We succeeded in taking an eel, a few crabs, and a small quantity of snails. Having our fire-works with us, we collected a sufficient number of sticks, with a few pieces of drift-wood which had lodged upon the rock, to make a fire; with this we cooked our fish and snails; and, with a small allowance of bread, we made what we then thought a sumptuous repast! After we had finished our meal, we began to prepare for the night. We erected a tent with some of our clothes and pieces of canvas, at a little distance from the boat; and, when night came on, a part of our number kept watch, and the rest soon lost all consciousness of their misfortunes in sleep. About midnight those who had watched took their turn at resting; and in the morning we found ourselves considerably refreshed; though an increased activity of our minds served only to bring home a more vivid picture of the horrors of the previous night, and of our present condition. Providence, it would seem, had ordained that we should not long remain undetermined as to the course to be adopted; for before sunrise we discovered a canoe within a short distance of us, containing twenty-two of the inhabitants of the neighboring island. They approached to within pistol-shot of where we stood, and there lay on their oars for some time, looking at us, and manifesting no small degree of fear. Thinking it best to be on friendly terms with them, we attached a shirt to one of our oars, and hoisted it as a token of a wish, on our part, to regard and treat them as friends. This had the desired effect; and they immediately rowed up to the rock. Manifesting great pleasure, they left their canoe and rushed towards the place where the principal part of our boat's crew were standing, bringing with them cocoa-nuts, and a small quantity of bread made of the cocoa-nut boiled in a liquor extracted from the trunk of the tree. At that time, I was standing near the tent, at a little distance from my companions, and was an anxious spectator of the scene. Their appearance excited my astonishment, and I was filled with horror by the sight of beings apparently human, and yet almost destitute of the ordinary marks of humanity. They were entirely naked. Each one was armed with a spear and tomahawk; some had battle-axes. They were fantastically tattooed on different parts of their bodies. Their hair, naturally coarse and black, like that of the Indians of America, was very long, and hung loosely over their shoulders, giving them a singular and frightful appearance. Their teeth were entirely black; rendered so, as we afterwards found, by chewing what they call "_abooak_."[1] The reader can judge of our feelings on finding ourselves in the hands of beings of this description. Our confidence in the honesty of our visiters did not improve on further acquaintance.