ELLICE'S AND KINGS MILL GROUP. 



71 



public, in order to bring such conduct, and the persons who are guilty 

 of it, to the notice of their own nation. 



Some four or five months before the Peacock's visit, Kirby states 

 that one Leasonby, master of the whale-ship Offley, of London, and 

 whose mate was an American, named Lake, landed six young girls 

 on this island, whom he had obtained at Peru, or Francis Island. 

 After having kept them on board several days, he brought them here 

 to save himself the trouble of beating his vessel up to the island to 

 which they belonged. 



These young girls were extremely good-looking, and are now slaves 

 to the chief of this island, and made to labour and satisfy his lusts. 

 They were landed on Kuria, in despite of their entreaties and tears. 

 These people are in the habit of killing all strangers from islands not 

 connected with their immediate group ; but the lives of these girls 

 were spared, and they were retained in bondage. Two of them were 

 brought off to the ship, who entreated most earnestly to be kept on 

 board, and to be carried to their home. The engraving is made from 

 Mr. Agate's drawing of one of them. 



NATIVE GIRL OF PERU ISLAND. 



The published charts of these islands were found so inaccurate, as 

 to be a cause of danger rather than of safety ; for in them the islands 

 are multiplied, and every hummock or detached islet on the same reef 

 is represented as separate, and a name assigned it. Thus a confusion 

 exists, that it is almost impossible to unravel. How so many errors 

 could be committed, can only be accounted for by the fact that those 



