The cruise of Her Majesty's ship "Challenger" : voyages over many seas, scenes in many lands . ves, all eager to trade, andthe noise made by their combined voices was deaf-ening. The principle articles of exchange were tor-toise-shell spears, stone knives, axes, earrings, brace-lets, ornaments worn from the nose, circular plates ofwhite shell, some finely carved bowls, and models ofcanoes, &c. Hoop-iron and trade-gear (small hatchets,calico, beads, and knives) formed the medium ofexchange. To describe the scene alongside is alto-gether impossible. We soon discovered that therewould be no diffi
The cruise of Her Majesty's ship "Challenger" : voyages over many seas, scenes in many lands . ves, all eager to trade, andthe noise made by their combined voices was deaf-ening. The principle articles of exchange were tor-toise-shell spears, stone knives, axes, earrings, brace-lets, ornaments worn from the nose, circular plates ofwhite shell, some finely carved bowls, and models ofcanoes, &c. Hoop-iron and trade-gear (small hatchets,calico, beads, and knives) formed the medium ofexchange. To describe the scene alongside is alto-gether impossible. We soon discovered that therewould be no difficulty in establishing a good under-standing with these people, and almost immediately alanding was effected, all being armed so as to be onthe guard against any treachery; for these islandersare of the same race as those inhabiting the Solomongroup, and travellers speak of them as hostile andtreacherous. Of their being cannibals, there can beno doubt; so at our first intercourse great cautionwas certainly necessary. After a while, however,when we had got somewhat familiar, and numerous. THE NATIVES AT HOME. 2G9 presents had been given to the chiefs, there was noobstacle in the way, and we were free to wanderthrough the village, and even enter their houses andsee their women and children. The village consisted of a large number of huts,built -of logs of wood, covered with a solid thatchof palm-leaves, with a fence of the former materialsurrounding every three or four. The paths andopen spaces through the settlement were strewn withwhite sand, and inside the fence were seen someattempts at ornamental gardening, several brightflowering shrubs being selected. The natives are somewhat darker (a kind of sootybrown) than those met with in Humboldt Bay. Theexpression of their faces was decidedly intelligent,and sometimes very pleasing. We noticed no signsof bows or arrows amongst them ; their only weaponof defence being a spear, which they make ofobsidian, a hard volcanic glass. This i
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Keywords: ., bookcentury180, bookdecade1870, booksubjectvoyagesaroundtheworld
