286 RETURN BY PIGVILLE. 



There was a grove of cocoa-nuts round the village, 

 and much sago-palm and other trees, among which 

 was the bread-fruit : although so near the sea, 

 there were but few mangroves. 



As the water outside this branch seemed too 

 shoal for us, it was decided we should return by the 

 way we came in ; accordingly, at half-past three, 

 when the flood tide made, we weighed, and went 

 rapidly up with it and a favourable breeze. We 

 got pretty close to a canoe with six men, under the 

 western bank, whom we induced to pick up some 

 bottles we threw to them, and at length to come 

 near enough to us to take a hatchet from the gig 

 that was towing astern, and which Dr. Whipple 

 went to give them in exchange for a cocoa-nut. 

 During this they seemed, however, in great trepida- 

 tion, and their faces assumed a most amusing ex- 

 pression (or caricature rather) of great horror and 

 disgust at finding themselves so close to such hideous 

 white people. 



When we opened the south-west channel, we saw 

 eleven more canoes coming off to us from the two 

 villages in that direction, of all sizes, from those 

 holding one man to those that had twenty or more, 

 and a crowd of people launching others. We did 

 not stop for them, however, but made the most of 

 our fair wind and tide during the fading light. 



Arrived at the entrance of the Pigville channel, 

 we got aground on a steep bank of eight feet only, 

 but towed off with the rising tide, and anchored in 

 the centre of the stream. At ten at night the tide 



