THE SANDWICH ISLANDS 237 



They came bringing the skins of wolves, bears, 

 foxes, deer, wild cats, martens and sea-otters. 

 They also brought furs, garments made of the 

 bark of trees, and a number of things which 

 testified to a marvellous ingenuity and skill. To 

 the amazement of the Englishmen, a number of 

 these savages offered for sale skulls and human 

 hands, on which the flesh still remained, and 

 which seemed to have been roasted. 



In exchange for their wares they asked at first 

 for iron instruments, then, after a time, they 

 would accept nothing but copper, to such an ex- 

 tent that by the time the ships left King George's 

 Bay there was not a fragment of spare copper 

 on board. "All the jackets had had their buttons 

 removed, the desks were stripped of their fit- 

 tings, saucepans, kettles, candlesticks and every 

 other copper object had been traded." 



The Americans were still more dexterous 

 thieves than the Pacific islanders. Since they 

 possessed iron tools well sharpened, they cut off 

 all the fish-hooks which they found attached to 

 lines, and all ropes at the end of which happened 

 to be anything they coveted. 



On the other hand, they watched jealously 

 over the products of their country. They de- 

 manded payment from the Englishmen for the 

 water, wood, and even grass which they took. 

 Their cupidity was not always satisfied. 



