c rocks, of some elevation, partially bare,
but at parts covered by shrubs, rise from about the centre of the
valley. When close in, two canoes came off containing several natives,
who readily came on board; two of them had been in an English whaler,
(which ships occasionally touched at the island for provisions, &c.) and
addressed us in tolerable English. They were well formed, muscular men,
with fine and expressive features, of the Asiatic race, in colour of a
light copper; they wore the hair long, and stained of a light brown
colour; they were tattooed only on the breast, which had been executed
in a neat vandyked form; the ears, as also the septum narium, were
perforated, and in them were worn tortoiseshell rings; around the waist
was worn a narrow piece of native cloth (died either of a dark red or
yellow colour), or a small narrow mat formed from the bark of a tree,
and of fine texture; some of these had neatly-worked dark red borders,
apparently done with the fibres of some dyed bark. They rub their bodies
with scented cocoa-nut oil as well as turmeric. The canoes were neatly
constructed, had outriggers, and much resemble those of Tongatabu; the
sails were triangular, and formed of matting. No weapons were observed
in the possession of any of the natives; they said they had two muskets,
which had been procured in barter from some European ship. We landed on
a sandy beach, and were received by a large concourse of natives. We
were introduced to a grave old gentleman, who was seated on the ground,
recently daubed with turmeric and oil for this ceremony; he was styled
the ariki, or chief, of this portion of the island. On an axe, as well
as other presents, being laid before him, he (as is usual among the
chiefs of the Polynesian Islands on a ceremonial occasion) did not show
any expression of gratification or dislike at the presents but in a
grave manner made a few inquiries about the ship. Near the ariki sat a
female, whose blooming days had passed; she was introduced as his wife;
her head was decorated with a fillet of white feathers; the upper part
of her body was exposed, but she wore a mat round the waist which
descended to the ankles; the chief was apparently a man of middle age.

"The native habitations were low, of a tent form, and thatched with
cocoa-nut leaves; these habitations were not regular, but scattered
among the dense vegetation which surrounded them on all sides. The tacca
pinnatifida, or Polynesia