be a P, with part of a flower underneath the next stamp to this was a crown, with a flower underneath; the third I made out to be a crown with a figure attached, to me unintelligible; and the fourth I could not decypher. Monsieur Chaigneau discovered among the cyphers a fleur de lis, and was clearly of opinion from its shape and fashion that the spoon was of French manufacture.

Shortly after my second officer purchased out of a canoe part of the brass circle of a globe, with about one-third broken off. It was much worn by time, but the degrees and quarter-degrees remained undefaced. I also obtained a Muleteer's bell, similar to those I had purchased at Tucopia, together with the following articles, viz.

2 pieces of a ship's large iron knees, with the thin parts broken off, the remainder being the elbow or thick part.-2 double-headed shot, much oxydized.-1 large iron hook, such as is used on board of frigates for runners.-2 pieces of the end or thin part of ship's iron knees.-1 iron bolt, measuring 3 feet 3 inches.-1 ditto, measuring 2 feet.-1 ditto with a hole in it, such as is used for boat's cranes, or the goosenecks of swinging-booms to work in.-1 iron spike-nail, pointed by the islanders so as somewhat to resemble a small chisel, measuring 9.7 inches ;-and 2 iron adzes of native manufacture.

The natives also offered for sale an iron bolt, broken into three pieces apparently quite recently. How they effected this I cannot divine; but it was certainly a trading manoeuvre, worthy

of the cunning characteristic of their less honest neighbours, it being evidently intended to procure an iron tool for each piece.

Rathea, the interpreter, went ashore with the first boat this morning, and soon after returned. He pretended to be ill, and expressed a particular wish that the ship would return to Tucopia, declaring that otherwise all on board would die of the distemper peculiar to this island. He persisted so long in his frightful stories of poisoned arrows and sickness, that several on board were terrified. I at length told him plainly, that if he wished to return to Tucopia, I would send a boat and two men to take him there in the morning; at which he laughed, telling Busshart that he feared I was angry with him, and would go on shore; to which Martin replied that I was only joking; and here the business ended, he promising to share our fate, whatever it might be.

The chief, Nero, brought us off some pudding made with arrow-root and cocoa-nut, and some of another sort made of cocoa-nut and tara. These dishes are prepared in the following manner. A circular hole of about one foot deep and two in diameter is made in the earth,

which is filled with dry fuel,

closely piled up to

about two feet from the surface. Several small hard stones not likely to break by the heat are then placed on the wood, and fire is set to the

pile, and as the fuel consumes, the heated stones fall into the hole among the ashes. The stones thus heated serve as a lining to the oven, which is built round in the form of a heart, and this is again lined with boughs or green leaves. Into the oven thus prepared some tara is put, and covered up with three or four coats of green boughs, which are again overlaid with earth and beat down hard, to prevent any heat or smoke from escaping. While the tara is baking several persons are employed grinding or scraping the inside of old cocoa-nuts, which they put into a large trough and mix up with a proportionate quantity of fresh water: they are then pressed with the hand and afterwards strained, so as not to allow any part of the cocoa-nut to remain but the oily juice. Into this juice the hot tara from the oven is put, which melts it into a delicate oil, and then the pudding is considered fit for use. It is necessary to observe, that before the tara is put into the oven it is scraped fine with shells and tied up in banana leaves. The arrow-root is scraped and strained through a piece of fine cloth into water, where it sinks, and the water is then drained out of the trough. The powdered arrow-root thus prepared is made up into small balls, put into bags, and hung up in the houses, to be used as occasion may require. Fish, pork, yams, bread-fruit, and fowls

are baked in these ovens.

Nero appeared very desirous to know when we intended to set out for Denimah, as he wished to go with us. I replied, the moment the boats were repaired, and shewed him the carpenters working at one of them. Two of the boats were in very bad condition, and particularly the one which had been stove at Tonga from having fallen from her slings, as before stated. The want of a proper number of boats to convey a sufficient force, alone prevented me from now setting out on a tour round the island.

15th. Strong trades throughout the day: all hands employed preparing the boats for tomorrow to sail round the island. Got off two turns of water by the long-boat, which completed our stock.

In the forenoon we were visited by seven or eight canoes, which brought for exchange a number of articles of iron and copper: they also brought several baskets of cooked fish and tara, but whether for sale or their own use I cannot say. To each of the chiefs I presented an axe, who in return gave me two baked fish and three taras. As we had not seen these people before, we concluded they came from some distant part of the island, probably from near the north-west point. After remaining an hour or two they departed toward the northwest, with all the provisions they brought with

them except the small sample they spared me. Indeed they seem to have no scarcity of fish.

In every house and canoe that we saw, iron was to be found of some shape or other: the ships wrecked here must therefore have had a large quantity of that metal on board, for notwithstanding what was lost, what was employed in building the brig, and what was exported to other islands, there still remained on Mannicolo as much as would supply the inhabitants for thirty years, if they possessed the art and means of forging it.

At noon Rathea obtained my permission to go on shore for the purpose of procuring some small spars for boat-yards, and promised to return immediately. Soon after his departure a chief came alongside with a hog, and inquired for Saccho (the name by which Rathea is known at Mannicolo): I replied he had gone on shore, upon which the chief pointed to his hog, and called out "bouya," which is the Mannicolan term for pig. Curious to see what description of hog they had upon the island, I requested to have a full grown animal of that description, one of which was accordingly handed up. I took it in one hand by the tail, and holding it up, found it to be of the original South-Sea Island breed, black, with red eyes and long snout, in size not exceeding a tom-cat.