YSABEL. 287 



Cockataij Islaiil i« very .sin;ill, iK^t liulf a mile Imig, flat 

 and very little aJj;)ve the sea. Th ■ vegetatimi is luxuriant, 

 and there are large trees. 



As soon as we anehored, the canoes came as usual, in 

 form the same as those of Floiida Island, l)ut smaller in 

 general. The natives in them had yellow-coloured hair 

 dyed with lime, short and woolly. They are as strong and 

 well-grown as at Florida Islan;], and they seemed cheer- 

 ful and friendly. Here also they dislignre their ears with 

 W(joden rings inserted in large slits. They all wore a maro, 

 made of a kind of leaf ke])t up by a band round the waist. 

 They at once took to bartering with considerable pleasure, 

 speaking with astonishing rapidity, and chattering incessantly. 

 They brouglit a great many white cockatoos, different kinds 

 of parrots, some with the golden yellow I'ing on the breast; 

 others with a red head and red and blue body ; also a 

 handsome bird, bul a heavy and anything but a lively one ; 

 some black birds, with yelk)w under the tail, yellow flaps 

 round the eyes, yellow beak, lai'ge strong feet and claws, 

 which seemed very wild. There were no toucans, though 

 they have them in this island. They brought shells, spears, 

 a few light and nearly sharp-edged clubs ; some fine 

 yellowish-white orchids ; some very curious star-fish of a 

 retldish and yellowish colour, covered on one side with 

 short thick rounil-pointed dark brown knobs ; and some 

 things about two inches in thickness, with a haixl sort of 

 plate or shield at the top or bottom, which wei'e laid on 

 deck, and got unfortunately smashed there. The surface of 



