304 
SOUTH SEA 
not decrease our uneasiness, particularly as we now 
found that we were surrounded with canoes which were 
filled with men and boys. We, however, determined to 
lie to our oars, and propel the boats as quickly towards 
them as possible, and the men laid upon them with all 
their strength, and our two -whale-boats dashed along 
with the greatest rapidity. When the people in the 
canoes which lay in our course saw T us approach with 
such velocity and animation, our men hallooing with all 
their might at the same time, with the oars alternately 
swinging in the air, and then dashing into the water 
with great force and quickness, wonder and fear took 
possession of their minds, so that they scarcely knew 
how to move their canoes out of our way ; we quickly 
shot alongside the large canoe and looked into it, to 
discover whether they had brought any arms with them 
from the shore, and soon finding that they had not, oiij* 
mistrust of these people now entirely gave way to confi- 
dence, and we again commenced our telegraphic com- 
munications. In the stern of the canoe, seated in great 
apparent majesty, was an intelligent-looking lad, who 
seemed to observe with much interest our various pro- 
ceedings. It is worthy of remark, that among these 
people the mental power declines very soon, and it is 
only among the young that any signs of it are manifest, 
indicated by the brightness of intelligence beaming from 
the eyes of the youth of both sexes, compared wdtli the 
dull and vacant expression in those but little advanced 
beyond the middle age. 
We saw no women or girls except upon the shore ; 
