218 THB CRUISE OF TEE ' OUBACJOA.' 



resembling mother-of-pearl. Several of them presented the 

 remarkable peculiarity of having breasts, which appeared as 

 large and full as those of many women. The majority of 

 the women whom I saw afterwards wore pretty nearly the 

 same ornaments as the men. 



There came, subsequently, in a raised whale-boat schooner- 

 rigged, with a crew of native boatmen, a German, who 

 was trading in sandal wood on account of Mr. Underwood, 

 of Whale Island, near Anatom. This person spoke as to 

 the good disposition of the natives, and assured us we might 

 land without apprehending the least molestation from them. 

 But, in spite of this, we thought it more prudent to wait 

 until the next day before attempting to explore the island. 



At dawn I went on board the ' Dayspring,' where the 

 Rev. Mr. Morrison, the Eramanga missionary, was so 

 obliging as to put at my disposal two native guides who 

 spoke a little English. I left, accompanied by Messrs. 

 Veitch and Brazier. The Commodore, who had some mis- 

 givings as to the appetite of the cannibals, would not permit 

 Wall's and Brazier's boys to go with me, on the ground 

 that this young flesh was too tempting. They were not 

 indeed without anxiety on board the ' Dayspring,' so much 

 so that the Missionaries would retain as hostage the chief 

 of the district which I proposed to visit. We lauded at 

 about a mile below the spot pointed out to us as the sandal 

 wood station. Scarcely were we on our way before eight 

 natives were on our track ; luckily they gave signs of 

 friendly feehng, besides which their number was, of their 



