272 
CBUISE OF H.M.S. CHALLENGE B. 
as placing a large earthen vessel on the fire, and indi- 
cating that they cut off parts of the body, place 
in the vessel, and afterwards eat them, onr sus- 
picions were aroused that they honour the memory 
of their friends and relations by eating them. At 
all events, they had no objection to sell human 
skulls, of which several were procured, and no sacri- 
fice seemed too great for them if they could only 
get hold of that priceless material — iron hoop. 
We have no record of any visit of Europeans to 
these islands since that of D’Entrecasteaux, in 1792, 
who did not land, and could not prevail on any of 
the natives to visit his vessel. But from the first we 
seemed to have established a good understanding, 
and our stay was sufficiently long to render us 
familiar with the faces of our daily visitors. Their 
conduct seemed always cheerful and friendly, and 
they had no objection to come on board, and submit 
to the processes of being photographed, weighed, and 
measured. 
Thus a week passed. The bay, reefs, and islands 
were surveyed and named, and many a pleasant day’s 
sport had on Pigeon Island, where there were num- 
berless birds and pretty tropical scenery. The survey 
and magnetic experiments being completed, on the 
10th March we steamed out of Nares Harbour, not 
without regret at leaving these interesting savages ; 
and before sunset they and their beautiful islands had 
sunk below the horizon. 
