Nov.] 



DAMPIER'S ISLAND. 



457 



They at length ventured to approach, and appeared to be very much 

 surprised at all they saw ; the size, shape, and rig of the vessel ; but 

 above all, the iron of the chain-plates took their fancy, and they ex- 

 erted all their strength and ingenuity to get it off with their hands. 

 Having the mortification of failing in these attempts, they next turned 

 their attention to the anchors on the bows, the chain cables that were 

 attached to them, and the eye-bolts in the vessel's sides. Finding 

 every thing too fast or too heavy for their purpose, they next attempted 

 to cut the chain cables with their stone axes, which were made of a 

 species of jasper. Baffled in all their futile attempts to acquire 

 property unlawfully, they now condescended to resort to honest traffic, 

 disposing of their fishing-gear, war implements, a few pearl-shells, 

 and some tortoise-shell knives and shovels, of very excellent quality. 

 They also gave us to understand that there was plenty of the pearl- 

 oysters to be had around these islands, by diving for them ; and to 

 convince us that the tortoise visited their island, they presented us 

 with a sufficient quantity of their eggs to fill a bucket, and these had 

 evidently been gathered but a short time. 



, These people are like those of New-Britain in their appearance 

 and manners; but their war implements are made with much more 

 neatness, which bespeaks them a warlike people. Their spears 

 are about sixteen feet in length, handsomely carved and tapered ; one 

 end of them is ornamented with a bird of paradise, well stuffed and 

 preserved, which gives them a showy and tasteful appearance. They 

 are made of a kind of black ebony. Their war-clubs, which are 

 made of a material resembling tick-wood, are about four and a half 

 feet long, with a two-edged blade at one end, and the carved head of 

 a savage at the other, the whole very ingeniously and tastefully exe- 

 cuted. They are also very expert with the sling, which they use 

 with great dexterity and exactness. 



These natives are tattooed about the body ; and they are the first 

 that we had seen, since leaving the Massacre Islands, who chew the 

 betel-nut and chumum. Dampiers Island has a beautiful appearance 

 from the seaboard, being considerably elevated in the centre, and 

 running off with a regular and gradual descent towards the sea, at all 

 points of the compass. The whole surface of this island, even to its 

 highest elevation, is covered with one continued forest ; with the ex- 

 ception of a few yam plantations, which are laid out on the most mod- 

 erately elevated places. The inhabitants are very numerous, in pro- 

 portion to the size of the island. Their villages all stand near the 

 seashore, and are pleasantly shaded by the lofty and majestic cocoa- 

 nut and bread-fruit trees. From the appearance of these men, I think 

 that in case a ship should touch at this island, without being well 

 armed and manned, there would be great danger of her being cut off, 

 especially if she should come to anchor. 



