It is not improbable that they pull them out with fish-scales, as is practised at the Marquesas, and many others of the South Sea Islands. This is done by compressing the beard with the fingers between two large fish-scales, in the manner of applying a pair of tweezers. A great many natives, most of them women and children, had assembled on the shore, opposite to us, where they remained all day, singing and amusing themselves. No females came off in the canoes. We saw no water, except a small quantity that one or two of the natives had in cocoa-nut shells, and, much to our regret, from ignorance of their language, could not inquire where it was to be obtained. The land no where rose more than from three to seven feet above the level of the sea, and as we could not land with safety, we had no means of ascertaining whether any rivulets existed upon it. The island seemed to produce nothing, but cocoa-nuts, which must be the only food of the natives, except when they are so fortunate as to catch fish. Towards evening we stood out of the bay, and hove to off the south-west point, where we sent a party on shore to collect a quantity of cocoa-nuts, of which there was a dense forest, that promised an abundant supply. Our people were no sooner on shore than they saw the natives approaching them in different directions, armed with spears and paddles, making signals to each other, and signs, for the intruders to depart. Every tree had some peculiar mark, from whence we concluded, it was considered the property of some individual. It was after sun-down, and night was closing in fast upon our party, who finding, from the determined manner of the natives, that, whatever they took, must be by violence, gave up the enterprise, and returned to the beach. It was fortunate that they did so, for the tide had risen considerably, and with it the surf had increased in a dangerous degree. All, however, got off safe, but with wet jackets, and at eight, P.M., October the 30th, we hoisted in the boat, and made sail.