84 



porter's journal 



the handsomest girls in the village to sing me to sleep. 

 After our repast, all the women joined in a song, which was 

 accompanied b) the clapping of hands; it lasted near half 

 an hour, and was not unmusical. I inquired the subject of 

 it, and was informed by Wilson that it was the history of 

 the loves of a young man and a young woman of their val- 

 ley : they sung their mutual attachment, and the praises of 

 their beauty ; described with raptures the handsome beads 

 and whales' teeth earrings with which she was bedecked, 

 and the large whale's tooth which hung from his neck. 

 They afterwards joined in a short song, which they appear- 

 ed to compose as they sung, in which I could plainly dis- 

 tinguish the words Opotee, ti ties, peppees, &lc, '^Porter pre- 

 sents beads, &;c.) after which they strove in various ways 

 who should most amuse us, the men in dancing, the girls 

 in playing scratch cradle, (an amusement well known in 

 America) at which they are more dexterous than any other 

 I ever met with. The thread used for this purpose is 

 made of the fibres of the cocoa-nut, and is generally worn 

 by the young girls (who greatly delight in this amusement) 

 round the neck, or made up with much ingenuity and 

 compactness into a small skein, and is put through the hole 

 of the ear, where it serves the double purpose of keeping 

 it distended, and amusing them occasionally. It is really 

 astonishing to see what variety of forms they will give to 

 this thread, and with what dexterity and expedition they 

 will change it from one form to another. Sometimes it 

 assumes the appearance of the finest network, and in au 

 instant changes to that of lace. Sometimes the reticula- 

 tions are diamond like, square or polyedrous, and some- 

 times compounded of the whole. 



Our time passed rapidly with these kind people, and the 

 evening approached before we were aware of it. It be- 

 came necessary to hasten to the ship, and we bade them 

 farewell, with a promise that we should shortly return 

 and brin^ with us a larger supply of peepees and other tie iies^ 

 so much desired by them. 



This bay, as I before observed, affords good shelter. 

 The entrance is narrow, the water deep, and the landing 

 good; but I should not deem it adviseable to enter with a 

 large vessel, as the lee point runs out for a great distance, 

 and must render the egress difficult and dangerous. The 



