PORTER’S JOURNAL. 
were taken complete possession of by the women, who insisted on 
going to the ship, and in a short time she was completely filled by 
them, of all ages and descriptions, from the age of sixty years to 
that of ten; some as remarkable for their beauty, as others for 
their ugliness. They all appeared to be of the most common 
kind, and many of them who had been in the habit of visiting ships, 
which had formerly been at this place, had been taught by the sea¬ 
men, some few English words of the most indecent kind, which 
they pronounced too plain to be misunderstood. 
Indeed the ship was a perfect Bedlam from the time of their 
arrival until their departure, which was not until morning, when 
they were put on shore, not only with whatever was given them 
by all such as had shared their favours, but with whatever they 
could lay their hands on. 
The object of the greatest value at this as well as all the other 
islands of this group, is whales* teeth: this I had understood while 
I was on shore, and knowing that there were several of them on 
board the frigate, I determined if possible, to secure the whole of 
them at any price, as I had been informed that hogs, the only ani¬ 
mal food on the island, could be procured for no other article. I 
succeeded in procuring nearly all on board, by paying for them at 
the rate of one dollar each; but few of them were of a sufficient 
size to make them of much value. I shall in all probability have 
occasion to speak of the strange infatuation of this people for this 
strange ornament, which is worn suspended to the neck, and 
sometimes is cut to form ornaments to the ears. No jewel, how¬ 
ever valuable, is half so much esteemed in Europe or America, 
as is a whale’s tooth here: I have seen them by fits laugh and cry 
for joy, at the possession of one of these darling treasures. Ivory, 
However finely wrought and beautiful in its kind, bears no com¬ 
parison in their estimation. Ivory is worn by the lower and poor¬ 
er classes, made into the form of whales* teeth, and as ear orna¬ 
ments, while the whales* teeth is worn only by persons of rank 
and wealth. Some idea may be formed of the value in which 
they are held by the natives, when it is known that a ship of three 
hundred tons burthen, may be loaded with sandal-wood at this 
island, and the only object of trade necessary to procure it, is ten 
whales’ teeth of a large size; and for these the natives will cut it, 
