44 ELLICE'S AND KINGS MILL GROUP. 



which it was inferred, it might be with them a sign of amity and 

 peace. In all, the lobe of the ear was bored, and distended to the 

 size of an inch in diameter : around this they insert small rings of 

 tortoise-shell, so neatly made- that it is difficult to discern the place 

 where they are joined. Many of them had shells and mother-of-pearl 

 ornaments suspended round their necks. 



Only one woman was seen in the canoes, and every endeavour was 

 made to induce her to come on board, that her likeness might be pro- 

 cured, but without effect; she could not be prevailed upon. She was 

 prepossessing in her appearance, with a pleasing expression of coun- 

 tenance, and had a modest demeanour. She wore a cincture around 

 her waist, and a mat over her bosom. The cincture was made of 

 pandanus-leaves ; this was fastened to a cord as a thick fringe, two 

 feet in length, and extended to her knees. Her arms were beautifully 

 tattooed, of the same figure as the men, but the tattooing was con- 

 tinued down the leg in horizontal stripes, an inch and a half wide. 

 This constitutes a great difference from the Polynesians, for with 

 them we have never before met with any females who were tattooed, 

 excepting a few marks on the fingers and feet. 



Twenty or thirty of these natives came on board, while the rest 

 remained in the canoes, of which there were about fifteen, having 

 an average of five natives to each. Their desire was to exchange 

 their articles for hatchets and plane-irons : iron articles of all kinds 

 were in great demand, together with beads and rings. 



After they had exhausted their desire for trade, some few of them 

 went below, and entertained the officers with a dance and song, both 

 of which resembled those of Polynesia, which have been heretofore 

 described. 



In the afternoon the chief paid the ship a visit. He was styled 

 both the god and chief of the island, and was a very fine-looking 

 man, about forty years of age, and grave in his deportment. He 

 reckoned six towns on the island, five of them on the northeast side, 

 and one on the southwest. The population was estimated at one 

 thousand. 



The natives said that they had pigs and taro, and brought off 

 some of the latter; but it was small, both in size and quantity. 

 The only articles of food that the natives had with them in their 

 canoes were the young cocoa-nut and the fruit of the pandanus. The 

 former were, for the most part, quite young, and fit only for drinking; 

 but there were some that were old and filled with pulp, to which 



