NATIVE CARVED FIGURE. 173 



to sit under in the shade, and a grove of very fine 

 cocoa-nut trees surrounded the houses. 



Near the path leading to the plantain -ground 

 was an old stump of a tree, three feet high, that 

 had been rudely fashioned at top into the figure of a 

 human face. I thought at first it might be an idol, 

 but they seemed to pay it no reverence, laughing 

 when I pointed towards it, pulling its nose and then 

 pointing to their own, gave us their name for nose, 

 " peek" It was therefore probably merely made for 

 amusement. After a walk along the beach, under 

 some cliffs towards Treacherous Bay, we returned 

 to our boat, and, having thus eiFected an introduc- 

 tion to these people, went on board. Two of the 

 natives insisted on going off with us, and we took 

 them in the boat accordingly. Their names were 

 Mammoos and Seewai ; and we afterwards found 

 they were two of the most influential men of the 

 island. They seemed quite confident ; but when they 

 got alongside and saw the guns projecting over 

 their heads, they were rather alarmed, and said 

 very earnestly once or twice, " poud Mammoos ! 

 poud Seewai!" After being on board some time, 

 and having some presents given them, and promis- 

 ing to bring off plenty of yams and plantains, they 

 were sent ashore in the whale boat, which Seewai 

 insisted on steering, and did it very well. 



March %9. — A large party of us landed this 

 morning at Keriam, where a number of natives 

 from all parts of the island were asembled. Groups 



