NATIVES SHEW THIEVISH PROPENSITIES. 201 



purpose to which they applied the iron hoop we 

 found was to substitute it for the pieces of a hard 

 green stone (nephrite) in the heads of their axes 

 and adzes. The one figured on pag'e 198 represents 

 the usual form of these instruments. The V-shaped 

 handle is a single piece of wood^ and the stone^ pre- 

 viously ground down to a fine edge, is fixed in a 

 cleft at the end of the short arm, and firmly 

 secured by cordage. This axe is usually carried by 

 being- hooked over the left shoulder with the handle 

 crossing- the breast diagonally. 



Among our visitors to-day I noticed two who 

 had large white patches on the skin, as if caused by 

 some leprous complaint, — one man had lost his nose, 

 and in addition was affected with elephantiasis of the 

 left foot. 



After leaving us two of the canoes paddled up to 

 the tide pole on the neighbouring reef, and before a 

 boat could reach them, the natives managed to 

 secure the pigs of iron ballast with which it was 

 moored. They communicated with two canoes, 

 coming from the direction of Piron Island, which 

 soon afterwards came under the stern. As one of the 

 stolen pigs was seen partially concealed in the bow 

 of one of the last comers the jolly boat was manned 

 to recover it, when the canoes left in great haste 

 with the boat in chase. As the boat approached 

 a cocoa-nut was thrown overboard from the canoe, 

 as if to cause delay by stopping to pick it up, but, 

 the intended effect not being produced, the stolen 



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