224 TEE GEUISE OF TEE 'GUEACJOA: 



the skull of a native who liad 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 inmiediately 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 matei'ial, 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 during mj little 

 tour, paid a visit to the ' Cui'a^oa ' in company with several 

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

 spring ' while we were bombarding Port Resolution ; and 

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

 all of them the appearance 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 were very far 

 from conceiving that any one of them could contain so many 

 men, show itself so formidable, and cause such terrible 

 ravage. 



