PAUMATO GROUP. 67 



When tills was finished, several of the scientific gentlemen 

 visited the largest of the islands — Wytoohee. They had" not 

 been landed long when they encountered seven of the inha- 

 bitants. These at first received them with an air of respect, 

 blended with fear ; but when they were made to understand 

 that they had nothing to apprehend, they smiled, rubbed noses* 

 with the gentlemen, and then invited them to their huts. 

 There they spread mats for them to sit on, and treated them 

 with the milk of the fresh cocoa-nut, which they found to be 

 delicious. 



No women or children were seen, and the gentlemen sup- 

 posed they had been sent off by the men. 



They were highly pleased with a chisel and some pieces of 

 iron that were given them. Their huts were inferior to those 

 seen about Cape Horn, and their baskets and other articles 

 were suspended on the trees. 



The scientific gentlemen having returned, we resumed our 

 course. 



Aug. 29th. This morning we made an island a-head, which 

 is not marked on any of the charts ; considered it a new 

 discovery, and named it after the man who first reported it in 

 sight — King. 



In the afternoon, Captains Wilkes and Hudson, and Lieu- 

 tenant Emmons and myself, effected a landing on the western 

 side of the island. Near the beach we found the remains of 

 two huts and a canoe. Further on we saw some fish-bones 

 and a large heap of cocoa-nut shells, and also a piece of a 

 fishing-net. Proceeding then in a southeast direction,' we soon 

 came to a lagoon, upon the shores of which we found a raft 

 and a large quantity of cocoa-nuts — some of which, as might 

 be supposed, Ave eagerly enough took possession of. The 



* This is the usual mode of salutation. 



