some cocoa-nut leaves to make yam-baskets with, he offered to procure me a supply if I would trust him with a boat, which I did. He set out accompanied by two of his attendants and his excellency Morgan McMurragh, and although they could not understand each other's language, with the instinct of savages, they managed by signs to communicate their skill in handling their respective war instruments; the Mannicolans describing with what unerring aim they could at a great distance implant a poisoned arrow in their enemy's eye, while the New Zealander mimicked the style in which he could cut off an enemy's head. At noon the boat returned, with the materials required.

Finding I could not satisfactorily learn the particulars of the shipwreck and murder of part of the surviving crews at Denimah and Whannow through the medium of Martin Bushart and Rathea, I was yet anxious to let no chance escape of obtaining an explanation of the matter that would satisfy the whole world. There being still several men on the island who had a personal knowledge of the fatal catastrophe, and who would in a few years drop off, carrying with them the only oral testimony or record of the event remaining, a mode of remedying the defect suggested itself to me. This was to leave a young man upon the island among the people of Whannow, to acquire their language, and by that means possess himself of

all the particulars relative to the wreck which from time to time he might glean in conversation with these old people. This appearing to me the most feasible means of ascertaining the particulars of the unfortunate la Pérouse's sufferings and fate, I mentioned the plan to Stewart, the young man who joined me at Tucopia, pointing out the advantages which might one day accrue, not only to mankind generally, but to himself, from his residing at Mannicolo for a few years, and making himself acquainted with the religion, manners, and customs of the natives. He assented to my proposal, saying it was immaterial to him where he lived for three or four years, if the information he could procure in that time would interest the public, and be the means of bringing himself forward. I did not fail to remind him that the climate was unhealthy, and that he should not further endanger his life by joining the islanders in their wars. He begged I would not make myself uneasy on his account, as he was confident he should not die before his appointed time, and his stay at Mannicolo therefore could not shorten the term of his existence. Stewart is a shrewd young man, about twenty-five years of age, with a good understanding, improved by a tole. rable plain education.

The weather ended as it began, being dark and gloomy, with weak flashes of lightning to

the south-eastward. The sun crossed the equator to-day, which may account for the unsettled appearance of the elements.

24th.-Gloomy weather, with light easterly airs and showers of rain at intervals. Soon after daylight I sent the interpreter on shore to obtain king Nero's permission for cutting a quantity of fire-wood. This he granted, directing Rathea to inform me that I might cut wood where I pleased; that he considered the country belonged to me, and himself as subordinate to my orders. I thereupon despatched a party of Indians, under the command of the Marquis of Wyemattee and Morgan M'Murragh, with nine

axes.

The islanders paid us their customary visit, having some vegetables, boats' spars, and arrows for sale. These were the first weapons I had seen in their possession, and they would not now, I am persuaded, have been brought off to the ship, had not some of the persons on board desired to purchase a few, as presents for their friends at home.

Having heard much of these poisoned arrows, I wished to ascertain whether their slightest puncture, as stated, proved fatal. With this view, I prevailed on one of the islanders to go on shore for some of the deleterious gum, and he returned in a short time with three large baskets filled with nuts of the size and shape of

a large ripe mango. One of the officers having just purchased some arrows, I directed the islander to let me see him poison one of them. He broke the shell first, and then scraped the kernel with his thumb-nail till he got off a little of the juicy substance, which he removed with his fore-finger and thumb and rubbed on the head of the arrow; he then took some lime from his betel-box, which he put upon his naked thigh, dipped his finger in it, and rubbed that part of the arrow repeatedly which had been wetted by the nut-juice, until a light paste was formed on it: the part thus poisoned was about eight inches long. There were at this time about a dozen natives on deck, who all, as well as Rathea, asserted positively that the least prick of this weapon, so as to draw blood, would produce certain death in five days at the farthest. Martin Bushart said, that during his residence at Tucopia several of the Mannicolo arrows were brought there, with one of which a disappointed lover shot the object of his attachment, of which wound she died four or five days after, having suffered the most excruciating agonies. He also mentioned several instances of private quarrels being revenged by this deadly weapon with the same fatal result, before friends could interfere.

With a view to be further convinced, I or. pered a pig to be taken from the stye, and an

incision with a sharp knife being made in its thigh, I thrust the arrow just prepared into the wound so as to bring a few drops of blood. The point broke and remained: the pig was then set at large again.

The nut, as already described, is as large as the largest ripe mango in Bengal; the shell is rather soft, and in substance not unlike the skin of the mangosteen; when unripe it is green, but in a state of perfection it is of a reddish colour; the kernel is like that of a walnut, but six or eight times larger; the outside shell is covered with a sort of hoar crust, resembling the crust that adheres to the inside of old port bottles. I took about two hundred of these nuts with me for the Botanical Garden at Calcutta.

25th.-Light trades, with fine weather. In consequence of the smoothness of the water and the fine weather, the greater part of the male islanders in our vicinity came alongside. Two females also, in crossing Bayley's Bay from Ellis' River to the village of Davey, came to the ship for some beads, held out to their view by the Tonga girl on board. Toward evening, on their return from Davey, they paid us a second visit, uninvited: an instance of the perfect confidence with which we had inspired these unsophisticated children of nature. Nature, however, had not formed these females in her loveliest mould. One of them was far