Natives of Wytoohee. They oppose their 

 landing. Interview with the chief. 



PAUMOTU GROUP. 



Eastern side of the island. Natives _ 

 of Wytoohee. Their huts. "7 



' chaunt. They would occasionally stop, look up, and 

 return the laugh of the crew by a grin ; apparently 

 enjoying the sport as much as any of them. 



These natives are peculiar, and appeared totally 

 distinct from any others we met with in this group, 

 having strong wiry beards and mustaches, and a 

 different physiognomy. 



I sent one of the boats to the shore, with the 

 interpreter, under Lieutenant Case, but they re- 

 fused to allow them to land. No actual violence 

 was attempted, but Lieutenant Case reported the 

 impracticability of landing without opposition, and 

 injury to themselves and natives. They received 

 several presents, but they had no fruit to give in 

 return, as their cocoa-nuts were tabooed. They 

 gave, in exchange, some articles, consisting of 

 cloth, fish-hooks, adzes, and pearl-shells. Among 

 the articles seen in their possession, was a fine silk 

 pocket-handkerchief, showing that they had had 

 communication not long since with vessels. They 

 refused to part with their spears or clubs. Their 

 adzes were rudely made, but ground very sharp ; 

 they were formed of the tridachna or cassis shell, 

 lashed on a handle somewhat resembling our adze- 

 handles. Knives were also observed in their pos- 

 session. 



Wytoohee is formed of islets connected by a 

 washed coral reef, of irregular shape, with a lagoon 

 having many knolls in it, of various sizes, some 

 four or five feet above the surface. The south-east 

 portion is the largest and most thickly wooded, and 

 contains the greatest number of inhabitants. 



After the surveying duties were over, we found 

 ourselves at the north-west point of the island. The 

 natives who had refused to allow us to land, were 

 now seen waving green boughs, which is the gene- 

 ral sign of good-will, and a desire to have commu- 

 nication, and many were seen dancing on the beach, 

 with their spears in their hands. I gave orders to 

 send the boats to the shore, but on reaching it we 

 found them still averse to our landing ; they, how- 

 ever, assisted Mr. Couthouy through the surf to 

 the beach ; but when he had reached it, they sur- 

 rounded him, and led him back very gently to the 

 water, making him distinctly understand that they 

 would not permit him to visit their huts. They 

 were extremely desirous of obtaining buttons, 

 pieces of iron, and cloth. We gave them several 

 small articles, but they could not be persuaded to 

 part with their spears and clubs. The chief, who 

 was a very old man, was seen lying under a pan- 

 danus tree, close to the beach, and on being told I 

 wished to see him, and make him a present, he arose; 

 his hair was quite gray, and he had a long and 

 stiff white beard ; his legs were enlarged with the 

 elephantiasis, the swelling being of a white colour, 

 and so large and regular that many thought he had 

 on sailor's trousers. About twenty natives were 

 with him on the beach. After being shown the 

 presents I had for him, he was induced to wade 

 into the water up to his neck to receive them. On 

 coming alongside the boat, he seemed somewhat 

 uneasy, until he had gone through the ceremony of 

 rubbing noses, which I must confess was any thing 

 but agreeable with so dirty and diseased a person. 

 He was extremely anxious to get hold of the pre- 

 sents, and amused us by at once plunging them 

 under the water, seeming in no manner concerned 

 about keeping them dry. He was all the while 

 making a noise like the purring of a cat. In return 



for my presents, he at once offered me the short 

 mantle of matting which he had over his shoulders. 



They understood the Tahitian language. The 

 chief gave his name as Korokoa, and the name of 

 the island as Wytoohee. He appeared about sixty 

 years of age, and his teeth were all sound and 

 good. 



His brother was the priest, to whom I also gave 

 some presents. This man had a very remarkable 

 head, the forehead being very high, and narrow 

 almost to deformity, with a dark and suspicious 

 bright eye. His hands were deformed, being desti- 

 tute of joints, and the lower part bent at right 

 angles. The son of the chief was a remarkably 

 fine-looking lad of fifteen. We saw no women, as 

 they had all been hid. The colour of these natives 

 was much darker than those seen before ; in some 

 the hair was inclined to frizzle, and the beard 

 curly. All the grown men that I saw had mus- 

 taches ; their features were strongly marked with 

 a good-humoured expression of countenance ; they 

 wore the maro, and some had a few feathers in 

 their hair. 



The boats of the Peacock succeeded in landing 

 on the east side of the island, where the coral reef 

 shelves at about an angle of 10, and having the 

 wind blowing obliquely on it, there is compara- 

 tively little surf. Some half a dozen natives were 

 here seen ; an officer approached them making 

 signs of friendship, which they returned. At first 

 they seemed quite timid, meeting the advances 

 made in a manner which showed that they were 

 anxious to propitiate us, but still fearful. They 

 were re-assured of our good-will by offering them 

 some small presents, when two old men came for- 

 ward, holding their arms upright above their 

 heads, with their hands open, and became desirous 

 of shaking hands, and even offered to rub noses. 

 Each was armed with a stick, (for it could not be 

 called a spear,) six or seven feet long : on some of 

 them were fastened the jaws of the porpoise. 



They appeared to be greatly astonished, and 

 their looks bespoke amazement at our appearance. 

 Occasionally, as if to satisfy themselves of the 

 reality, they would put their hands on us. On 

 receiving a few trifling presents, they broke forth 

 into the same song or chaunt that was heard on 

 their first coming towards the ship. The younger 

 ones were the first to show confidence, and were 

 much disposed to laugh and joke with the men ; 

 and some of the officers thought they recognized 

 those who had been in the canoes the day before. 



On our gentlemen requesting to go to their huts, 

 they seemed to be thrown into a kind of stupid 

 wonderment, but on being assured they had no- 

 thing to fear, their countenances brightened up, 

 and they led the way through the wood to an open 

 space, surrounded by pandanus and cocoa-nut 

 trees. These natives had evidently had communi- 

 cation with vessels, but I very much doubt if any 

 had landed before. They did not appear at all 

 alarmed at the firing of guns, but were much sur- 

 prised to see the birds killed, holding up their 

 hands, and making ejaculations. They had no idea 

 of the principles of barter, and allowed any thing 

 to be taken without opposition, receiving any arti- 

 cles in return with gratitude and delight. Iron was 

 prized more than any other thing. On reaching 

 the huts, inquiry was made of them for their 

 women, when a general burst of laughter ensued, 



F2 



