A great number of small islets lie around Fate, forming part of the
cluster of the New Hebrides, The Bishop had been at most of them
before, and with a boat's crew of three Pitcairners and one English
sailor, starting early and spending all day in the boat, he and
Patteson touched at eleven in three days, and established the first
steps to communication by obtaining 127 names of persons present, and
making gifts. These little volcanic coral isles were all much alike,
and nothing remarkable occurred but the obtaining two lads from Mai,
named Petere and Laure, for a ten months' visit. Poor fellows, they
were very sea-sick at first, and begged to go home again, but soon
became very happy, and this connection with Petere had important
consequences in the end. These lads spoke a language approaching
Maori, whereas the Fate tongue prevailed in the other isles.

At Mallicolo, on August 20, a horrible sight presented itself to the
eyes of the two explorers when they walked inland with about eighteen
most obliging and courteous natives--an open space with four hollowed
trunks of trees surrounding two stones, the trees carved into the
shape of grotesque human heads, and among them, a sort of temple,
made of sloping bamboos and pandanus leaves meeting at the top, from
whence hung a dead man, with his face painted in stripes of red and
yellow, procured, it was thought, from the pollen of flowers. There
was not enough comprehension of the language to make out the meaning
of all this.

Ambrym, the next island, was more than usually lovely, and was
destined to receive many more visits. The women made their approach
crawling, some with babies on their backs. Whitsuntide, where the
casks had to be filled with water, showed a great number of large,
resolute-looking men, whose air demanded caution; 'but,' says the