224 THE CRUISE OF THE ' GUBAgOA.' 



tlie skull of a native who had been killed and eaten some 

 few years ago here after the following fashion. Four men 

 of Vila Island, New Hebrides, of the Fal tribe, came over to 

 Vate or Sandwich Island by invitation. The next morning 

 one of the Vate men (the coast men or fishermen) called out 

 to his unsuspecting guests from the beach, who had never 

 seen a ship, ' Ship oh ! ' or ' Sail oh ! ' in their language, when 

 they in their eagerness to see the ship, and little suspecting 

 the treachery of their hosts, rushed out without their arms, 

 and were immediately attacked and clubbed, with the ex- 

 ception of one who succeeded in getting off. A. new 

 banquet was now got up, the three victims of this piece of 

 treachery supplying the material, and it is the skull of one 

 of these that is now in my possession, showing distinct traces 

 of two blows from a club. 



The chief, who was detained as hostage dvu'ing my little 

 tour, paid a visit to the ' CuraQoa ' in company with several 

 other chiefs, one of wliom had been on board the ' Day- 

 spring ' wliile we were bombarding Port llesolution ; and 

 he gave such a highly-excited account of it, that they had 

 all of them the ap])earance of being thoroughly intimidated. 

 When he had concluded, they bound themselves by oath 

 for ever henceforth to respect the life and property of 

 British subjects. They said with great simplicity that they 

 had seen many ships of war before, but they w(;re veiy far 

 from conceiving that any one of tliem could contain so many 

 men, shoAv itself so formidable, and cause such teriible 

 ravage. 



