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In
ten
minutes
the
canoe
returned
,
bringing
the
other
chief
,
who
certainly
presented
a
most
extraordinary
appearance
,
having
painted
one
half
of
his
face
red
and
the
other
half
yellow
,
besides
ornamenting
it
with
various
designs
in
black
!
Otherwise
he
was
much
the
same
in
appearance
as
Romata
,
though
not
so
powerfully
built
.
As
this
chief
had
never
seen
a
ship
before
--
except
,
perchance
,
some
of
the
petty
traders
that
at
long
intervals
visit
these
remote
islands
--
he
was
much
taken
up
with
the
neatness
and
beauty
of
all
the
fittings
of
the
schooner
.
He
was
particularly
struck
with
a
musket
which
was
shown
to
him
,
and
asked
where
the
white
men
got
hatchets
hard
enough
to
cut
the
tree
of
which
the
barrel
was
made
!
While
he
was
thus
engaged
,
his
brother-chief
stood
aloof
,
talking
with
the
captain
,
and
fondling
a
superb
cock
and
a
little
blue-headed
paroquet
--
the
favourites
of
which
I
have
before
spoken
.
I
observed
that
all
the
other
natives
walked
in
a
crouching
posture
while
in
the
presence
of
Romata
.
Before
our
guests
left
us
,
the
captain
ordered
the
brass
gun
to
be
uncovered
and
fired
for
their
gratification
;
and
I
have
every
reason
to
believe
he
did
so
for
the
purpose
of
showing
our
superior
power
,
in
case
the
natives
should
harbour
any
evil
designs
against
us
.
Romata
had
never
seen
this
gun
before
,
as
it
had
not
been
uncovered
on
previous
visits
,
and
the
astonishment
with
which
he
viewed
it
was
very
amusing
.
Being
desirous
of
knowing
its
power
,
he
begged
that
the
captain
would
fire
it
;
so
a
shot
was
put
into
it
.
The
chiefs
were
then
directed
to
look
at
a
rock
about
two
miles
out
at
sea
,
and
the
gun
was
fired
.
In
a
second
the
top
of
the
rock
was
seen
to
burst
asunder
,
and
to
fall
in
fragments
into
the
sea
.
Romata
was
so
delighted
with
the
success
of
this
shot
that
he
pointed
to
a
man
who
was
walking
on
the
shore
,
and
begged
the
captain
to
fire
at
him
,
evidently
supposing
that
his
permission
was
quite
sufficient
to
justify
the
captain
in
such
an
act
.
He
was
therefore
surprised
,
and
not
a
little
annoyed
,
when
the
captain
refused
to
fire
at
the
native
and
ordered
the
gun
to
be
housed
.
Of
all
the
things
,
however
,
that
afforded
matter
of
amusement
to
these
savages
,
that
which
pleased
Romata
's
visitor
most
was
the
ship
's
pump
.
He
never
tired
of
examining
it
and
pumping
up
the
water
.
Indeed
,
so
much
was
he
taken
up
with
this
pump
that
he
could
not
be
prevailed
on
to
return
on
shore
,
but
sent
a
canoe
to
fetch
his
favourite
stool
,
on
which
he
seated
himself
,
and
spent
the
remainder
of
the
day
in
pumping
the
bilge-water
out
of
the
ship
!
Next
day
the
crew
went
ashore
to
cut
sandal-wood
,
while
the
captain
,
with
one
or
two
men
,
remained
on
board
,
in
order
to
be
ready
,
if
need
be
,
with
the
brass
gun
,
which
was
unhoused
and
conspicuously
elevated
,
with
its
capacious
muzzle
directed
point-blank
at
the
chief
's
house
.
The
men
were
fully
armed
,
as
usual
;
and
the
captain
ordered
me
to
go
with
them
,
to
assist
in
the
work
.
I
was
much
pleased
with
this
order
,
for
it
freed
me
from
the
captain
's
company
,
which
I
could
not
now
endure
,
and
it
gave
me
an
opportunity
of
seeing
the
natives
.
As
we
wound
along
in
single
file
through
the
rich
,
fragrant
groves
of
banana
,
cocoa-nut
,
bread-fruit
,
and
other
trees
,
I
observed
that
there
were
many
of
the
plum
and
banyan
trees
,
with
which
I
had
become
familiar
on
the
Coral
Island
.
I
noticed
,
also
,
large
quantities
of
taro
--
roots
,
yams
,
and
sweet
potatoes
growing
in
enclosures
.
On
turning
into
an
open
glade
of
the
woods
,
we
came
abruptly
upon
a
cluster
of
native
houses
.
They
were
built
chiefly
of
bamboos
,
and
were
thatched
with
the
large
,
thick
leaves
of
the
pandanus
;
but
many
of
them
had
little
more
than
a
sloping
roof
and
three
sides
with
an
open
front
,
being
the
most
simple
shelter
from
the
weather
that
could
well
be
imagined
.
Within
these
and
around
them
were
groups
of
natives
--
men
,
women
,
and
children
--
who
all
stood
up
to
gaze
at
us
as
we
marched
along
,
followed
by
the
party
of
men
whom
the
chief
had
sent
to
escort
us
.
About
half-a-mile
inland
we
arrived
at
the
spot
where
the
sandal-wood
grew
,
and
while
the
men
set
to
work
I
clambered
up
an
adjoining
hill
to
observe
the
country
.
About
midday
the
chief
arrived
with
several
followers
,
one
of
whom
carried
a
baked
pig
on
a
wooden
platter
,
with
yams
and
potatoes
on
several
plantain
leaves
,
which
he
presented
to
the
men
,
who
sat
down
under
the
shade
of
a
tree
to
dine
.
The
chief
sat
down
to
dine
also
;
but
,
to
my
surprise
,
instead
of
feeding
himself
,
one
of
his
wives
performed
that
office
for
him
!
I
was
seated
beside
Bill
,
and
asked
him
the
reason
of
this
.
"
It
is
beneath
his
dignity
,
I
believe
,
to
feed
himself
,
"
answered
Bill
;
"
but
I
dare
say
he
's
not
particular
,
except
on
great
occasions
.
They
've
a
strange
custom
among
them
,
Ralph
,
which
is
called
tabu
,
and
they
carry
it
to
great
lengths
.
If
a
man
chooses
a
particular
tree
for
his
god
,
the
fruit
o
'
that
tree
is
tabued
to
him
;
and
if
he
eats
it
,
he
is
sure
to
be
killed
by
his
people
--
and
eaten
,
of
course
,
for
killing
means
eating
hereaway
.
Then
,
you
see
that
great
mop
o
'
hair
on
the
chief
's
head
?
Well
,
he
has
a
lot
o
'
barbers
to
keep
it
in
order
;
and
it
's
a
law
that
whoever
touches
the
head
of
a
living
chief
or
the
body
of
a
dead
one
,
his
hands
are
tabued
.
