SANDWICH ISLANDS. 
207 
and Mr. Malden, with a reconnoitring party, proceeded 
towards the shore, with strict injunctions, however, to be 
very cautious in endeavouring to ascertain the disposition 
of the natives before he attempted to land among them. 
On our approaching the Island we attempted, by signs, to 
induce the man to swim off to the boat: this he naturally 
enough refused to do; but, from his gesticulations, we 
understood that, though there was no landing-place there, 
yet on the other side of the Island we should find one. 
We then returned on board, and the ship stood offhand on 
for the night. Next morning we proceeded to the lee-side 
of the Island, and perceiving several canoes coming off to 
us, we lay-to about three miles off the shore. The first that 
reached us was a single man, whose costume soon convinced 
us that we were not the first visitors of this solitary place. 
He wore a straw hat, shaped like a common English hat; 
and besides his maro or waist-cloth, he wore a cloak of tapa, 
of the same form with the South American poncho. The 
language of this man seemed to bear some affinity to the 
Hawaiian, but not sufficient for any of our people to com¬ 
prehend him fully; however, we made out that the Island 
was called Mauti. While we were questioning our visitor, 
another canoe, of very singular construction, came along¬ 
side of us. Though double, like the war-canoes of the 
