mss142-vasilevShishmarev-i3-012

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offered them they threw overboard with contempt, but when
the use of this metal was explained and shown to them, they
started to conceal it carefully, and after that, gave every-
thing they owned for knives, scissors, and needles. From this
circumstance, we concluded that they have had no communication
with Europeans or with other peoples of Oceania.

The inhabitants of these islands are tall, of dark chest-
nut complexion, and very well built. Their appearance is
Malayan and consequently very unpleasant. Clothing consists
only of a sash round the waist, made of many different colored
ribbons of their own manufacture. Their weapons consist of
clubs and spears very artfully carved from some dark heavy
wood. Strangest of all is the build of their boats. They
consist of a semicircular hollow tree tapered at both ends,
and to one of the open sides are attached boards so that the
boat is convex on one side and flat on the other. From this
last side a rod extends about five feet from the boat, holding
it in equilibrium so that it cannot capsize. Four oarsmen are in each of them,
------------------------ and one with half a coconut shell constantly
threw out water leaking into the boat through the joints and
openings through which the sewing thread of coconut fiber
passes. Their length extends to 30 feet. There were no women
in the boats.

We lay at anchor for about three hours. Everything was
observed, and was bartered, with the savages, and as they
would not agree to come about the sloop, we lifted the skiff,