682 
THE VOYAGE OE H.M.S. CHALLENGER. 
sorts of encouragements were used, but the canoe kept at a distance, paddling to and fro. 
The only word caught was “ sigor,” “sigor”! The canoes had two paddlers, one at 
either end, apparently boys, and a full-grown savage on the small platform in the centre, 
who had his huge mop-like head of hair set off by a radiant halo of feathers stuck into it, 
and decked with a broad fillet of scarlet Hibiscus flowers, placed under the edge of the 
mop, above his forehead. As he blew up his smouldering fire-stick into a blaze, his dark 
face glowing in the light and set off by the scarlet blossoms, formed a most striking, and 
at the same time most savage, spectacle. 
The canoe at last dropped under the stern, the natives shouting still cc sigor” 
“ sigor ” ! and a gaudy handkerchief was thrown down from the stern boat. It was at 
once fished out of the water with a four-pronged fish spear, and examined by the glow 
of the fire-stick, and then another canoe which was approaching, and which contained 
four natives, was shouted to in the most excited language, expressive evidently of 
satisfaction. 
“Sigor” being supposed to mean “tobacco,” a cigar w T as let down with a line and 
immediately taken and lighted, more were shouted for, and two cocoanuts neatly 
husked and tied together with a part of the husk left attached for the purpose, as in the 
many islands visited by us, were fastened to the line, to be drawn up in exchange. 
Then by cries of “ sigor”! which acted as a loadstone, the canoes were drawn up opposite 
the gangway, and every attempt was made from the bottom of the ladder to invite the 
natives on board, but without success; nor would they approach near enough to receive 
presents from the hand, evidently fearing a trap, but they took a number of cigars, 
receiving them two at a time, stuck between the prongs of a long fish- spear. The plac- 
ing of the cigars between the jagged points of the spear was rather trying work, for the 
ship was rolling somewhat, and the spear thus moved to and fro in a dangerous manner. 
Another gaudy handkerchief being given to the boat which had received one already, it 
was passed over to the other boat at once, either according to some agreement as to 
division of spoil or perhaps because the occupant of the boat was a chief. The use of 
ship’s biscuit was not understood. One native made signs that he wanted a gun, by 
pretending to load his bow from some implement picked up from the bottom of his 
canoe to represent a powder flask, then ramming down in pantomime, drawing the bow 
as if shooting, and saying “ boom.” The natives seemed frightened to some little extent 
by a “blue light,” and shoved off a bit, shouting something as it was lit. At one time 
they commenced a sort of song in their canoe, as they lay off the ship hesitating to 
approach. At last they left for the shore. 
At daylight on the 24th the ship was surrounded by canoes, each containing from 
two to six natives all jabbering together and making the most terrible din one could 
possibly imagine. The anchorage being rather an uncomfortable one, owing to its being 
exposed to the full effect of the swell rolling into the bay, which made the ship very 
