During the year 1867 the people had the pleasure of enjoying the visits of the royal mail steamers _Rakaia_ and _Kaikoura_. The former called three times, and the latter once, before the Panama line was broken up. The account of the _Rakaia’s_ first visit, written by a gentleman of the name of Dilke, who was a passenger on board, and which was published in the _Leisure Hour_ for 1868 or 1869, eventually reached the island, and was read with much interest by the people. The illustration that accompanied the article caused a great deal of amusement, as it represented a canoe ornamented with cocoanut leaves and loaded with fruit, being paddled off to a vessel in the distance. The canoe had two occupants, each one clad in a small waistcloth as his only covering. The representation was not very true to fact. As a further illustration of what those in the outside world knew about the little isolated rock and the people upon it, may be told the following little incident:— About two years before the _Rakaia’s_ call, a merchant vessel, the _John L. Demock_, on her passage from the Australian colonies to San Francisco, lay becalmed for two nights and a day off the island. The ship was not seen, as she came in on the south side of the island. On the second day, as the people on board saw no boat from the shore nor any other sign that the island was inhabited, they lowered a boat, and its crew, with several gentlemen passengers, pulled for the shore. The people on shore descried the boat only when she was within a short distance from land, and a canoe or two put off to meet and welcome the strangers, and show them the landing place. It was an agreeable surprise to the visitors to find themselves addressed in the English language, and the hearty welcome extended to them, and the warm invitation to come and partake of the hospitalities of the island, entirely disarmed them of their fears, and they hastily hid away the weapons of defense with which they had come well armed in case of a hostile attack. Their stay of a day and a night was sufficient to prove that nothing but good will was felt toward them by all, and on leaving they took with them their boat loaded down with all that the island could supply. On reaching the ship they found their companions getting ready another boat and more weapons to come in search of them, fearing that they might have fallen in with enemies. But the long detention was happily explained, and the good ship soon was on her way again. Some questions that have been put to those who go on board ship, even at this late date, are very amusing. “Do you know what _that_ is?” was asked of one of the islanders, the article in question being a lump of sugar. “Can you read writing?” “Can anyone on the island read?” or, “You do not know what reading is?” and similar questions have been earnestly asked by some who for the first time have become acquainted with the people.