PAUMATO GKOUP. 67 



"When this was finished several of the scientific gentle- 

 men visited the largest of the islands — Wytoohee. They 

 had not been landed long when they encountered seven of 

 the inhabitants. These at first received them with an air 

 of respect blended with fear ; but when they were made to 

 understand that they had nothing to apprehend, they 

 smiled, rubbed noses'* with the gentlemen, and then invited 

 them to their huts. There they spread mats for them to 

 sit on, and treated them with the milk of the fresh cocoa- 

 nut, which they found to be delicious. 



No women or children were seen, and the gentlemen 

 supposed they had been sent off by the men. 



They were highly pleased with a chisel and some pieces 

 of iron that were given them. Their huts were inferior 

 to those seen about Cape Horn, and their baskets and other 

 articles were suspended on the trees. 



The scientific gentlemen having returned, we resumed 

 our course. 



Aug. 29th. This morning w T e made an island ahead 

 which is not marked on any of the charts ; considered it 

 a new discovery, and named it after the man who first re- 

 ported it in sight — King. 



In the afternoon, Captains Wilkes and Hudson, and Lieu- 

 tenant Emmons and myself, effected a landing on the 

 western side of the island. Near the beach we found the 

 remains of two huts and a canoe. Further on we saw some 

 fish-bones and a large heap of cocoa-nut shells, and also a 

 piece of a fishing-net. Proceeding then in a southeast 

 direction, we soon came to a lagoon, upon the shores of 

 which we found a raft and a large quantity of cocoa-nuts 

 — some of which, as might be supposed, we eagerly enough 

 took possession of. The lagoon was several miles in cir- 



* This is the usual mode of salutation. 



