Three Accounts of the Vasil'ev-Shismarev Expedition of 1819-1822

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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 everything 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 chestnut 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,