As an evidence of the great desire of the natives of both sexes to
leave their native land, I may mention the offers which were made to the
commander of the ship, of baskets of potatoes and hogs, as an inducement
to be carried to the island of Erromanga, where our vessel was next
bound to. Two hundred were taken on board for the purpose of cutting
Sandal wood, but from the unhealthy state in which we found the island
on our arrival, and the numerous deaths that had occurred among native
gangs that had been brought by other vessels for a similar purpose, we
returned to Rótuma and landed them all safely. The perfect apathy with
which they leave parents and connexions, departing with strangers to a
place respecting which they are in total ignorance, is quite surprising,
placing an unbounded confidence in those differing in colour, language,
and customs from themselves: the young, timid females, to whom a ship
was a novelty, those who had never before seen a ship, were all anxious
to visit foreign climes,--even, they said, London.

Much wonder was excited, when I exhibited to the natives of this island
coloured engravings of flowers, birds, butterflies, &c.; they imagined
them to be the original plant or butterfly attached to the paper--no
mean compliment to the artist. The engravings in Charles Bell's
Anatomy of Expression always excited much interest when shown to the
Polynesians; the plate representing Laughter never failed of exciting
sympathy. A caricature representation of one of the fashionable belles
of 1828 puzzled them exceedingly; some thought it "a bird," others that
it was a nondescript of some kind, but when they were told that it was a
Haina London, or English lady, they laughed, and said Parora, "you are
in joke," so incredible did it seem to their unsophisticated minds.[11]

[10] From a drawing, obligingly furnished by Mr. George Bennett,