52 THE CRUISE OF THE ' CUBAQOA.' 



neighbours. The women whom I saw had notliing on but 

 a strip of cotton or tapa depending from their waists to the 

 middle of their thighs. Several of them had flowers in 

 their hair ; a head-dress which showed them off to advan- 

 tage ; tho.se wlio were mothers had breasts loose and 

 falling, those who were not had tliem firm and very pointed. 

 The men for the most part were tattoed from the breast to 

 the knees with clever designs of a bluish tint, which gave 

 them the appearance of being clothed. They offered me 

 for sale spears, tomahawks, and shells ; I offered a dollar for 

 a club which a woman handed to me, but after having 

 taken my money she returned it to me, saying it was worth 

 double. I left the carpenter's house about 2 o'clock, on ray 

 way back to the ship, while Mi". Carr was still trying to 

 obtain some photographic .sketches. I stopped a moment 

 on the summit of the pass to light my pipe, and was again 

 overtaken by a heavy shower. Having reached the coast 

 about 3 o'clock, I fired two shots to announce my return, 

 and as a signal for a boat. But the shots not having been 

 heard, I was obliged to have recourse to the natives for one, 

 which I did not get imtil after half an hour's haggling, and 

 showing them the money which I intended for their wage. 

 I assisted the paddlers the ^vhole way, and at length reached 

 the ' Cura9oa,' thoroughly drenched, where I found the 

 Commodore at dinner, having the Missionary and the Chief 

 Maunga for his guests. 



This chief, whom some sailors have honoured witli the 

 title of king, was suffering from elephantiasis, a common 



