2€4 ASPECT OF THE NATIVES. 



to come within about ten yards of us, but no nearer, 

 and they stood looking over each other's shoulders, 

 with staring faces, expressive not so much of 

 astonishment as of downright horror ; as if we were 

 something inexpressibly fearful and disgusting to 

 behold. They were tall muscular fellows, with 

 white nose ornaments, a round piece of shell hang- 

 ing on their breast, and a shield-shaped piece over 

 the groin, armlets, and a waist-belt of string adorned 

 with shells or tassels ; their hair was tied back 

 behind the head, and they had a very wild and 

 ferocious aspect. They did not very much resemble 

 the Erroobians except in their ornaments, and they 

 did not seem acquainted with our Erroobian words.* 

 As we could not get them to communicate more 

 closely with us we made sail on a wind to the north- 

 east. Due east of us, about ten miles off, was 

 another long strip of land, ending in a point, from 

 which land stretched all round the northern half of 

 the horizon, covered with tall trees, but broken by 

 many broad bights or openings stretching into it in 

 various directions. For one of these, about five 

 miles distant, we were now steering, and carried 

 four or five fathoms water for three or four miles, 

 but it then became shoaler, and we soon came on 



* This part of the coast is full 120 miles north of Erroob, 

 dead to leeward, in a bight, in which the sea must always be 

 heavy. I think it probable the Erroobians would not venture so 

 far down the coast in their canoes, and that their knowledge is 

 confined to the parts adjacent to Bristow Island. 



