70 ELLICE'S AND KINGSMILL GROUP. 



whole manner was in keeping with the purposes for which their 

 fathers and brothers had brought them off. 



No war implements were seen ; the men, who were naked, re- 

 sembled the others of the group, except that they did not appear so 

 much disfigured by scars. 



Kirby states, that on the first night of his landing, they stripped 

 him of every thing but an old pair of trousers, after which he was 

 conducted to a great conclave of natives, assembled around a large 

 fire, which he then believed was intended to roast him. He had 

 fortunately gone on shore in the highest chief's canoe, and placed 

 himself under his protection, as well as he knew how. After some 

 considerable talk, instead of being roasted, he was furnished with a 

 wife, and taken to reside with his friend, the principal chief, who, 

 with the rest of the natives, ever after treated him kindly. After a 

 few months' residence in the family of the chief, he gave his own 

 daughter to Kirby for a wife. The result of this was much jealousy 

 and envy between his first wife, of common origin, and his last, of 

 high rank, until the former was ousted and sent back to her parents, 

 leaving the chief's daughter in quiet possession of the house. 



During Kirby's residence on the island, several English, and one 

 American whaler, had been off the island, on which occasions he had 

 been employed as pilot and interpreter. The natives were constantly 

 asking him, after their departure, why he " did not fool the vessels 

 and run them on shore, that they might plunder them." One of the 

 above vessels left two pigs, two goats, and a pair of Muscovy ducks ; 

 but no sooner had the vessel left, than they killed them all, from 

 some superstitious fears, and threw them into the sea, notwithstand- 

 ing all Kirby's remonstrances and entreaties to have them spared, 

 and allow him to eat them. 



Kirby says that the natives, though not professed cannibals, some- 

 times eat human flesh ; but their food is generally fish. They do not 

 eat fowls, and will not raise pigs, on account of their filth. Their 

 treacle is extracted from the spathas of the cocoa-nut trees, an opera- 

 tion which, if frequently repeated, destroys the tree. They are very 

 fond of cock-fighting. 



The conduct of foreigners who visit these islands is sometimes of a 

 most outrageous character. Instances of this kind are daily occur- 

 ring, a number of which came to my knowledge ; and the following 

 occurrence it seems to me is of a character that ought to be made 



