TYE AND SUALIB. 277 



Each turtle is covered with thirteen pieces, five on the back, and 

 four on each side. These together make what is called a head, whose 

 average weight is about fourteen pounds. 



Tortoise-shell, I am informed, sometimes sells in Manilla for from 

 two to three thousand dollars the picul (one hundred and thirty-three 

 English pounds). It constitutes the chief article of trade in these 

 islands, and causes them to be visited by traders every season, while 

 it is the chief inducement for the residence of whites among them, 

 who endeavour to monopolize the trade. 



The visits of the traders in tortoise-shell, who come in small vessels, 

 are attended with no little risk, and there are many accounts of attempts 

 made by the natives to cut them off. They resort to many methods 

 of effecting this purpose ; among others, one of the most frequent is 

 to dive and lay hold of the cable : this, when the wind blows fresh 

 towards the shore, is cut, in order that the vessel may drift upon it. 

 Or, in other cases, a rope is attached to the cable, by which the vessel 

 may be dragged ashore. The time chosen for these purposes, is just 

 before daylight. The moment a vessel touches the land, she is con- 

 sidered and treated as a prize sent by their gods. 



By five o'clock we had anchored under the Vitilevu shore, off the 

 point called Viti-rau-rau, where we lay until 2 a. m. Having the 

 advantage of the moon, by whose light we trusted to find our way 

 through the reefs, and being favoured by a land-breeze, we then 

 weighed anchor, in hopes of reaching Malolo in time for early observa- 

 tions. At eight o'clock, a. m., it fell calm, and not wishing to lose the 

 day, I determined to land on a small sand-island, a mile and a half in 

 circumference, (which I called Linthicum Island, after my cockswain,) 

 that was near us, and afterwards to connect it with that of Malolo by 

 triangulation. The anchor of the tender was accordingly dropped, 

 her sails remaining up, as a signal to the boats of our position. We 

 were then about five miles east of Malolo. I soon landed, with Mr. 

 Eld, and became engaged in our observations. In the afternoon, I 

 was congratulating myself that I had now finished my last station 

 of the survey, and that my meridian distances and latitudes were all 

 complete. We were putting up our instruments to go on board, when 

 it was reported to me that the three boats were in sight, coming down 

 before the breeze. So unusual an occurrence at once made me sus- 

 pect that some accident had occurred ; and on the first sight I got of 

 them, I found that their colours were half-mast and union down. I 

 need not describe the dread that came over me. We reached the 



vol. in. 70 



