pigmy canoes. By four in the after- 

 noon he had procured a boat-load of pigs and 

 cocoa-nuts, with which returning to the ship, 

 we stood off again until next morning, when the 

 captain gave orders for two boats. 



One of our sailors by the name of Johnson, 

 who had lived on Tahiti, and could talk a little 

 in their tongue, had told the natives the day 

 before that there was on board a missionary, or 



