g to this vessel escaped alive."
"The ship which grounded on Paiow, was driven on a sandy beach, and the
natives came down and also discharged their arrows into her; but the crew
prudently did not resent the aggression, but held up axes, beads, and toys,
as peace-offerings, upon which the assailants desisted from farther
hostilities. As soon as the wind had moderated, an aged chief, in a canoe,
put off to the ship. He was received with caresses, accepted the presents
offered to him: and upon going ashore, pacified the islanders by
assurances that the ship's crew were peaceably inclined towards them. Upon
this, several natives went on board, and were all presented with toys. In
return, they supplied the crew with yams, fowls, bananas, cocoa-nuts, hogs,
&c. and confidence was established between them. The ship was now
abandoned, and the crew went on shore, bringing with them part of her
stores. Here they remained for some time, and built a small vessel with
the materials from the wreck. When it was ready to put to sea, as many as
could conveniently, embarked in her, being plentifully supplied with fresh
provisions by the islanders. The commander promised those who were left
behind, to return immediately with presents for the natives, and to bring
them off; but, as the little vessel was never afterwards heard of, the men
sought the protection of the neighbouring chiefs, with whom they lived.
Several muskets and some gunpowder had been left them by their comrades,
and by means of these, they proved of great service to their friends, in
encounters with the neighbouring islanders."
The natives of Manicolo are not cannibals; but when an enemy falls into
their power he is immediately killed, and his body is deposited in
sea-water, and kept there until the bones become perfectly bare. The
skeleton is then taken up, the bones of the extremities scraped and cut
into various forms, to point arrows and spears. Their arms consist of
heavy clubs, spears, and bows and arrows. They poison the latter with a
kind of reddish gum, extracted from a species of tree peculiar to the
island. When any one is struck by a poisoned arrow in any of the limbs,
the part is quickly cut out, and his life is sometimes saved; but if the
wound happens to be in the body, where it cannot be easily excised, he
resigns himself quietly to death without a murmur, though he frequently
lingers for four or five days in excruciating agony.
The Manicolans differ f
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