192 FIND NATIVES APPAKENTLY FKIENDLY. 



the village, in a short time the two foremost, Messrs. 

 Huxley and Brierly,* the latter having- laid down 

 his rifle, were allowed to approach and parley. 

 Meanwhile, Lieut. Simpson and I remained behind 

 watching" the natives who quickly surrounded the 

 two others, ofFering tortoise-shell, green plantains, 

 and other things for barter, and husthng them in no 

 very ceremonious way while intent upon sketch- 

 ing, and having to keep their subjects in good 

 humour by treating them to sundry scraps of 

 extempore melo-dramatic performance. New comers 

 were continually making their appearance, and all 

 the party were now suddenl}' observed to have fur- 

 nished themselves with spears, none of which had 

 been seen at first, and which had probablj- been 

 concealed among the long grass at the spot to which 

 they had led us. These weapons are made of 

 polished cocoa-nut wood, eight to ten feet long, 

 sharp at each end, and beautifully balanced, the 

 thickest part being two-fifths of the distance firom 

 the point ; one end was usually ornamented with a 

 narrow strip of palm leaf, fluttering in the breeze 

 like a pennon as usually carried. One man was 

 furnished with a two-edged carved and pamted in- 

 strument like a sword. Most of these people had 

 their face daubed over with broad streaks of char- 

 coal down the centre and round the eyes, occasionally 

 variegated with white, giving them a most forbid- 



* A talented marine artist wlio accompanied us upon this and 

 the preceding cruize, as Captain Stanley's guest. 



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