306 ISLES OF SUMMER. 
‘They came to the ship in canoes, formed from the trunk of 
a tree, as long as a boat, and all from one log, curiously worked 
after their own fashion, and large enough to carry forty or fifty 
persons. Others they have, also, sufficient to contain one per- 
son. They are propelled by a paddle shaped like a baker’s shovel, 
and glide about rapidly. They overturn and right them again 
when on the water, emptying them with calibashes which they 
have always with them. They bring balls of cotton thread, and 
other things too numerous to mention, and would exchange them 
for anything in return. J watched them very narrowly, to see 
if they had any gold, but could only see that they had a little 
piece hanging from the nose.” 
In asubsequent letter he writes: ‘‘ They swam out to our boats, 
bringing parrots and balls of cotton thread, with spears and sev- 
eral other things, all of which they exchanged for what we chose 
to give them—glass beads and hawk’s bills. In fact we traded 
together most amicably, but they appeared to be a very poor race 
of people, deficient in many things. They go about naked as 
they were born, the women also, although I did not see but one 
[old] young one. Indeed every one that I saw was young; every 
one appeared to be under thirty years of age. 
«¢The hair of some was thick and long, like the tail of a horse. 
The hair of some was short, brought forward over the eye-brows; 
some wearing it long and never cutting it. Some again are 
painted, and the hue of their skin is similar in color to the Cana- 
ries—not black nor white. Some are painted white, and some 
red, or any other color. Some paint only their faces, and others 
their whole person, and some only their eyes and noses. 
‘‘They have no weapons and appear to know of none, for I 
showed them swords, and they took them by the blade and cut 
themselves from sheer ignorance. They have no iron. Their 
spears are long, and instead of iron are pointed with the teeth of 
