VOYAGE TO THE
C H A P . remedied the defect by unceremoniously appropriating to that use a
Nov.
1825.
part of one of the officers’ apparel, and then commenced a song not
altogether inharmonious. Far from being jealous of her situation, she
aided all her countrywomen who aspired to the same seat of honour
with herself, by dragging them out of the water by the hair of the head;
but unkind as it might appear to interfere to prevent this, it was necessary
to do so, or the boats would have been filled and unmanageable.
As our party passed, the assemblage of females on the rock commenced
a song, similar to that chaunted by the lady in the boat;
and accompanied it by extending their arms over their heads, heating
their breasts, and performing a variety of gestures, which showed that
our visit was acceptable, at least to that part of the community.
When the boats were within a wading distai^pe of the shore, they
were closely encompassed by the natives; each bringing something in
his hand, however small, and almost every one importuning for an
equivalent in return. All those in the water were naked, and only
here and there, on the shore, a thin cloak of the native cloth was to
be seen. Some had their faces painted black, some red; others black
and white, or red and white, in the ludicrous manner practised by our
clov/ns ; and two demon-like monsters were painted entirely black. It
is not easy to imagine the picture that was presented by this motley
crowd, unrestrained by any authority or consideration for their visiters,
all hallooing to the extent of their lungs, and pressing upon the boats
with all sorts of grimaces and gestures.
It was found impossible to land where it was at first intended:
the boats, therefore, rowed a little to the northward, followed by the
multitude, and there efiected a disembarkation, aided by some oi the
natives, who helped the party over the rocks with one hand, while
they picked their pockets with the other. It was no easy matter to
penetrate the dense multitude, and much less practicable to pursue a
thief through the labyrinth of figures that thronged around. The
articles stolen were consequently as irretrievably lost here, as they
were before in the hands of the divers. It is extremely difficult, on
such occasions, to decide which is the best line of conduct to adopt:
whether to follow Captain Cook’s rigid maxim of never permitting a
L
theft when clearly ascertained to go unpunished; or to act as Perouse CHAP,
did with the inliabitants of Easter Island, and suffer every thing to
be stolen without resistance or remonstrance. Perhaps the happy Noj-_
medium of shutting the eyes to those it is not necessary to observe,
and punishing severely such as it is imperative to notice, will prove
the wisest policy.
Among the foremost of the crowd were two men, crowned with
pelican’s feathers, who, if they were not chiefs, assumed a degree of
authority, and with the two demons above mentioned attempted to
clear the way by striking at the feet of tlie mob; careful, however, so
to direct their blows, that they should not take effect. YVithout their
assistance, it would have been almost impossible to land; the mob
cared very little for threats; a musket presented at them had no effect
beyond the moment it was levelled, and was less efficacious than some
water thrown upon the bystanders by those persons who wished to forward
the views of our party.
'I'he gentleman who disembarked first, and from that circumstance
probably was considered a person of distinction, was escorted to the top
of the bank and seated upon a large block of lava, which was the prescribed
limit to the party’s advance. An endeavour was then made to
form a ring about him ; but it was very difficult, on account of the
Islanders crowding to the place all in expectation of receiving something.
The applicants were impatient, noisy, and urgent; they presented
their bags, which they had carefully emptied for the purpose, and
signified their desire that they should be filled; they practised every
artifice, and stole what they could in the most careless and open manner :
some went even farther, and accompanied their demands by threats.
About this time one of the natives, probably a chief, with a cloak and
head-dress of feathers, was observed from the ship hastening from the
huts to the landing-place, attended by several persons with short clubs.
This hostile appearance, followed by the blowing of the conch-shell, a
sound which Cook observes he never knew to portend good, kept our
glasses for a while riveted to the spot. To this chief it is supposed, for
it was impossible to distinguish amongst the crowd, Mr. Peard made a
handsome present, with which he was very well pleased, and no ap-
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