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"
Ay
,
that
I
have
,
often
,
and
so
has
this
schooner
.
'
Tis
a
famous
island
for
sandal-wood
.
We
have
taken
many
cargoes
of
it
already
--
and
have
paid
for
them
,
too
,
for
the
savages
are
so
numerous
that
we
dared
not
try
to
take
it
by
force
.
But
our
captain
has
tried
to
cheat
them
so
often
that
they
're
beginnin
'
not
to
like
us
overmuch
now
.
Besides
,
the
men
behaved
ill
the
last
time
we
were
here
,
and
I
wonder
the
captain
is
not
afraid
to
venture
.
But
he
's
afraid
o
'
nothin
'
earthly
,
I
believe
.
"
We
soon
ran
inside
the
barrier
coral
reef
,
and
let
go
our
anchor
in
six
fathoms
water
,
just
opposite
the
mouth
of
a
small
creek
,
whose
shores
were
densely
covered
with
mangroves
and
tall
umbrageous
trees
.
The
principal
village
of
the
natives
lay
about
half-a-mile
from
this
point
.
Ordering
the
boat
out
,
the
captain
jumped
into
it
,
and
ordered
me
to
follow
him
.
The
men
,
fifteen
in
number
,
were
well
armed
;
and
the
mate
was
directed
to
have
Long
Tom
ready
for
emergencies
.
"
Give
way
,
lads
!
"
cried
the
captain
.
The
oars
fell
into
the
water
at
the
word
,
the
boat
shot
from
the
schooner
's
side
,
and
in
a
few
minutes
reached
the
shore
.
Here
,
contrary
to
our
expectation
,
we
were
met
with
the
utmost
cordiality
by
Romata
,
the
principal
chief
of
the
island
,
who
conducted
us
to
his
house
and
gave
us
mats
to
sit
upon
.
I
observed
in
passing
that
the
natives
,
of
whom
there
were
two
or
three
thousand
,
were
totally
unarmed
.
After
a
short
preliminary
palaver
,
a
feast
of
baked
pigs
and
various
roots
was
spread
before
us
,
of
which
we
partook
sparingly
,
and
then
proceeded
to
business
.
The
captain
stated
his
object
in
visiting
the
island
,
regretted
that
there
had
been
a
slight
misunderstanding
during
the
last
visit
,
and
hoped
that
no
ill-will
was
borne
by
either
party
,
and
that
a
satisfactory
trade
would
be
accomplished
.
Romata
answered
that
he
had
forgotten
there
had
been
any
differences
between
them
,
protested
that
he
was
delighted
to
see
his
friends
again
,
and
assured
them
they
should
have
every
assistance
in
cutting
and
embarking
the
wood
.
The
terms
were
afterwards
agreed
on
,
and
we
rose
to
depart
.
All
this
conversation
was
afterwards
explained
to
me
by
Bill
,
who
understood
the
language
pretty
well
.
Romata
accompanied
us
on
board
,
and
explained
that
a
great
chief
from
another
island
was
then
on
a
visit
to
him
,
and
that
he
was
to
be
ceremoniously
entertained
on
the
following
day
.
After
begging
to
be
allowed
to
introduce
him
to
us
,
and
receiving
permission
,
he
sent
his
canoe
ashore
to
bring
him
off
.
At
the
same
time
he
gave
orders
to
bring
on
board
his
two
favourites
,
a
cock
and
a
paroquet
.
While
the
canoe
was
gone
on
this
errand
,
I
had
time
to
regard
the
savage
chief
attentively
.
He
was
a
man
of
immense
size
,
with
massive
but
beautifully
moulded
limbs
and
figure
,
only
parts
of
which
--
the
broad
chest
and
muscular
arms
--
were
uncovered
;
for
although
the
lower
orders
generally
wore
no
other
clothing
than
a
strip
of
cloth
called
maro
round
their
loins
,
the
chief
,
on
particular
occasions
,
wrapped
his
person
in
voluminous
folds
of
a
species
of
native
cloth
made
from
the
bark
of
the
Chinese
paper-mulberry
.
Romata
wore
a
magnificent
black
beard
and
moustache
,
and
his
hair
was
frizzed
out
to
such
an
extent
that
it
resembled
a
large
turban
,
in
which
was
stuck
a
long
wooden
pin
!
I
afterwards
found
that
this
pin
served
for
scratching
the
head
,
for
which
purpose
the
fingers
were
too
short
without
disarranging
the
hair
.
But
Romata
put
himself
to
much
greater
inconvenience
on
account
of
his
hair
;
for
we
found
that
he
slept
with
his
head
resting
on
a
wooden
pillow
,
in
which
was
cut
a
hollow
for
the
neck
,
so
that
the
hair
of
the
sleeper
might
not
be
disarranged
.
