1835.] WEALTH OF THE CHIEFS.” 405 
white or scarlet flower in the back of the head, or through a 
small hole in each ear, is pretty. A crown of woven cocoa-nut 
leaves is also worn as a shade for the eyes. The women appear 
to be in greater warit of some becoming costume even than the 
men. 
Nearly all the natives understand a little English—that is, 
they know the names of common things; and by the aid of this, 
together with signs, a lame sort of conversation could be carried 
on. In returning in the evening to the boat, we stopped to wit- 
ness a very pretty scene. Numbers of children were playing on 
the beach, and had lighted bonfires which illumined the placid 
sea and surrounding trees; others, in circles, were singing 
Tahitian verses. We seated ourselves on the sand, and joined 
their party. The songs were impromptu, and I believe related 
to our arrival: one little girl sang a line, which the rest took up 
in parts, forming a very pretty chorus. The whole scene made 
us unequivocally aware that we were seated on the shores of an 
island in the far-famed South Sea. - 
17th.—This day is reckoned in the log-book as Tuesday the 
17th, instead of Monday the 16th, owing to our, so far, success- 
ful chase of the sun. Before breakfast the ship was hemmed in 
by a flotilla of canoes; and when the natives were allowed to 
come on board, I suppose there could not have been less than two 
hundred. It was the opinion of every one that it would have 
been difficult to have picked out an equal number from any other 
nation, who would have given so little trouble. Everybody 
brought something for sale: shells were the main article of 
trade. The Tahitians’now fully understand the value of money, 
and prefer it to old clothes or other articles. The various coins, 
however, of English and Spanish denomination puzzle them, and 
they never seemed to think the small silver quite secure until 
changed into dollars. Some of the chiefs have accumulated 
considerable sums of money. One chief, not long since, offered 
800 dollars (about 160/. sterling) for a small vessel; and fre- 
quently they purchase whale-boats and horses at the rate of from 
50 to 100 dollars. 
After breakfast I went on shore, and ascended the nearest 
slope to a height of between two and three thousand feet. ‘The 
outer mountais are smooth and conical, but steep; and the old 
