THE HERVEY ISLANDS 
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three-fourths of the population of the island of Nukulailai 
were kidnapped by Peruvians, under the pretence that 
they were expected missionaries from Samoa. All these 
islands are coralline atolls of only a few feet elevation, 
covered with coco-nuts, and supplying only these, pan- 
danus fruit, and yams in the way of food. 
7. The Hervey Islands or Cook’s Archipelago. 
South-east of Samoa about 700 miles is the scattered 
Hervey or Cook Archipelago, consisting of nine islands, 
either volcanic or coralline, and rendered difficult of 
access by dangerous reefs and the absence of harbours. 
Earotonga, the largest, is volcanic and hilly, with fertile 
and well-watered valleys. It is about 30 miles in cir¬ 
cumference, and its peak has an altitude of 2900 feet. 
It is inhabited by people who have legends of their 
migration from Samoa, and speak a closely allied language. 
They say they found black people on the island; and the 
fact that they have more pronounced features, more 
wavy hair, and are darker and more energetic than the 
Samoans, is quite in accordance with this statement. In 
Mangaia, farther south, this Melanesian type predominates, 
the people being dark brown, with wavy or frizzled hair, 
and well bearded. They have still more prominent 
features than the Earotongans, and wilder manners, and 
forty years ago were fierce man-hunters and cannibals. 
The natives of this group are now in an advanced 
state of civilisation. They all read the Bible, dress after 
the European fashion, and live in stone dwellings grouped 
in little townships under separate chiefs. They number 
at present scarcely more than 11,000, of whom 3500 
are in Earotonga alone. They petitioned in 1864 for 
annexation to Great Britain, and a protectorate was 
