344 A MISSION TO VITI. 
prices went up. At one time the Fijians would give a 
considerable quantity for a few nails. “But now,” 
Mariner continues, “‘ they demand axes and chisels, and 
those, too, of the best quality, for they have gradually 
become judges of such things: whales’ teeth are also 
given in exchange for it. The chiefs of the Fiji is- 
lands very seldom oil themselves, and consequently re- 
quire very little of this wood, the principal use of it 
being to scent the oil. The natives of the Tonga is- 
lands, however, who require a considerable quantity of 
it for the above purpose, complain heavily of its scar- 
city ; and what renders the matter still worse for others 
is, that the Fiji people, demanding a greater number of 
axes and chisels for a given quantity of wood, these im- 
plements are growing very scarce at the Tonga islands, 
and plentiful at Fiji. Before the Tonga people ac- 
quired iron implements, they usually gave whales’ teeth, 
gnatoo (bark cloth) mats for sails and platt ; but whales’ 
teeth are exceedingly scarce, and the other articles are 
too bulky for ready exportation. The sting of the fish 
called sting-ray was also occasionally given; but these 
stings, which they use for the points of spears, are by 
no means plentiful. This fish is found in the greatest 
quantity at an island called Ovoa, which lies about 
midway between Vavau and Samoa. Another article of 
exchange is a peculiar species of shell, which they find 
only at Vavau, and is also scarce.” It does not seem 
that Europeans engaged in the sandal-wood trade until 
towards the close of the eighteenth century, when it 
was taken up by Manila vessels for shipment to China. 
However, so great was the demand for this article, both 
