at time somewhat
abruptly, but they immediately proceeded with other games. Bill told me
that sharks do not often attack the surf-swimmers, being frightened away
by the immense numbers of men and boys in the water, and by the shouting
and splashing that they make. "But," said he, "such a thing as you have
seen just now don't frighten them much. They'll be at it again
to-morrow or next day, just as if there wasn't a single shark between
Feejee and Nova Zembla."

After this the natives had a series of wrestling and boxing matches; and
being men of immense size and muscle, they did a good deal of injury to
each other, especially in boxing, in which not only the lower orders but
several of the chiefs and priests engaged. Each bout was very quickly
terminated; for they did not pretend to a scientific knowledge of the
art, and wasted, no time in sparring, but hit straight out at each
other's heads, and their blows were delivered with great force.
Frequently one of the combatants was knocked down with a single blow,
and one gigantic fellow hit his adversary so severely that he drove the
skin entirely off his forehead. This feat was hailed with immense
applause by the spectators.

During these exhibitions, which were very painful to me, though I
confess I could not refrain from beholding them, I was struck with the
beauty of many of the figures and designs that were tattooed on the
persons of the chiefs and principal men. One figure, that seemed to me
very elegant, was that of a palm-tree tattooed on the back of a man's
leg, the roots rising, as it were, from under his heel, the stem
ascending the tendon of the ankle, and the graceful head branching out
upon the calf. I afterwards learned that this process of tattooing is
very painful, and takes long to do, commencing at the age of ten, and
being continued at intervals up to the age of thirty. It is done by
means of an instrument made of bone, with a number of sharp teeth, with
which the skin is punctured. Into these punctures a preparation made
from the kernel of the candle-nut, mixed with cocoa-nut oil, is rubbed,
and the mark thus made is indelible. The operation is performed by a
class of men whose profession it is, and they tattoo as much at a time
as the person on whom they are operating can bear, which is not much,
the pain and inflammation caused by tattooing being very great--
sometimes causing death. Some of the chiefs were tattooed with an
ornamental str