CURIOSITY OF THE NATIVES. 449 



men working at one enormous long scull. For landing 

 in the surf and among the rocks they employ a sort of 

 catamaran or raft, with an elevated platform large enough 

 to contain eight or ten persons, which is sculled in the 

 manner of a boat. In some instances they employed 

 these rafts to destroy our surveying marks, when our 

 boats, giving chase, would pursue and capture them, often 

 giving rise to very laughable scenes "When a man be- 

 comes troublesome or offends in any way, he is brought 

 before the chief Mandarins, who first abuse him, and then 

 order him to be seized and thrown down, when he receives 

 a certain number of severe blows with a flat baton (formed 

 like an oar and about six feet long), on the bare hams. 

 Many carry about them severe traces of this bastinado 

 practice in the forms of scars and ulcers. 



On our approach to a village, the poor frightened inha- 

 bitants first drive away all their bullocks beyond the 

 mountains, generally, however, leaving one of the leanest 

 behind as a tempting lure. This being effected, they then 

 assemble in crowds upon all the highest hill tops, until 

 they are assured of our pacific intentions, when they 

 cautiously descend and approach, and begin curiously to 

 examine our persons, admiring the fine texture of our 

 linen, wondering at our gold bands and buttons, and still 

 more at the pinkish tinge of our skins, and the brown 

 colour of our hair. On one occasion we landed in a beau- 

 tiful little bay where there was a village, and along the 

 shore a wood of large-sized fir-trees. By an offer of cloth 

 and sweet wine the Captain obtained permission to cut 

 down some of them ; but no sooner did the carpenters 

 lay the axe to the base of one of the finest, than an old 



VOL. n. 2 G 



