PACIFIC AND BEERING’S STRAIT. 
147 
no possibility of landing in our boats ; yet the natives put off in CHAP 
their canoes and paddled to us. They were a very inferior race to 
those of the Gambier Islands, and seemed more nearly allied in feature 
to those of Mangea and New Caledonia ; yet here also there was among 
them a great diversity of complexion. In one of the canoes was a man 
nearly as dark as an African negro, with woolly hair, tied in a knot like 
the Eadackers ; and another with a light complexion, sandy hair, and 
European features. 
About forty of the natives came down to the beach when we 
approached it, with bunches of feathers and leaves fastened upon sticks, 
and with bludgeons in their hands. Both sexes were naked with the 
exception of their maros, and without any ornaments or tattooing^ 
Iron, which they call “ toki,” was the most marketable article, but the 
surf was so high that there was very little communication with them. 
The men, who came off to us in their canoes, would not suffer our 
boats to approach them. After having made a number of presents to 
one of them, we thought we might at least examine his canoe ; but he 
and his comrade paddled away with the greatest precipitation, and 
were so terrified at the approach of the boat that they jumped over- 
board and swam towards the shore. 
The canoe was constructed with small pieces of wood well put 
together and sewed with the bark of a tree, and, like all the single 
canoes of Polynesia, was provided with an outrigger. She carried two 
men, but was propelled almost entirely by one, the other being fully 
occupied in throwing out the water, which came in plentifully at both 
sides and over the stern. Could they have avoided this and applied 
the efforts of both to the paddles, her rapidity would have surpassed 
that of our boat; but as it was she was soon overtaken. The annexed 
sketch executed by Mr. Smyth is a faithful representation of a canoe of 
this kind. After the one in question had been examined, the men 
swam to her, and got in, one at a time, at the stern, and paddled ashore. 
The dialect of the people of Clermont Tonnere was quite different 
from that of the Gambier Islanders, though, from a few words which we 
distinguished, there is no doubt of the language being radically the 
u 2 
