ELLICE'S AND KINGS MILL GROUP. 51 



sticking upwards, and the two fins acting as a covering and guard 

 for the ears : its colour is perfectly white, and by its toughness and 

 spines affords protection against the native weapons. 



The ornaments which the natives wore, were strings of beads and 

 human hair. The beads were strung alternately, black and white, 

 and were made of shell and of cocoanut-wood. The strings of human 

 hair resembled watch-guards, and some of them were of the size of 

 packthread. Although the manufacture of this article must have been 

 tedious, yet a great quantity of it was brought off, and bartered for 

 some plugs of tobacco, and a few whales' teeth. Their mats, like- 

 wise, constituted an ornament : they were slips of the pandanus 

 braided, and some of these had been bleached, and were of a light 

 straw-colour ; others were unbleached and brown : these were inter- 

 woven together, so as to produce many kinds of figures, in squares, 

 lozenges, and diamonds. They wore these folded twice, so as to form 

 a triple thickness, which they passed over one shoulder as a scarf, or 

 round the body, securing it with a cord of human hair ; the folds of 

 this answered the purposes of pockets, for putting away the tobacco 

 and other articles they had obtained by barter. In default of a mat, 

 they used the lining or upper part of their hat or cap. These mats 

 are about three feet wide by six long. 



Their chief desire was to obtain tobacco, of which they seem to be 

 extravagantly fond ; it was their constant request, and whilst in their 

 canoes alongside, or on deck, the cry was constantly " tebake." It 

 was not begged as a gift; for, what appeared singular enough for 

 South Sea islanders, they seemed to have no idea of receiving any 

 thing as a gratuity, but instantly made a return of something for 

 whatever was given them. So eager were they after it, that when 

 one had put a piece in his mouth, others would seize him, and actually 

 force it out of his mouth with their finsrers. 



Besides the mats, they had fans, fly-brushes, and baskets of dif- 

 ferent sizes and shapes, with nets and hooks for fishing. Some had 

 wigs, and others carved images, all of which were readily parted 

 with for tobacco. Another article which was brought off for sale, 

 was a kind of treacle, made from the sap of the cocoa-nut tree, which 

 they had in cocoa-nut shells : into these they frequently thrust their 

 fingers, and drawing them through their mouths, smacked their lips 

 most significantly of its goodness. 



The canoes of these natives were different from those of any other 

 islanders: their average length is from twelve to fifteen feet; they 



