United States Exploring Expedition^ 399 



islands, and when labelled throughout — which is now in pro- 

 gress — the condition of the various tribes or races, and the degree 

 of civilization among them, will be at once apparent to the eye. 

 By a walk through the National Gallery, we travel with more 

 than railroad speed over the Pacific, and examine into their va- 

 rious productions and the relative intelligence of the savages. 

 The degradation of the New Hollander stands out in bold relief 

 in contrast with the more advanced, though no less barbarous 

 Feejee. With the former, a war-club, and one or two other im- 

 plements of war, including a small elliptical shield, is their all — 

 there are no dresses, no household utensils, for they use neither, 

 and live without houses. Two cases* are filled with articles of 

 Feejee manufacture, and among them are war-clubs of various 

 kinds, spears, bows and arrows, native cloth of numerous pat- 

 terns, dresses of the men and women, with bracelets and neck- 

 laces of shells and human teeth, wigs of Feejee hair, showing 

 the mode of dressing the head, native combs, paint for painting 

 the face, their pillows, (a stick like a broom-handle supported on 

 short legs at each end,) musical instruments, models of canoes — 

 indeed all the arts and manufactures of the island are well rep- 

 resented ; and were the chief Veindovi living, a visit to the hall 

 with Veindovi at hand, would be little less interesting than visit- 

 ing the islands themselves. One advantage at least — no danger 

 would be apprehended from a ferocious race of cannibals, that 

 are ready to attack all intruders into those seas. Several Feejee 

 skulls are to be found in a separate case containing the skulls 

 collected by the expedition. Among them, one bears the marks 

 of the fire in a large burnt spot on the top of the head. Early 

 one morning, soon after the Peacock came to anchor off a small 

 Feejee town, she was boarded by a large number of natives, 

 who came off with their half eaten bones in their hands — the 

 remains of the past night's cannibal feast. They continued eat- 

 ing the human flesh on deck, as unconsciously as we would eat 

 an apple. One had the skull just referred to in his hand, and as 

 he consented to part with it for some trifle, he gouged out the 

 remaining eye and went on eating off its muscles. This fact, 

 so revolting, is here stated on account of the prevalent unwil- 

 lingness to admit that cannibalism actually exists among savages. 

 This was seen both by men and officers, and from the facts col- 



* The glass cases in the hall measure twelve feet by four, and are eight feet high. 



