•ASPECT OF THE NATIVES. 



233 



we were reconnoitering these with our glasses, one 

 of the men said he saw the people puffing smoke at 

 us from the balcony, that they waved their arms, 

 and a jet of smoke proceeded from them " like the 

 puff of a pipe." 1 did not succeed in seeing this 

 action myself, but I have no doubt it was the same 

 as that observed by Cook when he landed on this 

 coast to the westward, and which has never yet been 

 explained or accounted for. The men seemed each 

 ornamented with a piece of round shell hanging on 

 their breasts, and most had the shield-shaped piece 

 of shell over the groin. They were generally of a 

 dark brown or copper colour ; but we observed 

 one lad of a pale dirty yellow, the colour of a frog. 

 The canoes were quite simple, having no outrigger 

 on either side, but appearing to be a mere hollow 

 tree. The paddles were about five feet long in the 

 handle, with a diamond shaped blade, the men using 

 them as they stood up. They gradually advanced 

 towards us, and one man seemed inclined to come up 

 alone in a small canoe. We tried him with Erroob 

 words, but he did not seem to understand them, 

 and replied in words unintelligible to us. As we 

 were now so far from the sea, with such a labyrinth 

 of channels to trace back, it would evidently never 

 do to proceed with so strong a body of enemies like- 

 wise in the rear. We determined then to return at 

 once, and not attempt further communication with 

 these people, as it would only lead probably to 

 bloodshed, without any adequate reason. I should 



