The natives on this side of the bay were tataowed, or marked, in various forms on their faces; and their garments, wrought of rushes, reached down below their knees, and were very thick and rough. They tie their foreskins to their girdle with a string, and have holes pierced in their ears, which shews that they sometimes wear some sort of ear-rings: they have also some bracelets; neck-laces they well knew the use of; but they did not like our iron wares. We saw a piece of wood which looked as smooth as if it had been cut with an axe; but of what materials the instruments are composed, which they use for that purpose, we could not learn. We went into some of their houses, which were very meanly thatched, having a hole in the center of the roof to let out the smoke; but we saw nothing in them except a few cockles, limpets, and muscle-shells.

We found here a sort of long-pepper, which tasted very much like mace; a Fulica, or bald Coot, of a dark blue colour; and a Black-bird, the flesh of which was of an orange colour, and tasted like stewed shell-fish. A vast quantity of pumice-stone lies all along upon the shore, within the bay, which indicates that there is a volcano in this island.

Voyaging Accounts