PAUMOTU GROUP. 337 
The chief was an old man, and was induced to venture off towards 
the boat. One of the gentlemen swam to those on shore ; his recep- 
tion was similar to that met with at the other islands : rubbing noses, 
kissing, and shaking of hands. Whenever he attempted to lay his 
hands on them, they started back, but were continually pawing and 
whining over him, making a kind of purring noise, not unlike that by 
which we propitiate or soothe the feelings or doubtful temper of some 
beast, They presented them with mats made of the pandanus leaf, and 
also pieces of worn-out tapa, in return for many articles received, but 
would not surfer our people to put their feet upon dry ground, and 
when it was attempted, kept shoving them gently into the water. 
The naturalists in the afternoon endeavoured to effect a landing at 
another place, out of sight of the natives, and succeeded. Mr. Brack- 
enridge, on landing the second time, ran to the thicket, in order to 
lose no time in making collections, and was employed in gathering 
specimens, when two stout natives came running up, and made him 
understand, by very intelligible signs, that he must return to the boat ; 
he pretended not to understand them, and endeavoured to proceed, 
but they went before hirn, and crossed their clubs, deter mined that 
he should go no farther. This caused him to laugh, in which the 
two natives joined. Finding there was no alternative, he took an 
oblique direction towards the boat, hoping by this means to enlarge 
his collection, which he succeeded in doing, while the natives, as he 
describes it, shouldered him out of the bush, and then towards the 
boat. The rest of the party having gone up to the huts, were at once 
seized and shoved down towards the boat and into the surf, where 
they presented rather a ludicrous appearance, with the danger of 
drowning on the one side, and the natives on the other, who had them 
completely in their power, as they had neither arms nor any other 
means of defence. No harm, however, was done them, but the alarm 
incident to being threatened with spears. The only mishap met 
with was the loss, by one of the gentlemen, of a pair of spectacles, 
and a bruise or two from the coral in their hurried retreat. As the 
surf was heavy, life-preservers were sent to those who could not 
swim; and after much detention they reached the boat in safety. 
Had such a circumstance occurred at Clermont de Tonnerre, I am 
satisfied that most serious consequences would have resulted to us. 
The superficial extent of the island of Otooho is about a square 
mile; it has no lagoon, is well covered with trees, and has fresh 
vol. i. 85 
