Page:Twenty years before the mast - Charles Erskine, 1896.djvu/195

 obtained of them, the less disposed were we to trust them.

As soon as we had reached the top of the hill, we fired off several sky-rockets and discharged our muskets,  the reports of which seemed to frighten the natives. It was amusing to see them jump from their hiding-places  in the groves and call on their gods, "Curlew, curlew,  curlew."

The observations taken while up here proved quite satisfactory. The height from the level of the ocean was fifteen hundred feet, and the view of the ocean and  the numerous islands and reefs, with the sea dashing  over them, was truly grand.

The Waia-no were independent of all authority except that of their own chiefs. All endeavors to subjugate them proved unavailing; and they kept themselves  close in their own fastnesses, shunning all communication with all other natives, except making occasional  incursions, with a strong force, on the defenseless towns  of some other islands. Owing to their cruel conduct and treachery, they were called by their cannibal neighbors savages!

Nearly all the chiefs kept a turtle pen. When they had a chance to dispose of the shell, they removed it  from the living turtle by holding a burning brand close  to the outer shell until the edge curled up; then a  wooden wedge was inserted, by which the whole head  of shell was removed from the back of the living turtle. This was, in every sense of the word, cruelty to turtles. Each turtle is covered with thirteen pieces, which together are termed a head. Tortoise-shell was the chief