A short time after this, I ventured to take a cocoanut off the ground where the natives had recently buried a person; a deed which is strictly against the laws of their religious principles, (if it can be said that they have any,) and a deed which the natives never dare to do, for fear of displeasing their God (Anit) under a certain length of time after the person had been buried, and then, the spot is only to be approached by males. Not twenty-four hours had elapsed after I took the cocoanut, before they missed it, and coming immediately to me, charged me with having taken it, telling me that not a native on the Island would have dared so much as to handle it, for fear of the bad spirit, (Anit.) I then told them that I had taken it, but pleading ignorance in the case, and promising never to do any thing of the like again, and making it appear to them that I was surprised at what they told me of the bad spirit, and also that I believed the same, they left me, after telling me that if I ever handled another of them, it would not only bring sickness and death upon myself, but would bring it upon the whole Island. The reader will naturally suppose, that my mind was considerably relieved on their leaving me so soon, fearing that something serious might be the result. After this I was very careful how I did any thing that I thought would in the least displease, or irritate them, and made myself content with the portion they saw fit to give me. I frequently fired a musket to please them, by their request; and told them if they would let me have some powder, I would fire off the swivel, left by the Globe. They consented, and collected in great numbers, and after I had loaded the gun with a heavy charge, I told them they had better stand back. They said I must set her on fire, and tell them when she was going off, and they would run! I however, touched her off, when they instantly fell on their faces in the greatest panick. When their fears had subsided, they set up howling and yelling with ecstacy! They said, if they should have a battle, I must carry that gun with me, which would alone vanquish their enemies! We were visited by eight or ten canoes, from a distant Island, called Alloo. They came to exchange presents with our chiefs, and very soon a great quantity of _pero_, &c. was baked, and having been inspected by the chiefs, to see that it was in a proper state to be presented to their visitors, it was given them to eat. As these people had never seen me before, I was much annoyed by them. During their stay, I was constantly surrounded; my skin felt of, and often became the sport of the more witty, because my skin was not of so dark a hue as their own, and more especially, as my _ears_ remained in the same form, as when nature gave them to me. These visitors, to my great satisfaction, did not remain long with us.