PEARL ISLANDERS. 
227 
Dangerous Archipelago. These numerous islands, 
like those of Tetuaroa to the north, are of coralline 
formation, and the most elevated parts of many of 
them are seldom more than two or three feet above 
high-water mark. The principal, and almost only 
edible vegetable they produce, is the fruit of the 
cocoa-nut: on these, with the numerous kinds 
of fishes resorting to their shores, or found among 
the coral reefs, the inhabitants entirely subsist. 
They appear a hardy and industrious race, capa¬ 
ble of enduring great privations. The Tahitians 
believe them to be cannibals; but as to the evi¬ 
dence or extent of this charge, we cannot speak 
confidently. They are in general firm and muscu¬ 
lar, but of a more spare habit of body than the 
Tahitians. Their limbs are well formed, their 
stature generally tall. The expression of their 
countenance, and the outline of their features, 
greatly resemble those of the Society Islanders ; 
their manners are, however, more rude and uncour- 
teous. The greater part of the body is tataued, 
sometimes in broad stripes, or large masses of 
black, and always without any of the taste and 
elegance frequently exhibited in the figures marked 
on the persons of the Tahitians. By the latter, 
the natives of the Pearl Islands were formerly 
regarded with the greatest contempt, as taehae and 
maua, savages and barbarians. It was some 
months since they had arrived from their native 
islands, which they had left for the purpose of pro¬ 
curing books and teachers for their countrymen. 
From the time of their landing, Pomare had taken 
them under his protection ; and when he came over 
to Eimeo, they followed in his train. 
A considerable party of the Aura tribe came 
one day to the printing-office, to see the press. 
Q 2 
