96 CRUISE OF THE •CURACnA.' 



from whose lips issued mori; lies than truths, told us he had 

 been in the island four years, the fact being, as we were not 

 long in learning, that he had only been there some weeks, 

 having been expelled for theft from some other island 

 where he had been living. It was this person, nevertheless, 

 wliora the governor instructed to procure horses for us, and 

 to be our guide. 



We proceeded on horseback by a pretty road shaded by 

 cocoa-nut and pandanus trees, and fragrant with the white 

 flowers of a leguminous plant resembhng the pea. Being 

 informed that any^one might at pleasure make use of the 

 cocoa-nut trees which border the roads, I did not fail to do 

 so, more especially as no water was to be found on om- 

 way. We passed groups of prisoners of both sexes, busy 

 in constructing a road, which is to cross the island with a 

 stretch of nine miles. I was informed that there are 

 offences, adultery for instance, which are punished by a fine 

 of from twenty to thirty pounds sterling, or by hard labour 

 for a year, and even more. Hard labour involves the 

 making and keeping up of roads, which are thus generally- 

 maintained in good condition. Our ride did not add much 

 to the sum of our knowledge respecting the island, but we 

 were all of opinion it would be difficult to find a more 

 agreeable one, so pretty and well shaded were the roads. 

 At a hut where we stopped, I purchased different native 

 articles, such as an ava-bowl, which cost me a dollar, and 

 some spears at two shillings each, &c. I also procured a 

 curious wooden pillow, such as young women receive as 



