to repeat, with
great facility, many English words.

The next day three of the same party of natives paid the strangers a
visit with a fourth, whom they introduced as Yaparico. This personage
was distinguished by having the bone of a bird, six inches long, thrust
through the cartilage of his nose. He seemed to prize this strange
ornament as much as a young dandy does his newly raised silken
moustache. On examination, all his companions were found to have holes
in their ears, as he also had, while on the upper part of their arms
they wore bracelets of plaited hair; thus evincing a taste for ornament,
although they had not a rag of any sort of clothing. The previous day
the only gift they seemed to prize was a fish which was offered them.
To-day they brought one in return. They were, however, excessively
jealous and suspicious, and in consequence of one of the gentlemen
examining their canoe, they at once jumped into her and paddled away.

The following day three natives ventured down to Tupia's tent, and were
so well pleased with the way he received them that they went away and
brought two others, whom they introduced to him formally by name; a
ceremony they never omitted. Some fish were given to them, but after
eating a small portion, they threw the rest to Mr Banks's dog. They
could not be persuaded to go far from their canoe, which was about ten
feet long, fitted with an outrigger, and though very inferior, like
those of the Society Islands. They used paddles, and in shallow water
poled it along.

One day, on the commander's return from an excursion on shore, he found
several natives on board. Of all the articles exhibited to them,
nothing seemed to have attracted their attention so much as the turtles,
of which there were no less than twelve on deck. Two days afterwards
they came again, bringing with them a greater number of lances than
before. These they placed in a tree, with a man and a boy to watch
them. It was evident that their object was to get one of the turtles.
They asked for one by signs, and being refused, appealed to everybody
who appeared to them to have any authority. Then seizing one, they
attempted to drag it overboard. On its being taken from them, they
jumped into their canoe in a rage, and went on shore. Here Mr Banks
and others followed them. Before they could be stopped they seized
their arms, and, snatching a brand from under a pitch-kettle, they
whirled it round with great