INoneofmystrollswithKory-Kory，inpassingalongtheborderofathickgrowthofbushes，myattentionwasarrestedbyasingularnoise。Onenteringthethicket，Iwitnessedforthefirsttimetheoperationoftattooingasperformedbytheseislanders。
Ibeheldamanextendedflatuponhisbackontheground，and，despitetheforcedcomposureofhiscountenance，itwasevidentthathewassufferingagony。Histormentorbentoverhim，workingawayforalltheworldlikeastonecutterwithmalletandchisel。Inonehandheheldashortslenderstick，pointedwithashark’stooth，ontheuprightendofwhichhetappedwithasmallhammer-likepieceofwood，thuspuncturingtheskin，andchargingitwiththecolouringmatterinwhichtheinstrumentwasdipped。Acocoa-nutshellcontainingthisfluidwasplacedupontheground。Itispreparedbymixingwithavegetablejuicetheashesofthe“armor，“orcandle-nut，alwayspreservedforthepurpose。Besidethesavage，andspreadoutuponapieceofsoiledtappa，wereagreatnumberofcuriousblack-lookinglittleimplementsofboneandwood，usedinthevariousdivisionsofhisart。Afewterminatedinasinglefinepoint，and，likeverydelicatepencils，wereemployedingivingthefinishingtouches，orinoperatinguponthemoresensitiveportionsofthebody，aswasthecaseinthepresentinstance。Otherspresentedseveralpointsdistributedinaline，somewhatresemblingtheteethofasaw。Thesewereemployedinthecoarserpartsofthework，andparticularlyinprickinginstraightmarks。Somepresentedtheirpointsdisposedinsmallfigures，andbeingplaceduponthebody，were，byasingleblowofthehammer，madetoleavetheirindelibleimpression。Iobservedafew，thehandlesofwhichweremysteriouslycurved，asifintendedtobeintroducedintotheorificeoftheear，withaviewperhapsofbeatingthetattoouponthetympanum。
Altogether，thesightofthesestrangeinstrumentsrecalledtomindthatdisplayofcruel-lookingmother-of-pearl-handledthingswhichoneseesintheirvelvet-linedcasesattheelbowofadentist。
Theartistwasnotatthistimeengagedonanoriginalsketch，hissubjectbeingavenerablesavage，whosetattooinghadbecomesomewhatfadedwithageandneededafewrepairs，andaccordinglyhewasmerelyemployedintouchinguptheworksofsomeoftheoldmastersoftheTypeeschool，asdelineateduponthehumancanvasbeforehim。Thepartsoperateduponweretheeyelids，wherealongitudinalstreak，liketheonewhichadornedKoryKory，crossedthecountenanceofthevictim。
Inspiteofalltheeffortsofthepooroldman，sundrytwitchingsandscrewingsofthemusclesofthefacedenotedtheexquisitesensibilityoftheseshutterstothewindowsofhissoul，whichhewasnowhavingrepainted。Buttheartist，withaheartascallousasthatofanarmysurgeon，continuedhisperformance，enliveninghislabourswithawildchant，tappingawaythewhileasmerrilyasawoodpecker。