68 



PHYSICAL HISTORY OF MAN. 



tunity of becoming acquainted with the Radack islanders; and I must 

 refer to his work, and especially to the plates of Choris, who accom- 

 panied him. 



Pleasant Island is situated near the Equator, some four hundred 

 miles west of the Tarawan Group, and a little beyond Ocean Island. 

 The following particulars respecting its inhabitants, are extracted 

 from a notice by T. Beckford Simpson, originally published in an 

 Australian gazette. 



" They appeared to be a very mild and well-disposed set of people, 

 and had the appearance of being of the same stock with the natives of 

 Ascension, which island he had formerly visited. Unlike them, how- 

 ever, these islanders have no tradition of their origin, or the manner 

 their forefathers first came to the island : they have no religion of any 

 kind, neither do they believe in a future state; but they appear to 

 have some slight idea of an evil spirit. The population was estimated 

 at not less than fourteen hundred ; divided into seven or eight clans, 

 each governed by a chief ; and there is a queen, who presides over 

 the whole. It is her duty to decide all disputes among the chiefs; 

 and in her also is vested the sovereign prerogative of making peace or 

 war among the different clans. They have canoes. Their food con- 

 sists chiefly of cocoa-nuts, the fruit of another description of palm, and 

 fish, which are not very numerous. They have also a few very small 

 fowls. The dress of the women consisted of a piece of native cloth 

 round the waist; and the men wore the maro, made of dried grass. 

 Several Europeans of doubtful character were residing on the island, 

 and one who was now gone, had deliberately murdered eleven of his 

 associates." 



T A H E I T I. 



Leaving the Coral Islands, I shall next speak of the Polynesians 

 of the high and rocky groups. The transition is truly remarka- 

 ble ; independently of the release from the straitened circumstances, 

 heretofore surrounding the human family. We had enjoyed at Metia 

 a slight introduction to the new order of things; and on the following 

 day (in September, 1839,) the Vincennes reached Taheiti, where we 

 remained fourteen days. 



Among the first subjects to attract notice, was the ready and cheer- 

 ful salutation which everywhere met us on our rambles; the attention 



