h with cold iron,

for, on the following day, Captain Owen ordered the thief to have his
head shaved, for the purpose of shaming him out of the repetition of his
crime, thus making him an object of ridicule, among his own, as well as
our people; and, as the natives display no small degree of dandyism in
dressing their hair, he hoped that this 'rape of the locks,' would have
a beneficial effect: he, however, considered an additional punishment
necessary, in consequence of the frequency of the offence, iron-stealing
having become a very common practice; he, therefore, ordered the
offender to receive thirty-nine lashes; but at the twenty-fifth he
fainted, from fear, no doubt, certainly not from the severity of the
chastisement; however, he was immediately taken down and carried into
the guard-house, where he continued bellowing, in a most frightful
manner, for a long time.

_Monday, 25_.--We have had very close weather for several days, with much
thunder and lightning during the whole of last night. At eight o'clock
this morning, a heavy tornado came on, the rain and wind continuing for
more than three hours; the greatest force of the hurricane was, however,
expended in the first hour, from which time it gradually diminished; this
produced a very agreeable change in the state of the atmosphere, the
thermometer having fallen, during the tornado, from 91 deg. to 78 deg. F.
being the lowest degree we have yet experienced.

_Wednesday, 27_.--The Diadem, transport, Lieut. Woodman, agent, sailed
this morning for Sierra Leone, and England, by which conveyance I sent
letters, and a few curiosities.

_Friday, 29_.--Mr. Wood was sent, with a party of men, to assist the
gunner in erecting a battery on Adelaide Island. Having made bankrupts
of the natives in the yam market, the African, schooner, sailed to-day
for the purpose of procuring them, in other parts of the island.

_Saturday, March 1_.--Some days since, a native having been detected
stealing a knife out of Capt. Smith's store, he was sent on board the
Eden to have his head shaved, and be kept in irons for a week; the time
having expired this morning, he was ordered to receive thirty-nine
lashes previously to his dismissal. He bore his punishment well, and was
going away, when, about 300 yards from the place, he fell down in a
fainting fit, doubtless from the apprehension that he was not yet quite
out of our power. Mr. Cowan, the surgeon, ran to his assistance, but the
n