FISHERMEN. 133 



amongst them, as well as a few men of the same 

 tribe — doubtless prisoners of war, and, in fact, simply 

 slaves. These people had heard that a white man 

 had passed, about a year ago, to the north-west, but 

 they had not seen him. They did not seem inclined 

 to give us much information, and were decidedly 

 surly. So we did not waste much time talking to 

 them. 



A Httle further on six men were found repairing a 

 canoe on the beach, but they would give us no infor- 

 mation whatever. Again under weigh, sailing with a 

 nice light breeze from the east, along the coast, we 

 soon came in sight of a party of seven fishermen. 

 Having run the boat ashore within a hundred yards 

 of them, Mr. Young, Moloka, Sinjerry, and myself 

 approached them unarmed. They did not seem to 

 take the slightest notice of us, going on with their 

 work, and just as we reached them they hauled in a 

 fine lot of fish. They were so intent on their occupa- 

 tion that we could get nothing out of them till they 

 had completed the stringing of the last fish. Then they 

 informed us that the name of this village was Pam- 

 quinda, but that their own village, which was called 

 Pakaooma, was five days' march from here, bearing 

 north-west by north, half west, and that they had 

 come here for a little time to fish. They said they 

 were Ajawahs, and that a white man had passed 

 about a year ago through their village, accompanied 

 by seven men, a boy, and a dog. He had slept 

 one night at Pakaooma, and the following day 

 several of them had assisted to carry his things a 

 day's march to a village called Maleeway fartlier 



