to Piron Island. The rock here
is still mica slate, varying much in texture and composition, often
highly ferruginous; the strata run East-South-East and West-North-West
with a northerly dip of about 45 degrees.

June 24th.

In the course of the day no less than seven canoes with natives,
including several women and children, came off to the ship boldly and
without hesitation, as if confidence were now established. At one time we
had five canoes alongside, with a brisk and noisy traffic going on. The
people parted very readily with their weapons and ornaments, also
coconuts in abundance, and a few yams and bananas, for strips of calico
and pieces of iron hoop. Axes, however, were more prized than any other
article, and the exhibition of one was certain to produce great eagerness
to procure it, amidst much shouting and cries of kelumai! The purpose to
which they applied the iron hoop we found was to substitute it for the
pieces of a hard greenstone (nephrite) in the heads of their axes and
adzes. The one figured above represents the usual form of these
instruments. The V-shaped handle is a single piece of wood, and the
stone, previously ground down to a fine edge, is fixed in a cleft at the
end of the short arm, and firmly secured by cordage. This axe is usually
carried by being hooked over the left shoulder with the handle crossing
the breast diagonally.

Among our visitors today I noticed two who had large white patches on the
skin, as if caused by some leprous complaint--one man had lost his nose,
and in addition was affected with elephantiasis of the left foot.

NATIVES SHOW THIEVISH PROPENSITIES.

After leaving us two of the canoes paddled up to the tide pole on the
neighbouring reef, and before a boat could reach them, the natives
managed to secure the pigs of iron ballast with which it was moored. They
communicated with two canoes, coming from the direction of Piron Island,
which soon afterwards came under the stern. As one of the stolen pigs was
seen partially concealed in the bow of one of the last comers the
jollyboat was manned to recover it, when the canoes left in great haste
with the boat in chase. As the boat approached a coconut was thrown
overboard from the canoe, as if to cause delay by stopping to pick it up,
but, the intended effect not being produced, the stolen ballast also was
thrown out, when the boat of course returned. By Captain Stanley's orders
two musket shots were fired over the canoes