POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
69 
When the heated iron was hammered on the anvil^ and 
the sparks flew among them^ they fancied it was spitting 
at theni^ and were frightened^ as they also were with the 
hissing occasioned by immersing it in water | yet they 
'were delighted to see the facility with which a bar of 
iron was thus converted into hatchets^ adzes, fish-spears, 
and fish-hooks, &c. Pomare, entering one day when the 
blacksmith was employed, after gazing a few minutes at 
the work, was so transported at what he saw, that he 
caught up the smith in his arms, and, unmindful of 
the dirt and perspiration inseparable from his occupa¬ 
tion, most cordially embraced him, and saluted him, 
according to the custom of his country, by touching 
noses. Iron tools they considered the most valuable 
articles they could possess; and a circumstance that 
occurred during the second visit of the Duff, will shew 
most strikingly the comparative value they placed upon 
gold and iron. The ship^s cook had lost his axe, and 
Captain Wilson gave him ten guineas to try to pur¬ 
chase one with, supposing that the intercourse the 
natives had already had with Europeans, would enable 
them to form some estimate of the value of a guinea, 
and the number of articles they could procure with 
it, from any other ship that might visit the island | 
but, although the cook kept the guineas more than a 
week, he could meet with no individual among the 
natives who would part with an axe, or even a hatchet, 
in exchange for them. 
While some of the Missionaries were employed in the 
exercise of those arts which were adapted to make the 
most powerful impression upon the minds of the natives, 
others were equally diligent in exploring the adjacent 
country, planting the seeds they had brought with them 
