s with themselves,
capricious and revengeful. During the time we were with them, they
attributed to his displeasure their want of success in taking fish as
they had done in former times, and the unfruitfulness of their
bread-fruit and cocoa trees.

Their religious ceremonies are singular. In the commencement the priest
walks round the altar and takes from it a mat devoted to the purpose,
which is laid upon the ground. He then seats himself upon it, and begins
to hoot, in the mean time throwing himself into a variety of attitudes,
for the purpose of calling down the divinity into the altar. At
intervals the congregation sing, but immediately stop when the priest
breaks out in his devotions. By the side of the altar is always placed a
large bowl, and six cocoa-nuts. After the incantation is gone through,
and the divinity is supposed to be present, the bowl is turned up, and
four of the nuts are broken and put in it, two being reserved for the
exclusive use of a priest by them called also "_yarris_." As soon as the
nuts are broken, one of the company begins to shout, and, rushing to the
centre, seizes the bowl, and drinks of the milk of the nut, generally
spilling a considerable part of it upon the ground. After this a few
pieces are thrown to the images, and the remainder are eaten by the
priests. This closes the ceremony; after which they indulge in any
recreations that chance to please them best.

While we were on the island several earthquakes happened, and some of
them pretty severe. On those occasions the natives were much terrified;
they would not let their children speak a word; and they said among
themselves--_zahbee'too Yarris_, _To'bee yettah'men_, that is, Yarris
(God) is coming and To'bee (the name of the island) will sink. They were
also very much alarmed at thunder and lightning; and used to say at such
times, _Yarris tee'tree_, God is talking. I do not know how they would
be affected by an eclipse, as none happened, that I noticed, while we
remained there.

I will here mention some other things in respect to their customs and
usages, as they now occur to me.

Their implements of war are spears and clubs; they have no bows and
arrows. Their spears are made of the wood of the cocoa-nut trees; the
points of them are set with rows of sharks' teeth; and, being at the
same time very heavy and from ten to twenty feet long, are formidable
weapons.

Their canoes are made of logs which drift to their island fro