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the year 1829, Captain Morrell, an enterprising American seaman, sailed from a port in the United States in a ship well manned and well armed, being fitted, in fact, for defence or traffic. Its object was to proceed to the Pacific Ocean, there to collect among the innumerable islands of that portion of the world the rare shell-fish, known as the Biche de mer. These valuable molluscs are dried by those who search for them, and prepared chiefly for the Chinese market, where they are regarded as a great luxury and fetch an enormous price. Morrell had been on several expeditions of the kind, and had visited most parts of the world; and it was confidently anticipated that the voyage would prove a highly profitable one. All, indeed, went well, although the vessel once narrowly escaped becoming a wreck by running on breakers. At length, on May 24, 1830, the expedition came upon a group of islands in the great Pacific, which did not appear on any map with which they were acquainted. They were a number of low, flat, and well-wooded islands, rich in soil, inhabited by a people of a very dark complexion; acquainted with war but ignorant of firearms. Upon their coral shores the coveted biche de mer floated in shoals—a temptation which induced Captain Morrell to cast anchor, hold a parley with the natives and purchase a piece of land on which to construct a house for preparing the luxury for market.

The common people among the islanders viewed this