Chap. VIII. FISHING FLEET AND VILLAGES. 243 
He explained to me, that none of the natives lived per- 
manently near the sea-side ; but that their pas and 
cultivations were far up the river, among the moun- 
tainous country, which they consider more fertile as 
well as more secure from hostile attacks. These vil- 
lages near the sea were only used during this season, 
when the fish abound and the constant fine weather 
allows the almost daily exit of the canoes. At the 
end of the summer they return up the river with large 
stores of dried fish. I now understood why these vil- 
lages were so poorly built and badly fenced. I had 
not seen a good house in either of them ; and the 
fences, instead of being formed of high strong wooden 
uprights, as I had seen them in other pas, were made 
of reeds and grass, supported on weak sticks to the 
height of four feet ; evidently calculated for no other 
purpose than that of breaking the force of the sea- 
breezes. I now understood that these were mere tem- 
porary villages used for fishing. While I was at this 
village, talking to several of the chiefs, sunset ap- 
proached. The canoes came dashing in from the 
fishery, and a sort of harvest-home took place. Each 
crew joined in a triumphant chorus as they neared the 
village, and the old women, perched in various atti- 
tudes on the large racks erected for drying the fish, 
yelled out their discordant welcome, attended with 
much hideous grimacing. The fishermen jumped out 
of their canoes, and prepared to attack huge meals 
which had been cooked in readiness for their arrival ; 
and the women cleaned and opened the fish, and hung 
them up on the racks. I again slept in my tent. 
During the next two days, I was visited formally by 
the three head chiefs, who brought presents and made 
speeches to me. Turoa in particular was very vehe- 
ment. He told me that I had no business to go tra- 
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