SAILING THE SEVEN SEAS 



683 



Photograph by Dr. Edward Burton MacDowell 

 DRYING VANILLA PODS IN TAHITI 



we went ashore, first sending one of the 

 native boats ahead to start fishing opera- 

 tions, as we had expressed a desire for 

 some fresh fish. 



On the way we passed two natives fish- 

 ing from a canoe. One remains in the 

 canoe while the other dives. After he 

 gets down a few feet, he spits out his 

 mouthful of bait and, holding his hook on 

 a short line among the fish, which im- 

 mediately come in large numbers for the 

 bait, he suddenly jerks the line, snags a 

 fish, and then brings it up to the canoe. 

 Other fishermen went along the shore and 

 with small spears and nets caught a string 

 of fish for us. 



The natives were all at the landing 

 place to meet the strangers and were 

 eager to have their pictures taken. 



POOD SHORTAGE AT MANAHIKI 



The trading schooner had not paid the 

 island a visit for more than six months, 

 and the natives were short of food. They 

 wanted flour most of all, and we noticed 

 that the agent and party were unable to 

 get enough crackers, or soda biscuits, at 

 lunch on board. We gave them several 

 large tins of biscuits and a good supply 

 of tinned meat and some tins of milk. 



They had begged for a tin or two of 

 milk for the babies. One babv had lost 



