ABSTRACT

They use for several Ornaments a kind of ropes twisted with hair of bats, which they call birds; but we could shoot none of them, for they seem here scarcer than anywhere else in the Isles. In the friendly Isles for Instance they are hanging in day time from the Casuarina Trees by hundreds. We saw to day an inclosure of sticks, round a hummock of about 4 feet high, on which several sticks with large Turbines were put, & the Natives told us, that this was the burying place of the Chief of the District.1 We got again from a Man the Names of several Lands & their bearings, the greater part of which seem to be on this Isle; except about 5 which seem to be distinct Lands. The Names I got amount to about 24 in all. If those which they pointed to ly SEbS are Isles & not Districts there are about 16 or 17 Isles more in that Direction: a very great Archipelago indeed!2 When it grows late & the Natives want to go ashore without having a boat, they all swim off. I saw 45 swimming off at once, though it is above a mile to the Shore. To day a Man was on board, who had 18 large Turtle Shell Earrings, all in one Ear.