OCEANIC MIGRATIONS. 163 



at the same time another island in sight to the northeast. We steered 

 towards the former, which, on approaching, proved to be very similar 

 in size and character to Ellice's Cluster. When we were within two 

 miles of the northeastern shore, some canoes put off towards us. 

 They had sails of the usual triangular shape, set with the apex down- 

 wards. When they were near the ship, we judged from the features 

 and tattooing of the crews that they would prove to be of the same 

 stock with the people of the last-visited island, a conjecture which 

 was soon verified by their speech, and by the information which they 

 gave us in answer to our questions. 



" In color they were as dark as New Zealanders. They were mostly 

 of the middle size, and tolerably well shaped, but we observed none 

 of those models of manly beauty that are seen among the Samoans. 

 Their most striking peculiarities were in the hair and skin. The 

 former was thick and bushy ; it was worn in various fashions, some 

 of which reminded us of the Feejeeans. One individual had it 

 twisted in a great number of small ringlets, which hung about his 

 head in mop-like profusion. Others had it done up in a few large 

 locks, eight inches long, not unlike so many fox-tails. These were 

 either worn loosely, or tied up in a bunch together, on the crown of 

 the head ; and though the natural color of their hair was black, 

 these locks, probably by means of some dye, had been brought to a 

 reddish-brown hue, which heightened the resemblance above-noted. 

 The skin was, in all, remarkably coarse and rough to the touch, but 

 many had it disfigured in a singular fashion. In some it was covered 

 with a scurf, as though the whole cuticle were peeling off; in others, 

 where the process seemed farther advanced, the scurf had disappeared, 

 and left the skin marked with circular and waving lines, like an 

 intricate embroidery. In those individuals who were thus affected, 

 perhaps one-fifth of all the natives we saw the skin was of a much 

 lighter color than in the others, with a peculiar, livid hue. The 

 natives called the affection lafa, the name which the Samoans apply 

 to the circular marks which they burn in the skin. 



" It is difficult to understand why these natives should be so well 

 supplied with beard, beyond what we have seen in any other tribe of 

 the Polynesian race. Even the natives of Fakaafo, to whom they 

 appear to be most nearly allied, are as ill-furnished, in this respect, as 

 the Samoans. We should be tempted to suppose that some mixture of 

 races had taken place, but for the fact that their language, so far as 

 we had an opportunity for judging, was pure Polynesian. 



