upon the first
suggestion of treacherous designs upon the part of the natives, we might
be able to make sail and stand out to sea again.

Approaching the lee side of the biggest of the three islands, one hand
was sent aloft into the fore topmast crosstrees to keep a sharp lookout
for submerged rocks, while another was sent into the fore chains with
the hand lead. Then we clewed up our courses, royals, and
topgallantsails, and hauled down our flying jib and some of the lighter
staysails, but furled nothing, leaving all in a state to be set again
from the deck at a moment's notice.

The water in the immediate neighbourhood of these islands was deep, no
bottom being reached with the hand lead until we were within half a mile
of the shore, at which distance we brought the ship to the wind and laid
the main topsail to the mast, as it was seen that many natives had
gathered on the beach, and were making preparations to launch their
canoes, several of which were hauled up on the dazzlingly white sand. I
kept the ship's telescope steadily bearing upon these craft and the
numerous natives who swarmed about them, and was greatly relieved to see
that the latter all appeared to be busily engaged in loading the former
with baskets of fruit, fish, and quantities of fowls, while nowhere
could I discover anything resembling a weapon.

That these people were quite accustomed to the bartering of their
produce with passing ships, and had been taught to understand that they
would not be allowed on board, was evident; for, although within the
next half-hour we were surrounded by quite a hundred canoes of various
sizes, ranging from the sixteen-foot craft with two occupants up to the
vessel measuring fifty feet over all, manned by from twenty to thirty
natives, not one attempted to come alongside until specially invited to
do so. They simply lay off a few fathoms and held up to our view the
wares that they had for disposal, and then waited to be beckoned to
approach.

These natives were for the most part fine, lithe, active-looking men, of
a deep, rich, bronze colour. Most of them were almost naked, and
adorned with necklaces of shells or sharks' teeth, their hair so
arranged that it stuck out all round their heads like the thrums of a
twirled mop. A few of them wore necklaces or armlets of vari-coloured
beads, of which they appeared to be inordinately proud, and these
adornments furnished many of our people with a hint as to the k