oduced himself to the mate, who was standing up in the boat, as
Utatee, the chief of the island. He spoke a little English, and from
him we made out that a missionary resided a short distance off up the
bay. In a short time a number of other people came down, with several
women and children. Nearly all the latter appeared to me to be very
handsome, their good looks not being spoilt by tattooing. I have never
seen so many fine-looking people together in any part of the world. The
chief told us that we should be welcome to as much wood and water as we
required, and offered to supply us with fresh provisions at a cheap
rate.

Next day the missionary came on board, and warned us to beware of the
people. He had made but little progress with them, owing very much to
the misconduct of the runaway sailors who lived on shore and set them a
bad example. Still he had some converts, and he hoped, in time, to make
more. I told him about my brother Jack, and how anxious I was to find
him. I got Miles Soper to describe him minutely, and the missionary
kindly promised to make inquiries for him.

The captain returned with him on shore to look for men, and came back in
the evening with eight he had picked up. One of them was a runaway
sailor, who had been living on the island several years (such being
termed a beachcomber), a Portuguese, and six Kanakas, as the natives are
called.

Meantime the blacks and the Sandwich Islanders, with a few of the white
men, were employed in bringing off the fresh provisions we required. As
Dr Cockle wished to visit a part of the bay a little distance off, he
borrowed one of the boats manned with two natives, Jim Horner, and me.
We visited two or three spots, where the doctor collected some plants
and some shells from the shore. We were about to return when he
proposed that we should look into a little bay a short distance farther
on. The natives seemed disinclined to go there, and as far as we could
make out advised us to return to the shore, saying that there were bad
people in that neighbourhood.

The doctor, however, who supposed that they only wished to save
themselves from the longer pull, persisted in going on. As we got up
towards the head of the bay we saw several natives, who ran off as we
approached, and hid themselves behind the trees.

"We must be cautious, for perhaps our men here didn't warn us without
reason," observed the doctor as we pulled slowly in. Directly after h