and good anchorage inside. We went on to the village, to see about the
supply of water.

The people were very friendly, and crowded round us. We were led up to a
platform in front of one of their large houses, and there seated and
regaled with cocoanuts. The natives here are much darker than are those
at Kerepunu; most of them suffer from a very offensive-looking skin
disease, which causes the skin to peel off in scales. In their
conversation with one another I recognized several Polynesian words. The
water is obtained by digging in the sand, and is very brackish.

We came to anchor next morning, and soon were surrounded with canoes, and
our deck swarmed with natives trading their curios, yams, cocoanuts, and
fish for beads and hoop-iron. Many were swearing friendship, and
exchanging names with us, in hopes of getting hoop-iron. There is as
great a demand for hoop-iron here as for tobacco at Port Moresby. They
told us they disliked fighting, but delighted in the dance, betel-nut,
and sleep. The majority have jet black teeth, which they consider very
beautiful, and all have their noses and ears pierced, with various sorts
of nose and ear rings, chiefly made from shell, inserted. A crown piece
could easily be put through the lobe of their ears.

We went ashore in the afternoon. There are three villages, all close to
one another. Their houses are built on poles, and are shaped like a
canoe turned bottom upwards, others like one in the water. They ornament
their houses on the outside with cocoanuts and shells. The nabobs of the
place had skulls on the posts of their houses, which they said belonged
to the enemies they had killed and eaten. One skull was very much
fractured; they told us it was done with a stone axe, and showed us how
they used these weapons.