During the heat of the day, men are employed to bring
water in tubs from the sea, which is sprinkled over these
fields by means of a short scoop. The heat of the sun, in a
short time, evaporates the water, and the salt is left in the
sand, which is scraped up and put into raised receivers of
masonry about six feet by four, and five deep. When the
receiver is full of the sand, sea water is poured on the top,
and this, in its way down, carries with it the salt left by
evaporation. When it runs out below at a small hole, it is
a very strong brine; this is reduced to salt by being boiled
in vessels about three feet wide and one deep. The cakes
resulting from this operation are an inch and a half in
thickness. I
Of the population of this island we know nothing sa-
tisfactory: the natives invariably pleaded ignorance themselves
; and as we had no precise data, our estimates were
made a t random, and as they never agreed with each other,
they are not worthy of notice. From the south point of
this island, to five or six miles north of Napakiang, an extent
of sixteen or eighteen miles, the country is highly
cultivated, and is almost entirely covered with villages. All
round Port Melville too there are populous villages, but
the north, north-east and eastern places are thinly peopled,
and not cultivated to any extent. We saw nothing like
poverty or distress of any k in d : every person that we met
seemed contented and happy. We saw no deformed people,
nor any who bore indications of disease, except ,a few who
were marked with the small-pox.
The style of living of those with whom we associated
is generous and free ; their custom of carrying about their
dinner in boxes, and making little pic-nic parties, is peculiarly
striking, and they appeared fully sensible of the
advantage of bringing people together in this way, and expressed
much satisfaction at the ready way in which, we
fell into a custom from which all formality was; dismissed.
They shewed, moreover, a good deal of discernment, and could
adapt themselves to the character of the particular persons
they happened to be in company with, in a manner very
remarkable; but this was evidently the result not of
cunning, but of correct feelings, and of a polite habit of
thinking.
Of their manners, little need be added here to what
every page of the narrative will show. I t ought to be particularly
noticed, however, tha t they are an exceedingly
timorous people, and naturally suspicious of foreigners.
A stranger visiting Loo-choo ought therefore to keep these
features of their character constantly in mind. By imitating
Captain Maxwell’s wise plan of treating the natives with