.NIdE, OB SAVAGE ISLAND. 19 



The Commodore, wlio remained on board, amused liimself 

 with his rifle, firing at them; he killed several, to one of 

 ■which the natives made fast a rope and hauled it upon 

 deck. 



The island appeared to me bright with verdure ; it lies 

 tolerably low, rising in no part more than 250 or 260 feet 

 above the level of the sea. There is a cliff from ten to 

 twenty feet high on the west coast. The coral reef where I 

 landed did not appear to extend far from the shore. The 

 boat not being able to land me high and dry, I was obliged 

 to wade a little way through the water and thus reach the 

 shore, where, to my surprise, I found a wooden landing- 

 place with steps, which, in such a spot, at first considerably 

 puzzled me until I connected it with the missionaries. A 

 number of natives, among whom I did not perceive a 

 single woman, were ranged on the shore, and many of them 

 came and shook hands with me. Among them was a young 

 Albino with reddish-yellow hair and with a fine clear skin. 

 Supposing, as a matter of course, that he was of white blood 

 I spoke to him in English, but was instantly convinced that 

 I had made a mistake, and that he did not understand a word 

 I had said. He was a pure-bred native, less dark than his 

 fellow -islanders, who themselves, indeed, had much lighter 

 skins than I expected ; I should describe them as of a bright 

 brown colour. They saluted me with the word 'Alofa ' 

 (love), to which I replied by '■Aloha,' which is a form used in 

 Hawaii on these occasions, meaning the same thing. 



On leaving the landing-place I made for the village of 



