University of California Berkeley 1 GIFT OF Prof. C. A. Kofoid ' T YPEE; OR, A NARRATIVE OF A FOUR MONTHS' RESIDENCE AMONG THE NATIVES OF A VALLEY OF THE MARQUESAS ISLANDS; OR, A PEEP AT POLYNESIAN LIFE, BY HERMAN MELVILLE. LONDON: JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET. 1847, : -/- WILLIAM CLOWES JlND SONS, STAJylPORD STREET. TO LEMUEL SHAW, CHIEF JUSTICE OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS, THIS LITTLE WORK IS AFFECTIONATELY INSCRIBED BY THE AUTHOR. PREFACE. MORE than three years have elapsed since the occurrence of the events recorded in this volume. The interval, with the exception of the last few months, has been chiefly spent by the author tossing about on the wide ocean. Sailors are the only class of men who now-a-days see anything like stirring adventure ; and many things which to fire-side people appear strange and romantic, to them seem as common -place as a jacket out at elbows. Yet, notwith standing the familiarity of sailors with all sorts of curious ad venture, the incidents recorded in the following pages have often served, when " spun as a yarn," not only to relieve the weariness of many a night-watch at sea, but to excite the warmest sympathies of the author's shipmates. He has been therefore led to think that his story could scarcely fail to interest those who are less familiar than the sailor with a life of adventure. In his account of the singular and interesting people among whom he was thrown, it will be observed that he chiefly treats of their more obvious peculiarities ; and, in describing their cus toms, refrains in most cases from entering into explanations con cerning their origin and purposes, As writers of travels among barbarous communities are generally very diffuse on these sub jects, he deems it right to advert to what may be considered a culpable omission. No one can be more sensible than the author of his deficiencies in this and many other respects ; but when the viii PREFACE. very peculiar circumstances in which he was placed are under stood, he feels assured that all these omissions will be excused. In very many published narratives no little degree of attention is bestowed upon dates ; but as the author lost all knowledge of the days of the week, during the occurrence of the scenes herein related, he hopes that the reader will charitably pass over his shortcomings in this particular. In the Polynesian words used in this volume except in those cases where the spelling has been previously determined by others that form of orthography has been employed, which might be supposed most easily to convey their sound to a stranger. In several works descriptive of the islands in the Pacific, many of the most beautiful combinations of vocal sounds have been altogether lost to the ear of the reader by an over- attention to the ordinary rules of spelling. There are a few passages in the ensuing chapters which may be thought to bear rather hard upon a reverend order of men, the account of whose proceedings in different quarters of the globe transmitted to us through their own hands very ge nerally, and often very deservedly, receives high commendation. Such passages will be found, however, to be based upon facts admitting of no contradiction, and which have come immediately under the writer's cognizance. The conclusions deduced from these facts are unavoidable, and in stating them the author has been influenced by no feeling of animosity, either to the indi viduals themselves or to that glorious cause which has not always been served by the proceedings of some of its advocates. The great interest with which the important events lately occurring at the Sandwich, Marquesas, and Society Islands, have been regarded in America and England, and indeed throughout the world, will, he trusts, justify a few otherwise unwarrantable digressions. PREFACE. There are some things related in the narrative which will be sure to appear strange, or perhaps entirely incomprehensible, to the reader ; but they cannot appear more so to him than they did to the author at the time. He has stated such matters just as they occurred, and leaves every one to form his own opinion concerning them ; trusting that his anxious desire to speak the unvarnished truth will gain for him .the confidence of his readers. CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. The Sea Longings for Shore A Land-sick Ship Destination of the Voyagers The Marquesas Adventure of a Missionary's Wife among the Savages Characteristic Anecdote of the Queen of Nukuheva Page 1 CHAPTER II. Passage from the Cruising Ground to the Marquesas Sleepy times aboard Ship South Sea Scenery Land ho ! The French Squadron discovered at Anchor in the Bay of Nukuheva Strange Pilot Escort of Canoes A Flotilla of Cocoa-nuts Swimming Visitors The Dolly boarded by them State of affairs that ensue 8 CHAPTER III. Some Account of the late operations of the French at the Marquesas Prudent Conduct of the Admiral Sensation produced by the Arrival of the Strangers The first Horse seen by the Islanders Reflections Miserable Subterfuge of the French Digression concerning Tahm Seizure of the Island by the Admiral Spirited Conduct of an English Lady 16 CHAPTER IV. State of Affairs aboard the Ship Contents of her Larder Length of South Seamen's Voyages Account of a Flying Whaleman Determination to Leave the Vessel The Bay of Nukuheva The Typees Invasion of their Valley by Porter Reflections Glen of Tior Interview between the old King and the French Admiral ...... 20 CONTENTS. CHAPTER V. Thoughts previous to attempting an Escape Toby, a Fellow Sailor, agrees to share the Adventure Last Night aboard the Ship . . .31 CHAPTER VI. A Specimen of Nautical Oratory Criticisms of the Sailors The Starboard Watch are given a Holiday The Escape to the Mountains . . 36 CHAPTER VII. The other side of the Mountain Disappointment Inventory of Articles brought from the Ship Division of the Stock of Bread Appearance of the Interior of the Island A Discovery A Eavine and Waterfalls A sleepless Night Further Discoveries My Illness A Marquesan Land scape . . . . . . . . . . .44 CHAPTER VIII. The Important Question, Typee or Happar ? A Wild-Goose Chace My Sufferings Disheartening Situation A Night in a Ravine Morning Meal Happy Idea of Toby Journey towards the Valley . . 54 CHAPTER IX. Perilous Passage of the Ravine Descent into the Valley . . .63 # CHAPTER X. The Head of the Valley Cautious Advance A Path Fruit Discovery of Two of the Natives Their singular Conduct Approach towards the inhabited parts of the Vale Sensation produced by our Appearance Reception at the House of one of the Natives . . . .72 CHAPTER XI. Midnight Reflections Morning Visitors A Warrior in Costume A Savage ./Esculapius Practice of the Healing Art Body Servant A Dwelling-house of the Valley described Portraits of its Inmates . 83 CONTENTS. xiii CHAPTER XII. Officiousness of Kory-Kory His Devotion A Bath in the Stream Want of Refinement of the Typee Damsels Stroll with Mehevi A Typee Highway The Taboo Groves The Hoolah-Hoolah Ground The Ti Time-worn Savages Hospitality of Mehevi Midnight Misgivings Adventure in the Dark Distinguished Honours paid to the Visitors Strange Procession and Return to the House of Marheyo . .97 CHAPTER XIII. Attempt to procure Relief from Nukuheva Perilous Adventure of Toby in the Happar Mountain Eloquence of Kory-Kory . . . .107 CHAPTER XIV. A great Event happens in the Valley The Island Telegraph Something befalls Toby Fayaway displays a tender Heart Melancholy Reflections Mysterious Conduct of the Islanders Devotion of Kory-Kory A rural Couch A Luxury Kory-Kory strikes a Light a la Typee . .115 CHAPTER XV. Kindness of Marheyo and the rest of the Islanders A full Description of the Bread-fruit Tree Different Modes of preparing the Fruit . .125 CHAPTER XVI. Melancholy condition Occurrence at the Ti Anecdote of Marheyo Shaving the Head of a Warrior . . . . . . .130 CHAPTER XVII. Improvement in Health and Spirits Felicity of the Typees Their enjoy ments compared with those of more enlightened Communities Compara tive Wickedness of civilized and unenlightened People A Skirmish in the Mountain with the Warriors of Hapnar . . . .136 CONTENTS. CHAPTER XVIII. Swimming in company with the Girls of the Valley A Canoe Effects of the Taboo A pleasure Excursion on the Pond Beautiful freak of Fayaway Mantua-making A Stranger arrives in the Valley His mys terious conduct Native Oratory The Interview Its Results Departure of the Stranger .... .... 145 CHAPTER XIX. Reflections after Marnoo's Departure Battle of the Pop-guns Strange con ceit of Marheyo Process of making Tappa 159 CHAPTER XX. History of a day as usually spent in the Typee Valley Dances of the Mar- quesan Girls .......... 166 CHAPTER XXI. The Spring of Arva Wai Remarkable Monumental Remains Some ideas with regard to the History of the Pi- Pis found in the Valley . .171 CHAPTER XXII. Preparations for a Grand Festival in the Valley Strange doings in the Taboo Groves Monument of Calabashes Gala costume of the Typee damsels Departure for the Festival . . . . . .175 CHAPTER XXIII. The Feast of Calabashes 181 CHAPTER XXIV. Ideas suggested by the Feast of Calabashes Inaccuracy of certain published Accounts of the Islands A Reason Neglected State of Heathenism in the Valley Effigy of a dead Warrior A singular Superstition The Priest Kolory and the God Moa Artua Amazing Religious Observance A dilapidated Shrine Kory-Kory and the Idol An Inference . 188 CONTENTS. CHAPTER XXV. General Information gathered at the Festival Personal Beauty of the Typees Their Superiority over the Inhabitants of the other Islands Diversity of Complexion A Vegetable Cosmetic and Ointment Testi mony of Voyagers to the uncommon Beauty of the Marquesas Few Evidences of Intercourse with Civilized Beings Dilapidated Musket Primitive Simplicity of Government Eegal Dignity of Mehevi 200 CHAPTER XXVI. King Mehevi Allusion to his Hawiian Majesty Conduct of Marheyo and Mehevi in certain delicate matters Peculiar system of Marriage Number of Population Uniformity Embalming Places of Sepulchre Funeral obsequies at Nukuheva Number of Inhabitants in Typee Location of the Dwellings Happiness enjoyed in the Valley A Warning Some ideas with regard to the Civilization of the Islands Reference to the Present state of the Hawiians Story of a Missionary's Wife Fashion able Equipages at Oahu Reflections ...... 209 CHAPTER XXVH. The Social Condition and General Character of the Typees . . 222 CHAPTER XXVIII. Fishing Parties Mode of distributing the Fish Midnight Banquet Time keeping Tapers Unceremonious style of eating the Fish . . 229 CHAPTER XXIX. Natural History of the Valley Golden Lizards Tameness of the Birds Mosquitos Flies Dogs A solitary Cat The Climate The Cocoa-nut Tree Singular modes of climbing it An agile young Chief Fearlessness of the Children Too-Too and the Cocoa-nut Tree The Birds of the Valley 233 CHAPTER XXX. A Professor of the Fine Arts His Persecutions Something about Tattooing and Tabooing Two Anecdotes in illustration of the latter A few thoughts on the Typee Dialect 240 xvi CONTENTS. CHAPTER XXXI. Strange custom of the Islanders Their Chanting, and the peculiarity of their Voice Rapture of the King at first hearing a Song A new Dignity conferred on the Author Musical Instruments in the Valley Admiration of the Savages at beholding a Pugilistic Performance Swimming Infant Beautiful Tresses of the Girls Ointment for the Hair . . . 249 CHAPTER XXXII. Apprehensions of Evil Frightful DiscoverySome remarks on Cannibalism Second Battle with the Happars Savage Spectacle Mysterious Feast Subsequent Disclosures 254 CHAPTER XXXIII. The Stranger again arrives in the Valley Singular Interview with him Attempt to Escape Failure Melancholy Situation Sympathy of Mar- heyo 264 CHAPTER XXXIV. The Escape 269 APPENDIX. Provisional cession to Lord George Paulet of the Sandwich Islands .279 ,? Coral L . M. CHAPTER VI. A Specimen of Nautical Oratory Criticisms of the Sailors The Starboard Watch are given a Holiday The Escape to the Mountains. EARLY the next morning the starboard watch were mustered upon the quarter-deck, and our worthy captain, standing in the cabin gangway, harangued us as follows : " Now, men. as we are just off a six months' cruise, and have got through most all our work in port here, I suppose you want to go ashore. Well, I mean to give youi\ watch liberty to-day, so you may get ready as soon as you please, and go ; but under stand this, I am going to give you liberty because I suppose you would growl like so many old quarter gunners if I didn't ; at the same time, if you '11 take my advice, every mother's son of you will stay aboard, and keep out of the way of the bloody can nibals altogether. Ten to one, men, if you go ashore, you will get into some infernal row, and that will be the end of you ; for if those tattooed scoundrels get you a little ways back into their valleys, they '11 nab you that you may be certain of. Plenty of white men have gone ashore here and never been seen any more. There was the old Dido, she put in here about two years ago, and sent one watch off on liberty ; they never were heard of again for a week the natives swore they didn't know where they were and only three of them ever got back to the ship again, and one with his face damaged for life, for the cursed heathens tattooed a broad patch clean across his figure-head. But it will be no use talking to you, for go you will, that I see plainly ; so all 1 have to say is, that you need not blame me if the islanders make a meal of you. You may stand some chance of escaping them though, if you keep close about the French encampment, and are back to the ship again before sunset. Keep that much in your mind, if you forget all the rest I 've been saying to you. There, go forward ; bear a hand and rig yourselves, and stand by for a CHAP. vi.l CRITICISMS OF THE SAILOKS. 37 call. At two bells the boat will be manned to take you off, and the Lord have mercy on you ! " Various were the emotions depicted upon the countenances of the starboard watch whilst listening to this address ; but on its conclusion there was a general move towards the forecastle, and we soon were all busily engaged in getting ready for the holiday so auspiciously announced by the skipper. During these pre parations his harangue was commented upon in no very mea sured terms ; and one of the party, after denouncing him as a lying old son of a sea-cook who begrudged a fellow a few hours' liberty, exclaimed with an oath, " But you don't bounce me out of my liberty, old chap, for all your yarns ; for I would go ashore if every pebble on the beach was a live coal, and every stick a gridiron, arid the cannibals stood ready to broil me on landing." The spirit of this sentiment was responded to by all hands, and we resolved that in spite of the captain's croakings we would make a glorious day of it. But Toby and I had our own game to play, arid we availed ourselves of the confusion which always reigns among a ship's company preparatory to going ashore, to confer together and complete our arrangements. As our object was to effect %& rapid a flight as possible to the mountains, we determined not to en cumber ourselves with any superfluous apparel ; and accordingly, while the rest were rigging themselves out with some idea of making a display, we were content to put on new stout duck trousers, serviceable pumps, and heavy Havre-frocks, which with a Payta hat completed our equipment. ' When our shipmates wondered at this, Toby exclaimed in his odd grave way that the rest might do as they liked, but that he for one preserved his go-ashore traps for the Spanish main, where the tie of a sailor's neckerchief might make some difference ; but as for a parcel of unbreeched heathen, he wouldn't go to the bottom of his chest for any of them, and was half disposed to appear among them in buff' himself. The men laughed at what they thought was one of his strange conceits, and so we escaped suspicion. It may appear singular that we should have been thus on our guard with our own shipmates ; but there were some among us who, had they possessed the least inkling of our project, would, 38 RESIDENCE IN THE MARQUESAS. [CHAP. vi. for a paltry hope of reward, have immediately communicated it to the captain. As soon as two bells were struck, the word was passed for the liberty-men to get into the boat. I lingered behind in the fore castle a moment to take a parting glance at its familiar features, and just as I was about to ascend to the deck my eye happened to light on the bread-barge and beef-kid, which contained the remnants of our last hasty meal. Although I had never before thought of providing anything in the way of food for our expedi tion, as I fully relied upon the fruits of the island to sustain us wherever we might wander, yet I could not resist the inclination I felt to provide luncheon from the relics before me. Accord ingly I took a double handful of those small, broken, flinty bits of biscuit which generally go by the name of " midshipmen's nuts," and thrust them into the bosom of my frock ; in which same ample receptacle I had previously stowed away several pounds of tobacco and a few yards of cotton cloth artiples with which I intended to purchase the good-will of the natives, as soon as we should appear among them after the departure of our vessel. This-Jast addition to my stock caused a considerable pro tuberance in front, which I abated in a measure by shaking the bits of bread around my waist, and distributing the plugs of tobacco among the folds of the garment. Hardly had I completed these arrangements when my name \vas sung out by a dozen voices, and I sprung upon the deck, where I found all the party in the boat, and impatient to shove off. I dropped over the side and seated myself with the rest of the watch in the stern sheets, while the poor larborders shipped their oars, and commenced pulling us ashore. This happened to be the rainy season at the islands, and the heavens had nearly the whole morning betokened one of those heavy showers which during this period so frequently occur. The large drops fell bubbling into the water shortly after our leaving the ship, and by the time we had effected a landing it poured down in torrents. We fled for shelter under cover of an immense canoe-house which stood hard by the beach, and waited for the first fury of the storm to pass. It continued, however, without cessation ; and the monotonous CHAP, vi.] THEIR ESCAPE. beating of the rain over head began to exert a drowsy influence upon the men, who, throwing themselves here and there upon the large war-canoes, after chatting awhile, all fell asleep. This was the opportunity we desired, and Toby and I availed ourselves of it at once by stealing out of the canoe-house and plunging into the depths of an extensive grove that was in its rear. After ten minutes' rapid progress we gained an open space from which we could just descry the ridge we intended to mount looming dimly through the mists of the tropical shower, and distant from us, as we estimated, something more than a mile. Our direct course towards it lay through a rather populous part of the bay ; but desirous as we were of evading the natives, and securing an unmolested retreat to the mountains, we determined, by taking a circuit through some extensive thickets, to avoid their vicinity altogether. The heavy rain that still continued to fall without intermission favoured our enterprise, as it drove the islanders into their houses, and prevented any casual meeting with them. Our heavy frocks soon became completely saturated with water, arid by their weight, and that of the articles we had concealed beneath them, not a little impeded our progress. But it was no time tp pause when at any moment we might be surprised by a body of the savages, and forced at the very outset to relinquish our under taking. Since leaving the canoe-house we had scarcely exchanged a single syllable with one another ; but when we entered a second narrow opening in the wood, and again caught sight of the ridge before us, I took Toby by the arm, and pointing along its sloping outline to the lofty heights at its extremity, said in a low tone, " Now Toby, not a word, nor a glance backward, till we stand on the summit of yonder mountain so no more lingering, but let us shove ahead while we can, and in a few hours' time we may laugh aloud. You are the lightest and the nimblest, so lead on, and I will follow." "All right, brother," said Toby, " quick 's our play ; only let 's keep close together, that 's all ;" and so saying, with a bound like a young roe, he cleared a brook which ran across our path, and rushed forward with a quick step. 40 RESIDENCE IN THE MARQUESAS. [CHAP. vi. When we arrived within a short distance of the ridge, we were stopped by a mass of tall yellow reeds, growing together as thickly as they could stand, and as tough and stubborn as so many rods of steel ; and we perceived, to our chagrin, that they extended midway up the elevation we purposed to ascend. For a moment we gazed about us in quest of a more practi cable route ; it was, however, at once apparent that there was no resource but to pierce this thicket of can.es at all hazards. We now reversed our order of march, I, being the heaviest, taking the lead, with a view of breaking a path through the obstruction, while Toby fell into the rear. Two or three times I endeavoured to insinuate myself between the canes, and by dint of coaxing and bending them to make some progress ; but a bull-frog might as well have tried to work a passage through the teeth of a comb, and I gave up the attempt in despair. Half wild with meeting an obstacle we had so little antici pated, I threw myself desperately against it, crushing to the ground the canes with which I came in contact; and, rising to my feet again, repeated the action with like effect. Twenty minutes of this violent exercise almost exhausted me, but it, carried us some way into the thicket ; when Toby, who had been reaping the benefit of my labours by following close at my heels, proposed to become pioneer in turn, and accordingly passed ahead with a view of affording me a respite from my exertions. As however with his slight frame he made but bad work of it, I was soon obliged to resume my old place again. On we toiled, the perspiration starting from our bodies in floods, our limbs torn and lacerated with the splintered fragments of the broken canes, until we had proceeded perhaps as far as the middle of the brake, when suddenly it ceased raining, and the atmosphere around us became close and sultry beyond expression. The elasticity of the reeds, quickly recovering from the tempo rary pressure of our bodies, caused them to spring back to their original position ; so that they closed in upon us as we advanced, and prevented the circulation of the little air which might otherwise have reached us. Besides this, their great height completely shut us out from the view of surrounding objects, CHAP, vi.] DIFFICULTIES IN A CANE-BRAKE. 41 and we were not certain but that we might have been going all the time in a wrong direction. Fatigued with my long-continued efforts, and panting for breath, I felt myself completely incapacitated for any further exertion. I rolled up the sleeve of my frock, and squeezed the moisture 'it contained into my parched mouth. But the few drops I managed to obtain gave me little relief, and I sunk down for a moment with a sort of dogged apathy, from which I was aroused by Toby, who had devised a plan to free us from the net in which we had become entangled. He was laying about him lustily with his sheath-knife, lopping the canes right and left, like a reaper, and soon made quite a clearing around us. This sight reanimated me, and seizing my own knife, I hacked and hewed away without mercy. But alas ! the farther we advanced, the thicker and taller, and apparently the more interminable, the reeds became. I began to think we were fairly snared, and had almost made up my mind that without a pair of wings we should never be able to escape from the toils ; when all at once I discerned a peep of daylight through the canes on my right, and, communi cating the joyful tidings to Toby, we both fell to with fresh spirit, and speedily opening a passage towards it we found our- elves clear of perplexities, and in the near vicinity of the ridge. After resting for a few moments we began the ascent, and after a little vigorous climbing found ourselves close to its summit. Instead however of walking along its ridge, where we should have been in full view of the natives in the vales beneath, and at a point where they could easily intercept us \vere they so inclined, we cautiously advanced on one side, crawling on our hands and knees, and screened from observation by the grass through which we glided, much in the fashion of a couple of serpents. After an hour employed in this unpleasant kind of locomotion, we started to our feet again and pursued our way boldly along the crest of the ridge. This salient spur of the lofty elevations that encompassed the bay rose with a sharp angle from the valleys at its base, and presented, with the exception of a few steep acclivities, the ap pearance of a vast inclined plane, sweeping down towards the 42 RESIDENCE IN THE MARQUESAS. [CHAP. vi. sea from the heights in the distance. "We had ascended it near the place of its termination and at its lowest point, and now saw our route to the mountains distinctly defined along its narrow crest, which was covered with a soft carpet of verdure, and was in many parts only a few feet wide. Elated with the success which had so far attended our enter prise, and invigorated by the refreshing atmosphere we now inhaled, Toby and I in high spirits were making our way rapidly along the ridge, when suddenly from the valleys below which lay on either side of us we heard the distant shouts of the natives, who had just descried us, and to whom our figures, brought in bold relief against the sky, were plainly revealed. Glancing our eyes into these valleys, we perceived their savage inhabitants hurrying to and fro, seemingly under the influence of some sudden alarm, and appearing to the eye scarcely bigger than so many pigmies; while their white thatched dwellings, dwarfed by the distance, looked like baby-houses. As we looked down upon the islanders from our lofty elevation, we experienced a sense of security ; feeling confident that, should they undertake a pursuit, it would, from the start we now had, .prove entirely fruitless, unless they followed us into the mountains, where we knew they cared not to venture. However, we thought it as well to make the most of our time ; and accordingly, where the ground would admit of it, we ran swiftly along the summit of the ridge, until we were brought to a stand by a steep cliff, which at first seemed to interpose an effectual barrier to our further advance. By dint of much hard scrambling however, and at some risk to our necks, we at last surmounted it, and continued our flight with unabated celerity. We had left the beach early in the morning 1 , and after an un interrupted, though at times difficult and dangerous ascent, during which we had never once turned our faces to the sea, we found ourselves, about three hours before sunset, standing on the top of what seemed to be the highest land on the island, an im mense overhanging cliff composed of basaltic rocks, hung round with parasitical plants. We must have been more than three thousand feet above the level of the sea, and the scenery viewed from this height was magnificent. CHAP, vi.] BEAUTIFUL SCENERY AROUND NUKUHE VA. 43 The lonely bay of Nukuheva, dotted here and there with the black hulls of the vessels composing the French squadron, lay reposing at the base of a circular range of elevations, whose verdant sides, perforated with deep glens or diversified with smiling valleys, formed altogether the loveliest view I ever be held, and were I to live a hundred years, I should never forget the feeling of admiration which I then experienced. 44 RESIDENCE IN THE MARQUESAS. [CHAI>. vii. CHAPTER VII. The other side of the Mountain Disappointment Inventory of Articles brought from the Ship Division of the Stock of Bread Appearance of the Interior of the Island A Discovery A Ravine and Waterfalls A sleepless Night Further Discoveries My Illness A Marquesau Land scape. MY curiosity had been not a little raised with regard to the description of country we should meet on the other side of the mountains ; and I had supposed, with Toby, that immediately on gaining- the heights we should be enabled to view the large bays of Happar and Typee reposing at our feet on one side, in the same way that Nukuheva lay spread out below on the other. But here we were disappointed. Instead of finding the mountain we had ascended sweeping down in the opposite direction into broad and capacious valleys, the land appeared to retain its general elevation, only broken into a series of ridges and inter vales, which as far as the eye could reach stretched away from us, with their precipitous sides covered with the brightest ver dure, and waving here and there with the foliage of clumps of woodland ; among which, however, we perceived none of those trees upon whose fruit we had relied with such certainty. This was a most unlooked-for discovery, and one that promised to defeat our plans altogether, for we could not think of descend ing the mountain on the Nukuheva side in quest of food. Should we for this purpose be induced to retrace our steps, we should run no small chance of encountering the natives, who in that case, if they did nothing worse to us, would be certain to convey us back to the ship for the sake of the reward in calico and trinkets, which we had no doubt our skipper would hold out to them as an inducement to our capture. What was to be done ? The Dolly would not sail perhaps for ten days, and how were we to sustain life during this period ? I bitterly repented our improvidence in not providing ourselves, as we easily might have done, with a supply of biscuit. With a CHAP, vii.] TOBY'S STORE PRODUCED. 45 rueful visage I now bethought me of the scanty handful of bread I had stuffed into the bosom of my frock, and felt somewhat desirous to ascertain what part of it had weathered the rather rough usage it had experienced in ascending the mountain. I accordingly proposed to Toby that we should enter into a joint examination of the various articles we had brought from the ship. With this intent we seated ourselves upon the grass ; and a little curious to see with what kind of judgment my companion had filled his frock which I remarked seemed about as well lined as my own I requested him to commence operations by spreading out its contents. Thrusting his hand, then, into the bosom of this capacious receptacle, he first brought to light about a pound of tobacco, whose component parts still adhered together, the whole outside being covered with soft particles of sea-bread. Wet and dripping, it had the appearance of having been just recovered from the bottom of the sea. But I paid slight attention to a substance of so little value to us in our present situation, as soon as I perceived the indications it gave of Toby's foresight in laying in a supply of food for the expedition. I eagerly inquired what quantity he had brought with him, when, rummaging once more beneath his garment, he produced a small handful of something so soft, pulpy, and discoloured, that for a few moments he was as much puzzled as myself to tell by what possible instrumentality such a villainous compound had become engendered in his bosom. I can only describe it as a hash of soaked bread and bits of tobacco, brought to a doughy consistency by the united agency of perspiration and rain. But repulsive as it might otherwise have been, I now regarded it as an invaluable treasure, and proceeded with great care to transfer this paste-like mass to a large leaf which I had plucked from a bush beside me. Toby informed me that in the morning he had placed two whole biscuits in his bosom, with a view of munching them, should he feel so inclined, during our flight. These were now reduced to the equivocal substance which I had just placed on the leaf. Another dive into the frock brought to view some four or five yards of calico print, whose tasteful pattern was rather disfigured by the yellow stains of the tobacco with which it had been 4G RESIDENCE IN THE MARQUESAS. [CHAP. vn. brought in contact. In drawing this calico slowly from his bosom inch by inch, Toby reminded me of a juggler performing the feat of the endless ribbon. The next cast was a small one, being a sailor's littl^. " ditty-bag," containing needles, thread, and other sewing utensils ; then came a razor-case, followed by two or three separate plugs of negro-head, which were fished up from the bottom of the now empty receptacle. These various matters being inspected, I produced the few things that I had myself brought. As might have been anticipated from the state of my com panion's edible supplies, I found my own in a deplorable condition, and diminished to a quantity that would not have formed half a dozen mouthfuls for a hungry man who was partial enough to tobacco not to mind swallowing it. A few morsels of bread, with a fathom or two of white cotton cloth, and several pounds of choice pigtail, composed the extent of my possessions. Our joint stock of miscellaneous articles was now made up into a compact bundle, which it was agreed we should carry alternately. But the sorry remains of the biscuit were not to be disposed of so summarily : the precarious circumstances in which we were placed made us regard them as something on which very probably depended the fate of our adventure. After a brief dis cussion, in which we both of us expressed our resolution of not descending into the bay until the ship's departure, I suggested to my companion that little of it as there was, we should divide the bread into six equal portions, each of which should be a day's allowance for both of us. This proposition he assented to ; so I took the silk kerchief from my neck, and cutting it with my knife into half a dozen equal pieces, proceeded to make an exact division. At first, Toby, with a degree of fastidiousness that seemed to me ill-timed, was for picking out the minute particles of tobacco with which the spongy mass was mixed ; but against this pro ceeding I protested, as by such an operation we must have greatly diminished its quantity. When the division was accomplished, we found that a day's allowance for the two was not a great deal more than what a table-spoon might hold. Each separate portion we immediately rolled up in the bit of silk prepared for it, and joining them CHAP. TIL] ALARM AT FINDING A FOOT-PATH. 47 altogether into a small package, I committed them, with solemn injunctions of fidelity, to the custody of Toby. For the remainder of that day we resolved to fast, as we had been fortified by a breakfast in the morning ; and now starting again to our feet, we looked about us for a shelter during the Bright, which, from the appearance of the heavens, promised to /be a dark and tem pestuous one. There was no place near us which would in any way answer our purpose ; so turning our backs upon Nukuheva, we com menced exploring the unknown regions which lay upon the other side of the mountain. In this direction, as far as our vision extended, not a sign of life, nor anything that denoted even the transient residence of man, could be seen. The whole landscape seemed one unbroken solitude, the interior of the island having apparently been un- tenanted since the morning of the creation ; and as we advanced through this wilderness, our voices sounded strangely in our ears, as though human accents had never before disturbed the fearful silence of the place, interrupted only by the low mur- murings of distant waterfalls. Our disappointment, however, in not finding the various fruits with which we had intended to regale ourselves during our stay in these wilds, was a good deal lessened by the consi deration that from this very circumstance we should be much less exposed to a casual meeting with the savage tribes about us, who we knew always dwelt beneath the shadows of those trees which supplied them with food. We wandered along, casting eager glances into every bush we passed, until just as we had succeeded in mounting one of the many ridges that intersected the ground, I saw in the grass before me something like an indistinctly traced footpath, which appeared to lead along the top of the ridge, and to descend with it into a deep ravine about half a mile in advance of us. Robinson Crusoe could not have been more startled at the footprint in the sand than we were at this unwelcome discovery. My first impulse was to make as rapid a retreat as possible, and bend our steps in some other direction ; but our curiosity to see whither this path might lead, prompted us to pursue it. So on we went, the track becoming more and more visible the farther 48 RESIDENCE IN THE MARQUESAS. [CHAP. vn. we proceeded, until it conducted us to the verge of the ravine, where it abruptly terminated. " And so," said Toby, peering down into the chasm, " every one that travels this path takes a jump here, eh ?" " Not so," said I, " for I think they might manage to descend without it ; what say you, shall we attempt the feat ?" " And what, in the name of caves and coal-holes, do you expect to find at the bottom of that gulf but a broken neck why it looks blacker than our ship's hold, and the roar of those water falls down there would batter one's brains to pieces." " Oh, no, Toby," I exclaimed, laughing ; " but there 's some thing to be seen here, that 's plain, or there would have been no path, and I am resolved to find out what it is." " / will tell you what, my pleasant fellow," rejoined Toby quickly, " if you are going to pry into everything you meet with here that excites your curiosity, you will marvellously soon get knocked on the head ; to a dead certainty you will come bang upon a party of these savages in the midst of your discovery- makings, and I doubt whether such an event would particularly delight you. Just take my advice for once, and let us 'bout ship and steer in some other direction ; besides, it. 's getting late, and we ought to be mooring ourselves for the night." " That is just the thing I have been driving at," replied I; " and I am thinking that this ravine will exactly answer our purpose, for it is roomy, secluded, well watered, and may shelter us from the weather." " Aye, and from sleep too, and by the same token will give us sore throats and rheumatisms into the bargain," cried Toby, with evident dislike at the idea. " Oh, very well then, my lad," said I, " since you will not accompany me, here I go alone. You will see me in the morn ing ;" and advancing to the edge of the cliff upon which we had been standing, I proceeded to lower myself down by the tangled roots which clustered about all the crevices of the rock. As I had anticipated, Toby, in spite of his previous remonstrances, followed my example, and dropping himself with the activity of a squirrel from point to point, he quickly outstripped me, and effected a landing at the bottom before I had accomplished two- thirds of the descent. CHAP, vii.] THEIR LODGINGS FOR THE NIGHT. 49 The sight that now greeted us was one that will ever be vividly impressed upon my mind. Five foaming streams, rushing through as many gorges, and swelled and turbid by the recent rains, united together in one mad plunge of nearly eighty feet, and fell with wild uproar into a deep black pool scooped out of the gloomy-looking rocks that lay piled around, and thence in one collected body dashed down a narrow sloping channel which seemed to penetrate into the very bowels of the earth. Overhead, vast roots of trees hung down from the sides of the ravine drip ping with moisture, and trembling with the concussions produced by the fall. It was now sunset, and the feeble uncertain light that found its way into these caverns and woody depths heightened their strange appearance, and reminded us that in a short time we should find ourselves in utter darkness. As soon as I had satisfied my curiosity by gazing at this scene, [ fell to wondering how it was that what we had taken for a path should have conducted us to so singular a place, and began to suspect that after all I might have been deceived in supposing it to have been a track formed by the islanders. This was rather an agreeable reflection than otherwise, for it diminished 3ur dread of accidentally meeting with any of them, and I came to the conclusion that perhaps we could not have selected a more secure hiding-place than this very spot we had so accidentally [lit upon. Toby agreed with me in this view of the matter, and we immediately began gathering together the limbs of trees ft-hich lay scattered about, with the view of constructing a tem porary hut for the night. This we were obliged to build close :o the foot of the cataract, for the current of water extended i^ery nearly to the sides of the gorge. The few moments of light ;hat remained we employed in covering our hut with a species of 3road-bladed grass that grew in every fissure of the ravine. Our mt, if it deserved to be called one, consisted of six or eight of the .traightest branches we could find laid obliquely against the steep vail of rock, with their lower ends within a foot of the stream. Into the space thus covered over we managed to crawl, and dis pose our wearied bodies as best we could. Shall I ever forget that horrid night ? As for poor Toby, I lould scarcely get a word out of him. It would have been some consolation to have heard his voice, but he lay shivering the 50 RESIDENCE IN THE MARQUESAS. [CHAP, vir, live-long night like a man afflicted with the palsy, with his knees drawn up to his head, while his back was supported against the dripping side of the rock. During this wretched night there seemed nothing wanting to complete the perfect misery of our condition. The rain descended in such torrents that our poor shelter proved a mere mockery. In vain did I try to elude the incessant streams that poured upon me ; by protecting one part I only exposed another, and the water was continually finding some new opening through which to drench us. I have had many a ducking in the course of my life, and in general care little about ; but the accumulated horrors of that night, the deathlike coldness of the place, the appalling dark ness and the dismal sense of our forlorn condition, almost un manned me. It will not be doubted that the next morning we were early risers, and as soon as I could catch the faintest glimpse of any thing like daylight I shook my companion by the arm, and told him it was sunrise. Poor Toby lifted up his head, and after a moment's pause said, in a husky voice, " Then, shipmate, my toplights have gone out, for it appears darker now with my eyes open than it did when they were shut." " Nonsense ! " exclaimed I ; " you are not awake yet." " Awake ! " roared Toby in a rage, " awake ! You mean to insinuate I 've been asleep, do you ? It is an insult to a man to suppose he could sleep in such an infernal place as this." By the time I had apologized to my friend for having mis construed his silence, it had become somewhat more light, and we crawled out of our lair. The rain had ceased, but everything around us was dripping with moisture. We stripped off our saturated garments, and wrung them as dry as we could. We contrived to make the blood circulate in our benumbed limbs by rubbing them vigorously with our hands ; and after performing our ablutions in the stream, and putting on our still wet clothes, we began to think it advisable to break our long fast, it being now twenty-four hours since we had tasted food. Accordingly our day's ration was brought out, and seating ourselves on a detached fragment of rock, we proceeded to dis cuss it. First we divided it into two equal portions, and care fully rolling one of them up for our evening's repast, divided CHAP, vii.] SEARCH FOR A BETTER HIDING-PLACE. 51 the remainder again as equally as possible, and then drew lots for the first choice. I could have placed the morsel that fell to my share upon the tip of my finger ; but notwithstanding this I took care that it should be full ten minutes before I had swal lowed the last crumb. What a true saying it is that " appetite furnishes the best sauce." There was a flavour and a relish to this small particle of food that under other circumstances it would have been impossible for the most delicate viands to have imparted. A copious draught of the pure water which flowed at our feet served to complete the meal, and after it we rose sen sibly refreshed, and prepared for whatever might befall us. We now carefully examined the chasm in which we had passed the night. We crossed the stream, and gaining the farther side of the pool I have mentioned, discovered proofs that the spot must have been visited by some one but a short time previous to our arrival. Further observation convinced us that it had been regularly frequented, and, as we afterwards con jectured from particular indications, for the purpose of obtaining a certain root, from which the natives obtain a kind of oint ment. These discoveries immediately determined us to abandon a place which had presented no inducement for us to remain, except the promise of security ; and as we looked about us for the means of ascending again into the upper regions, we at last found a practicable part of the rock, and half an hour's toil car ried us to the summit of the same cliff from which the preceding evening we had descended. I now proposed to Toby that instead of rambling about the island, exposing ourselves to discovery at every turn, we should select some place as our fixed abode for as long a period as our food should hold out, build ourselves a comfortable hut, and be as prudent and circumspect as possible. To all this my companion assented, and we at once set about carrying the plan into execution. With this view, after exploring without success a little glen near us, we crossed several of the ridges of which I have before spoken ; and about noon found ourselves ascending a long and gradually rising slope, but still without having discovered any place adapted to our purpose. Low and heavy clouds betokened E 2 52 RESIDENCE IN THE MARQUESAS. [CHAP. vn. an approaching storm, and we hurried on to gain a covert in a clump of thick bushes which appeared to terminate the long ascent. We threw ourselves under the lee of these bushes, and pulling up the long grass that grew around, covered ourselves completely with it, and awaited the shower. But it did not come as soon as we had expected, and before many minutes my companion was fast asleep, and I was rapidly falling into the same state of happy forgetfulness. Just at this juncture, however, down came the rain with a violence that put all thoughts of slumber to flight. Although in some measure sheltered, our clothes soon became as wet as ever : this, after all the trouble we had taken to dry them, was provoking enough : but there was no help for it ; and I recommend all adventurous youths who abandon vessels in romantic islands during the rainy season to provide themselves with umbrellas. After an hour or so the shower passed away. My companion slept through it all, or at least appeared so to do ; and now that it was over I had not the heart to awaken him. As I lay on my back completely shrouded with verdure, the leafy branches drooping over me, and my limbs buried in grass, I could not avoid comparing our situation with that of the interesting babes in the wood. Poor little sufferers ! no wonder their constitutions broke down under the hardships to which they were exposed. During the hour or two spent under the shelter of these bushes, I began to feel symptoms which I at once attributed to the exposure of the preceding night. Cold shiverings and a burning fever succeeded one another at intervals, while one of my legs was swelled to such a degree, and pained me so acutely, that I half suspected I had been bitten by some venomous reptile, the congenial inhabitant of the chasm from which we had lately emerged. I may here remark by the way what I subsequently learned that all the islands of Polynesia enjoy the reputation, in common with the Hibernian isle, of being free from the presence of any vipers ; though whether Saint Patrick ever visited them, is a question I shall not attempt to decide. As the feverish sensation increased upon me, I tossed about, still unwilling to disturb my slumbering companion, from whose side I removed two or three yards. I chanced to push aside a branch, and by so doing suddenly disclosed to my view a scene CHAP, vii.] VAEIED SCENERY. 53 which even now I can recall with all the vividness of the first impression. Had a glimpse of the gardens of Paradise been revealed to me I could scarcely have been more ravished with the sight. From the spot where I lay transfixed with surprise and delight, I looked straight down into the bosom of a valley, which swept away in long wavy undulations to the blue waters in the distance. Midway towards the sea, and peering here and there amidsj the foliage, might be seen the palmetto-thatched houses of its inha bitants glistening in the sun that had bleached them to a dazzling whiteness. The vale was more than three leagues in length, and about a mile across at its greatest width. On either side it appeared hemmed in by steep arid green ac clivities, which, uniting near the spot where I lay, formed an abrupt and semicircular termination of grassy cliffs and preci pices hundreds of feet in height, over which flowed numberless small cascades. But the crowning beauty of the prospect was its universal verdure ; and in this indeed consists, I believe, the pecu liar charm of every Polynesian landscape. Everywhere below me, from the base of the precipice upon whose very verge I had been unconsciously reposing, the surface of the vale presented a mass of foliage, spread with such rich profusion that it was impossible to determine of what description of trees it consisted. But perhaps there was nothing about the scenery I beheld more impressive than those silent cascades, whose slender threads of water, after leaping down the steep cliffs, were lost amidst the rich herbage of the valley. Over all the landscape there reigned the most hushed repose, which I almost feared to break lest, like the enchanted gardens in the fairy tale, a single syllable might dissolve the spell. For a long time, forgetful alike of my own situation, and the vicinity of my still slumbering companion, I remained gazing around me, hardly able to comprehend by what means I had thus sud denly been made a spectator of such a scene. 54 RESIDENCE IN THE MARQUESAS. [CHAP. vm. CHAPTER VIII. The Important Question, Typee or Happar ? A Wild-Goose Chase My Sufferings Disheartening Situation A Night in a Ravine Morning Meal Happy Idea of Toby Journey towards the Valley. RECOVERING from my astonishment at the beautiful scene before me, I quickly awakened Toby, and informed him of the dis covery I had made. Together we now repaired to the border of the precipice, and my companion's admiration was equal to my own. A little reflection, however, abated our surprise at coming so unexpectedly upon this valley, since the large vales of Happar and Typee, lying upon this side of Nukuheva, and extending a considerable distance from the sea towards the in terior, must necessarily terminate somewhere about this point. The question now was as to which of those two places we were looking down upon. Toby insisted that it was the abode of the Happars, and I that it was tenanted by their enemies the fero cious Typees. To be sure I was not entirely convinced by my own arguments, but Toby's proposition to descend at once into the valley, and partake of the hospitality of its inmates, seemed to me to be risking so much upon the strength of a mere suppo sition, that I resolved to oppose it until we had more evidence to proceed upon. The point was one of vital importance, as the natives of Happar were riot only at peace with Nukuheva, but cultivated with its inhabitants the most friendly relations, and enjoyed beside a reputation for gentleness and humanity which led us to expect from them, if not a cordial reception, at least a shelter during the short period we should remain in their territory. On the other hand, the very name of Typee struck a panic into my heart which I did not attempt to disguise. The thought of voluntarily throwing ourselves into the hands of these cruel savages, seemed to me an act of mere madness ; and CHAP, viii.] IN SEARCH OF FOOD. 55 almost equally so the idea of venturing into the valley, uncertain by which of these two tribes it was inhabited. That the vale at our feet was tenanted by one of them, was a point that appeared to us past all doubt, since we knew that they resided in this quarter, although our information did not enlighten us further. My companion, however, incapable of resisting the tempting prospect which the place held out of an abundant supply of food and other means of enjoyment, still clung to his own inconsi derate view of the subject, nor could all my reasoning shake it. When I reminded him that it was impossible for either of us to know anything with certainty, and when I dwelt upon the hor rible faje we should encounter were we rashly to descend into the valley, and discover too late the error we had committed, he replied by detailing all the evils of our present condition, and the sufferings we must undergo should we continue to remain where we then were. Anxious to draw him away from the subject, if possible for I saw that it would be in vain to attempt changing his mind I directed his attention to a long bright unwooded tract of land which, sweeping down from the elevations in the interior, de scended into the valley before us. I then suggested to him that beyond this ridge might lie a capacious and untenanted valley, abounding with all manner of delicious fruits ; for I had heard that there were several such upon the island, and proposed that we should endeavour to reach it, and if we found our expectations realised we should at once take refuge in it and remain there as long as we pleased. He acquiesced in the suggestion ; and we immediately, there fore, began surveying the country lying before us, with a view of determining upon the best route for us to pursue ; but it pre sented little choice, the whole interval being broken into steep ridges, divided by dark ravines, extending in parallel lines at right angles to our direct course. All these we would be obliged to cross before we could hope to arrive at our desti nation. A weary journey ! But we decided to undertake it, though, for my own part, I felt little prepared to encounter its fatigues, shivering and burning by turns with the ague and fever ; for I know not how else to describe the alternate sensations I experi- 56 RESIDENCE IN THE MARQUESAS. [CHAP. vnr. enced, and suffering not a little from the lameness which afflicted me. Added to this was the faintness consequent on our meagre diet a calamity in which Toby participated to the same extent as myself. These circumstances, however, only augmented my anxiety to reach a place which promised us plenty and repose, before I should be reduced to a state which would render me altogether unable to perform the journey. Accordingly we now commenced it by descending the almost perpendicular side of a steep and narrow gorge, bristling with a thick growth of reeds. Here there was but one mode for us to adopt. We seated ourselves upon the ground, and guided our descent by catching at the canes in our path. The velocity with which we thus slid down the side of the ravine soon brought us to a point where we could use our feet, and in a short time we arrived at the edge of the torrent, which rolled impetuously along the bed of the chasm. After taking a refreshing draught from the water of the stream, we addressed ourselves to a much more difficult under taking than the last. Every foot of our late descent had to be regained in ascending the opposite side of the gorge an opera tion rendered the less agreeable from the consideration that in these perpendicular episodes we did not progress an hundred yards on our journey. But, ungrateful as the task was, we set about it with exemplary patience, and after a snail-like progress of an hour or more, had scaled perhaps one half of the distance, when the fever which had left me for awhile returned with such violence, and accompanied by so raging a thirst, that it required all the entreaties of Toby to prevent me from losing all the fruits of my late exertion, by precipitating myself madly down the cliffs we had just climbed, in quest of the water which flowed so temptingly at their base. At the moment all my hopes and fears appeared to be merged in this one desire, careless of the consequences that might result from its gratification. I am aware of no feeling, either of pleasure or of pain, that so com pletely deprives one of all power to resist its impulses, as this same raging thirst. Toby earnestly conjured me to continue the accent, assuring me that a little more exertion would bring us to the summit, and that then in less than five minutes we should find ourselves at the CHAP, viii.] DISHEARTENING PROSPECT. 57 brink of the stream, which must necessarily flow on the other side of the ridge. " Do not," he exclaimed, " turn back, now that we have pro ceeded thus far ; for I tell you that neither of us will have the courage to repeat the attempt, if once more we find ourselves looking up to where we now are from the bottom of these rocks !" I was not yet so perfectly beside myself as to be heedless of these representations, and therefore toiled on, ineffectually en deavouring to appease the thirst which consumed me, by thinking that in a short time I should be able to gratify it to my heart's content. At last we gained the top of the second elevation, the loftiest of those I have described as extending in parallel lines between us and the valley we desired to reach. It commanded a view of the whole intervening distance ; and, discouraged as I was by other circumstances, this prospect plunged me into the very depths of despair. Nothing but dark and fearful chasms, sepa rated by sharp- crested and perpendicular ridges as far as the eye could reach. Could we have stepped from summit to summit of these steep but narrow elevations we could easily have accom plished the distance ; but we must penetrate to the bottom of every yawning gulf, and scale in succession every one of the eminences before us. Even Toby, although not suffering as I did, was not proof against the disheartening influences of the sight. But we did not long stand to contemplate it, impatient as I was to reach the waters of the torrent which flowed beneath us. With an insensibility to danger which I cannot call to mind without shuddering, we threw ourselves down the depths of the ravine, startling its savage solitudes with the echoes produced by the falling fragments of rock we every moment dislodged from their places, careless of the insecurity of our footing, and reckless whether the slight roots and twigs we clutched at sus tained us for the while, or treacherously yielded to our grasp. For my own part, I scarcely knew whether I was helplessly fall ing from the heights above, or whether the fearful rapidity with which I descended was an act of my own volition. In a few minutes we reached the foot of the gorge, and kneel- 58 RESIDENCE IN THE MARQUESAS. [CHAP. vin. ing upon a small ledge of dripping rocks, I bent over to the stream. What a delicious sensation was I now to experience ! I paused for a second to concentrate all my capabilities of en joyment, and then immerged my lips in the clear element before me. Had the apples of Sodom turned to ashes in my mouth, I could not have felt a more startling revulsion. A single drop of the cold fluid seemed to freeze every drop of blood in my body ; the fever that had been burning in my veins gave place on the instant to death- like chills, which shook me one after another like so many shocks of electricity, while the perspiration pro duced by my late violent exertions congealed in icy beads upon my forehead. Jkly thirst was gone, and I fairly loathed the water. Starting to my feet, the sight of those dank rocks, oozing forth moisture at every crevice, and the dark stream shooting along its dismal channel, sent fresh chills through my shivering frame, and I felt as uncontrollable a desire to climb up towards the genial sunlight as I before had to descend the ravine. After two hours' perilous exertions we stood upon the summit of another ridge, and it was with difficulty I could bring myself to believe that we had ever penetrated the black and yawning chasm which then gaped at our feet. Again we gazed upon the prospect which the height commanded, but it was just as depressing as the one which had before met our eyes. I now felt that in our present situation it was in vain for us to think of ever overcoming the obstacles in our way, and I gave up all thoughts of reaching the vale which lay beyond this series of impediments ; while at the same time I could not devise any scheme to extricate ourselves from the difficulties in which we were involved. The remotest idea of returning to Nukuheva, unless assured of our vessel's departure, never once entered my mind, and indeed it was questionable whether we could have succeeded in reaching it, divided as we were from the bay by a distance we could not compute, and perplexed too in our remembrance of localities by our recent wanderings. Besides, it was unendurable the thought of retracing our steps and rendering all our painful exertions of no avail. There is scarcely anything when a man is in difficulties that he is more disposed to look upon with abhorrence than a right- CHAP, vm.1 SECOND NIGHT'S SHELTER. 59 about retrograde movement a systematic going over of the already trodden ground; and especially if he has a love of adventure, such a course appears indescribably repulsive, so long as there remains the least hope to be derived from braving untried difficulties. It was this feeling that prompted us to descend the opposite side of the elevation we had just scaled, although with what definite object in view it would have been impossible for either of us to tell. Without exchanging a syllable upon the subject, Toby and myself simultaneously renounced the design which had lured us thus far perceiving in each other's countenances that despond ing expression which speaks more eloquently than words. Together we stood towards the close of this weary day in the cavity of the third gorge we had entered, wholly incapacitated for any further exertion, until restored to some degree of strength by food and repose. We seated ourselves upon the least uncomfortable spot we could select, and Toby produced from the bosom 01" his frock the sacred package. In silence we partook of the small morsel of refreshment that had been left from the morning's repast, and without once proposing to violate the sanctity of our engage ment with respect to the remainder, we rose to our feet, and proceeded to construct some sort of shelter under which we might obtain the sleep we so greatly needed. Fortunately the spot was better adapted to our purpose than the one in which we had passed the last wretched night. We cleared away the tall reeds from a small but almost level bit of ground, and twisted them into a low basket-like hut, which we covered with a profusion of long thick leaves, gathered from a tree near at hand. We disposed them thickly all around, reserving only a slight opening that barely permitted us to crawl under the shelter we had thus obtained. These deep recesses, though protected from the winds that assail the summits of their lofty sides, are damp and chill to a degree that one would hardly anticipate in such a climate ; and being unprovided with anything but our woollen frocks and thin duck trousers to resist the cold of the place, we were the more solicitous to render our habitation for the night as comfortable CO RESIDENCE IN THE MARQUESAS. [CHAP, vm. as we could. Accordingly, in addition to what we had already done, we plucked down all the leaves within our reach and threw them in a heap over our little hut, into which we now crept, raking after us a reserved supply to form our couch. That night nothing but the pain I suffered prevented me from sleeping most refreshingly. As it was, I caught two or three naps, while Toby slept away at my side as soundly as though he had been sandwiched between two Holland sheets. Luckily it did not rain, and we were preserved from the misery which a heavy shower would have occasioned us. In the morning I was awakened by the sonorous voice of my companion ringing in my ears and bidding me rise. I crawled out from our heap of leaves, and was astonished at the change which a good night's rest had wrought in his appearance. He was as blithe and joyous as a young bird, and was staying the keenness of his morning's appetite by chewing the soft bark of a delicate branch he held in his hand, and he recommended the like to me as an admirable antidote against the gnawings of hunger. For my own part, though feeling materially better than I had done the preceding evening, I could not look at the limb that had pained me so violently at intervals during the last twenty- four hours, without experiencing a sense of alarm that I strove in vain to shake off. Unwilling to disturb the flow of my com rade's spirits, I managed to stifle the complaints to which I might otherwise have given vent, and calling upon him good-humouredly to speed our banquet, I prepared myself for it by washing in the stream. This operation concluded, we swallowed, or rather absorbed, by a peculiar kind of slow sucking process, our respective morsels of nourishment, and then entered into a discussion as to the steps it was necessary for us to pursue. " What 's to be done now ?" inquired I, rather dolefully. " Descend into that same valley we descried yesterday," rejoined Toby, with a rapidity and loudness of utterance that almost led me to suspect he had been slyly devouring the broad side of an ox in some of the adjoining thickets. " What else," he continued, " remains for us to do but that, to be sure? Why, we shall both starve to a certainty if we remain here ; and as to your fears of those Typees depend upon it, it is all nonsense. CHAP, viii.] THEIR DESCENT TO THE VALLEY. 61 " It is impossible that the inhabitants of such a lovely place as we saw can be anything- else but good fellows ; and if you choose rather to perish with hunger in one of these soppy caverns, I for one prefer to chance a bold descent into the valley, and risk the consequences." " And who is to pilot us thither," I asked, " even if we should decide upon the measure you propose ? Are we to go again up and down those precipices that we crossed yesterday, until we reach the place we started from, and then take a flying leap from the cliffs to the valley ?" " 'Faith, I didn't think of that," said Toby ; " sure enough, both sides of the valley appeared to be hemmed in by precipices, didn't they ?" " Yes," answered I, " as steep as the sides of a line-of-battle ship, and about a hundred times as high." My companion sank his head upon his breast and remained for a while in deep thought. Suddenly he sprang to his feet, while his eyes lighted up with that gleam of intelligence that marks the presence of some bright idea. " Yes, yes," he exclaimed ; " the streams all run in the same direction, and must necessarily flow into the. valley before they reach the sea ; all we have to do is just to follow this stream, and sooner or later it will lead us into the vale." "You are right, Toby," I exclaimed, "you are right; it must conduct us thither, and quickly too ; for, see with what a steep inclination the water descends." " It does, indeed," burst forth my companion, overjoyed at my verification of his theory, " it does indeed ; why, it is as plain as a pike-staff. Let us proceed at once ; come, throw away all those stupid ideas about the Typees, and hurrah for the lovely valley of the Happars ! " " You will have it to be Happar, I see, my dear fellow ; pray Heaven you may not find yourself deceived," observed I, with a shake of my head. " Arnen to all that, and much more," shouted Toby, rushing forward ; "but Happar it is, for nothing else than Happar can it be. So glorious a valley such forests of bread-fruit trees such groves of cocoa-nut such wildernesses of guava-bushes ! Ah, shipmate ! don't linger behind : in the name of all delightful 62 RESIDENCE IN THE MARQUESAS. [CHAP. vm. fruits, I am dying to be at them. Come on, come on ; shove ahead, there 's a lively lad ; never mind the rocks ; kick them out of the way, as I do ; and to-morrow, old fellow, take my word for it, we shall be in clover. Come on ;" and so saying, he dashed along the ravine like a madman, forgetting my in ability to keep up with him. In a few minutes, however, the exuberance of his spirits abated/and, pausing for a while, he permitted me to overtake him. CHAP, ix.] PEKILOUS PASSAGE OF THE RAVINE. 63 CHAPTER IX. Perilous Passage of the Ravine Descent into the Valley. THE fearless confidence of Toby was contagious, and I began to adopt the Happar side of the question. I could not, however, overcome a certain feeling of trepidation as we made our way along these gloomy solitudes. Our progress, at first compara tively easy, became more and more difficult. The bed of the watercourse was covered with fragments of broken rocks, which had fallen from above, offering so many obstructions to the course of the rapid stream, which vexed and fretted about them, forming at intervals small waterfalls, pouring over into deep basins, or splashing wildly upon heaps of stones. From the narrowness of the gorge, and the steepness of its sides, there was no mode of advancing but by wading through the water; stumbling every moment over the impediments which lay hidden under its surface, or tripping against the huge roots of trees. But the most annoying hindrance we encountered was from a multitude of crooked boughs, which, shooting out almost horizontally from the sides of the chasm, twisted themselves together in fantastic masses almost to the surface of the stream, affording us no passage except under the low arches which they formed. Under these we were obliged to crawl on our hands and feet, sliding along the oozy surface of the rocks, or slipping into the deep pools, and with scarce light enough to guide us. Occasionally we would strike our heads against some projecting limb of a tree; and while imprudently engaged in rubbing the injured part, would fall sprawling amongst flinty fragments, cutting and bruising ourselves, whilst the unpitying waters flowed over our prostrate bodies. Belzoni, worming himself through the subterranean passages of the Egyptian catacombs, could not have met with greater impediments than those we here encoun- 64 RESIDENCE IN THE MARQUESAS. [CHAP. ix. tered. But we struggled against them manfully, well knowing our only hope lay in advancing. Towards sunset we halted at a spot where we made prepara tions for passing the night. Here we constructed a hut, in much the same way as before, and crawling into it, endeavoured to forget our sufferings. My companion, I b$He\e, slept pretty soundly ; but at daybreak, when we rolled out of our dwelling, I felt nearly disqualified for any further efforts. Toby pre scribed as a remedy for my illness the contents of one of our little silk packages, to be taken at once in a single dose. To this species of medical treatment, however, I would by no means accede, much as he insisted upon it ; and so we partook of our usual morsel, and silently resumed our journey. It was now the fourth day since we left Nukuheva, and the gnawings of hunger became painfully acute. We were fain to pacify them by chew ing the tender bark of roots and twigs, which, if they did not afford us nourishment, were at least sweet and pleasant to the taste. Our progress along the steep watercourse was necessarily slow, and by noon we had not advanced more than a mile. It was somewhere near this part of the day that the noise of falling waters, which we had faintly caught in the early morning, became more distinct ; and it was not long before we were arrested by a rocky precipice of nearly a hundred feet in depth, that' extended all across the channel, and over which the wild stream poured in an unbroken leap. On either hand the walls of the ravine presented their overhanging sides both above and below the fall, affording no means whatever of avoiding the cataract by taking a circuit round it. " What 's to be done now, Toby ?" said I. " Why," rejoined he, " as we cannot retreat, I suppose we must keep shoving along." " Very true, my dear Toby ; but how do you purpose accom plishing that desirable object ?" " By jumping from the top of the fall, if there be no other way/' unhesitatingly replied my companion : " it will be much the quickest way of descent ; but as you are not quite as active as I. am, we will try some other way." And, so saying, he crept cautiously along and peered over CHAP, ix.] DANGEROUS RAVINE. 65 into the abyss, while I remained wondering by what possible means we could overcome this apparently insuperable obstruction. As soon as my companion had completed his survey, I eagerly inquired the result. " The result of my observations you wish to know, do you ?" began Toby, deliberately, with one of his odd looks : " well, my lad, the result of my observations is very quickly imparted. It is at present uncertain which of our two necks will have the honour to be broken first ; but about a hundred to one would be a fair bet in favour of the man who takes the first jump." " Then it is an impossible thing, is it?" inquired I, gloomily. " No, shipmate ; on the contrary, it is the easiest thing in life : the only awkward point is the sort of usage which our unhappy limbs may receive when we arrive at the bottom, and what sort of travelling trim we shall be in afterwards. But follow me now, and I will show you the only chance we have." With this he conducted me to the verge of the cataract, and pointed along the side of the ravine to a number of curious looking roots, some three or four inches in thickness, and several feet long, which after twisting among the fissures of the rock, shot perpendicularly from it and ran tapering to a point in the air, hanging over the gulf like so many dark icicles. They covered nearly the entire surface of one side of the gorge, the lowest of them reaching even to the water. Many were moss-grown and decayed, with their extremities snapped short off, and those in the immediate vicinity of the fall were slippery with moisture. Toby's scheme, and it was a "desperate one, was to intrust ourselves to these treacherous-looking roots, and by slipping down from one to another to gain the bottom. "Are you ready to venture it?" asked Toby, looking at me earnestly, but without saying a word as to the practicability of the plan. *' I am," was my reply ; for I saw it was our only resource if we wished to advance, and as for retreating, all thoughts of that sort had been long abandoned. After I had signified my assent, Toby, without uttering a single word, crawled along the dripping ledge until he gained a point from whence he could just reach one of the largest of the 66 RESIDENCE IN THE MARQUESAS. [CHAP. ix. pendant roots ; he shook it it quivered in his grasp, and when he let it go it twanged in the air like a strong wire sharply struck. Satisfied by his scrutiny, my light-limbed companion swung himself nimbly upon it, and twisting his legs round it in sailor fashion, slipped down eight or ten feet, where his weight gave it a motion not unlike that of a pendulum. He could not venture to descend any further ; so holding on with one hand, he with the other shook one by one all the slender roots around him, and at last, finding one which he thought trustworthy, shifted himself to it and continued his downward progress. So far so well ; but I could not avoid comparing my heavier frame and disabled condition with his light figure and remark able activity ; but there was no help for it, and in less than a minute's time I was swinging directly over his head. As soon as his upturned eyes caught a glimpse of me, he exclaimed in his usual dry tone, for the danger did not seem to daunt him in the least, " Mate, do me the kindness not to fall until I get out of your way ;" and then swinging himself more on one side, he continued his descent. In the mean time I cautiously trans ferred myself from the limb down which I had been slipping to a couple of others that were near it, deeming two strings to my bow better than one, and taking care to test their strength before I trusted my weight to them. On arriving towards the end of the second stage in this ver tical journey, and shaking the long roots which were round me, to my consternation they snapped off one after another like so many pipe stems, and fell in fragments against the side of the gulf, splashing at last into the waters beneath. As one after another the treacherous roots yielded to my grasp, and fell into the torrent, my heart sunk within me. The branches on which I was suspended over the yawning chasm swang to and fro in the air, and I expected them every moment to snap in twain. Appalled at the dreadful fate that menaced me, I clutched frantically at the only large root which remained near me, but in vain ; I could not reach it, though my fingers were within a few inches of it. Again and again I tried to reach it, until at length, maddened with the thought of my situation, I swayed myself violently by striking my foot against the side of the rock, and at the instant that I approached the CHAP, ix.] FEIGHTFUL DESCENTS. C7 large root caught desperately at it, and transferred myself to it. It vibrated violently under the sudden weight, but fortunately did not give way. My brain grew dizzy with the idea of the frightful risk I had just run, and I involuntarily closed my eyes to shut out the view of the depth beneath me. For the instant I was safe, and I uttered a devout ejaculation of thanksgiving for my escape. " Pretty well done," shouted Toby underneath me ; " you are nimbler than I thought you to be hopping about up there from root to root like any young squirrel. As soon as you %ive diverted yourself sufficiently, I would advise you to proceed." " Aye aye, Toby, all in good time : two or three more such famous roots as this, and I shall be with you." The residue of my downward progress was comparatively easy ; the roots were in greater abundance, and in one or two places jutting out points of rock assisted me greatly. In a few moments I was standing by the side of my companion. Substituting a stout stick for the one I had thrown aside at the top of the precipice, we now continued our course along the bed of the ravine. Soon we were saluted by a sound in advance, that grew by degrees louder and louder, as the noise of the cataract we were leaving behind gradually died on our ears. " Another precipice for us, Toby." " Very good ; we can descend them, you know come on." Nothing indeed appeared to depress or intimidate this intrepid fellow. Typees or Niagaras, he was as ready to engage one as the other, and I could not avoid a thousand times congratulating myself upon having such a companion in an enterprise like the present. After an hour's painful progress, we reached the verge of another fall, still loftier than the preceding, and flanked both above and below with the same steep masses of rock, presenting, however, here and there narrow irregular ledges, supporting a shallow soil, on which grew a variety of bushes and trees, whose bright verdure contrasted beautifully with the foamy waters that flowed between them. Toby, who invariably acted as pioneer, now proceeded to reconnoitre. On his return, he reported that the shelves of rock on our right would enable us to gain with little risk the bottom of F2 68 RESIDENCE IN THE MARQUESAS. [CHAP. ix. the cataract. Accordingly, leaving the bed of the stream at the very point where it thundered down, we began crawling along one of these sloping ledges until it carried us to within a few feet of another that inclined downward at a still sharper angle, and upon which, by assisting each other, we managed to alight in safety. We warily crept along this, steadying ourselves by the naked roots of the shrubs that clung to every fissure. As we proceeded, the narrow path became still more contracted, ren dering it difficult for us to maintain our footing, until suddenly, as we reached an angle of the wall of rock where we had ex pected it to widen, we perceived to our consternation that a yard or two farther on it abruptly terminated at a place we could not possibly hope to pass. Toby as usual led the van, and in silence I waited to learn from him how he proposed to extricate us from this new difficulty. " Well, my boy," I exclaimed, after the expiration of several minutes, during which time my companion had not uttered a word ; " what 's to be done now ?" He replied in a tranquil tone, that probably the best thing we could do in our present strait was to get out of it as soon as possible. " Yes, my dear Toby, but tell me how we are to get out of it." " Something in this sort of style," he replied ; and at the same moment to my horror he slipped sideways off the rock, and as I then thought, by good fortune merely alighted among the spreading branches of a species of palm tree, that shooting its hardy roots along a ledge below, curved its trunk upwards into the air, and presented a thick mass of foliage about twenty feet below the spot where we had thus suddenly been brought to a stand still. I involuntarily held my breath, expecting to see the form of my companion, after being sustained for a moment by the branches of the tree, sink through their frail support, and fall headlong to the bottom. To my surprise and joy, however, he recovered himself, and disentangling his limbs from the frac tured branches, he peered out from his leafy bed, and shouted lustily, " Come on, my hearty, there is no other alternative !" and with this he ducked beneath the foliage, arid slipping down the trunk, stood in a moment at least fifty feet beneath me, upon the broad shelf of rock from which sprung the tree he had CHAP, ix.] ANOTHER CATARACT. 69 What would I not have given at that moment to have been by his side ! The feat he had just accomplished seemed little less than miraculous, and I could hardly credit the evidence of my senses when I saw the wide distance that a single daring act had so suddenly placed between us. Toby's animating " come on !" again sounded in my ears, and dreading to lose all confidence in myself if 1 remained me ditating upon the step, I once more gazed down to assure myself of the relative bearing of the tree and my own position, and then closing my eyes and uttering one comprehensive ejaculation of prayer, I inclined myself over towards the abyss, and after one breathless instant fell with a crash into the tree, the branches snapping and crackling with my weight, as I sunk lower and lower among them, until I was stopped by coming in contact with a sturdy limb. In a few moments I was standing at the foot of the tree, mani pulating myself all over with a view of ascertaining the extent of the injuries I had received. To my surprise the only effects of my feat were a few slight contusions too trifling to care about. The rest of our descent was easily accomplished, and in half an hour after regaining the ravine we had partaken of our evening morsel, built our hut as usual, and crawled under its shelter. The next morning, in spite of our debility and the agony of hunger under which we were now suffering, though neither of us confessed to the fact, we struggled along our dismal arid still difficult and dangerous path, cheered by the hope of soon catch ing a glimpse of the valley before us, and towards evening the voice of a cataract which had for some time sounded like a low deep bass to the music of the smaller waterfalls, broke upon our ears in still louder tones, and assured us that we were approach ing its vicinity. That evening we stood on the brink of a precipice, over which the dark stream bounded in one final heap of full 300 feet. The sheer descent terminated in the region we so long had sought. On either side of the fall, two lofty and perpendicular bluffs buttressed the sides of the enormous cliff, and projected into the sea of verdure with which the valley waved, and a range of similar projecting eminences stood disposed in a half circle about the head of the vale. A thick canopy of traces hung over the 70 EESIDENCE IN THE MARQUESAS. [CHAP. ix. very verge of the fall, leaving an arched aperture for the passage of the waters, which imparted a strange picturesqueness to the The valley was now before us ; but instead of being conducted into its smiling bosom by the gradual descent of the deep water course we had thus far pursued, all our labours now appeared to have been rendered futile by its abrupt termination. But, bitterly disappointed, we did not entirely despair. As it was now near sunset we determined to pass the night where we were, and on the morrow, refreshed by sleep and by eating at one meal all our stock of food, to accomplish a descent into the valley, or perish in the attempt. We laid ourselves down that night on a spot, the recollection of which still makes me shudder. A small table of rock which projected over the precipice on one side of the stream, and was drenched by the spray of the fall, sustained a huge trunk of a tree which must have been deposited there by some heavy freshet. It lay obliquely, with one end resting on the rock and the other supported by the side of the ravine. Against it we placed in a sloping direction a number of the half decayed boughs that were strewn about, and covering the whole with twigs and leaves, awaited the morning's light beneath such shelter as it afforded. During the whole of this night the continual roaring of the cataract the dismal moaning of the gale through the trees the pattering of the rain, and the profound darkness, affected my spirits to a degree which nothing had ever before produced. Wet, half famished, and chilled to the heart with the dampness of the place, arid nearly wild with the pain I endured, I fairly cowered down to the earth under this multiplication of hardships, and abandoned myself to frightful anticipations of evil ; and my companion, whose spirit at last was a good deal broken, scarcely uttered a word during the whole night. At length the day dawned upon us, and rising from our mi serable pallet, we stretched our stiffened joints, and after eating all that remained of our bread, prepared for the last stage of our journey. I will not recount every hair breadth escape, and every fearful difficulty that occurred before we succeeded in reaching the bosom of the valley. As I have already described similar scenes, CHAP tx.] THEY REACH THE VALE. 71 it will be sufficient to say that at length, after great toil and great dangers, we both stood with no limbs broken at the head of that magnificent vale which five days before had so suddenly burst upon my sight, and almost beneath the shadows of those very cliffs from whose summits we had gazed upon the prospect. 72 RESIDENCE IN THE MARQUESAS. [CHAP. x. CHAPTER X. The Head of the Valley Cautious Advance A Path Fruit Discovery of Two of the Natives Their singular Conduct Approach towards the inhabited Parts of the Vale Sensation produced by our Appearance Reception at the House of one of the Natives. How to obtain the fruit which we felt convinced must grow near at hand was our first thought. Typee or Happar? A frightful death at the hands of the fiercest of cannibals, or a kindly reception from a gentler race of savages? Which? But it was too late now to discuss a question which would so soon be answered. The part of the valley in which we found ourselves appeared to be altogether uninhabited. An almost impenetrable thicket extended from side to side, without presenting a single plant affording the nourishment we had confidently calculated upon ; and with this object, we followed the course of the stream, casting quick glances as we proceeded into the thick jungles on either hand. My companion to whose solicitations I had yielded in de scending into the valley now that the step was taken, began to manifest a degree of caution I had little expected from him. He proposed that, in the event of our finding an adequate supply of fruit, we should remain in this unfrequented portion of the coun try where we should run little chance of being surprised by its occupants, whoever they might be until sufficiently recruited to resume our journey ; when laying in a store of food equal to our wants, we might easily regain the bay of Nukuheva, after the lapse of a sufficient interval to ensure the departure of our vessel. I objected strongly to this proposition, plausible as it was, as the difficulties of the route would be almost insurmountable, un acquainted as we were with the general bearings of the country, and I reminded my companion of the hardships which we had CHAP, x.] FINDING FRUIT. 73 already encountered in our uncertain wanderings? ; in a word, I said that since we had deemed it advisable to enter the valley, we ought manfully to face the consequences, whatever they might be ; the more especially as I was convinced there was no alter native left us but to fall in with the natives at once, and boldly risk the reception they might give us : and that as to myself, I felt the necessity of rest and shelter, and that until I had ob tained them I should be wholly unable to encounter such suffer ings as we had lately passed through. To the justice of these observations Toby somewhat reluctantly assented. We were surprised that, after moving as far as we had along the valley, we should still meet with the same impervious thickets ; and thinking that although the borders of the stream might be lined for some distance with them, yet beyond there might be more open ground, I requested Toby to keep a bright look-out upon one side, while I did the same on the other, in order to discover some opening in the bushes, and especially to watch for the slightest appearance of a path or anything else that might indicate the vicinity of the islanders. What furtive and anxious glances we cast into those dim-look ing shades ! With what apprehensions we proceeded, ignorant at what moment we might be greeted by the javelin of some ambushed savage ! At last my companion paused, and directed my attention to a narrow opening in the foliage. We struck into it and it soon brought us by an indistinctly traced path to a comparatively clear space, at the further end of which we de scried a number of the trees, the native name of which is " an- nuee," and which bear a most delicious fruit. What a race ! I hobbling over the ground like some decrepid wretch, and Toby leaping forward like a greyhound. He quickly cleared one of the trees on which there were two or three of the fruit, but to our chagrin they proved to be much decayed ; the rinds partly opened by the birds, and their hearts half devoured. However, we quickly despatched them, and no ambrosia could have been more delicious. We looked about us uncertain whither to direct our steps, since the path we had so far followed appeared to be lost in the open space around us. At last we resolved to enter a grove near at hand, and had advanced a few rods when, just upon its skirts 3 I 74 RESIDENCE IN THE MARQUESAS. [CHAP. x. picked up a slender bread-fruit shoot perfectly green, and with the tender bark freshly stript fro'm it. It was still slippery with moisture, and appeared as if it had been but that moment thrown aside. I said nothing, but merely held it up to Toby, who started at this undeniable evidence of the vicinity of the savages. The plot was now thickening. A short distance further lay a little faggot of the same shoots bound together with a strip of bark. Could it have been thrown down by some solitary native who, alarmed at seeing us, had hurried forward to carry the tidings of our approach to his countrymen ? Typee or Happar ? But it was too late to recede, so we moved on slowly, my companion in advance casting eager glances under the trees on either side, until all at once I saw him recoil as if stung by an adder. Sinking on his knee, he waved me off with one hand, while with the other he held aside some intervening leaves and gazed intently at some object. Disregarding his injunction, I quickly approached him and caught a glimpse of two figures partly hidden by the dense foliage ; they were standing close together, and were perfectly motionless. They must have previously perceived us, and with drawn into the depths of the wood to elude our observation. My mind was at once made up. Dropping my staff, and tearing open the package of things we had brought from the ship, I unrolled the cotton cloth, and holding it in one hand plucked with the other a twig from the bushes beside me, and telling Toby to follow my example, I broke through the covert and advanced, waving the branch in token of peace towards the shrinking forms before me. They were a boy and girl, slender and graceful, and com pletely naked, with the exception of a slight girdle of bark, ,from which depended at opposite points two of the russet leaves of the bread-fruit tree. An arm of the boy, half screened from sight by her wild tresses, was thrown about the neck of the girl, while with the other he held one of her hands in his ; and thus they stood together, their heads inclined forward, catching the faint noise we made in our progress, and with one foot in advance, as if half inclined to fly from our presence. As we drew near their alarm evidently increased. Apprehen sive that they might fly from us altogether, I stopped short and CHAP, x.] THEIR MEETING WITH NATIVES. 75 motioned them to advance and receive the gift I extended towards them, but they would not ; I then uttered a few words of their language with which I was acquainted, scarcely expecting that they would understand me, but to show that we had not dropped from the clouds upon them. This appeared to give them a little confidence, so I approached nearer, presenting the cloth with one hand and holding the bough with the other, while they slowly retreated. At last they suffered us to approach so near to them that we were enabled to throw the cotton cloth across their shoulders, giving them to understand that it was theirs, and by a variety of gestures endeavouring to make them understand that we entertained the highest possible regard for them. The frightened pair now stood still, whilst we endeavoured to make them comprehend the nature of our wants. In doing this Toby went through with a complete series of pantomimic illus trations opening his mouth from ear to ear, and thrusting his fingers down his throat, gnashing his teeth and rolling his eyes about, till I verily believe the poor creatures took us for a couple of white cannibals who were about to make a meal of them. When, however, they understood us, they showed no inclination to relieve our wants. At this juncture it began to rain violently, and we motioned them to lead us to some place of shelter. With this request they appeared willing to comply, but nothing could evince more strongly the apprehension with which they regarded us, than the way in which, whilst walking before us, they kept their eyes constantly turned back to watch every movement we made, and even our very looks. " Typee or Happar, Toby?" asked I as we walked after them. " Of course Happar," he replied with a show of confidence which was intended to disguise his doubts. " We shall soon know/' I exclaimed ; and at the same mo ment I stepped forward towards our guides, and pronouncing the two names interrogatively and pointing to the lowest part of the valley, endeavoured to come to the point at once. They repeated the words after me again and again, but without giving any peculiar emphasis to either, so that I was completely at a loss to understand them ; for a couple of wilier young things than we afterwards found them to have been on this particular occasion never probably fell in any traveller's way. 76 RESIDENCE IN THE MARQUESAS. [CHAP, x, More and more curious to ascertain our fate, I now threw together in the form of a question the words " Happar" and " Mortarkee," the latter being equivalent to the word " good." The two natives interchanged glances of peculiar meaning with one another at this, and manifested no little surprise ; but on the repetition of the question, after some consultation together, to the great joy of Toby, they answered in the affirmative. Toby was now in ecstasies, especially as the young savages continued to reiterate their answer with great energy, as though desirous of impressing us with the idea that being among the Happars, we ought to consider ourselves perfectly secure. Although I had some lingering doubts, I feigned great delight with Toby at this announcement, while my companion broke out into a pantomimic abhorrence of Typee, and immeasurable love for the particular valley in which we were ; our guides all the while gazing uneasily at one another as if at a loss to account for our conduct. They hurried on, and we followed them ; until suddenly they set up a strange halloo, which was answered from beyond the grove through which we were passing, and the next moment we entered upon some open ground, at the extremity of which we descried a long, low hut, and in front of it were several young girls. As soon as they perceived us they fled with wild screams into the adjoining thickets, like so many startled fawns. A few moments after the whole valley resounded with savage outcries, and the natives came running towards us from every direction. Had an army of invaders made an irruption into their terri tory they could not have evinced greater excitement. We were soon completely encircled by a dense throng, and in their eager desire to behold us they almost arrested our progress ; an equal number surrounding our youthful guides, who with amazing volubility appeared to be detailing the circumstances which had attended their meeting with us. Every item of intelligence ap peared to redouble the astonishment of the islanders, and they gazed at us with inquiring looks. At last we reached a large and handsome building of bamboos, and were by signs told to enter it, the natives opening a lane for us through which to pass ; on entering without ceremony, we threw our exhausted frames upon the mats that covered the floor. CHAP, x.] INTERIOR OF THE CHIEFS' HUT. 77 In a moment the slight tenement was completely full of people, whilst those who were unable to obtain admittance gazed at us through its open cane-work. It was now evening, and by the dim light we could just dis cern the savage countenances around us, gleaming with wild curiosity and wonder ; the naked forms and tattooed limbs of brawny warriors, with here and there the slighter figures of young girls, all engaged in a perfect storm of conversation, of which we were of course the one only theme ; whilst our recent guides were fully occupied in answering the innumerable ques tions which every one put to them. Nothing can exceed the fierce gesticulation of these people when animated in conver sation, and on this occasion they gave loose to all their natural vivacity, shouting and dancing about in a manner that well-nigh intimidated us. Close to where we ' lay, squatting upon their haunches, were some eight or ten noble-looking chiefs for such they subsequently proved to be who, more reserved than the rest, regarded us with a fixed and stern attention, which not a little discomposed our equanimity. One of them in particular, who appeared to be the highest in rank, placed himself directly facing me ; looking at me with a rigidity of aspect under which I absolutely quailed. He never once opened his lips, but maintained his severe ex pression of countenance, without turning his face aside for a single moment. Never before had I been subjected to so strange and steady a glance ; it revealed nothing of the mind of the savage, but it appeared to be reading my own. After undergoing this scrutiny till I grew absolutely nervous, with a view of diverting it if possible, and conciliating the good opinion of the warrior, I took some tobacco from the bosom of my frock and offered it to him. He quietly rejected the proffered gift, and, without speaking, motioned me to return it to its place. In my previous intercourse with the natives of Nukuheva and Tior, I had found that the present of a small piece of tobacco would have rendered any of them devoted to my service. Was this act of the chief a token of his enmity ? Typee or Happar ? I asked within myself. I started, for at the same moment this identical question was asked by the strange being before me. I 78 RESIDENCE IN THE MARQUESAS. [CHAP. x. turned to Toby ; the flickering light of a native taper showed me his countenance pale with trepidation at this fatal question. I paused for a second, and I know not by what impulse it was that I answered " Typee." The piece of dusky statuary nodded in approval, and then murmured " Mortarkee !" " Mortarkee," said I, without further hesitation " Typee mortarkee." What a transition ! The dark figures around us leaped to their feet, clapped their hands in transport, and shouted again and again the talismanic syllables, the utterance of which ap peared to have settled every thing. When this commotion had a little subsided, the principal chief squatted once more before me, and throwing himself into a sud den rage, poured forth a string of philippics, which I was at no loss to understand, from the frequent recurrence of the woid Happar, as being directed against the natives of the adjoining valley. In ail these denunciations my companion and I ac quiesced, while we extolled the character of the warlike Typees. To be sure our panegyrics were somewhat laconic, consisting in the repetition of that name, united with the potent adjective " mortarkee." But this was sufficient, and served to conciliate the good will of the natives, with whom our congeniality of sen timent on this point did more towards inspiring a friendly feeling than anything else that could have happened. At last the wrath of the chief evaporated, and in a few moments he was as placid as ever. Laying his hand upon his breast, he now gave me to understand that his name was " Mehevi," and that, in return, he wished me to communicate my appellation. I hesitated for an instant, thinking that it might be difficult for him to pronounce my real name, and then with the most praiseworthy intentions intimated that I was known as " Tom." But I could not have made a worse selection ; the chief could not master it : " Tommo," " Tomma," " Tommee," everything but plain " Tom." As he persisted in garnishing the word with an additional syllable, I compromised the matter with him at the word " Tommo ;" and by that name I went during the entire period of my stay in the valley. The same proceeding was gone through with Toby, whose mellifluous appellation was more easily caught. An exchange of names is equivalent to a ratification of good CIIAP. x.] FRIENDLY BEHAVIOUR OF NATIVES. 79 will and amity among- these simple people ; and as we were aware of this fact, we were delighted that it had taken place on the present occasion. Reclining upon our mats, we now held a kind of levee, giving audience to successive troops of the natives, who introduced themselves to us by pronouncing their respective names, and retired in high good humour on receiving ours in return. During this ceremony the greatest merriment prevailed, nearly every announcement on the part of the islanders being followed by a fresh sally of gaiety, which induced me to believe that some of them at least were innocently diverting the company at our expense, by bestowing upon themselves a string of absurd titles, of the humour of which we were of course entirely ignorant. All this occupied about an hour, when the throng having a little diminished, I turned to Mehevi and gave him to understand that we were in need of food and sleep. Immediately the atten tive chief addressed a few words to one of the crowd, who disap peared, and returned in a few moments with a calabash of " poee- poee," and two or three young cocoa-nuts stripped of their husks, and with their shells partly broken. We both of us forthwith placed one of these natural goblets to our lips, and drained it in a moment of the refreshing draught it contained. The poee-poee was then placed before us, and even famished as I was, I paused to consider in what manner to convey it to my mouth. This staple article of food among the Marquese islanders is manufactured from the produce of the bread-fruit tree. It some what resembles in its plastic nature our bookbinders' paste, is of a yellow colour, and somewhat tart to the taste. Such was the dish, the merits of which I was now eager to discuss. I eyed it wistfully for a moment, and then unable any longer to stand on ceremony, plunged my hand into the yielding mass, and to the boisterous mirth of the natives drew it forth laden with the poee-poee, which adhered in lengthy strings to every finger. So stubborn was its consistency, that in conveying my heavily-freighted hand to my mouth, the connecting links almost raised the calabash from the mats on which it had been placed. This display of awkwardness in which, by-the-bye, Toby kept me company convulsed the bystanders with uncon trollable laughter. 80 RESIDENCE IN THE MARQUESAS. [CHAP. x. As soon as their merriment had somewhat subsided, Mehevi, motioning us to be attentive, dipped the fore finger of his right hand in the dish, and giving it a rapid and scientific twirl, drew it out coated smoothly with the preparation. With a second pe culiar flourish he prevented the poee-poee from dropping to the ground as he raised it to his mouth, into which the finger was inserted and drawn forth perfectly free from any adhesive matter. This performance was evidently intended for our instruction ; so I again essayed the feat on the principles inculcated, but with very ill success. A starving man, however, little heeds conventional proprieties, especially on a South-Sea Island, and accordingly Toby and I partook of the dish after our own clumsy fashion, beplastering our faces all over with the glutinous compound, and daubing our hands nearly to the wrist. This kind of food is by no means disagreeable to the palate of a European, though at first the mode of eating it may be. For my own part, after the lapse of a few days I became accustomed to its singular flavour, and grew remarkably fond of it. So much for the first course ; several other dishes followed it, some of which were positively delicious. We concluded our banquet by tossing off the contents of two more young cocoa- nuts, after which we regaled ourselves with the soothing fumes of tobacco, inhaled from a quaintly carved pipe which passed round the circle. "During the repast, the natives eyed us with intense curiosity, observing our minutest motions, and appearing to discover abundant matter for comment in the most trifling occurrence. Their surprise mounted the highest, when we began to remove our uncomfortable garments, which were saturated with rain. They scanned the whiteness of our limbs, and seemed utterly un able to account for the contrast they presented to the swarthy hue of our faces, embrowned from a six months' exposure to the scorching sun of the Line. They felt our skin, much in the same way that a silk mercer would handle a remarkably fine piece of satin ; and some of them went so far in their investi gation as to apply the olfactory organ. Their singular behaviour almost led me to imagine that they never before had beheld a white man ; but a few moments' re- CHAP, x.] SLIGHT INTERCOURSE WITH EUROPEANS 81 flection convinced me that this could not have been the case ; and a more satisfactory reason for their conduct has since sug gested itself to my mind. Deterred by the frightful stories related of its inhabitants, ships never enter this bay, while their hostile relations with the tribes in the adjoining valleys prevent the Typees from visiting that section of the island where vessels occasionally lie. At long intervals, however, some intrepid captain will touch on the skirts of the bay, with two or three armed boats' crews, and accom panied by an interpreter. The natives who live near the sea descry the strangers long before they reach their waters, and aware of the purpose for which they come, proclaim loudly the news of their approach. By a species of vocal telegraph the intelligence reaches the inmost recesses of the vale in an incon ceivably short space of time, drawing nearly its whole population down to the beach laden with every variety of fruit. The inter preter, who is invariably a " tabooed Kannaka,"* leaps ashore with the goods intended for barter, while the boats, with their oars shipped, and every man on his thwart, lie just outside the surf, heading off from the shore, in readiness at the first untoward event to escape to the open sea. As soon as the traffic is con cluded, one of the boats pulls in under cover of the muskets of the others, the fruit is quickly thrown into her, and the transient visitors precipitately retire from what they justly consider so dangerous a vicinity. The intercourse occurring with Europeans being so restricted, no wonder that the inhabitants of the valley manifested so much curiosity with regard to us, appearing as we did among them under such singular circumstances. I have no doubt that we were the first white men who ever penetrated thus far back into their territories, or at least the first who had ever descended from the head of the vale. What had brought us thither must have * The word " Kaunaka " is at the present day universally used in the South Seas by Europeans to designate the Islanders. In the various dialects of the principal groups it is simply a sexual designation applied to the males ; but it is now used by the natives in their intercourse with foreigners in the same sense in which the latter employ it. A "Tabooed Kannaka" is an islander whose person has been made to a certain extent eacred by the operation of a singular custom hereafter to be explained. 82 EESIDENCE IN THE MARQUESAS. [CHAP. x. appeared a complete mystery to them, and from our ignorance of the language it was impossible for us to enlighten them. In answer to inquiries which the eloquence of their gestures enabled us to comprehend, all that we could reply was, that we had come from Nukuheva, a place, be it remembered, with which they were at open war. This intelligence appeared to affect them with the most lively emotions. " Nukuheva motarkee ?" they asked. Of course we replied most energetically in the negative. They then plied us with a thousand questions, of which we could understand nothing more than that they had reference to the recent movements of the French, against whom they seemed to cherish the most fierce hatred. So eager were they to obtain information on this point, that they still continued to p'ropound their queries long after we had shown that we were utterly un able to answer them. Occasionally we caught some indistinct idea of their meaning, when we would endeavour by every method in our power to communicate the desired intelligence. At such times their gratification was boundless, and they would redouble their efforts to make us comprehend them more per fectly. But all in vain ; and in the end they looked at us despairingly, as if we were the receptacles of invaluable informa tion ; but how to come at it they knew not. After a while the group around us gradually dispersed, and we were left about midnight (as we conjectured) with those who appeared to be permanent residents of the house. These indi viduals now provided us with fresh mats to lie upon, covered us with several folds of tappa, and then extinguishing the tapers that had been burning, threw themselves down beside us, and after a little desultory conversation were soon sound asleep. CHAP, xi.] MIDNIGHT REFLECTIONS. 83 CHAPTER XI. Midnight Reflections Morning Visitors A Warrior in Costume A Savage JEsculapius Practice of the Healing Art Body Servant A Dwelling-house of the Valley described Portraits of its Inmates. VARIOUS and conflicting were the thoughts which oppressed me during the silent hours that followed the events related in the preceding chapter. Toby, wearied with the fatigues of the day, slumbered heavily by my side ; but the pain under which I was suffering effectually prevented my sleeping, and I remained dis tressingly alive to all the fearful circumstances of our present situation. "Was it possible that, after all our vicissitudes, we were really in the terrible valley of Typee, and at the mercy of its inmates, a fierce and unrelenting tribe of savages ? Typee or Happar ? I shuddered when I reflected that there was no longer any room for doubt ; and that, beyond all hope of escape, we were now placed in those very circumstances from the bare thought of which I had recoiled with such abhorrence but a few days before. What might not be our fearful destiny ? To be sure, as yet we had been treated with no violence ; nay, had been even kindly and hospitably entertained. But what dependence could be placed upon the fickle passions which sway the bosom of a savage ? His inconstancy and treachery are pro verbial. Might it not be that beneath these fair appearances the islanders covered some perfidious design, and that their friendly reception of us might only precede some horrible catastrophe? How strongly did these forebodings spring up in my mind as I lay restlessly upon a couch of mats, surrounded by the dimly revealed forms of those whom I so greatly dreaded. From the excitement of these fearful thoughts I sank towards morning into an uneasy slumber ; and on awaking, with a start, in the midst of an appalling dream, looked up into the eager countenances of a number of the natives, who were bending over me. 84 RESIDENCE IN THE MARQUESAS. [CHAP, xi. It was broad clay ; and the house was nearly filled with young females, fancifully decorated with flowers, who gazed upon me as I rose with faces in which childish delight and curiosity were vividly pourtrayed. After waking Toby, they seated themselves round us on the mats, and gave full play to that prying inquisi- tiveness which time out of mind has been attributed to the adorable sex. As these unsophisticated young creatures were attended by no jealous duennas, their proceedings were altogether informal, and void of artificial restraint. Long and minute was the investiga tion with which they honoured us, and so uproarious their mirth, that I felt infinitely sheepish ; and Toby was immeasurably out raged at their familiarity. These lively young ladies were at the same time wonderfully polite and humane ; fanning aside the insects that occasionally lighted on our brows ; presenting us with food ; and compassion ately regarding me in the midst of my afflictions. But in spite of all their blandishments, my feelings of propriety were exceed ingly shocked, for I could not but consider them as having over stepped the due limits of female decorum. Having diverted themselves to their heart's content, our young visitants now withdrew, arid gave place to successive troops of the other sex, who continued flocking towards the house until near noon ; by which time I have no doubt that the greater part of the inhabitants of the valley had bathed themselves in the light of our benignant countenances. At last, when their numbers began to diminish, a superb- looking warrior stooped the towering plumes of his head-dress beneath the low portal, and entered the house. I saw at once that he was some distinguished personage, the natives regarding him with the utmost deference, and making room for him as he approached. His aspect was imposing. The splendid long drooping tail-feathers of the tropical bird, thickly interspersed with the gaudy plumage of the cock, were disposed in an im mense upright semicircle upon his head, their lower extremities being fixed in a crescent of guinea-beads which spanned the fore head. Around his neck were several enormous necklaces of boars' tusks, polished like ivory, and disposed in such a manner as that the longest and largest were upon his capacious chest. CHAP. xi. I A WARRIOR IN HIS COSTUME. 85 Thrust forward through the large apertures in his ears were two small and finely shaped sperm-whale teeth, presenting their cavi ties in front, stuffed with freshly-plucked leaves, and curiously wrought at the other end into strange little images and devices. These barbaric trinkets, garnished in this manner at their open extremities, and tapering and curving round to a point behind the ear, resembled not a little a pair of cornucopias. The loins of the warrior were girt about with heavy folds of a dark-coloured tappa, hanging before and behind in clusters of braided tassels, while anklets and bracelets of curling human hair completed his unique costume. In his right hand he grasped a beautifully carved paddle-spear, nearly fifteen feet in length, made of the bright koar-wood, one end sharply pointed, and the other flattened like an oar-blade. Hanging obliquely from his girdle by a loop of sinnate was a richly decorated pipe, the slen der reed forming its stem was coloured with a red pigment, and round it, as well as the idol-bowl, fluttered little streamers of the thinnest tappa. But that which was most remarkable in the appearance of the splendid islander was the elaborated tattooing displayed on every noble limb. All imaginable lines and curves and figures were delineated over his whole body, and in their grotesque variety and infinite profusion I could only compare them to the crowded groupings of quaint patterns we sometimes see in costly pieces of lacework. The most simple and remarkable of all these orna ments was that which decorated the countenance of the chief. Two broad stripes of tattooing, diverging from the centre of his shaven crown, obliquely crossed both eyes staining the lids to a little below either ear, where they united with another stripe which swept in a straight line along the lips and formed the base of the triangle. The warrior, from the excellence of his physical proportions, might certainly have been regarded as one of Na ture's noblemen, and the lines drawn upon his face may possibly have denoted his exalted rank. This warlike personage, upon entering the house, seated him self at some distance from the spot where Toby and myself reposed, while the rest of the savages looked alternately from us to him, as if in expectation of something they were disappointed in not perceiving. Regarding the chief attentively, I thought 86 RESIDENCE IN THE MARQUESAS. [CHAP. xi. his lineaments appeared familiar to me. As soon as his full face was turned upon me, and I again beheld its extraordinary embel lishment, and met the strange gaze to which I had been subjected the preceding night, I immediately, in spite of the alteration in his appearance, recognised the noble Mehevi. On addressing him, he advanced at once in the most cordial manner, and, greeting me warmly, seemed to enjoy not a little the effect his barbaric costume had produced upon me. I forthwith determined to secure, if possible, the good will of this individual, as I easily perceived he was a man of great authority in his tribe, and one who might exert a powerful in fluence upon our subsequent fate. In the endeavour I was not repulsed ; for nothing could surpass the friendliness he manifested towards both my companion and myself. He extended his' sturdy limbs by our side, and endeavoured to make us comprehend the full extent of the kindly feelings by which he was actuated. The almost insuperable difficulty in communicating to one another our ideas affected the chief with no little mortification. He evinced a great desire to be enlightened with regard to the customs and peculiarities of the far-off country we had left behind us, and to- which under the name of Maneeka he frequently alluded. But that which more than any other subject engaged his atten tion was the late proceedings of the " France," as he called the French, in the neighbouring bay of Nukuheva. This seemed a never-ending theme with him, and one concerning which he was never weary of interrogating us. All the information we succeeded in imparting to him on this subject was little more than that we had seen six men-of-war lying in the hostile bay at the time we had left it. When he received this intelligence, Mehevi, by the aid of his fingers, went through a long numerical calcula tion, as if estimating the number of Frenchmen the squadron might contain. It was just after employing his faculties in this way that he happened to notice the swelling in my limb. He immediately examined it with the utmost attention, and after doing so de spatched a boy who happened to be standing by with some message. After the lapse of a few moments the stripling re-entered the house with an aged islander, who might have been taken for old CHAP. xi.J A NATIVE ^SCULAPIUS. 87 Hippocrates himself. His head was as bald as the polished sur face of a cocoa-nut shell, which article it precisely resembled in smoothness and colour, while a long silvery beard swept almost to his girdle of bark. Encircling his temples was a bandeau of the twisted leaves of the Omoo tree, pressed closely over the brows to shield his feeble vision from the glare of the sun. His tottering steps were supported by a long slim staff, resembling the wand with which a theatrical magician appears on the stage, and in one hand he carried a freshly plaited fan of the green leaflets of the cocoa-nut tree. A flowing robe of tappa, knotted over the shoulder, hung loosely round his stooping form, and heightened the venerableness of his aspect. Mehevi, saluting this old gentleman, motioned him to a seat between us, and then uncovering my limb, desired him to exa mine it. The leech gazed intently from me to Toby, and then proceeded to business. After diligently observing the ailing member, he commenced manipulating it ; and on the supposition probably that the complaint had deprived the leg of all sensa tion, began to pinch and hammer it in such a manner that I absolutely roared with the pain. Thinking that I was as capable of making an application of thumps and pinches to the part as any one else, I endeavoured to resist this species of medical treat ment. But it was not so easy a matter to get out of the clutches of the old wizard ; he fastened on the unfortunate limb as if it were something for which he had been long seeking, and mutter ing some kind of incantation continued his discipline, pounding it after a fashion that set me well nigh crazy ; while Mehevi, upon the same principle which prompts an affectionate mother to hold a struggling child in a dentist's chair, restrained me in his powerful grasp, and actually encouraged the wretch in this infliction of torture. Almost frantic with rage and pain, I yelled like a bedlamite ; while Toby, throwing himself into all the attitudes of a posture- master, vainly endeavoured to expostulate with the natives by signs and gestures. To have looked at my companion, as, sym pathising with my sufferings, he strove to put an end to them, one would have thought that he was the deaf and dumb alphabet incarnated. Whether my tormentor yielded to Toby's entreaties, or paused from sheer exhaustion, I do not know; but all at 88 KESIDENCE IN THE MARQUESAS. [CHAP. xi. once he ceased his operations, and at the same time the chief relinquishing his hold upon me, I fell back, faint and breathless, with the agony I had endured. My unfortunate limb was now left much in the same condition as a rump-steak after undergoing the castigating process which precedes cooking. My physician, having recovered from the fatigues of his exertions, as if anxious to make amends for the pain to which he had subjected me, now took some herbs out of a little wallet that was suspended from his waist, and moistening them in water, applied them to the inflamed part, stooping over it at the same time, and either whispering a spell, or having a little confidential chat with some imaginary demon located in the calf of my leg. My limb was now swathed in leafy bandages, and, grateful to Providence for the cessation of hostilities, I was suffered to rest. Mehevi shortly after rose to depart ; but before he went he spoke authoritatively to one of the natives whom he addressed as Kory- Kory ; and from the little I could understand of what took place, pointed him out to me as a man whose peculiar business thence forth would be to attend upon my person. I am not certain that I comprehended as much as this at the time, but the subse quent conduct of my trusty body-servant fully assured me that such must have been the case. I could not but be amused at the manner in which the chief addressed me upon this occasion, talking to me for at least fifteen or twenty minutes as calmly as if I could understand every word that he said. I remarked this peculiarity very often afterwards in many other of the islanders. Mehevi having now departed, and the family physician having- likewise made his exit, we were left about sunset with the ten or twelve natives, who by this time I had ascertained composed the household of which Toby and I were members. As the dwelling to which we had been -flrst introduced was the place of my per manent abode while I ^remained in the valley, and as I was necessarily placed upon %e most intimate footing with its occu pants, I may as well here* enter into a little description of it and its inhabitants. This description will apply also to nearly all the other dwelling-places in the vale, and will furnish some idea of the generality of the natives. CHAP, xi.] A DWELLING-HOUSE DESCRIBED. 89 Near one side of the valley, and about midway up the ascent of a rather abrupt rise of ground waving- with the richest ver dure, a number of large stones were laid in successive courses, to the height of nearly eight feet, and disposed in such a manner that their level surface corresponded in shape with the habitation which was perched upon it. A narrow space, however, was re served in front of the dwelling, upon the summit of this pile of stones, (called by the natives a " pi-pi,") which being enclosed by a little picket of canes, gave it somewhat the appearance of a verandah. The frame of the house was constructed of large bamboos planted uprightly, and secured together at intervals by transverse stalks of the light wood of the habiscus, lashed with thongs of bark. The rear of the tenement built up with suc cessive ranges of cocoa-nut boughs bound one upon another, with their leaflets cunningly woven together inclined a little from the vertical, and extended from the extreme edge of the " pi pi" to about twenty feet from its surface ; whence the shelving roof thatched with the long tapering leaves of the palmetto sloped steeply off to within about five feet of the floor ; leaving the eaves drooping with tassel-like appendages over the front of the habitation. This was constructed of light and elegant canes, in a kind of open screen work, tastefully adorned with bindings of variegated sinnate, which served to hold together its various parts. The sides of the house were similarly built ; thus pre senting three quarters for the circulation of the air, while the whole was impervious to the rain. In length this picturesque building was perhaps twelve yards, while in breadth it could not have exceeded as many feet. So much for the exterior; which with its wire-like reed-twisted sides, not a little reminded me of an immense aviary. Stooping a little, you passed through a narrow aperture in its front ; and facing you, on entering, lay two long, perfectly straight, and well-polished trunks of the cocoa-nut tree, extending the full length of the dwelling ; one of them placed closely against the rear, and the other lying parallel with it some two yards distant, the interval between them being spread with a multitude of gaily- worked mats, nearly all of a different pattern. This space formed the common couch and lounging place of the natives, answering the purpose of a divan in Oriental countries. Here 90 RESIDENCE IN THE MARQUESAS. [CHAP. xi. would they slumber through the hours of the night, arid recline luxuriously during the greater part of the day. The remainder of the floor presented only the cool shining surfaces of the large stones of which the " pi-pi" was composed. From the ridge pole of the house hung suspended a number of large packages enveloped in coarse tappa ; some of which con tained festival dresses, and various other matters of the wardrobe, held in high estimation. These were easily accessible by means of a line, which, passing over the ridge-pole, had one end attached to a bundle, while with the other, which led to the side of the dwelling and was there secured, the package could be lowered or elevated at pleasure. Against the farther wall of the house were arranged in tasteful figures a variety of spears and javelins, and other implements of savage warfare. Outside of the habitation, and built upon the piazza-like area in its front, was a little shed used as a sort of larder or pantry, and in which were stored various articles of domestic use and convenience. A few yards from the pi-pi was a large shed built of cocoa-nut boughs, where the process of pre paring the " poee-poee" was carried on, and all culinary opera tions attended to. Thus much for the house, and its appurtenances ; and it will be readily acknowledged that a more commodious and appro priate dwelling for the climate and the people could not pos sibly be devised. It was cool, free to admit the air, scrupu lously clean, and elevated above the dampness and impurities of the ground. But now to sketch the inmates ; and here I claim for my tried servitor and faithful valet Kory-Kory the precedence of a first description. As his character will be gradually unfolded in the course of my narrative, I shall for the present content myself with delineating his personal appearance. Kory-Kory, though the most devoted and best natured serving-man in the world, was, alas ! a hideous object to look upon. He was some twenty-five years of age, and about six feet in height, robust and well made, and of the most extraordinary aspect. His head was carefully shaven, with the exception of two circular spots, about the size of a dollar, near the top of the cranium, where the hair, permitted to grow of an amazing length, was twisted up in two CHAP, xi.] PORTRAIT OF KORY-KORY. 91 prominent knots, that gave him the appearance of being deco rated with a pair of horns. His beard, plucked out by the roots from every other part of his face, was suffered to droop in hairy pendants, two of which garnished his upper lip, and an equal number hung from the extremity of his chin. Kory-Kory, with a view of improving the handiwork of nature, and perhaps prompted by a desire to add to the engaging ex pression of his countenance, had seen fit to embellish his face with three broad longitudinal stripes of tattooing, which, like those country roads that go straight forward in defiance of all obstacles, crossed his nasal organ, descended into the hollow of his eyes, and even skirted the borders of his mouth. Each com pletely spanned his physiognomy ; one extending in a line with his eyes, another crossing the face in the vicinity of the nose, and the third sweeping along his lips from ear to ear. His coun tenance thus triply hooped, as it were, with tattooing, always reminded me of those unhappy wretches whom I have sometimes observed gazing out sentimentally from behind the grated bars of a prison window; whilst the entire body of my savage valet, covered all over with representations of birds and fishes, and a variety of most unaccountable-looking creatures, suggested to me the idea of a pictorial museum of natural history, or an illustrated copy of ' Goldsmith's Animated Nature/ But it seems really heartless in me to write thus of the poor islander, when" I owe perhaps to his unremitting attentions the very existence I now enjoy. Kory-Kory, I mean thee no harm in what I say in regard to thy outward adornings ; but they were a little curious to my unaccustomed sight, and therefore I dilate upon them. But to underrate or forget thy faithful services is something I could never be guilty of, even in the giddiest moment of my life. The father of my attached follower was a native of gigantic frame, and had once possessed prodigious physical powers ; but the lofty form was now yielding to the inroads of time, though the hand of disease seemed never to have been laid upon the aged warrior. Marheyo for such was his name appeared to have retired from all active participation in the affairs of the valley, seldom or never accompanying the natives in their various expeditions ; and employing the greater part of his time 92 RESIDENCE IN THE MARQUESAS. [CHAP, xi in throwing up a little shed just outside the house, upon which he was engaged to my certain knowledge for four months, with out appearing to make any sensible advance. I suppose the old gentleman was in his dotage, for he manifested in various ways the characteristics which mark this particular stage of life. I remember in particular his having a choice pair of ear-orna ments, fabricated from the teeth of some sea-monster. These he would alternately wear and take off at least fifty times in the course of the day, going and coming from his little hut on each occasion with all the tranquillity imaginable. Sometimes slipping them through the slits in his ears, he would seize his spear which in length and slightness resembled a fishing-pole and go stalking beneath the shadows of the neighbouring groves, as if about to give a hostile meeting to some cannibal knight. But he would soon return again, and hiding his weapon under the projecting eaves of the house, and rolling his clumsy trinkets carefully in a piece of tappa, would resume his more pacific operations as quietly as if he had never interrupted them. But despite his eccentricities, Marheyo was a most paternal and warm-hearted old fellow, and in this particular not a little resembled his son Kory-Kory. The mother of the latter was the mistress of the family, and a notable housewife, and a most industrious old lady she was. If she did not understand the art of making jellies, jams, custards, tea-cakes, and such like trashy affairs, she was profoundly skilled in the mysteries of preparing "amar," " poee-poee," and "kokoo," with other substantial matters. She was a genuine busy-body; bustling about the house like a country landlady at an unexpected arrival ; for ever giving the young girls tasks to perform, which the little hussies as often neglected ; poking into every corner, and rummaging over bundles of old tappa, or making a prodigious clatter among the calabashes. Sometimes she might have been seen squatting upon her haunches in front of a huge wooden basin, and knead ing poee-poee with terrific vehemence, dashing the stone pestle about as if she would shiver the vessel into fragments ; on other occasions, galloping about the valley in search of a particular kind of leaf, used in some of her recondite operations, and re turning home, toiling and sweating, with a bundle of it, under which most women would have sunk. CHAP, xi.] NATIVES DESCRIBED. 93 To tell the truth, Kory-Kory's mother was the only industrious person in all the valley of Typee ; and she could not have em ployed herself more actively had she been left an exceedingly muscular and destitute widow, with an inordinate supply of young children, in the bleakest part of the civilized world. There was not the slightest necessity for the greater portion of the labour performed by the old lady : but she seemed to work from some irresistible impulse ; her limbs continually swaying to and fro, as if there were some indefatigable engine concealed within her body which kept her in perpetual motion. Never suppose that she was a termagant or a shrew for all this ; she had the kindliest heart in the world, and acted towards me in particular in a truly maternal manner, occasionally putting some little morsel of choice food into my hand, some outlandish kind of savage sweetmeat or pastry, like a doting mother petting a sickly urchin with tarts and sugar-plums. Warm indeed are my remembrances of the dear, good, affectionate old Tinor ! Besides the individuals I have mentioned, there belonged to the household three young men, dissipated, good-for-nothing, roystering blades of savages, who were either employed in pro secuting love-affairs with the maidens of the tribe, or grew boozy on "arva" and tobacco in the company of congenial spirits, the scapegraces of the valley. Among the permanent inmates of the house were likewise several lovely damsels, who instead of thrumming pianos and reading novels, like more enlightened young ladies, substituted for these employments the manufacture of a fine species of tappa ; but for the greater portion of the time were skipping from house to house, gadding and gossiping with their acquaintances. From the rest of these, however, I must except the beauteous nymph Fayaway, who was my peculiar favourite. Her free pliant figure was the very perfection of female grace and beauty. Her complexion was a rich and mantling olive, and when watching the glow upon her cheeks I could almost swear that beneath the transparent medium there lurked the blushes of a faint vermilion. The face of this girl was a rounded oval, and each feature as perfectly formed as the heart or imagination of man could desire. Her full lips, when parted with a smile, disclosed teeth of a daz zling whiteness ; and when her rosy mouth opened with a burst 94 RESIDENCE IN THE MARQUESAS. [CHAP. XT. of merriment, they looked like the milk-white seeds of the "arta," a fruit of the valley, which, when cleft in twain, shows them reposing in rows on either side, imbedded in the rich and juicy pulp. Her hair of the deepest brown, parted irregularly in the middle, flowed in natural ringlets over her shoulders, and whenever she chanced to stoop, fell over and hid from view her lovely bosom. Gazing into the depths of her strange blue eyes, when she wa.s in a contemplative mood, they seemed most placid yet unfathomable ; but when illuminated by some lively emotion, they beamed upon the beholder like stars. The hands of Fay- away were as soft and delicate as those of any countess ; for an entire exemption from rude labour marks the girlhood and even prime of a Typee woman's life. Her feet, though wholly exposed, were as diminutive and fairly shaped as those which peep from beneath the skirts of a Lima lady's dress. The skin of this young creature, from continual ablutions and the use of mollifying ointments, was inconceivably smooth and soft. I may succeed, perhaps, in particularising some of the indi vidual features of Faya way's beauty, but that general loveliness of appearance which they all contributed to produce I will not attempt to describe. The easy unstudied graces of a child of nature like this, breathing from infancy an atmosphere of per petual summer, and nurtured by the simple fruits of the earth ; enjoying a perfect freedom from care and anxiety, and removed effectually from all injurious tendencies, strike the eye in a mariner which cannot be pourtrayed. This picture is no fancy sketch ; it is drawn from the most vivid recollections of the person delineated. Were I asked if the beauteous form of Fayaway was altogether free from the hideous blemish of tattooing, I should beconstraind to answer that it was not. But the practitioners of the barbarous art, so remorseless in their inflictions upon the brawny limbs of the warriors of the tribe, .seem to be conscious that it needs not the resources of their profession to augment the charms of the maidens of the vale. The females are very little embellished in this way, and Fayaway, with all the other young girls of her age, were even less so than those of their sex more advanced in years. The reason of this peculiarity will be alluded to hereafter. All the CHAP, xi.] THE BEAUTIFUL FA YAW AY. 95 tattooing that the nymph in question exhibited upon her person may be easily described. Three minute dots, no bigger than pin- heads, decorated either lip, and at a little distance were not at all discernible. Just upon the fall of the shoulder were drawn two parallel lines half an inch apart, and perhaps three inches in length, the interval being filled with delicately executed figures. These narrow bands of tattooing, thus placed, always reminded me of those stripes of gold lace worn by officers in undress, and which were in lieu of epaulettes to denote their rank. Thus much was Fayaway tattooed the audacious hand which had gone so far in its desecrating work stopping short, appa rently wanting the heart to proceed. But I have omitted to describe the dress worn by this nymph of the valley. Fayaway I must avow the fact for the most part clung to the primitive and summer garb of Eden. But how becoming the costume ! It showed her fine figure to the best possible ad vantage ; and nothing could have been better adapted to her peculiar style of beauty. On ordinary occasions she was habited precisely as I have described the two youthful savages whom we had met on first entering the valley. At other times, when ram bling among the groves, or visiting at the houses of her ac quaintances, she wore a tunic of white tappa, reaching from her waist to a little below the knees ; and when exposed for any length of time to the sun, she invariably protected herself from its rays by a floating mantle of the same material, loosely gathered about the person. Her gala dress will be described hereafter. As the beauties of our own land delight in bedecking them selves with fanciful articles of jewellery, suspending them from their ears, hanging them about their necks, and clasping them around their wrists ; so Fayaway and her companions were in the habit of ornamenting themselves with similar appendages. Flora was their jeweller. Sometimes they wore necklaces of small carnation flowers, strung like rubies upon a fibre of tappa, or displayed in their ears a single white bud, the stem thrust backward through the aperture, and showing in front the delicate petals folded together in a beautiful sphere, and looking like a drop of the purest pearl. Chaplets too, resembling in their ar- 06 RESIDENCE IN THE MARQUESAS. [CHAP. xi. rangemcnt the strawberry coronal worn by an English peeress, and composed of intertwined leaves and blossoms, often crowned their temples ; and bracelets and anklets of the same tasteful pattern were frequently to be seen. Indeed, the maidens of the island were passionately fond of flowers, and never wearied of decorating their persons with them ; a lovely trait in their cha racter, and one that ere long will be more fully alluded to. Though in my eyes, at least, Fayaway was indisputably the loveliest female I saw in Typee, yet the description I have given of her will in some measure apply to nearly all the youthful por tion of her sex in the valley. Judge ye then, reader, what beautiful creatures they must have been. CHAP, xn.l OFFICIOUSNESS OF KORY-KOEY 97 CHAPTER XII. Officiousness of Kory-Kory His Devotion A Bath in the Stream Want of Refinement of the Typee Damsels Stroll with Mehevi A Typee Highway The Taboo Groves The Hoolah Hoolah Ground The Ti . Time-worn Savages Hospitality of Mehevi Midnight Misgivings Adventure in the Dark Distinguished Honours paid to the Visitors Strange Procession and Return to the House of Marheyo. WHEN Mehevi had departed from the house, as related in the preceding chapter, Kory-Kory commenced the functions of the post assigned him. He brought us various kinds of food ; and, as if I were an infant, insisted upon feeding me with his own hands. To this procedure I, of course, most earnestly objected, but in vain ; and having laid a calabash of kokoo before me, he washed his fingers in a vessel of water, and then putting his hand into the dish and rolling the food into little balls, put them one after another into my mouth. All my remonstrances against this measure only provoked so great a clamour on his part, that I was obliged to acquiesce ; and the operation of feeding being thus facilitated, the meal was quickly despatched. As for Toby, he was allowed to help himself after his own fashion. The repast over, my attendant arranged the mats for repose, and, bidding me lie down, covered me with a large robe of tappa, at the same time looking approvingly upon me, and ex claiming, " Ki-Ki, muee muee, ah ! moee moee mortarkee" (eat plenty, ah ! sleep very good). The philosophy of this sentiment I did not pretend to question ; for deprived of sleep for several preceding nights, and the pain in my limb having much abated, I now felt inclined to avail myself of the opportunity afforded me. The next morning, on waking, I found Kory-Kory stretched out on one side of me, while my companion lay upon the other. I felt sensibly refreshed after a night of sound repose, and imme diately agreed to the proposition of my valet that I should repair to the water and wash, although dreading the suffering that the exertion might produce. From this apprehension, however, I H 98 RESIDENCE IN THE MARQUESAS. [CHAP. xn. was quickly relieved ; for Kory-Kory, leaping- from the pi-pi, and then backing himself up against it, like a porter in readiness to shoulder a trunk, with loud vociferations and a superabund ance of gestures, gave me to understand that I was to mount upon his back and be thus transported to the stream, which flowed perhaps two hundred yards from the house. Our appearance upon the verandah in front of the habitation drew together quite a crowd, who stood looking on and convers ing with one another in the most animated manner. They re minded one of a group of idlers gathered about the door of a village tavern when the equipage of some distinguished traveller is brought round previous to his departure. As soon as I clasped my arms about the neck of the devoted fellow, and he jogged off with me, the crowd composed chiefly of young girls and boys followed after, shouting and capering with infinite glee, and accompanied us to the banks of the stream. On gaining it, Kory-Kory, wading up to his hips in the water, carried me half way across, and deposited me on a smooth black stone which rose a few inches above the surface. The amphi bious rabble at our heels plunged in after us, and, climbing to the summit of the grass-grown rocks with which the bed of the brook was here and there broken, waited curiously to witness our morning ablutions. Somewhat embarrassed by the presence of the female portion of the company, and feeling my cheeks burning with bashful timidity, I formed a primitive basin by joining my hands toge ther, and cooled my blushes in the water it contained ; then removing my frock, bent over and washed myself down to my waist in the stream. As soon as Kory-Kory comprehended from my motions that this was to be the extent of my performance, he appeared perfectly aghast with astonishment, arid rushing towards me, poured out a torrent of words in eager deprecation of so limited an operation, enjoining me by unmistakeable signs to immerse my whole body. To this I was forced to consent ; and the honest fellow regarding me as a froward, inexperienced child, whom it was his duty to serve at the risk of oifending, lifted me from the rock, and tenderly bathed my limbs. This over, and resuming my seat, I could not avoid bursting into admiration of the scene around me. CHAP, xii.] A TYPEE HIGHWAY. 99 From the verdant surfaces of the large stones that lay scattered about, the natives were now sliding off into the water, diving and ducking beneath the surface in all directions the young girls springing buoyantly into the air, and revealing their naked forms to the waist, with their long tresses dancing about their shoulders, their eyes sparkling like drops of dew in the sun, and their gay laughter pealing forth at every frolicsome incident. On the afternoon of the day that I took my first bath in the valley, we received another visit from Mehevi. The noble savage seemed to be in the same pleasant mood, and was quite as cordial in his manner as before. After remaining about an hour, he rose from the mats, and motioning to leave the house, invited Toby and myself to accompany him. I pointed to my leg ; but Me hevi in his turn pointed to Kory-Kory, and removed that objec tion ; so, mounting upon the faithful fellow's shoulders again like the old man of the sea astride of Sindbad I followed after the chief. The nature of the route we now pursued struck me more forcibly than anything I had yet seen, as illustrating the indolent disposition of the islanders. The path was obviously the most beaten one in the valley, several others leading from either side into it, and perhaps for successive generations it had formed the principal avenue of the place. And yet, until I grew more fami liar with its impediments, it seemed as difficult to travel as the recesses of a wilderness. Part of it swept round an abrupt rise of ground, the surface of which was broken by frequent inequa lities, and thickly strewn with projecting masses of rocks, whose summits were often hidden from view by the drooping foliage of the luxuriant vegetation. Sometimes directly over, sometimes evad ing these obstacles with a wide circuit, the path wound along ; one moment climbing over a sudden eminence smooth with con tinued wear, then descending on the other side into a steep glen, and crossing the flinty channel of a brook. Here it pursued the~" depths of a glade, occasionally obliging you to stoop beneath vast horizontal branches ; and now you stepped over huge trunks and boughs that lay rotting across the track. Such was the grand thoroughfare of Typee. After proceeding a little distance along it Kory-Kory panting and blowing with the weight of , his burden I dismounted from his back, and H'2 100 RESIDENCE IN THE MARQUESAS. [CHAP. xii. grasping the long spear of Mehevi in my hand, assisted my steps over the numerous obstacles of the road ; preferring this mode of advance to one which, from the difficulties of the way, was equally painful to myself and my wearied servitor. Our journey was soon at an end ; for, scaling a sudden height, we came abruptly upon the place of our destination. I wish that it were possible to sketch in words this spot as vividly as I recol lect it. Here were situated the Taboo groves of the valley the scene of many a prolonged feast, of many a horrid rite. Beneath the dark shadows of the consecrated bread-fruit trees there reigned a solemn twilight a cathedral-like gloom. The frightful genius of pagan worship seemed to brood in silence over the place, breathing its spell upon every object around. Here and there, in the depths of these awful shades, half screened from sight by masses of overhanging foliage, rose the idolatrous altars of the savages, built of enormous blocks of black and polished stone, placed one upon another, without cement, to the height of twelve or fifteen feet, and surmounted by a rustic open temple, enclosed with a low picket of canes, within which might be seen, in various stages of decay, offerings of bread-fruit and cocoa-nuts, and the putrefying relics of some recent sacrifice. In the midst of the wood was the hallowed " hoolah hoolah " ground set apart for the celebration of the fantastic religious ritual of these people comprising an extensive oblong pi-pi, terminating at either end in a lofty terraced altar, guarded by ranks of hideous wooden idols, and with the two remaining sides flanked by ranges of bamboo sheds, opening towards the interior of the quadrangle thus formed. Vast trees, standing in the middle of this space, and throwing over it an umbrageous shade, had their massive trunks built round with slight stages, elevated a few feet above the ground, and railed in with canes, forming so many rustic pulpits, from which the priests harangued their devotees. This holiest of spots was defended from profanation by the strictest edicts of the all-pervading " taboo," which condemned to instant death the sacrilegious female who should enter or touch its sacred precincts, or even so much as press with her feet the ground made holy by the shadows that it cast. CHAP, xii.] THE " HOOLAH HOOLAH." 101 Access was had to the enclosure through an embowered en trance on one side, facing 1 a number of towering cocoa-nut trees, planted at intervals along a level area of a hundred yards. At the further extremity of this space was to be seen a building of con siderable size, reserved for the habitation of the priests and re ligious attendants of the groves. In its vicinity was another remarkable edifice, built as usual upon the summit of a pi-pi, and at least two hundred feet in length, though not more than twenty in breadth. The whole front of this latter structure was completely open, and from one end to the other ran a narrow verandah, fenced in on the edge of the pi-pi with a picket of canes. Its interior presented the ap pearance of an immense lounging-place, the entire floor being strewn with successive layers of mats, lying between parallel trunks of cocoa-nut trees, selected for the purpose from the straightest and most symmetrical the vale afforded. To this building, denominated in the language of the natives the " Ti," Mehevi now conducted us. Thus far we had been accompanied by a troop of the natives of both sexes ; but as soon as we approached its vicinity, the females gradually separated themselves from the crowd, and standing aloof, permitted us to pass on. The merciless prohibitions of the taboo extended likewise to this edifice, and were enforced by the same dreadful penalty - that secured the Hoolah Hoolah ground from the imaginary pol lution of a woman's presence. On entering the house, I was surprised to see six muskets ranged against the bamboo on one side, from the barrels of which depended as many small canvas pouches, partly filled with powder. Disposed about these muskets, like the cutlasses that decorate the bulkhead of a man-of-war's cabin, were a great variety of rude spears and paddles, javelins, and war-clubs. This then, said I to Toby, must be the armory of the tribe. As we advanced further along the building, we were struck with the aspect of four or five hideous old wretches, on whose decrepit forms time and tattooing seemed to have obliterated every trace of humanity. Owing to the continued operation of this latter process, which only terminates among the warriors of the island after all the figures stretched upon their limbs in youth have been blended together an effect, however, produced 102 RESIDENCE IN THE MARQUESAS. [CHAP. XH. only in cases of extreme longevity the bodies of these men were of a uniform dull green colour the hue which the tattooing gradually assumes as the individual advances in age. Their skin had a frightful scaly appearance, which, united with its singular colour, made their limbs not a little resemble dusty specimens of verde-antique. Their flesh, in parts, hung upon them in huge folds, like the overlapping plaits on the flank of a rhinoceros. Their heads were completely bald, whilst their faces were puckered into a thousand wrinkles, and they presented no ves tige of a beard. But the most remarkable peculiarity about them was the appearance of their feet ; the toes, like the ra diating lines of the mariner's compass, pointed to every quarter of the horizon. This was doubtless attributable to the fact, that during nearly a hundred years of existence the said toes never had been subjected to any artificial confinement, and in their old age, being averse to close neighbourhood, bid one an other keep open order. These repulsive-looking creatures appeared to have lost the use of their lower limbs altogether ; sitting upon the floor cross- legged in a state of torpor. They never heeded us in the least, scarcely looking conscious of our presence, while Mehevi seated us upon the mats, and Kory-Kory gave utterance to some unin telligible gibberish. In a few moments a boy entered with a wooden trencher of poee-poee ; and in regaling myself with its contents I was obliged again to submit to the officious intervention of my indefatigable servitor. Various other dishes followed, the chief manifesting the most hospitable importunity in pressing us to partake, and to remove all bashfulness on our part, set us no despicable example in his own person. The repast concluded, a pipe was lighted, which passed from mouth to mouth, and yielding to its soporific influence, the quiet of the place, and the deepening shadows of approaching night, my companion and I sank into a kind of drowsy repose, while the chief and Kory-Kory seemed to be slumbering beside us. I awoke from an uneasy nap, about midnight, as I supposed ; and, raising myself partly from the mat, became sensible that we were enveloped in utter darkness. Toby lay still asleep, but our late companions had disappeared, The only sound that inter- CHAP, xii.] THEIR EXAGGERATED FEARS. 103 rupted the silence of the place was the asthmatic breathing of the old men I have mentioned, who reposed at a little distance from us. Beside them, as well as I could judge, there was no one else in the house. Apprehensive of some evil, I roused my comrade, and we were engaged in a whispered conference concerning the unex pected withdrawal of the natives, when all at once, from the depths of the grove, in full view of us where we lay, shoots of flame were seen to rise, and in a few moments illuminated the surrounding trees, casting, by contrast, into still deeper gloom the darkness around us. While we continued gazing at this sight, dark figures appeared moving to and fro before the flames ; while others, dancing and capering about, looked like so many demons. Regarding this new phenomenon with no small degree of tre pidation, I said to my companion, " What can all this mean, Toby?" " Oh, nothing," replied he ; " getting the fire ready, I sup pose." " Fire !" exclaimed I, while my heart took to beating like a trip-hammer, " what fire ?" " Why, the fire to cook us, to be sure ; what else would the cannibals be kicking up such a row about if it were not for that?" " Oh, Toby ! have done with your jokes ; this is no time for them ; something is about to happen, I feel confident." " Jokes, indeed !" exclaimed Toby, indignantly. " Did you ever hear me joke ? Why, for what do you suppose the devils have been feeding us up in this kind of style during the last three days, unless it were for something that you are too much frightened at to talk about ? Look at that Kory-Kory there ! has he not been stuffing you with his confounded mushes, just in the way they treat swine before they kill them ? Depend upon it, we will be eaten this blessed night, and there is the fire we shall be roasted by." This view of the matter was not at all calculated to allay my apprehensions, and I shuddered when I reflected that we were indeed at the mercy of a tribe of cannibals, and that the dreadful 104 RESIDENCE IN THE MARQUESAS. [CHAP. xn. contingency to which Toby had alluded was by no means removed beyond the bounds of possibility. " There ! I told you so ! they are coming for us !" exclaimed my companion the next moment, as the forms of four of the islanders were seen in bold relief against the illuminated back ground, mounting the pi-pi and approaching towards us. They came on noiselessly, nay stealthily, and glided along through the gloom that surrounded us as if about to spring upon some object they were fearful of disturbing before they should make sure of it. Gracious heaven ! the horrible reflections which crowded upon me that moment. A cold sweat stood upon my brow, and spell -bound with terror I awaited my fate! Suddenly the silence was broken by the well-remembered tones of Mehevi, and at the kindly accents of his voice my fears were immediately dissipated. " Tommo, Toby, ki ki !" (eat). He had waited to address us until he had assured himself that we were both awake, at which he seemed somewhat surprised. " Ki ki ! is it ?" said Toby in his gruff tones ; " well, cook us first, will you ? but what 's this ?" he added, as another savage appeared, bearing before him a large trencher of wood, contain ing some kind of steaming meat, as appeared from the odours it diffused, and which he deposited at the feet of Mehevi. " A baked baby, I dare say ! but I will have none of it, never mind what it is. A pretty fool I should make of myself, indeed, waked up here in the middle of the night, stuffing and guzzling, and all to make a fat meal for a parcel of bloody-minded cannibals one of these mornings ! No, I see what they are at very plainly, so I am resolved to starve myself into a bunch of bones and gristle, and then, if they serve me up, they are welcome ! But I say, Tommo, you are not going to eat any of that mess there, in the dark, are you ? Why, how can you tell what it is ?" " By tasting it, to be sure," said I, masticating a morsel that Kory-Kory had just put in my mouth ; " and excellently good it is too, very much like veal." " A baked baby, by the soul of Captain Cook !" burst forth Toby, with amazing vehemence ; " Veal ! why there never was a calf on the island till you landed. I tell you you are bolting down mouthfuls from a dead Happar's carcass, as sure as you live, and no mistake !" CHAP, xii.] GUARD OF HONOUR. 105 Emetics and lukewarm water ! What a sensation in the abdo minal regions ! Sure enough, where could the fiends incarnate have obtained meat ? But I resolved to satisfy myself at all hazards ; and turning to Mehevi, I soon made the ready chief understand that I wished a light to be brought. When the taper came, I gazed eagerly into the vessel, and recognised the muti lated remains of a juvenile porker ! " Puarkee !" exclaimed Kory-Kory, looking complacently at the dish ; and from that day to this I have never forgotten that such is the designation of a pig in the Typee lingo. The next morning, after being again abundantly feasted by the hospitable Mehevi, Toby and myself arose to depart. But the chief requested us to postpone our intention. " Abo, abo," (Wait, wait,) he said, and accordingly we resumed our seats, while, assisted by the zealous Kory-Kory, he appeared to be en gaged in giving directions to a number of the natives outside, who were busily employed in making arrangements, the nature of which we could not comprehend. But we were not left long in our ignorance, for a few moments only had elapsed when the chief beckoned us to approach, and we perceived that he had been marshalling a kind of guard of honour to escort us on our return to the house of Marheyo. The procession was led off by two venerable-looking savages, each provided with a spear, from the end of which streamed a pennon of milk-white tappa. After them went several youths, bearing aloft calabashes of poee-poee ; and followed in their turn by four stalwart fellows, sustaining long bamboos, from the tops of which hung suspended, at least twenty feet from the ground, large baskets of green bread-fruit. Then came a troop of boys, carrying bunches of ripe banannas, and baskets made of the woven leaflets of cocoa-nut boughs, filled with the young fruit of the tree, the naked shells stripped of their husks peeping forth from the verdant wicker-work that surrounded them. Last of all came a burly islander, holding over his head a wooden trencher, in which lay disposed the remnants of our midnight feast, hidden from view, however, by a covering of bread-fruit leaves. Astonished as I was at this exhibition, I could not avoid smiling at its grotesque appearance, and the associations it natu rally called up. Mehevi, it seemed, was bent on replenishing 10G RESIDENCE IN THE MARQUESAS. [CHAP. XH. old Marheyo's larder, fearful perhaps that without this precau tion his guests might not fare as well as they could desire. As soon as I descended from the pi-pi, the procession formed anew, enclosing us in its centre ; where I remained part of the time, carried by Kory-Kory, and occasionally relieving him from his burden by limping along with a spear. When we moved oft in this order, the natives struck up a musical recitative, which, with various alternations, they continued until we arrived at the place of our destination. As we proceeded on our way, bands of young girls, darting from the surrounding groves, hung upon our skirts, and accom panied us with shouts of merriment and delight, which almost drowned the deep notes of the recitative. On approaching old Marheyo's domicile, its inmates rushed out to receive us ; and while the gifts of Mehevi were being disposed of, the superan nuated warrior did the honours of his mansion with all the warmth of hospitality evinced by an English squire when he regales his friends at some fine old patrimonial mansion. CHAP, xiii.] SURGICAL RELIEF WANTED. 107 CHAPTER XIII. Attempt to procure Relief from Nukuheva Perilous Adventure of Toby in the Happar Mountain Eloquence of Kory-Kory. AMIDST these novel scenes a week passed away almost imper ceptibly. The natives, actuated by some mysterious impulse, day after day redoubled their attentions to us. Their manner towards us was unaccountable. Surely, thought I, they would riot act thus if they meant us any harm. But why this excess of deferential kindness, or what equivalent can they imagine us capable of rendering them for it ? We were fairly puzzled. But despite the apprehensions I could not dispel, the horrible character imputed to these Typees ap peared to me wholly undeserved. " Why, they are cannibals !" said Toby on one occasion when I eulogised the tribe. " Granted," I replied, " but a more humane, gentlemanly, and amiable set of epicures do not pro bably exist in the Pacific." But, notwithstanding the kind treatment we received, I was too familiar with the fickle disposition of savages not to feel anxious to withdraw from the valley, and put myself beyond the reach of that fearful death which, under all these smiling ap pearances, might yet menace us. But here there was an obstacle in the way of doing so. It was idle for me to think of moving from the place until I should have recovered from the severe lameness that afflicted me ; indeed my malady began seriously to alarm me ; for, despite the herbal remedies of the natives, it continued to grow worse and worse. Their mild applications, though they soothed the pain, did not remove the disorder, and I felt convinced that without better aid I might anticipate long and acute suffering. But how was this aid to be procured ? From the surgeons of the French fleet, which probably still lay in the bay of Nuku- 108 11ESIDENCE IN THE MARQUESAS. [CHAP. xiu. heva, it might easily have been obtained, could I have made my case known to them. But how could that be effected ? At last, in the exigency to which I was reduced, I proposed to Toby that he should endeavour to go round to Nukuheva, and if he could not succeed in returning to the valley by water, in one of the boats of the squadron, and taking me off, he might at least procure me some proper medicines, and effect his return overland. My companion listened to me in silence, and at first did not appear to relish the idea. The truth was, he felt impatient to escape from the place, and wished to avail himself of our present high favour with the natives to make good our retreat, before we should experience some sudden alteration in their behaviour. As he could not think of leaving me in my helpless condition, he implored me to be of good cheer, assured me that I should soon be better, and enabled in a few days to return with him to Nukuheva. Added to this, he could not bear the idea of again returning to this dangerous place ; and as for the expectation of persuading the Frenchmen to detach a boat's crew for the purpose of rescu ing me from the Typees, he looked upon it as idle ; and with arguments that I could not answer, urged the improbability of their provoking the hostilities of the clan by any such measure ; especially as, for the purpose of quieting its apprehensions, they had as yet refrained from making any visit to the bay. " And even should they consent," said Toby, " they would only pro duce a commotion in the valley, in which we might both be sacrificed by these ferocious islanders." This was unanswerable ; but still I clung to the belief that he might succeed in accom plishing the other part of my plan ; and at last I overcame his scruples, and he agreed to make the attempt. As soon as we succeeded in making the natives understand our intention, they broke out into the most vehement opposition to the measure, and for a while I almost despaired of obtaining their consent. At the bare thought of one of us leaving them, they manifested the most lively concern. The grief and con sternation of Kory-Kory, in particular, was unbounded ; he threw himself into a perfect paroxysm of gestures, which were intended to convey to us not only his abhorrence of Nukuheva CHAP. xiii. J THE DEPARTURE OF TOBY. 109 and its uncivilized inhabitants, but also his- astonishment that after becoming acquainted with the enlightened Typees, we should evince the least desire to withdraw, even for a time, from their agreeable society. However, I overbore his objections by appealing to my lame ness ; from which I assured the natives I should speedily recover, if Toby were permitted to obtain the supplies I needed. It was agreed that on the following morning my companion should depart, accompanied by some one or two of the household, who should point out to him an easy route, by which the bay might be reached before sunset. At early dawn of the next day, our habitation was astir. One of the young men mounted into an adjoining cocoa-nut tree, and threw down a number of the young fruit, which old Marheyo quickly stripped of the green husks, and strung to gether upon a short pole. These \vere intended to refresh Toby on his route. The preparations being completed, with no little emotion I bade my companion adieu. He promised to return in three days at farthest ; and, bidding me keep up my spirits in the interval, turned round the corner of the pi-pi, and, under the guidance of the venerable Marheyo, was soon out of sight. His departure oppressed me with melancholy, and, re-entering the dwelling, I threw myself almost in despair upon the matting of the floor. In two hours' time the old warrior returned, and gave me to understand that, after accompanying my companion a little dis tance, and showing him the route, he had left him journeying on his way. It was about noon of this same day, a season which these people are wont to pass in sleep, that I lay in the house, surrounded by its slumbering inmates, and painfully affected by the strange silence which prevailed. All at once I thought I heard a faint shout, as if proceeding from some persons in the depth of the grove which extended in front of our habitation. The sounds grew louder and nearer, and gradually the whole valley rang with wild outcries. The sleepers around me started to their feet in alarm, and hurried outside to discover the cause of the commotion. Kory-Kory, who had been the first to spring up, soon returned almost breathless, and nearly frantic with the 110 RESIDENCE IN THE MARQUESAS. [CHAP. xin. excitement under which he seemed to be labouring. All that I could understand from him was that some accident had happened to Toby. Apprehensive of some dreadful calamity, I rushed out of the house, and caught sight of a tumultuous crowd, who, with shrieks and lamentations, were just emerging from the grove bearing in their arms some object, the sight of which produced all this transport of sorrow. As they drew near, the men re doubled their cries, while the girls, tossing their bare arms in the air, exclaimed plaintively, " Awha ! awha ! Toby muckee moee ! " Alas ! alas ! Toby is killed ! In a moment the crowd opened, and disclosed the apparently lifeless body of my companion borne between two men, the head hanging heavily against the breast of the foremost. The whole face, neck, and bosom were covered with blood, which still trickled slowly from a wound behind the temple. In the midst of the greatest uproar and confusion the body was carried into the house and laid on a mat. Waving the natives off to give room and air, I bent eagerly over Toby, and, laying my hand upon the breast, ascertained that the heart still beat. Over joyed at this, I seized a calabash of water, and dashed its contents upon his face, then wiping away the blood, anxiously exarriined the wound. It was about three inches long, and on removing the clotted hair from about it, showed the skull laid completely bare. Immediately with my knife I cut away the heavy locks, and bathed the part repeatedly in water. In a few moments Toby revived, and opening his eyes for a second, closed them again without speaking. Kory-Kory, who had been kneeling beside me, now chafed his limbs gently with the palms of his hands, while a young girl at his head kept fanning him, and I still continued to moisten his lips and brow. Soon my poor comrade showed signs of animation, and I suc ceeded in making him swallow from a cocoa-nut shell a few mouthfuls of water. Old Tinor now appeared, holding in her hand some simples she had gathered, the juice of which, she by signs besought me to squeeze into the wound. Having done so, I thought it best to leave Toby undisturbed until he should have had time to rally his faculties. Several times he opened his lips, but fearful for his safety I enjoined silence. In the course of two or three hours, CHAP, xiii.] TOBY ATTACKED BY HAPPARS. Ill however, he sat up, and was sufficiently recovered to tell me what had occurred. " After leaving the house with Marheyo," said Toby, " we struck across the valley, and ascended the opposite heights. Just beyond them, my guide informed me, lay the valley of Happar, while along their summits, and skirting the head of the vale, was my route to Nukuheva. After mounting a little way up the elevation my guide paused, and gave me to understand that he could riot accompany me any farther, and by various signs inti mated that he was afraid to approach any nearer the territories of the enemies of his tribe. He however pointed out my path, which now lay clearly before me, and bidding me farewell hastily descended the mountain. " Quite elated at being so near the Happars, I pushed up the acclivity, and soon gained its summit. It tapered up to a sharp ridge, from whence I beheld both the hostile valleys. Here I sat down and rested for a moment, refreshing myself with my cocoa nuts. I was soon again pursuing my way along the height, when suddenly I saw three of the islanders, who must have just come out of Happar valley, standing in the path ahead of me. They were each armed with a heavy spear, and one from his ap pearance I took to be a chief. They sung out something, I could not understand what, and beckoned me to come on. " Without the least hesitation I advanced towards them, and had approached within about a yard of the foremost, when, pointing angrily into the Typee valley, and uttering some savage excla mation, he wheeled round his weapon like lightning, and struck me in a moment to the ground. The blow inflicted this wound, and took away my senses. As soon as I came to myself, I per ceived the three islanders standing a little distance off, and ap parently engaged in some violent altercation respecting me. " My first impulse was to run for it ; but, in endeavouring to rise, I fell back, and rolled down a little grassy precipice. The shock seemed to rally my faculties ; so, starting to my feet, I fled down the path I had just ascended. I had no need to look be hind me, for, from the yells I heard, I knew that my enemies were in full pursuit. Urged on by their fearful outcries, and heedless of the injury I had received though the blood flowing from the wound trickled over into my eyes and almost blinded me I 112 RESIDENCE IN THE MARQUESAS. [CHAP. xm. rushed down the mountain side with the speed of the wind. In a short time I had descended nearly a third of the distance, and the savages had ceased their cries, when suddenly a terrific howl burst upon my ear, and at the same moment a heavy javelin darted past me as I fled, and stuck quivering in a tree close to me. Another yell followed, and a second spear and a third shot through the air within a few feet of my body, both of them piercing the ground obliquely in advance of me. The fellows gave a roar of rage and disappointment ; but. they were afraid, I suppose, of coming down further into the Typee valley, and so abandoned the chase. I saw them recover their weapons and turn back ; and I continued my descent as fast as I could. " What could have caused this ferocious attack on the part of these Happars I could not imagine, unless it were that they had seen me ascending the mountain with Marheyo, and that the mere fact of coming from the Typee valley was sufficient to provoke them. " As long as I was in danger I scarcely felt the wound I had received ; but when the chase was over I began to suffer from it. I had lost my hat in my flight, and the sun scorched my bare head. I felt faint and giddy ; but, fearful of falling to the ground beyond the reach of assistance, I staggered on as well as I could, and at last gained the level of the valley, and then down I sunk ; and I knew nothing more until I found myself lying upon these mats, and you stooping over me with the cala bash of water." Such was Toby's account of this sad affair. I afterwards learned that fortunately he had fallen close to a spot where the natives go for fuel. A party of them caught sight of him as he fell, and sounding the alarm, had lifted him up ; and after in effectually endeavouring to restore him at the brook, had hurried forward with him to the house. This incident threw a dark cloud over our prospects. It re minded us that we were hemmed in by hostile tribes, whose ter ritories we could not hope to pass, on our route to Nukuheva, without encountering the effects of their savage resentment. There appeared to be no avenue opened to our escape but the sea, which washed the lower extremity of the vale. Our Typee friends availed themselves of the recent disaster of CHAP, xin.] KORY-KORY'S ELOQUENCE. 113 Toby to exhort us to a due appreciation of the blessings we enjoyed among them ; contrasting their own generous reception of us with the animosity of their neighbours. They likewise dwelt upon the cannibal propensities of the Happars, "a subject which they were perfectly aware could not fail to alarm us ; while at the same time they earnestly disclaimed all participation in so horrid a custom. Nor did they omit to call upon us to admire the natural loveliness of their own abode, and the lavish abundance with which it produced all manner of luxuriant fruits ; exalting it in this particular above any of the surrounding valleys. Kory-Kory seemed to experience so heartfelt a desire to infuse into our minds proper views on these subjects, that, assisted in his endeavours by the little knowledge of the language we had acquired, he actually succeeded in making us comprehend a con siderable part of what he said. To facilitate our correct appre hension of his meaning, he at first condensed his ideas into the smallest possible compass. " Happar keekeeno nuee," he exclaimed ; " nuee, nuee, ki ki kannaka ! ah ! owle motarkee !" which signifies, " Terrible fel lows those Happars ! devour an amazing quantity of men I ah, shocking bad !" Thus far he explained himself by a variety of gestures, during the performance of which he would dart out of the house, and point abhorrently towards the Happar valley ; running in to us again with a rapidity that showed he was fearful we would lose one part of his meaning before he could com plete the other ; and continuing his illustrations by seizing the fleshy part of my arm in his teeth, intimating by the operation that the people who lived over in that direction would like nothing better than to treat me in that manner. Having assured himself that we were fully enlightened on this point, he proceeded to another branch of his subject. " Ah ! Typee motarkee! nuee, nuee mioree nuee, nuee wai nuee, nuee poee-poee nuee, nuee kokoo ah ! nuee, nuee kiki ah ! nuee, nuee, nuee !" Which, literally interpreted as before, would imply, " Ah, Typee ! isn't it a fine place though ! no danger of starving here, I tell you ! plenty of bread-fruit plenty of water plenty of pudding ah ! plenty of eyerything ! ah ! heaps, heaps, heaps !" All this was accompanied by a running 114 RESIDENCE IN THE MARQUESAS. [CHAP. xm. commentary of signs and gestures which it was impossible not to comprehend. As he continued his harangue, however, Kory-Kory, in emu lation of our more polished orators, began to launch out rather diffusely into other branches of his subject, enlarging, probably, upon the moral reflections it suggested ; and proceeded in such a strain of unintelligible and stunning gibberish, that he actually gave me the headache for the rest of the day. CHAP. xiv. J A GREAT EVENT. 115 CHAPTER XIY. A great Event happens in the Valley The Island Telegraph Something befalls Toby Fayaway displays a tender heart Melancholy reflections Mysterious Conduct of the Islanders Devotion of Kory-Kory A rural Couch A Luxury Kory-Kory strikes a Light a la Typee. IN the course of a few days Toby had recovered from the effects of his adventure with the Happar warriors ; the wound on his head rapidly healing under the vegetable treatment of the good Tinor. Less fortunate than my companion, however, J still continued to languish under a complaint the origin and nature of which were still a mystery. Cut off as I was from all inter course with the civilized world, and feeling the inefficiency of anything the natives could do to relieve me ; knowing too, that so long as I remained in my present condition, it would be im possible for me to leave the valley, whatever opportunity might present itself ; and apprehensive that ere long we might be ex posed to some caprice on the part of the islanders, I now gave up all hopes of recovery, and became a prey to the most gloomy thoughts. A deep dejection fell upon me, which neither the friendly remonstrances of my companion, the devoted attentions of Kory-Kory, nor all the soothing influences of Fayaway could remove. One morning as I lay on the mats in the house, plunged in melancholy reverie, and regardless of everything around me, Toby, who had left me about an hour, returned in haste, and with great glee told me to cheer up and be of good heart ; for he believed, from what was going on among the natives, that there were boats approaching the bay. These tidings operated upon me like magic. The hour of our deliverance was at hand, and starting up, I was soon: convinced that something unusual was about to occur. The word " botee ! botee !" was vociferated in all directions ; and shouts were heard in the distance, at first feebly and faintly ; but growing louder i 2 116 KESIDENCE IN THE MARQUESAS. [CHAP. xiv. and nearer at each successive repetition, until they were caught up by a fellow in a cocoa-nut tree a few yards off, who sounding them in turn, they were reiterated from a neighbouring grove, and so died away gradually from point to point, as the intelli gence penetrated into the farthest recesses of the valley. This was the vocal telegraph of the islanders ; by means of which condensed items of information could be carried in a very few minutes from the sea to their remotest habitation, a distance of at least eight or nine miles. On the present occasion it was in active operation ; one piece of information following another with inconceivable rapidity. The greatest commotion now appeared to prevail. At every fresh item of intelligence the natives betrayed the liveliest in terest, and redoubled the energy with which they employed themselves in collecting fruit to sell to the expected visitors. Some were tearing off the husks from cocoa-nuts ; some perched in the trees were throwing down bread-fruit to their companions, who gathered them into heaps as they fell ; while others were plying their fingers rapidly in weaving leafen baskets in which to carry the fruit. There were other matters too going on at the same time. Here you would see a stout warrior polishing his spear with a bit of old tappa, or adjusting the folds of the girdle about his waist ; and there you might descry a young damsel decorating herself with flowers, as if having in her eye some maidenly con quest ; while, as in all cases of hurry and confusion in every part of the world, a number of individuals kept hurrying to and fro, with amazing vigour and perseverance, doing nothing themselves, and hindering others. Never before had we seen the islanders in such a state of bustle and excitement ; and the scene furnished abundant evi dence of the fact that it was only at long intervals any such events occur. When I thought of the length of time that might intervene before a similar chance of escape would be presented, I bitterly lamented that I had not the power of availing myself effectually of the present opportunity. From all that we could gather, it appeared that the natives were fearful of arriving too late upon the beach, unless they CHAP, xiv.] REVIVED HOPES. 1 17 made extraordinary exertions. Sick and lame as I was, I would have started with Toby at once, had not Kory-Kory not only re fused to carry me, but manifested the most invincible repugnance to our leaving the neighbourhood of the house. The rest of the savages were equally opposed to our wishes, and seemed grieved and astonished at the earnestness of my solicitations. I clearly perceived that while my attendant avoided all appearance of constraining my movements, he was nevertheless determined to thwart my wish. He seemed to me on this particular occasion, as well as often afterwards, to be executing the orders of some other person with regard to me, though at the same time feeling towards me the most lively affection. Toby, who had made up his mind to accompany the islanders if possible, as soon as they were in readiness to depart, and who for that reason had refrained from showing the same anxiety that I had done, now represented to me that it was idle for me to entertain the hope of reaching the beach in time to profit by any opportunity that might then be presented. " Do you not see," said he, " the savages themselves are fear ful of being too late, and I should hurry forward myself at once did I not think that if I showed too much eagerness I should destroy all our hopes of reaping any benefit from this fortunate event. If you will only endeavour to appear tranquil or un concerned, you will quiet their suspicions, and I have no doubt they will then let me go with them to the beach, supposing that I merely go out of curiosity. Should I succeed in getting down t.o the boats, I will make known the condition in which I have left you, and measures may then be taken to secure our escape." In the expediency of this I could not but acquiesce ; and as the natives had now completed their preparations, I watched with the liveliest interest the reception that Toby's application might meet with. As soon as they understood from my com panion that I intended to remain, they appeared to make no objection to his proposition, and even hailed it with pleasure. Their singular conduct on this occasion not a little puzzled me at the time, and imparted to subsequent events an additional mystery. The islanders were now to be seen hurrying along the path which led to the sea. I shook Toby warmly by the hand, and 118 RESIDENCE IN THE MARQUESAS. [CHAP. xiv. gave him my Payta hat to shield his wounded head from the sun, as he had lost his own. He cordially returned the pressure of my hand, and solemnly promising to return as soon as the boats should leave the shore, sprang from my side, and the next minute disappeared in a turn of the grove. In spite of the unpleasant reflections that crowded upon my mind, I could not but be entertained by the novel and animated sight which now met my view. One after another the natives crowded along the narrow path, laden with every variety of fruit. Here, you might have seen one, who, after ineffectually endeavouring to persuade a surly porker to be conducted in lead ing strings, was obliged at last to seize the perverse animal in his arms, and carry him struggling against his naked breast, and squealing without intermission. There went two, who at a little distance might have been taken for the Hebrew spies, on their return to Moses with the goodly bunch of grapes. One trotted before the other at a distance of a couple of yards, while between them, from a pole resting on their shoulders, was sus pended a huge cluster of banannas, which swayed to and fro with the rocking gait at which they proceeded. Here ran another, perspiring with his exertions, and bearing before him a quantity of cocoa-nuts, who, fearful of being too late, heeded not the fruit that dropped from his basket, and appeared solely intent upon reaching his destination, careless how many of his cocoa-nuts kept company with him. In a short time the last straggler was seen hurrying on his way, and the faint shouts of those in advance died insensibly upon the ear. Our part of the valley now appeared nearly de serted by its inhabitants, Kory-Kory, his aged father, and a few decrepid old people being all that were left. , Towards sunset the islanders in small parties began to return from the beach, and among them, as they drew near to the house, I sought to descry the form of my companion. But one after another they passed the dwelling, and I caught no glimpse of him. Supposing, however, that he would soon appear with some of the members of the household, I quieted my appre hensions, and waited patiently to see him advancing in company with the beautiful Fayaway. At last, I perceived Tinor coming forward, followed by the girls and young men who usually re- CHAP, xiv.] FAYAWAY'S SYMPATHY. 119 sided in the house of Marheyo ; but with them came not my comrade, and, filled with a thousand alarms, I eagerly sought to discover the cause of his delay. My earnest questions appeared to embarrass the natives greatly. All their accounts were contradictory : one giving me to under stand that Toby would be with me in a very short time ; another that he did not know where he was ; while a third, violently in veighing against him, assured me that he had stolen away, and would never come back. It appeared to me, at the time, that in making these various statements they endeavoured to conceal from me some terrible disaster, lest the knowledge of it should overpower me. Fearful lest some fatal calamity had overtaken him, I sought out young Fayaway, and endeavoured to learn from her, if possible, the truth. This gentle being had early attracted my regard, not only from her extraordinary beauty, but from the attractive cast of her countenance, singularly expressive of intelligence and humanity. Of all the natives she alone seemed to appreciate the effect which the peculiarity of the circumstances in which we were placed had produced upon the minds of my companion and myself. In addressing me especially when I lay reclining upon the mats suffering from pain there was a tenderness in her manner which it was impossible to misunderstand or resist. Whenever she entered the house, the expression of her face indicated the liveliest sympathy for me ; and moving towards the place where I lay, with one arm slightly elevated in a gesture of pity, and her large glistening eyes gazing intently into mine, she would murmur plaintively, " Awha ! awha I Tommo," and seat herself mournfully beside me. Her manner convinced me that she deeply compassionated my situation, as being removed from my country and friends, and placed beyond the reach of all relief. Indeed, at times I was almost led to believe that her mind was swayed by gentle impulses hardly to be anticipated from one in her condition ; that she appeared to be conscious there were ties rudely severed, which had once bound us to our homes ; that there were sisters and brothers anxiously looking forward to our return, who were, perhaps, never more to behold us. 120 RESIDENCE IN THE MARQUESAS. [CHAP. xiv. In this amiable light did Fay a way appear in my eyes ; and reposing full confidence in her candour and intelligence, I now had recourse to her, in the midst of my alarm, with regard to my companion. My questions evidently distressed her. She looked round from one to another of the byestanders, as if hardly knowing what answer to give me. At last, yielding to my importunities, she overcame her scruples, and gave me to understand that Toby had gone away with the boats which had visited the bay, but had promised to return at the expiration of three days. At first I accused him of perfidiously deserting me ; but as I grew more composed, I upbraided myself for imputing so cowardly an action to him, and tranquillized myself with the belief that he had availed himself of the opportunity to go round to Nukuheva, in order to make some arrangement by which I could be removed from the valley. At any rate, thought I, he will return with the medicines I require, and then, as soon as I recover, there will be no difficulty in the way of our departure. Consoling myself with these reflections, I lay down that night in a happier frame of mind than I had done for some time. The next day passed without any allusion to Toby on the part of the natives, who seemed desirous of avoiding all reference to the subject. This raised some apprehensions in my breast ; but when night came, I congratulated myself that the second day had now gone by, and that on the morrow Toby would again be with me. But the morrow came and went, and my companion did not appear. Ah ! thought I, he reckons three days from the morning of his departure, to-morrow he will arrive. But that weary day also closed upon me, without his return. Even yet I would not despair ; I thought that something detained him that he was waiting for the sailing of a boat, at Nukuheva, and that in a day or two at farthest I should see him again. But day after day of renewed disappointment passed by ; at last hope deserted me, and I fell a victim to despair. Yes, thought I, gloomily, he has secured his own escape, and cares not what calamity may befall his unfortunate comrade. Fool that I was, to suppose that any one would willingly encounter the perils of this valley, after having once got beyond its limits ! He has gone, a'nd has left me to combat alone all the CHAP, xiv.] TOB^ ESCAPES. 121 dangers by which I am surrounded. Thus would I sometimes seek to derive a desperate consolation from dwelling upon the perfidy of Toby : whilst at other times I sunk under the bitter remorse which I felt as having by my own imprudence brought upon myself the fate which I was sure awaited me. At other times I thought that perhaps after all these treacher ous savages have made away with him, and thence the confusion into which they were thrown by my questions, and their contra dictory answers, or he might be a captive in some other part of the valley ; or, more dreadful still, might have met with that fate at which my very soul shuddered. But all these speculations were vain ; no tidings of Toby ever reached me ; he had gone never to return. The conduct of the islanders appeared inexplicable. All re ference to my lost comrade was carefully evaded, and if at any time they were forced to make some reply to my frequent in quiries on the subject, they would uniformly denounce him as an ungrateful runaway, who had deserted his friend, and taken himself off to that vile and detestable* place Nukuheva. But whatever might have been his fate, now that he was gone, the natives multiplied their acts of kindness and attention towards myself, treating me with a degree of deference which could hardly have been surpassed had I been some celestial visitant. Kory- Kory never for one moment left my side, unless it were to exe cute my wishes. The faithful fellow, twice every day, in the cool of the morning and in the evening, insisted upon carrying me to the stream, and bathing me in its refreshing water. Frequently in the afternoon he would carry me to a particular part of the stream, where the beauty of the scene produced a soothing influence upon my mind. At this place the waters flowed between grassy banks, planted with enormous bread-fruit trees, whose vast branches interlacing overhead, formed a leafy canopy ; near the stream were several smooth black rocks. One of these, projecting several feet above the surface of the water, had upon its summit a shallow cavity, which, filled with freshly- gathered leaves, formed a delightful couch. Here I often lay for hours, covered with a gauze-like veil of tappa, while Fayaway, seated beside me, and holding in her hand a fan woven from the leaflets of a young cocoa-nut bough, brushed 122 KESIDENCE IN THE MARQUESAS. [CHAP, xiv. aside the insects that occasionally lighted on my face, and Kory- Kory, with a view of chasing away my melancholy, performed a thousand antics in the water before us. As my eye wandered along this romantic stream, it would fall upon the half-immersed figure of a beautiful girl, standing in the transparent water, and catching in a little net a species of dimi nutive shell-fish, of which these people are extravagantly fond. Sometimes a chattering group would be seated upon the edge of a low rock in the midst of the brook, busily engaged in thinning and polishing the shells of cocoa-nuts, by rubbing them briskly with a small stone in the water, an operation which soon con verts them into a light and elegant drinking vessel, somewhat resembling goblets made of tortoiseshell. But the tranquillizing influences of beautiful scenery, and the exhibition of human life under so novel and charming an aspect, were not my only sources of consolation. Every evening the girls of the house gathered about me on the mats, and after chasing away Kory-Kory from my side who, nevertheless, retired only t<5 a little distance and watched their proceedings with the most jealous attention would anoint my whole body with a fragrant oil, squeezed from a yellow root, previously pounded between a couple of stones, and which in their language is denominated " aka." And most refreshing and agreeable are the juices of the " aka," when applied to one's limbs by the soft palms of sweet nymphs, whose bright eyes are beaming upon you with kindness ; and I used to hail with de light the daily recurrence of this luxurious operation, in which I forgot all my troubles, and buried for the time every feeling of sorrow. Sometimes in the cool of the evening my devoted servitor would lead me out upon the pi-pi in front of the house, and seat ing me near its edge, protect my body from the annoyances of the insects which occasionally hovered in the air, by wrapping me round with a large roll of tappa. He then bustled about, and employed himself at least twenty minutes in adjusting everything to secure my personal comfort. Having perfected his arrangements, he would get my pipe, and, lighting it, would hand it to me. Often he was obliged to strike a light for the occasion, and as the mode he adopted was CHAP, xiv.] PRODUCING LIGHT A LA TYPEE. 123 entirely different from what I had ever seen or heard of before, I will describe it. A straight, dry, and partly decayed stick of the Habiscus, about six feet in length, and half as many inches in diameter, with a smaller bit of wood not more than a foot long, and scarcely an inch wide, is as invariably to be met with in every house in Typee as a box of lucifer matches in the corner of a kitchen cup board at home. The islander, placing the larger stick obliquely against some object, with one end elevated at an angle of forty-five degrees, mounts astride of it like an urchin about to gallop off upon a cane, and theri grasping the smhller one firmly in both hands, he rubs its pointed end slowly up and down the extent of a few inches on the principal stick, until at last he makes a narrow groove in the wood, with an abrupt termination at the point furthest from him, where all the dusty particles which the friction creates are accumulated in a little heap. At first Kory-Kory goes to work quite leisurely, but gradually quickens his pace, and waxing warm in the employment, drives the stick furiously along the smoking channel, plying his hands to and fro with amazing rapidity, the perspiration starting from every pore. As he approaches the climax of his effort, he pants and grasps for breath, and his eyes almost start from their sockets with the violence of his exertions. This is the critical stage of the operation ; all his previous labours are vain if he cannot sus tain the rapidity of the movement until the reluctant spark is produced. Suddenly he stops, becomes perfectly motionless. His hands still retain their hold of the smaller stick, which is pressed convulsively against the further end of the channel among the fine powder there accumulated, as if he had just pierced through and through some little viper that was wriggling and struggling to escape from his clutches. The next moment a delicate wreath of smoke curls spirally into the air, the heap of dusty particles glows with fire, and Kory-Kory almost breathless, dismounts from his steed. This operation appeared to me to be the most laborious species of work performed in Typee ; and had I possessed a sufficient intimacy with the language to have conveyed my ideas upon the subject, I should certainly have suggested to the most influential 124 RESIDENCE IN THE MARQUESAS. [CHAP. xiv. of the natives the expediency of establishing a college of vestals to be centrally located in the valley, for the purpose of keeping alive the indispensable article of fire ; so as to supersede the ne cessity of such a vast outlay of strength and good temper, as were usually squandered on these occasions. There might, how ever, be special difficulties in carrying this plan into execution. What a striking evidence does this operation furnish of the wide difference between the extreme of savage and civilized life. A gentleman of Typee can bring up a numerous family of chil dren and give them all a highly respectable cannibal education, with infinitely less toil and anxiety than he expends in the simple process of striking a light ; whilst a poor European artisan, who through the instrumentality of a lucifer performs the same ope ration in one second, is put to his wit's end to provide for his starving offspring that food which the children of a Polynesian father, without troubling their parent, pluck from the branches of every tree around them. CHAP, xv.] KINDNESS OF THE ISLANDERS. 125 CHAPTER XV. Kindness of Marheyo and the rest of the Islanders A full Description of the Bread-fruit Tree Different Modes of preparing the Fruit. ALL the inhabitants of the valley treated me with great kind ness ; but as to the household of Marheyo, with whom I was now permanently domiciled, nothing could surpass their efforts to minister to my comfort. To the gratification of my palate they paid the most unwearied attention. They continually invited me to partake of food, and when after eating heartily I declined the viands they continued to offer me, they seemed to think that my appetite stood in need of some piquant stimulant to excite its activity. In pursuance of this idea, old Marheyo hiniself would hie him away to the sea-shore by the break of day, for the purpose of collecting various species of rare sea-weed ; some of which among these people are considered a great luxury. After a whole day spent in this employment, he would return about nightfall with several cocoa-nut shells filled with different de scriptions of kemp. In preparing these for use he manifested all the ostentation of a professed cook, although the chief mystery of the affair appeared to consist in pouring water in judicious quantities upon the slimy contents of his cocoa-nut shells. The first time* he submitted one of these saline salads to my critical attention I naturally thought that anything collected at such pains must possess peculiar merits ; but one mouthful was a complete dose ; and great was the consternation of the old war rior at the rapidity with which I ejected his Epicurean treat. How true it is, that the rarity of any particular article en hances its value amazingly. In some part of the valley I know not where, but probably in the neighbourhood of the sea the girls were sometimes in the habit of procuring small quantities of salt, a thimble-full or so being the result of the united labours 126 RESIDENCE IN THE MARQUESAS. [CHAP. xv. of a party of five or six employed for the greater part of the day. This precious commodity they brought to the house, en veloped in multitudinous folds of leaves ; and as a special mark of the esteem in which they held me, would spread an immense leaf on the ground, and dropping one by one a few minute par ticles of the salt upon it, invite me to taste them. From the extravagant value placed upon the article, I verily believe, that with a bushel of common Liverpool salt all the real estate in Typee might have been purchased. With a small pinch of it in one hand, and a quarter section of a bread-fruit in the other, the greatest chief in the valley would have laughed at all the luxuries of a Parisian table. The celebrity of the bread-fruit tree, and the conspicuous place it occupies in a Typee bill of fare, induces me to give at some length a general description of the tree, and the various modus in which the fruit is prepared. The bread-fruit tree, in its glorious prime, is a grand and towering object, forming the same feature in a Marquesan land scape that the patriarchal elm does in New England scenery. The latter tree it not a little resembles in height, in the wide spread of its stalwart branches, and in its venerable and imposing aspect. The leaves of the bread-fruit are of great size, and their edges are cut and scolloped as fantastically as those of a lady's lace collar. As they annually tend towards decay, they almost rival in the brilliant variety of their gradually changing hues the fleeting shades of the expiring dolphin. The autumnal tints of our American forests, glorious as they are, sink into nothing in com parison with this tree. The leaf, in one particular stage, when nearly all the prismatic colours are blended on its surface, is often converted by the natives into a superb and striking head-dress. The principal fibre traversing its length being split open a convenient distance, and the elastic sides of the aperture pressed apart, the head is inserted between them, the leaf drooping on one side, with its forward half turned jauntily up on the brows, and the remaining part spreading laterally behind the ears. The fruit somewhat resembles in magnitude and general ap pearance one of our citron melons of ordinary size ; but, unlike CHAP, xv.] DESCRIPTION OF THE BREAD-FRUIT. 127 the citron, it has no sectional lines drawn along the outside. Its surface is dotted all over with little conical prominences, looking not unlike the knobs on an antiquated church door. The rind is perhaps an eighth of an inch in thickness ; and denuded of this, at the time when it is in the greatest perfection, the fruit pre sents a beautiful globe of white pulp, the whole of which may be eaten, with the exception of a slender core, which is easily removed. The bread-fruit, however, is never used, and is indeed alto gether unfit to be eaten, until submitted in one form or other to the action of fire. The most simple manner in which this operation is performed, and I think, the best, consists in placing any number of the freshly plucked fruit, when in a particular stage of greenness, among the embers of a fire, in the same way that you would roast a potato. After the lapse often or fifteen minutes, the green rind embrowns and cracks, showing through the fissures in its sides the milk- white interior. As soon as it cools, the rind drops off, and you then have the soft round pulp in its purest and most delicious state. Thus eaten, it has a mild and pleasing flavour. Sometimes, after having been roasted in the fire, the natives snatch it briskly from the embers, and permitting it to slip out of the yielding rind into a vessel of cold water, stir up the mixture, which they call " bo-a-sho." I never could endure this com pound, and indeed the preparation is not greatly in vogue among the more polite Typees. There is one form, however, in which the fruit is occasionally served, that renders it a dish fit fora king. As soon as it is taken from the fire the exterior is removed, the core extracted, and the remaining part is placed in a sort of shallow stone mortar, and briskly worked with a pestle of the same substance. While one person is performing this operation, another takes a ripe cocoa- nut, and breaking it in half, which they also do very cleverly, proceeds to grate the juicy meat into fine particles. This is done by means of a piece of mother-of-pearl shell, lashed firmly to the extreme end of a heavy stick, with its straight side accurately notched like a saw. The stick is sometimes a gro tesquely-formed limb of a tree, with three or four branches twisting from its body like so many shapeless legs, and sustaining it two or three feet from the ground. 128 RESIDENCE IN THE MARQUESAS. [CHAP. xv. The native, first placing a calabash beneath the nose, as it were, of his curious-looking log-steed, for the purpose of re ceiving the grated fragments as they fall, mounts astride of it as if it were a hobby-horse, and twirling the inside of one of his hemispheres of cocoa-nut around the sharp teeth of the mother- of-pearl shell, the pure white meat falls in snowy showers into the receptacle provided. Having obtained a quantity sufficient for his purpose, he places it in a bag made of the net-like fibrous substance attached to all cocoa-nut trees, and compressing it over the bread-fruit, which being now sufficiently pounded, is put into a wooden bowl extracts a thick creamy milk. The delicious liquid soon bubbles round the fruit, and leaves it at last just peeping above its surface. This preparation is called " kokoo," and a most luscious pre paration it is. The hobby-horse and the pestle and mortar were in great requisition during the time I remained in the house of Marheyo, and Kory-Kory had frequent occasion to show his skill in their use. But the great staple articles of food into which the bread-fruit is converted by these natives are known respectively by the names of Amar and Poee-Poee. At certain seasons of the year, when the fruit of the hundred groves of the valley has reached its maturity, and hangs in golden spheres from every branch, the islanders assemble in harvest groups, and garner in the abundance which surrounds them. The trees are stripped of their nodding burdens, which, easily freed from the rind and core, are gathered together in capacious wooden vessels, where the pulpy fruit is soon worked by a stone pestle, vigorously applied, into a blended mass of a doughy consistency, called by the natives " Tutao." This is then divided into separate parcels, which, after being made up into stout packages, enveloped in successive folds of leaves, and bound round with thongs of bark, are stored away in large re ceptacles hollowed in the earth, from whence they are drawn as occasion may require. In this condition the Tutao sometimes remains for years, and even is thought to improve by age. Before it is fit to be eaten, however, it has to undergo an additional process. A primitive oven is scooped in the ground, and its bottom being loosely CHAP, xv.] MODES OF PREPARING BREAD-FRUIT. 129 covered with stones, a large fire is kindled within it. As soon as the requisite degree of heat is attained, the embers are re moved, and the surface of the stones being covered with thick layers of leaves, one of the larger packages of Tutao is deposited upon them, and overspread with another layer of leaves. The whole is then quickly heaped up with earth, and forms a sloping mound. The Tutao thus baked is called " Amar ;" the action of the oven having converted it into an amber-coloured caky substance, a little tart, but not at all disagreeable to the taste. By another and final process the " Amar " is changed into " Poee-Poee." This transition is rapidly effected. The amar is placed in a vessel, and mixed with water until it gains a proper pudding-like consistency, when, without further preparation, it is in readiness for use. This is the form in which the " Tutao " is generally consumed. The singular mode of eating it I have already described. Were it not that the bread-fruit is thus capable of being pre served for a length of time, the natives might be reduced to a state of starvation ; for owing to some unknown cause the trees sometimes fail to bear fruit ; and on such occasions the islanders chiefly depend upon the supplies they have been enabled to store away. This stately tree, which is rarely met with upon the Sandwich Islands, and then only of a very inferior quality, and at Tahiti does not abound to a degree that renders its fruit the principal article of food, attains its greatest excellence in the genial climate of the Marquesan group, where it grows to an enormous magnitude, and flourishes in the utmost abundance. 130 RESIDENCE IN THE MARQUESAS. [CHAP. XVL CHAPTER XVI. Melancholy condition Occurrence at the Ti Anecdote of Marheyo Shaving the Head of a Warrior. IN looking back to this period, and calling to remembrance the numberless proofs of kindness and respect which I received from the natives of the valley, I can scarcely understand how it was that, in Jhe midst of so many consolatory circumstances, my mind should still have been consumed by the most dismal forebodings, and have remained a prey to the profoundest melancholy. It is true that the suspicious circumstances which had attended the disappearance of Toby were enough of themselves to excite dis trust with regard to the savages, in whose power I felt myself to be entirely placed, especially when it was combined with the knowledge that these very men, kind and respectful as they were to me, were, after all, nothing better than a set of cannibals. But my chief source of anxiety, and that which poisoned every temporary enjoyment, was the mysterious disease in my leg, which still remained unabated. All the herbal applications of Tinor, united with the severer discipline of the old leech, and the affec tionate nursing of Kory-Kory, had failed to relieve me. I was almost a cripple, and the pain I endured at intervals was agoniz ing. The unaccountable malady showed no signs of amendment ; on the contrary, its violence increased day by day, and threatened the most fatal results, unless some powerful means were employed to counteract it. It seemed as if I were destined to sink under this grievous affliction, or at least that it would hinder me from availing myself of any opportunity of escaping from the valley. An incident which occurred as nearly as I can estimate about three weeks after the disappearance of Toby, convinced me that the natives, from some reason or other, would interpose every possible obstacle to my leaving them. One morning there was no little excitement evinced by the CHAP, xvi.] OCCURRENCE AT THE TI. 131 people near my abode, and which I soon discovered proceeded from a vague report that boats had been seen at a great distance approaching the bay. Immediately all was bustle and anima tion. It so happened that day that the pain I suffered having somewhat abated, and feeling in much better spirits than usual, I had complied with Kory-Kory's invitation to visit the chief Mehevi at the place called the t( Ti," which I have before described as being situated within the precincts of the Taboo Groves. These sacred recesses were at no great distance from Marheyo's habitation, and lay between it and the sea ; the path that conducted to the beach passing directly in front of the Ti, and thence skirting along the border of the groves. I was reposing upon the mats, within the sacred building, in company with Mehevi and several other chiefs, when the an nouncement was first made. It sent a thrill of joy through my whole frame ; perhaps Toby was about to return. I rose at once to my feet, and my instinctive impulse was to hurry down to the beach, equally regardless of the distance that separated me from it, arid of my disabled condition. As soon as Mehevi noticed the effect the intelligence had produced upon me, and the impatience I betrayed to reach the sea, his countenance assumed that inflexible rigidity of expression which had so awed me on the afternoon of our arrival at the house of Marheyo. As I was proceeding to leave the Ti, he laid his hand upon my shoulder, and said gravely, " abo, abo " (wait, wait). Solely intent upon the one thought that occupied my mind, and heed less of his request, I was brushing past him, when suddenly he assumed a tone of authority, and told me to " moee" (sit down). Though struck by the alteration in his demeanor, the excitement under which I laboured was too strong to permit me to obey the unexpected command, and I was still limping towards the edge of the pi-pi with Kory-Kory clinging to one arm in his efforts to restrain me, when the natives around starting to their feet, ranged themselves along the open front of the building, while Mehevi looked at me scowlingly, and reiterated his commands still more sternly. It was at this moment, when fifty savage countenances were glaring upon me, that I first truly experienced I was indeed a captive in the valley. The conviction rushed upon me with K 2 132 RESIDENCE IN THE MARQUESAS. [CHAP. xvi. staggering force, and I was overwhelmed by this confirmation of my worst fears. I saw at once that it was useless for me to resist, and sick at heart, I reseated myself upon the mats, and for the moment abandoned myself to despair. I now perceived the natives one after the other hurrying past the Ti and pursuing the route that conducted to the sea. These savages, thought I, will soon be holding communication with some of my own countrymen perhaps, who with ease could restore me to liberty did they know of the situation I was in. No language can describe the wretchedness which I felt ; and in the bitterness of my soul I imprecated a thousand curses on the perfidious Toby, who had thus abandoned me to destruction. It was in vain that Kory-Kory tempted me with food, or lighted my pipe, or sought to attract my attention by performing the uncouth antics that had sometimes diverted me. I was fairly knocked down by this last misfortune, which, much as I had feared it, I had never before had the courage calmly to contem plate. Regardless of every thing but my own sorrow, I remained in the Ti for several hours, until shouts proceeding at intervals from the groves beyond the house proclaimed the return of the natives from the beach. Whether any boats visited the bay that morning or not, I never could ascertain. The savages assured me that there had not but I was inclined to believe that by deceiving me in this particular they sought to allay the violence of my grief. How ever that might be, this incident showed plainly that the Typees intended to hold me a prisoner. As they still treated me with the same sedulous attention as before, I was utterly at a loss how to account for their singular conduct. Had I been in a situation to instruct them in any of the rudiments of the mechanic arts, or had I manifested a disposition to render myself in any way useful among them, their conduct might have been attributed to some adequate motive, but as it was the matter seemed to me inexplicable. During my whole stay on the island there occurred but two or three instances where the natives applied to me with the view of availing themselves of my superior information. And these now appear so ludicrous that I cannot forbear relating them. CHAP, xvi.] DRESSES IN NATIVE STYLE. 133 The few things we had brought from Nukuheva had been done up into a small bundle which we had carried with us in our descent to the valley. This bundle, the first night of our arrival, I had used as a pillow, but on the succeeding morning, opening it for the inspection of the natives, they gazed upon the miscellaneous contents as though I had just revealed to them a casket of diamonds, arid they insisted that so precious a treasure should be properly secured. A line was accordingly attached to it, and the other end being passed over the ridge-pole of the house, it was hoisted up to the apex of the roof, where it hung suspended directly over the mats where I usually reclined. When I desired anything from it I merely raised my finger to a bamboo beside me, and taking hold of the string which was there fastened, lowered the package. This was exceedingly handy, and I took care to let the natives understand how much I applauded the invention. Of this package the chief contents were a razor with its case, a supply of needles and thread, a pound or two of tobacco, and a few yards of a bright-coloured calico. I should have mentioned that shortly after Toby's disappear ance, perceiving the uncertainty of the time I might be obliged to remain in the valley if, indeed, I ever should escape from it and considering that my whole wardrobe consisted of a shirt and a pair of trousers, I resolved to doff these garments at once, in order to preserve them in a suitable condition for wear should I again appear among civilized beings. I was consequently obliged to assume the Typee costume, a little altered, however, to suit my own views of propriety, and in which I have no doubt I ap- pearecf to as much advantage as a senator of Eome enveloped in the folds of his toga. A few folds of yellow tappa tucked about my waist, descended to my feet in the style of a lady's petticoat, only I did not have recourse to those voluminous paddings in the rear with which our gentle dames are in the habit of augmenting the sublime rotundity of their figures. This usually comprised my in-door dress : whenever I walked out, I superadded to it an ample robe of the same material, which completely enveloped my person, and screened it from the rays of the sun. One morning I made a rent in this mantle ; and to show the 134 KESIDENCE IN THE MARQUESAS. [CHAP. xvi. islanders with what facility it could be repaired, I lowered my bundle, and taking from it a needle and thread, proceeded to stitch up the opening. They regarded this wonderful application of science with intense admiration ; and whilst I was stitching away, old Marheyo, who was one of the lookers-on, suddenly clapped his hand to his forehead, and rushing to a corner of the house, drew forth a soiled and tattered strip of faded calico which he must have procured some time or other in traffic on the beach and besought me eagerly to exercise a little of my art upon it. I willingly complied, though certainly so stumpy a needle as mine never took such gigantic strides over calico before. The repairs completed, old Marheyo gave me a paternal hug ; and divesting himself of his " maro " (girdle), swathed the calico about his loins, and slipping the beloved ornaments into his ears, grasped his spear and sallied out of the house, like a valiant Templer arrayed in a new and costly suit of armour. I never used my razor during my stay in the island, but, although a very subordinate affair, it had been vastly admired by the Typees ; and Narmonee, a great hero among them, who was exceedingly precise in the arrangements of his toilet and the general adjustment of his person, being the most accurately tattooed and laboriously horrified individual in all the valley, thought it would be a great advantage to have it applied to the already shaven crown of his head. The implement they usually employ is a shark's tooth, which is about as well adapted to the purpose as a one-pronged fork for pitching hay. No wonder, then, that the acute Narmonee per ceived the advantage my razor possessed over the usual imple ment. Accordingly, one day he requested as a personal favour that I would just run over his head with the razor. In reply, I gave him to understand that it was too dull, and could not be used to any purpose without being previously sharpened. To assist my meaning, I went through an imaginary honing process on the palm of my hand. Narmonee took my meaning in an instant, and running out of the house, returned the next moment with a huge rough mass of rock as big as a milestone, and indi cated to me that that was exactly the thing I wanted. Of course there was nothing left for me but to proceed to business, and I CHAP, xn.] SHAVING A CHIEF'S HEAD. 135 began scraping away at a great rate. He writhed and wriggled under the infliction, but, fully convinced of my skill, endured the pain like a martyr. Though I never saw Narmonee in battle, I will, from what I then observed, stake my life upon his courage and fortitude. Before commencing operations, his head had presented a surface of short bristling hairs, and by the time I had concluded my unskilful operation it resembled not a little a stubble field after being gone over with a harrow. However, as the chief expressed the liveliest satisfaction at the result, I was too wise to dissent from his opinion. 136 RESIDENCE IN THE MARQUESAS. [CHAP. xvn. CHAPTER Improvement in Health and Spirits Felicity of the Typees Their Enjoy ments compared with those of more enlightened Communities Comparative Wickedness of civilized and unenlightened People A Skirmish in the Mountain with the Warriors of Happar. DAY after day wore on, and still there was no perceptible change in the conduct of the islanders towards me. Gradually I lost all knowledge of the regular occurrence of the days of the week, and sunk insensibly into that kind of apathy which ensues after some violent outbreak of despair. My limb suddenly healed, the swelling went down, the pain subsided, and I had every reason to suppose I should soon completely recover from the affliction that had so long tormented me. As soon as I was enabled to ramble about the valley in com pany with the natives, troops of whom followed me whenever I sallied out of the house, I began to experience an elasticity of mind which placed me beyond the reach of those dismal fore bodings to which I had so lately been a prey. Received where- ever I went with the most deferential kindness ; regaled perpe tually with the most delightful fruits ; ministered to by dark-eyed nymphs ; and enjoying besides all the services of the devoted Kory-Kory, I thought that for a sojourn among cannibals, no man could have well made a more agreeable one. To be sure there were limits set to my wanderings. Toward the sea my progress was barred by an express prohibition of the savages ; and after having made two or three ineffectual attempts to reach it, as much to gratify my curiosity as anything else, I gave up the idea. It was in vain to think of reaching it by stealth, since the natives escorted me in numbers wherever I went, and not for one single moment that I can recall to mind was I ever permitted to be alone. The green and precipitous elevations that stood ranged around CHAP, xvii.] CIVILIZED AND SAVAGE LIFE CONTRASTED. 137 the head of the vale where Marheyo's habitation was situated effectually precluded all hope of escape in that quarter, even if I could have stolen away from the thousand eyes of the savages. But these reflections now seldom obtruded upon me ; I gave myself up to the passing hour, and if ever disagreeable thoughts arose in my mind, I drove them away. When I looked around the verdant recess in which I was buried, and gazed up to the summits of the lofty eminence that hemmed me in, I was well disposed to think that I was in the " Happy Valley," and that beyond those heights there was nought but a world of care and anxiety. As I extended my wanderings in the valley and grew more familiar with the habits of its inmates, I was fain to confess that, despite the disadvantages of his condition, the Polynesian savage, surrounded by all the luxurious provisions of nature, enjoyed an infinitely happier, though certainly a less intellectual existence, than the self-complacent European. The naked wretch who shivers beneath the bleak skies, and starves among the inhospitable wilds of Terra-del-Fuego, might indeed be made happier by civilization, for it would alleviate his physical wants. But the voluptuous Indian, with every desire supplied, whom Providence has bountifully provided with all the sources of pure and natural enjoyment, and from whom are re moved so many of the ills and pains of life what has he to de sire at the hands of Civilization? She may " cultivate his mind," may " elevate his thoughts," these I believe are the established phrases but will he be the happier ? Let the once smiling and populous Hawiian islands, with their now diseased, starving, and dying natives, answer the question. The mission aries may seek to disguise the matter as they will, but the facts are incontrovertible ; and the devoutest Christian who visits that group with an unbiased mind, must go away mournfully asking " Are these, alas ! the fruits of twenty-five years of enlight ening ?" In a primitive state of society, the enjoyments of life, though few and simple, are spread over a great extent, and are unal loyed ; but Civilization, for every advantage she imparts, holds a hundred evils in reserve ; the heart burnings, the jealousies, the social rivalries, the family dissensions, and the thousand self- 138 RESIDENCE IN THE MARQUESAS. [CHAP. xvu. inflicted discomforts of refined life, which make up in units the swelling aggregate of human misery, are unknown among these unsophisticated people. But it will be urged that these shocking unprincipled wretches are cannibals. Very true ; and a rather bad trait in their cha racter it must be allowed. But they are such only when they seek to gratify the passion of revenge upon their enemies ; and I ask whether the mere eating of human flesh so very far exceeds in barbarity that custom which only a few years since was prac tised in enlightened England : a convicted traitor, perhaps a man found guilty of honesty, patriotism, and suchlike heinous crimes, had his head lopped off with a huge axe, his bowels dragged out and thrown into a fire ; while his body, carved into four quarters, was with his head exposed upon pikes, and per mitted to rot and fester among the public haunts of men ! The fiend-like skill we display in the invention of all manner of death-dealing engines, the vindictiveness with which we carry on our wars, and the misery and desolation that follow in their train, are enough of themselves to distinguish the white civilized man as the most ferocious animal on the face of the earth. His remorseless cruelty is seen in many of the institutions of our own favoured land. There is one in particular lately adopted in one of the States of the Union, which purports to have been dictated by the most merciful considerations. To destroy our malefactors piece-meal, drying up in their veins, drop by drop, the blood we are too chicken-hearted to shed by a single blow which would at once put a period to their suffer ings, is deemed to be infinitely preferable to the old-fashioned punishment of gibbeting much less annoying to the victim, and more in accordance with the refined spirit of the age ; and yet how feeble is all language to describe the horrors we inflict upon these wretches, whom we mason up in the cells of our prisons, and condemn to perpetual solitude in the very heart of our population. But it is needless to multiply the examples of civilized bar barity ; they far exceed in the amount of misery they cause the crimes which we regard with such abhorrence in our less enlightened fellow-creatures. The term " Savage " is, 1 conceive, often misapplied, and CHAP. xvn.J THEIR HAPPINESS. 139 indeed when I consider the vices, cruelties, and enormities of every kind that spring up in the tainted atmosphere of a feverish civilization, I am inclined to think that so far as the relative wickedness of the parties is concerned, four or five Marquesan Islanders sent to the United States as Missionaries might be quite as useful as an equal number of Americans despatched to the Islands in a similar capacity. I once heard it given as an instance of the frightful depravity of a certain tribe in the Pacific, that they had no word in their language to express the idea of virtue. The assertion was unfounded ; but were it otherwise, it might be met by stating that their language is almost entirely destitute of terms to express the delightful ideas conveyed by our endless catalogue of civilized crimes. In the altered frame of mind to which I have referred, every object that presented itself to my notice in the valley struck me in a new light, and the opportunities I now enjoyed of observing the manners of its inmates, tended to strengthen my favourable impressions. One peculiarity that fixed my admiration was the perpetual hilarity reigning through the whole extent of the vale. There seemed to be no cares, griefs, troubles, or vexations, in all Typee. The hours tripped along as gaily as the laughing couples down a country dance. There were none of those thousand sources of irritation that the ingenuity of civilized man has created to mar his own felicity. There were no foreclosures of mortgages, no protested notes, no bills payable, no debts of honour in Typee ; no unreasonable tailors and shoemakers, perversely bent on being paid ; no duns of any description ; no assault and battery attorneys, to foment discord, backing their clients up to a quarrel, and then knocking their heads together ; no poor relations, everlastingly occupying the spare bed-chamber, and diminishing the elbow room at the family table ; no destitute widows with their children starving on the cold charities of the world ; no beggars ; no debtors' prisons ; no proud and hard-hearted nabobs in Typee ; or to sum up all in one word no Money ! " That root of all evil " was not to be found in the valley. In this secluded abode of happiness there were no cross old women, no cruel step-dames, no withered spinsters, no love-sick 140 RESIDENCE IN THE MARQUESAS. [CHAP. xvn. maidens, no sour old bachelors, no inattentive husbands, no melan choly young men, no blubbering youngsters, and no squalling brats. All was mirth, fun, and high good humour. Blue devils, hypochondria, and doleful dumps, went and hid themselves among the nook's and crannies of the rocks. Here you would see a parcel of children frolicking together the live-long day, and no quarreling, no contention, among them? The same number in our own land could not have played together for the space of an hour without biting or scratching one another. There you might have seen a throng of young females, not filled with envyings of each other's charms, nor displaying the ridiculous affectations of gentility, nor yet moving in whalebone corsets, like so many automatons, but free, inarti- ficially happy, and unconstrained. There were some spots in that sunny vale where they would frequently resort to decorate themselves with garlands of flowers. To have seen them reclining beneath the shadows of one of the beautiful groves ; the ground about them strewn with freshly gathered buds and blossoms, employed in weaving chaplets and necklaces, one would have thought that all the train of Flora had gathered together to keep a festival in honour of their mistress. With the young men there seemed almost always some matter of diversion or business on hand that afforded a constant variety of enjoyment. But whether fishing, or carving canoes, or polish ing their ornaments, never was there exhibited the least sign of strife or contention among them. As for the warriors, they maintained a tranquil dignity of demeanor, journeying occasionally from house to house, where they were always sure to be received with the attention bestowed upon distinguished guests. The old men, -of whom there were many in the vale, seldom stirred from their mats, where they would recline for hours and hours, smoking and talking to one another with all the garrulity of age. But the continual happiness, which so far as I was able to judge appeared to prevail in the valley, sprung principally from that all-pervading sensation which Rousseau has told us he at one time experienced, the mere buoyant sense of a healthful physical existence. And indeed in this particular the Typees had ample CHAP, xvii.] DISBELIEF OF NATIVES' FEROCITY. 141 reason to felicitate themselves, for sickness was almost unknown. During the whole period of my stay I saw but one invalid among them ; and on their smooth clear skins you observed no blemish or mark of disease. The general repose, however, upon which I have just been descanting, was broken in upon about this time by an event which proved that the islanders were not entirely exempt from those occurrences which disturb the quiet of more civilized communities. Having now been a considerable time in the valley, I began to feel surprised that the violent hostility subsisting between its inhabitants, and those of the adjoining bay of Happar, should never have manifested itself in any warlike encounter. Although the valiant Typees would often by gesticulations declare their undying hatred against their enemies, and the disgust they felt at their cannibal propensities ; although they dilated upon the manifold injuries they had received at their hands, yet with a forbearance truly commendable, they appeared patiently to sit down under their grievances, and to refrain from making any reprisals. The Happars, entrenched behind their mountains, and never even showing themselves on their summits, did not appear to me to furnish adequate cause for that excess of animosity evinced towards them by the heroic tenants of our vale, and I was inclined to believe that the deeds of blood attributed to them had been greatly exaggerated. On the other hand, as the clamours of war had not up to this period disturbed the serenity of the tribe, I began to distrust the truth of those reports which ascribed so fierce and belligerent a character to the Typee nation. Surely, thought I, all these ter rible stories I have heard about the inveteracy with which they carried on the feud, their deadly intensity of hatred, and the dia bolical malice with which they glutted their revenge upon the inanimate^brms of the slain, are nothing more than fables, and I must conros that I experienced something like a sense of regret at having my hideous anticipations thus disappointed. I felt in some sort like a 'prentice-boy who, going to the play in the ex pectation of being delighted with a cut-arid-thrust tragedy, is almost moved to tears of disappointment at the exhibition of a genteel comedy. 142 RESIDENCE IN THE MARQUESAS. [CHAP. xvn. I could not avoid thinking that I had fallen in with a greatly traduced people, and I moralized not a little upon the disadvan tage of having a bad name, which in this instance had given a tribe of savages, who were as pacific as so many lambkins, the reputation of a confederacy of giant-killers. But subsequent events proved that I had been a little too premature in coming to this conclusion. One day about noon, happening to be at the Ti, I had lain down on the mats with several of the chiefs, and had gradually sunk into a most luxurious siesta, when I was awakened by a tremendous outcry, and starting up beheld the natives seizing their spears and hurry ing out, while the most puissant of the chiefs, grasping the six muskets which were ranged against the bamboos, followed after, and soon disappeared in the groves. These movements were accompanied by wild shouts, in which " Happar, Happar," greatly predominated. The islanders were now to be seen running past the Ti, and striking across the valley to the Happar side. Presently I heard the sharp report of a musket from the adjoining hills, and then a burst of voices in the same direction. At this the women, who had congregated in the groves, set up the most violent clamours, as they invariably do here as else where on every occasion of excitement and alarm, with a view of tranquillizing their own minds and disturbing other people. On this particular occasion they made such an outrageous noise, and continued it with such perseverance, that for awhile, had entire volleys of musketry been fired off in the neighbouring mountains, I should not have been able to have heard them. When this female commotion had a little subsided I listened eagerly for further information. At last bang went another shot, and then a second volley of yells from the hills. Again all was quiet, and continued so for such a length of time that I began to think the contending armies had agreed upon a suspension of hostilities ; when pop went a third gun, followed as before with a yell. After this, for nearly two hours nothing occurtJCTf worthy of comment, save some straggling shouts from the hill-side, sounding like the halloos of a parcel of truant boys who had lost themselves in the woods. During this interval I had remained standing on the piazza of the " Ti," which directly fronted the Happar mountain, and with CHAP, xvii.] THE CONFLICT. 143 no one near me but Kory-Kory and the old superannuated savages I have before described. These latter never stirred from their mats, and seemed altogether unconscious that anything unusual was going on. As for Kory-Kory, he appeared to think that we were in the midst of great events, and sought most zealously to impress me with a due sense of their importance. Every sound that reached us conveyed some momentous item of intelligence to him. At such times, as if he were gifted with second sight, he would go through a variety of pantomimic illustrations, showing me the precise manner in which the redoubtable Typees were at that very moment chastising the insolence of the enemy. " Mehevi hanna pippee nuee Happar," he exclaimed every five minutes, giving me to understand that under that distinguished captain the warriors of his nation were performing prodigies of valour. Having heard only four reports from the muskets, I was led to believe that they were worked by the islanders in the same manner as the Sultan Solyman's ponderous artillery at the siege of Byzantium, one of them taking an hour or two to load and train. At last, no sound whatever proceeding from the moun tains, I concluded that the contest had been determined one way or the other. Such appeared, indeed, to be the case, for in a little while a courier arrived at the " Ti," almost breathless with his exertions, and communicated the news of a great victory having been achieved by his countrymen : " Happar poo arva I Happar poo arva !" (the cowards had fled). Kory-Kory was in ecstacies, and commenced a vehement harangue, which, so far as I understood it, implied that the result exactly agreed with his expectations, and which, moreover, was intended to convince me that it would be a perfectly useless undertaking, even for an army of fire-eaters, to offer battle to the irresistible heroes of our valley. In all this I of course acquiesced, and looked forward with no little interest to the return of the conquerors, whose victory I feared might not have been purchased without cost to them selves. But here I was again mistaken ; for Mehevi, in conducting his warlike operations, rather inclined to the Fabian than to the Bonapartean tactics, husbanding his resources and exposing his troops to no unnecessary hazards. The total loss of the victors 144 RESIDENCE IN THE MARQUESAS. [CHAP. xvn. in this obstinately contested affair was, in killed, wounded, and missing one forefinger and part of a thumb-nail (which the late proprietor brought along with him in his hand), a severely con tused arm, and a considerable effusion of blood flowing from the thigh of a chief, who had received an ugly thrust from a Happar spear. What the enemy had suffered I could not discover, but I presume they had succeeded in taking off with them the bodies of their slain. Such was the issue of the battle, as far as its results came under my observation ; and as it appeared to be considered an event of prodigious importance, I reasonably concluded that the wars of the natives were marked by no very sanguinary traits. I afterwards learned how the skirmish had originated. A num ber of the Happars had been discovered prowling for no good purpose on the Typee side of the mountain ; the alarm was sounded, and the invaders, after a protracted resistance, had been chased over the frontier. But why had not the intrepid Mehevi carried the war into Happar ? Why had he not made a descent into the hostile vale, and brought away some trophy of his victory some materials for the cannibal entertainment which I had heard usually terminated every engagement ? After all, I was much inclined to believe that such shocking festivals must occur very rarely among the islanders, if, indeed, they ever take place. For two or three days the late event was the theme of general comment ; after which the excitement gradually wore away, and the valley resumed its accustomed tranquillity. CHAP, xvin.] BATHING. 145 CHAPTER XVIII. Swimming in company with the Girls of the Valley A Canoe Effects of the Taboo A pleasure Excursion on the Pond Beautiful Freak of Fayaway Mantua-making A Stranger arrives in the Valley His mys terious conduct Native Oratory The Interview Its Results Departure of the Stranger. RETURNING health and peace of mind gave a new interest to everything around me. I sought to diversify my time by as many enjoyments as lay within reach. Bathing in company with troops of girls formed one of my chief amusements. We some times enjoyed the recreation in the waters of a miniature lake, into which the central stream of the valley expanded. This lovely sheet of water was almost circular in figure, and about three hundred yards across. Its beauty was indescribable. All around its banks waved luxuriant masses of tropical foliage, soaring high above which were to be seen, here and there, the symmetrical shaft of the cocoa-nut tree, surmounted by its tuft of graceful branches, drooping in the air like so many waving ostrich plumes. The ease and grace with which the maidens of the valley pro pelled themselves through the water, and their familiarity with the element, were truly astonishing. Sometimes they might be seen gliding along, just under the surface, without apparently moving hand or foot then throwing themselves on their sides, they darted through the water, revealing glimpses of their forms, as, in the course of their rapid progress, they shot for an instant partly into the air at one moment they dived deep down into the water and the next they rose bounding to the surface. I remember upon one occasion plunging in among a parcel of these river-nymphs, and counting vainly upon my superior strength, sought to drag some of them under the water, but I quickly repented my temerity. The amphibious young creatures & 146 RESIDENCE IN THE MARQUESAS. [CHAP. xvm. swarmed about me like a shoal of dolphins, and seizing- hold of my devoted limbs, tumbled me about and ducked me under the surface, until from the strange noises which rang in my ears, and the supernatural visions dancing before my eyes, I thought I was in the land of spirits. I stood indeed as little chance among them as a cumbrous whale attacked on all sides by a legion of sword-fish. When at length they relinquished their hold of me, they swam away in every direction, laughing at my clumsy en deavours to reach them. There was no boat on the lake ; but at my solicitation and for my special use, some of the young men attached to Marheyo's household, under the direction of the indefatigable Kory-Kory, brought up a light and tastefully-carved canoe from the sea. It was launched upon the sheet of water, and floated there as grace fully as a swan. But, melancholy to relate, it produced an effect I had not anticipated. The sweet nymphs, who had sported with me before in the lake, now all fled its vicinity. The pro hibited craft, guarded by the edicts of the " taboo," extended the prohibition to the waters in which it lay. For a few days, Kory-Kory, with one or two other youths, accompanied me in my excursions to the lake, and while I pad dled about in my light canoe, would swim after me shouting and gambolling in pursuit. But I was ever partial to what is termed in the ' Young Men's Own Book' " the society of virtuous and intelligent young ladies ;" and in the absence of the mermaids, the amusement became dull and insipid. One morning I expressed to my faithful servitor my desire for the return of the nymphs. The honest fellow looked at me bewildered for a moment, and then shook his head solemnly, and murmured " taboo I taboo I " giving me to understand that unless the canoe was removed, I could not expect to have the young ladies back again. But to this procedure I was averse ; I not only wanted the canoe to stay where it was, but I wanted the beauteous Fay- away to get into it, and paddle with me about the lake. This latter proposition completely horrified Kory-Kory 's notions of propriety. He inveighed against it, as something too monstrous to be thought of. It not only shocked their established notions of propriety, but was at variance with all their religious ordi nances. CHAP, xviii.] PLEASURE EXCURSION. 147 However, although the " taboo " was a ticklish thing to meddle with, I determined to test its capabilities of resisting an attack. I consulted the chief Mehevi, who endeavoured to dissuade me from my object : but I was not to be repulsed ; and accordingly increased the warmth of my solicitations. At last he entered into a long, and I have no doubt a very learned arid eloquent exposition of the history and nature of the " taboo " as affecting this particular case ; employing a variety of most extraordinary words, which, from their amazing length and sonorousness, I have every reason to believe were of a theological nature. But all that he said failed to convince me : partly, perhaps, because I could not comprehend a word that he uttered ; but chiefly, that for the life of me I could not understand why a woman should not have as much right to enter a canoe as a man. At last he became a little more rational, and intimated that, out of the abundant love he bore me, he would consult with the priests and see what could be done. How it was that the priesthood of Typee satisfied the affair with their consciences, I know not ; but so it was, and Fayaway's dispensation from this portion of the taboo was at length pro cured. Such an event I believe never before had occurred in the valley; but it was high time the islanders should be taught a little gallantry, and I trust that the example I set them may pro duce beneficial effects. Ridiculous, indeed, that the lovely creatures should be obliged to paddle about in the water, like so many ducks, while a parcel of great strapping fellows skimmed over its surface in their canoes. The first day after Fayaway's emancipation I had a delightful little party on the lake the damsel, Kory-Kory, and myself. My zealous body- servant brought from the house a calabash of poe-poe, half a dozen young cocoa-nuts stripped of their husks three pipes, as many yams, and me on his back a part of the way. Something of a load ; but Kory-Kory was a very strong man for his size, arid by no means brittle in the spine. We had a very pleasant day ; my trusty valet plied the paddle and swept us gently along the margin of the water, beneath the shades of the overhanging thickets. Fayaway and I reclined in the stern of the canoe, on the very best terms possible with one another ; the gentle nymph occasionally placing her pipe to her lip, and 148 RESIDENCE IN THE MARQUESAS. [CHAP. xvm. ex haling the mild fumes of the tobacco, .to which her rosy breath added a fresh perfume. Strange as it may seem, there is nothing in which a young and beautiful female appears to more advan tage than in the act of smoking. How captivating is a Peruvian lady, swinging in her gaily-woven hammock of grass, extended between two orange trees, and inhaling the fragrance of a choice cigarro ! But Fay away, holding in her delicately formed olive hand the long yellow reed of her pipe, with its quaintly carved bowl, and every few moments languishingly giving forth light wreaths of vapour from her mouth and nostrils, looked still more engaging. We floated about thus for several hours, when I looked up to the warm, glowing, tropical sky, and then down into the trans parent depths below ; and when my eye, wandering from the bewitching scenery around, fell upon the grotesquely-tattooed form of Kory-Kory, and finally encountered the pensive gaze of Fayaway, I thought I had been transported to some fairy region, so unreal did everything appear. This lovely piece of water was the coolest spot in all the valley, and I now made it a place of continual resort during the hottest period of the day. One side of it lay near the termi nation of a long gradually expanding gorge, which mounted to the heights that environed the vale. The strong trade wind, met in its course by these elevations, circled and eddied about their summits, and was sometimes driven down the steep ravine and swept across the valley, ruffling in its passage tiie otherwise tranquil surface of the lake. One day, after we had been paddling about for some time, I disembarked Kory-Kory, and paddled the canoe to the windward side of the lake. As I turned the canoe, Fayaway, who was with me, seemed all at once to be struck with some happy idea. With a wild exclamation of delight, she disengaged from her person the ample robe of tappa which was knotted over her shoulder (for the purpose of shielding her from the sun), arid spreading it out like a sail, stood erect with upraised arms in the head of the canoe. We American sailors pride ourselves upon our straight clean spars, but a prettier little mast than Fayaway made was never shipped a-board of any craft. In a moment the tappa was distended by the breeze the long CHAP, xviii.] A NEW ACQUAINTANCE. 149 brown tresses of Fayaway streamed in the air and the canoe glided rapidly through the water, and shot towards the shore. Seated in the stern, I directed its course with my paddle until it dashed up the soft sloping bank, and Fayaway, with a light spring, alighted on the ground ; whilst Kory-Kory, who had watched our manoeuvres with admiration, now clapped his hands in transport, and shouted like a madman. Many a time after wards was this feat repeated. If the reader have not observed ere this that I was the declared admirer of Miss Fayaway, all I can say is that he is little conversant with affairs of the heart, and I certainly shall not trouble myself to enlighten him any farther. Out of the calico I had brought from the ship I made a dress for this lovely girl. In it she looked, I must confess, something like an opera dancer. The drapery of the latter damsel generally com mences a little above the elbows, but my island beauty's began at the waist, and terminated sufficiently far above the ground to reveal the most bewitching ankle in the universe. The day that Fayaway first wore this robe was rendered memorable by a new acquaintance being introduced to me. In the afternoon I was lying in the house, when I heard a great uproar outside ; but being by this time pretty well accustomed to the wild halloos which were almost continually ringing through the valley, I paid little attention to it, until old Marheyo, under the influence of some strange excitement, rushed into my pre sence and communicated the astounding tidings, " Marnoo pemi !" which being interpreted, implied that an individual by the name of Marnoo was approaching. My worthy old friend evidently expected that this intelligence would produce a great effect upon me, and for a time he stood earnestly regarding me, as if curious to see how I should conduct myself, but as I remained perfectly unmoved, the old gentleman darted out of the house again, in as great a hurry as he had entered it. " Marnoo, Marnoo," cogitated I, " I have never heard that name before. Some distinguished character, I presume, from the pro digious riot the natives are making ;" the tumultuous noise drawing nearer and nearer every moment, while " Marnoo ! Marnoo !" was shouted by every tongue. I made up my mind that some savage warrior of consequence, 150 RESIDENCE IN THE MARQUESAS. [CHAP. xvm. who had not yet enjoyed the honour of an audience, was desirous of paying his respects on the present occasion. So vain had I become by the lavish attention to which I had been accustomed, that I felt half inclined, as a punishment for such neglect, to give this Marnoo a cold reception, when the excited throng- came within view, convoying one of the most striking specimens of humanity that I ever beheld. The stranger could not have been more than twenty-five years of age, and was a little above the ordinary height ; had he been a single hair's breadth taller, the matchless symmetry of his form would have been destroyed. His unclad limbs were beautifully formed ; whilst the elegant outline of his figure, together with his beardless cheeks, might have entitled him to the distinction of standing for the statue of the Polynesian Apollo ; and indeed the oval of his countenance and the regularity of every feature reminded me of an antique bust. But the marble repose of art was supplied by a warmth and liveliness of expression only to be seen in the South Sea Islander under the most favourable deve lopments of nature. The hair . of Marnoo was a rich curling brown, and twined about his temples and neck in little close curling ringlets, which danced up and down continually when he was animated in conversation. His cheek was of a feminine softness, and his face was free from the least blemish of tattooing, although the rest of his body was drawn all over with fanciful figures, which unlike the unconnected sketching usual among these natives appeared to have been executed in conformity with some general design. The tattooing on his back in particular attracted my attention. The artist employed must indeed have excelled in his profession. Traced along the course of the spine was accurately delineated the slender, tapering, and diamond-checkered shaft of the beau tiful " artu " tree. Branching from the stem on either side, and disposed alternately, were the graceful branches drooping with leaves all correctly drawn, and elaborately finished. Indeed, this piece of tattooing was the best specimen of the Fine Arts I had yet seen in Typee. A rear view of the stranger might have sug gested the idea of a spreading vine tacked against a garden wall. Upon his breast, arms, and legs, were exhibited an infinite variety of figures ; every one of which, however, appeared to have refer- CHAP, xviii.] MYSTERIOUS DEMEANOUR. 151 ence to the general effect sought to be produced. The tattooing I have described was of the brightest blue, and when contrasted with the light olive colour of the skin, produced an unique and even elegant effect. A slight girdle of white tappa, scarcely two inches in width, but hanging before and behind in spreading tassels, composed the entire costume of the stranger. He advanced surrounded by the islanders, carrying under one arm a small roll of the native cloth, and grasping in his other hand a long and richly decorated spear. His manner was that of a traveller conscious that he is approaching a comfortable stage in his journey. Every moment he turned good-humouredly to the throng around him, and gave some dashing sort of reply to their incessant queries, which appeared to convulse them with uncontrollable mirth. Struck by his demeanor, and the peculiarity of his appearance, so unlike that of the shaven-crowned and face-tattooed natives in general, I involuntarily rose as he entered the house, and prof- ferred him a seat on the mats beside me. But without deigning to notice the civility, or even the more incontrovertible fact of my existence, the stranger passed on, utterly regardless of me, and flung himself upon the further end of the long couch that traversed the sole apartment of Marheyo's habitation. Had the belle of. the season, in the pride of her beauty and power, been cut in a place of public resort by some supercilious exquisite, she could not have felt greater indignation than I did at this unexpected slight. I was thrown into utter astonishment. The conduct of the savages had prepared me to anticipate from every new comer the same extravagant expressions of curiosity and regard. The sin gularity of his conduct, however, only roused my desire to discover who this remarkable personage might be, who now engrossed the attention of every one. Tinor placed before him a calabash of poee-poee, from which the stranger regaled himself, alternating every mouthful with some rapid exclamation which was eagerly caught up and echoed by the crowd that completely filled the house. When I observed the striking devotion of the natives to him, and their temporary withdrawal of all attention from myself, I felt not a little piqued. The glory of Tommo is departed, thought I, and the sooner he 152 RESIDENCE IN THE MARQUESAS. [CHAP. xviu. removes from the valley the better. These were my feelings at the moment, and they were prompted by that glorious principle inherent in all heroic natures the strong- rooted determination to have the biggest share of the pudding or go without any of it. Marnoo, this all-attractive personage, having satisfied his hunger, and inhaled a few whiffs from a pipe which was handed to him, launched out into an harangue which completely en chained the attention of his auditors. Little as I understood of the language, yet from his animated gestures and the varying expression of his features reflected as from so many mirrors in the countenances around him, I could easily discover the nature of those passions which he sought to arouse. From the frequent recurrence of the words " Nuku- heva" and " Frannee " (French), and some others with the meaning of which I was acquainted, he appeared to be rehearsing to his auditors events which had recently occurred in the neigh bouring bays. But how he had gained the knowledge of these matters I could not understand, unless it were that he had just come from Nukuheva a supposition which his travel-stained appearance not a little supported. But, if a native of that region, I could not account for his friendly reception at the hands of the Typees. Never, certainly, had I beheld so powerful an exhibition of natural eloquence as Marnoo displayed during the course of his oration. The grace of the attitudes into which he threw his flexible figure, the striking gestures of his naked arms, and above all, the fire which shot from his brilliant eyes, imparted an effect to the continually changing accents of his voice, of which the most accomplished orator might have been proud. At one mo ment reclining sideways upon the mat, and leaning calmly upon his bended arm, he related circumstantially the aggressions of the French their hostile visits to the surrounding bays, enumerating each one in succession Happar, Puerka, Nukuheva, Tior, and then starting to his feet and precipitating himself forward with clenched hands and a countenance distorted with passion, he poured out a tide of invectives. Falling back into an attitude of lofty command, he exhorted the Typees to resist these encroach ments ; reminding them, with a fierce glance of exultation, that as yet the terror of their name had preserved them from attack, CHAP, xviii.] NATIVE ORATORY. 153 and with a scornful sneer he sketched in ironical terms the won drous intrepidity of the French, who, with five war-canoes and hundreds of men, had riot dared to assail the naked warriors of their valley. The effect he produced upon his audience was electric ; one and all they stood regarding him with sparkling eyes and trem bling limbs, as though they were listening to the inspired voice of a prophet. But it soon appeared that Marnoo's powers were as versatile as they were extraordinary. As soon as he had finished this vehe ment harangue, he threw himself again upon the mats, and, singling out individuals in the crowd, addressed them by name, in a sort of bantering style, the humour of which, though nearly hidden from me, filled the whole assembly with uproarious delight, He had a word for everybody ; and, turning rapidly from one to another, gave utterance to some hasty witticism, which was sure to be followed by peals of laughter. To the females, as well as to the men, he addressed his discourse. Heaven only knows what he said to them, but he caused smiles and blushes to mantle their ingenuous faces. I am, indeed, very much inclined to believe that Marnoo, with his handsome person and captivat ing manners, was a sad deceiver among the simple maidens of the island. During all this time he had never, for one moment, deigned to regard me. He appeared, indeed, to be altogether unconscious of my presence. I was utterly at a loss how to account for this extraordinary conduct. I easily perceived that he was a man of no little consequence among the islanders ; that he possessed un common talents ; and was gifted with a higher degree of know ledge than the inmates of the valley. For these reasons, I therefore greatly feared lest having, from some cause or other, unfriendly feelings toward me, he might exert his powerful in fluence to do me mischief. It seemed evident that he was not a permanent resident of the vale, and yet, whence could he have come ? On all sides the Typees were girt in by hostile tribes, and how could he pos sibly, if belonging to any of these, be received with so much cordiality ? 154 RESIDENCE IN THE MARQUESAS. [CHAP. xvm. The personal appearance of the enigmatical stranger suggested additional perplexities. The face, free from tattooing, and the unshaven crown, were peculiarities I had never before remarked in any part of the island, and I had always heard that the con trary were considered the indispensable distinctions of a Marquesan warrior. Altogether the matter was perfectly incomprehensible to me, and I awaited its solution with no small degree of anxiety. At length, from certain indications, I suspected that he was making me the subject of his remarks, although he appeared cautiously to avoid either pronouncing my name, or looking in the direction where I lay. All at once he rose from the mats where he had been reclining 1 , and, still conversing, moved towards me, his eye purposely evading mine, and seated himself within less than a yard of me. I had hardly recovered from my sur prise, when he suddenly turned round, and, with a most benig nant countenance, extended his right hand gracefully towards me. Of course I accepted the courteous challenge, and, as soon as our palms met, he bent towards me, and murmured in musical accents, " How you do?" 4t How long you been in this bay?" "You like this bay?" Had I been pierced simultaneously by three Happar spears, I could not have started more than I did at hearing these simple questions ! For a moment I was overwhelmed with astonish ment, and then answered something I know not what ; but as soon as I regained my self-possession, the thought darted through my mind that from this individual I might obtain that informa tion regarding Toby which I suspected the natives had purposely withheld from me. Accordingly I questioned him concerning the disappearance of my companion, but he denied all knowledge of the matter. I then enquired from whence he had come? He replied, from Nukuheva. When I expressed my surprise, he looked at me for a moment, as if enjoying my perplexity, and then, with his strange vivacity, exclaimed, "Ah! me taboo, me go Nukuheva, me go Tior, me go Typee, me go every where, nobody harm me, me taboo." This explanation would have been altogether unintelligible to me, had it not recalled to my mind something I had previously heard concerning a singular custom among these islanders. Though the country is possessed by various tribes, whose mutual CHAP, xviii.] AN INTERVIEW. 155 hostilities almost wholly preclude any intercourse between them ; yet there are instances where a person having ratified friendly relations with some individual belonging to the valley, whose in mates are at war with his own, may, under particular restrictions, venture with impunity into the country of his friend, where, under other circumstances, he would have been treated as an enemy. In this light are personal friendships regarded among them, and the individual so protected is said to be " taboo," and his person, to a certain extent, is held as sacred. Thus the stranger informed me he had access to all the valleys in the island. Curious to know how he had acquired his knowledge of English, I questioned him on the subject. At first, for some reason or other, he evaded the- enquiry, but afterwards told me that, when a boy, he had been carried to sea by the captain of a trading vessel, with whom he had staid three years, living part of the time with him at Sydney, in Australia, and that, at a subsequent visit to the island, the captain had, at his own re quest, permitted him to remain among his countrymen. The natural quickness of the savage had been wonderfully improved by his intercourse with the white men, and his partial knowledge of a foreign language gave him a great ascendancy over his less accomplished countrymen. When I asked the now affable Marnoo why it was that he had not previously spoken to me, he eagerly enquired what I had been led to think of him from his conduct in that respect. I replied, that I had supposed him to be some great chief or war rior, who had seen plenty of white men before, and did riot think it worth while to notice a poor sailor. At this declaration of the exalted opinion I had formed of him, he appeared vastly grati fied, and gave me to understand that he had purposely behaved in that manner, in order to increase my astonishment, as soon as he should see proper to address me. Marnoo now sought to learn my version of the story as to how I came to be an inmate of the Typee valley. When I related to him the circumstances under which Toby and I had entered it, he listened with evident interest ; but as soon as I alluded to the absence, yet unaccounted for, of my comrade, he endeavoured to change the subject, as if it were something he desired not to agitate. It seemed, indeed, as if everything connected with 156 RESIDENCE IN THE MARQUESAS. [CHAP. xvm. Toby was destined to beget distrust and anxiety in my bosom. Notwithstanding Marnoo's denial of any knowledge of his fate, I could not avoid suspecting that he was deceiving me ; and this suspicion revived those frightful apprehensions with regard to my own fate, which, for a short time past, had subsided in my breast. Influenced by these feelings, I now felt a strong desire to avail myself of the stranger's protection, and under his safeguard to return to Nukuheva. But as soon as I hinted at this, he un hesitatingly pronounced it to be entirely impracticable ; assuring me that the Typees would never consent to my leaving the valley. Although what he said merely confirmed the impression which I had before entertained, still it increased my anxiety to escape from a captivity, which, however endurable, nay, delightful it might be in some respects, involved in its issues a fate marked by the most frightful contingencies. I could not conceal from my mind that Toby had been treated in the same friendly manner as I had been, and yet all their kindness had terminated in his mysterious disappearance. Might not the same fate await me? a fate too dreadful to think of. Stimulated by these considerations, I urged anew my request to Marnoo ; but he only set forth in stronger colours the impossi bility of my escape, and repeated his previous declaration that the Typees would never be brought to consent to my departure. When I endeavoured to learn from him the motives which prompted them to hold me a prisoner, Marnoo again assumed that mysterious tone which had tormented me with apprehen sions when I had questioned him with regard to the fate of iny companion. Thus repulsed, in a manner which only served, by arousing the most dreadful forebodings, to excite me to renewed attempts, I conjured him to intercede for me with the natives, and en deavour to procure their consent to my leaving them. To this he appeared strongly averse ; but, yielding at last to my impor tunities, he addressed several of the chiefs, who with the rest had been eyeing us intently during the whole of our conversation. His petition, however, was at once met with the most violent disapprobation, manifesting itself in angry glances and gestures, and a perfect torrent of passionate words, directed to both him CHAP, xviii.] CONDUCT OF THE NATIVES. 157 and myself. Marnoo, evidently repenting the step he had taken, earnestly deprecated the resentment of the crowd, and in a few moments succeeded in pacifying to some extent the clamours which had broken out as soon as his proposition had been under stood. With the most intense interest had I watclral the reception his intercession might receive ; and a bitter pa^ shot through my heart at the additional evidence, now furnished, of the un changeable determination of the islanders. Marnoo told me, with evident alarm in his countenance, that although admitted into the bay on a friendly footing with its inhabitants, he could not presume to meddle with their concerns, as such a procedure, if persisted in, would at once absolve the Typees from the re straints of the " Taboo," although so long as he refrained from any such conduct, it screened him effectually from the conse quences of the enmity they bore his tribe. At this moment, Mehevi, who was present, angrily interrupted him ; and the words which he uttered, in a commanding tone, evidently meant that he must at once cease talking to me, and withdraw to the other part of the house. Marnoo immediately started up, hurriedly enjoining me not to address him again, and, as I valued my safety, to refrain from all further allusion to the subject of my departure ; and then, in compliance with the order of the determined chief, but not before it had again been angrily repeated, he withdrew to a distance. I now perceived, with no small degree of apprehension, the same savage expression in the countenance of the natives which had startled me during the scene at the Ti. They glanced their eyes suspiciously from Marnoo to me, as if distrusting the nature of an intercourse carried on, as it was, in a language they could not understand, and they seemed to harbour the belief that already we had concerted measures calculated to elude their vigilance. The lively countenances of these people are wonderfully indi cative of the emotions of the soul, and the imperfections of their oral language are more than compensated for by the nervous eloquence of their looks and gestures. I could plainly trace, in every varying expression of their faces, all those passions which had been thus unexpectedly aroused in their bosoms. It required no reflection to convince me, from what was going 153 RESIDENCE IN THE MARQUESAS, [CHAP. xvm. on, that the injunction of Marnoo was not to be rashly slighted ; and accordingly, great as was the effort to suppress my feelings, I accosted Mehevi in a good-humoured tone, with a view of dis sipating any ill impression he might have received. But the ireful, angry chief was riot so easily mollified. He rejected my advances with that peculiarly stern expression I have before described, andWook care by the whole of his behaviour towards me to show the displeasure and resentment which he felt. Marnoo, at the other extremity of the house, apparently de sirous of making a diversion in my favour, exerted himself to amuse with his pleasantries the crowd about him ; but his lively attempts were not so successful as they had previously been, and, foiled in his efforts, he rose gravely to depart. No one expressed any regret at this movement, so seizing his roll of tappa, and grasping his spear, he advanced to the front of the pi-pi, and waving his hand in adieu to the now silent throng, cast upon me a glance of mingled pity and reproach, and flung himself into the path which led from the house. I watched his receding figure until it was lost in the obscurity of the grove, aud then gave myself up to the most desponding reflections. CHAP, xix.] EEFLECTIONS. 150 CHAPTER XIX. Reflections after Marnoo's Departure Battle of the Pop-guns Strange con ceit of Marheyo Process of making Tappa. THE knowledge I had now obtained as to the intention of the savages deeply affected me Marnoo, I perceived, was a man who, by reason of his superior acquirements, and the knowledge he possessed of the events which were taking place in the different bays of the island, was held in no little estimation by the inhabitants of the valley. He had been received with the most cordial welcome and respect. The natives had hung upon the accents of his voice, and had mani fested the highest gratification at being individually noticed by him. And yet, despite all this, a few words urged in my behalf, with the intent of obtaining my release from captivity, had sufficed not only to banish all harmony and good-will ; but, if I could believe what he told me, had gone nigh to endanger his own personal safety. How strongly rooted, then, must be the determination of the Typees with regard to me, arid how suddenly could they display the strangest passions ! The mere suggestion of my departure had estranged from me, for the time at least, Mehevi, who was the most influential of all the chiefs, and who had previously exhi bited so many instances of his friendly sentiments. The rest of the natives had likewise evinced their strong repugnance to my wishes, and even Kory-Kory himself seemed to share in the general disapprobation bestowed upon me. In vain I racked my invention to find out some motive for the strange desire these people manifested to retain me among them ; but I could discover none. But however this might be, the scene which had just occurred admonished me of the danger of trifling with the wayward and passionate spirits against whom it was vain to struggle, and 160 RESIDENCE IN THE MARQUESAS. [CHAP. xix. might even be fatal to do so. My only hope was to induce the natives to believe that I was reconciled to my detention in the valley, and by assuming a tranquil and cheerful demeanour, to allay the suspicions which I had so unfortunately aroused. Their confidence revived, they might in a short time remit in some degree their watchfulness over my movements, and I should then be the better enabled to avail myself of any opportunity which presented itself for escape. I determined, therefore, to make the best of a bad bargain, and to bear up manfully against whatever might betide. In this endeavour I succeeded beyond my own expectations. At the period of Marnoo's visit, I had been in the valley, as nearly as I could conjecture, some two months. Although not completely recovered from my strange illness which still lingered about me, I was free from pain and able to take exercise. In short, I had every reason to anticipate a per fect recovery. Freed from apprehensions on this point, and resolved to regard the future without flinching, I flung myself anew into all the social pleasures of the valley, and sought to bury all regrets, and all remembrances of my previous existence, in the wild enjoyments it afforded. In my various wanderings through the vale, and as I became better acquainted with the character of its inhabitants, I was more and more struck with the light-hearted joyousness that everywhere prevailed. The minds of these simple savages, unoccupied by matters of graver moment, were capable of de riving the utmost delight from circumstances which would have passed unnoticed in more intelligent communities. All their enjoyment, indeed, seemed to be made up of the little trifling incidents of the passing hour ; but these Diminutive items swelled altogether to an amount of happiness seldom experienced by more enlightened individuals, whose pleasures are drawn from more elevated but rarer sources. What community, for instance, of refined and intellectual mortals would derive the least satisfaction from shooting pop guns? The mere supposition of such a thing being possible would excite their indignation, and yet the whole population of Typee did little else for ten days but occupy themselves with that childish amusement, fairly screaming, too, with the delight it afforded them. CHAP, xix.] MANUFACTURE OF POP-GUNS. 161 One day I was frolicking with a little spirited urchin, some six years old, who chased me with a piece of bamboo about three feet long-, with which he occasionally belaboured me. Seizing the stick from him, the idea happened to suggest itself, that I might make for the youngster, out of the slender tube, one of those nursery muskets with which I had sometimes seen children play ing. Accordingly, with my knife I made two parallel slits in the cane several inches in length, and cutting loose at one end the elastic strip between them, bent it back and slipped the point into a little notch made^for the purpose. Any small substance placed against this would be projected with considerable force through the tube, by merely springing the bent strip out of the notch. Had I possessed the remotest idea of the sensation this piece of ordnance was destined to produce, I should certainly have taken out a patent for the invention. The boy scampered away with it, half delirious with ecstacy, and in twenty minutes afterwards I might have been seen surrounded by a noisy crowd venerable old greybeards responsible fathers of families valiant warriors matrons young men girls and children, all holding in their hand bits of bamboo, and each clamouring to be served first. For three or four hours I was engaged in manufacturing pop guns, but at last made over my good-will and interest in the con cern to a lad of remarkable quick parts, whom I soon initiated into the art and mystery. Pop, Pop, Pop, Pop, now resounded all over the valley. Duels, skirmishes, pitched battles, and general engagements were to be seen on every side. Here, as you walked along a path which led through a thicket, you fell into a cunningly-laid am bush, and became a target for a body of musketeers whose tattooed limbs you could just see peeping into view through the foliage. There, you were assailed by the intrepid garrison of a house, who levelled their bamboo rifles at you from between the upright canes which composed its sides. Farther on you were fired upon by a detachment of sharpshooters, mounted upon the top of a pi-pi. Pop, Pop, Pop, Pop ! green guavas, seeds, and berries were flying about in every direction, and during this dangerous state of affairs I was half afraid that, like the man and his brazen bull, I M 162 RESIDENCE IN THE MARQUESAS. [CHAP. xrx. should fall a victim to my own ingenuity. Like everything else, however, the excitement gradually wore away, though ever after occasional pop-guns might be heard at all hours of the day. It was towards the close of the pop-gun war, that I was infi nitely diverted with a strange freak of Marheyo's. I had worn, when I quitted the ship, a pair of thick pumps, which, from the rough usage they had received in scaling preci pices and sliding down gorges, were so dilapidated as to be alto gether unfit for use so, at least, would have thought the gene rality of people, and so they most certainly were, when con sidered in the light of shoes. But things unserviceable in one way, may with advantage be applied in another, that is, if one have genius enough for the purpose. This genius Marheyo possessed in a superlative degree, as he abundantly evinced by the use to which he put these sorely bruised and battered old shoes. Every article, however trivial, which belonged to me, the natives appeared to regard as sacred ; and I observed that for several days after becoming an inmate of the house, my pumps were suffered to remain, untouched, where I had first happened to throw them. I remembered, however, that after awhile I had missed them from their accustomed place ; but the matter gave me no concern, supposing that Tinor like any other tidy house wife, having come across them in some of her domestic occupa tions had pitched the useless things out of the house. But I was soon undeceived. One day I observed old Marheyo bustling about me with un usual activity, and to such a degree as almost to supersede Kory- Kory in the functions of his office. One moment he volunteered to trot off with me on his back to the stream ; and when I refused, noways daunted by the repulse he continued to frisk about me like a superannuated house-dog. I could not for the life of me conjecture what possessed the old gentleman, until all at once, availing himself of the temporary absence of the household, he went through a variety of uncouth gestures, pointing eagerly down to my feet, arid then up to a little bundle which swung from the ridge-pole overhead. At last I caught a faint idea of his meaning, and motioned him to lower the package. He executed the order in the twinkling of an eye, and unrolling a piece of CHAP, xix.] TAPPA "NATIVE CLOTH. 163 tappa displayed to my astonished gaze the identical pumps which I thought had been destroyed long before. I immediately comprehended his desires, and very generously gave him the shoes, which had become quite mouldy, wondering for what earthly purpose he could want them. The same afternoon I descried the venerable warrior approach ing the house, with a slow, stately gait, ear-rings in ears, and spear in hand, with this highly ornamental pair of shoes suspended from his neck by a strip of bark, and swinging backwards and forwards on his capacious chest. In the gala costume of the tasteful Marheyo, these calf-skin pendants ever after formed the most striking feature. But to turn to something a little more important. Although the whole existence of the inhabitants of the valley seemed to pass away exempt from toil, yet there were some light employ ments which, although amusing rather than laborious as occupa tions, contributed to their comfort and luxury. Among these, the most important was the manufacture of the native cloth, " tappa," so well known, under various modifications, through out the whole Polynesian Archipelago. As is generally under stood, this useful and sometimes elegant article is fabricated from the bark of different trees. But, as I believe that no de scription of its manufacture has ever been given, I shall state what I know regarding it. In the manufacture of the beautiful white tappa generally worn on the Marquesan Islands, the preliminary operation con sists in gathering a certain quantity of the young branches of the cloth-tree. The exterior green bark being pulled off as worth less, there remains a slender fibrous substance, which is carefully stripped from the stick, to which it closely adheres. When a sufficient quantity of it has been collected, the various strips are enveloped in a covering of large leaves, which the natives use precisely as we do wrapping-paper, and which are secured by a few turns of a line passed round them. The package is then laid in the bed of some running stream, with a heavy stone placed over it, to prevent its being swept away. After it has remained for two or three days in this state, it is drawn out, and exposed, for a short time, to the action of the air, eveiy distinct piece being attentively inspected, with a view of ascertaining whether M 2 164 RESIDENCE IN THE MARQUESAS. [CHAP. xix. it has yet been sufficiently affected by the operation. This is repeated again and again, until the desired result is obtained. When the substance is in a proper state for the next process, it betrays evidences of incipient decomposition ; the fibres are relaxed and softened, and rendered perfectly malleable. The different strips are now extended, one by one, in successive layers, upon some smooth surface generally the prostrate trunk of a cocoa-nut tree and the heap thus formed is subjected, at every new increase, to a moderate beating, with a sort of wooden mallet, leisurely applied. The mallet is made* of a hard heavy wood resembling ebony, is about twelve inches in length, and per haps two in breadth, with a rounded handle at one end, and in shape is the exact counterpart of one of our four-sided razor-strops. The flat surfaces of the implement are marked with shallow parallel indentations, varying in depth on the different sides, so as to be adapted to the several stages of the operation. These marks produce the corduroy sort of stripes discernible in the tappa in its finished state. After being beaten in the manner I have described, the material soon becomes blended in one mass, which, moistened occasionally with water, is at intervals hammered out, by a kind