at they
were doing, the cook was aroused and came a willing volunteer; all hands
clustered about their mate with expostulations and caresses; and he was
bidden to lie down and take his customary rest without alarm.

'He tell you tlue,' said Uncle Ned. 'You sleep. Evely man hae he do all
light. Evely man he like you too much.'

Herrick struggled, and gave way; choked upon some trivial words of
gratitude; and walked to the side of the house, against which he leaned,
struggling with emotion.

Uncle Ned presently followed him and begged him to lie down.

'It's no use, Uncle Ned,' he replied. 'I couldn't sleep. I'm knocked
over with all your goodness.'

'Ah, no call me Uncle Ned no mo'!' cried the old man. 'No my name! My
name Taveeta, all-e-same Taveeta King of Islael. Wat for he call that
Hawaii? I think no savvy nothing--all-e-same Wise-a-mana.'

It was the first time the name of the late captain had been mentioned,
and Herrick grasped the occasion. The reader shall be spared Uncle Ned's
unwieldy dialect, and learn in less embarrassing English, the sum of
what he now communicated. The ship had scarce cleared the Golden Gates
before the captain and mate had entered on a career of drunkenness,
which was scarcely interrupted by their malady and only closed by death.
For days and weeks they had encountered neither land nor ship; and
seeing themselves lost on the huge deep with their insane conductors,
the natives had drunk deep of terror.

At length they made a low island, and went in; and Wiseman and Wishart
landed in the boat.

There was a great village, a very fine village, and plenty Kanakas in
that place; but all mighty serious; and from every here and there in
the back parts of the settlement, Taveeta heard the sounds of island
lamentation. 'I no savvy TALK that island,' said he. 'I savvy hear
um CLY. I think, Hum! too many people die here!' But upon Wiseman and
Wishart the significance of that barbaric keening was lost. Full of
bread and drink, they rollicked along unconcerned, embraced the girls
who had scarce energy to repel them, took up and joined (with drunken
voices) in the death wail, and at last (on what they took to be
an invitation) entered under the roof of a house in which was a
considerable concourse of people sitting silent. They stooped below the
eaves, flushed and laughing; within a minute they came forth again with
changed faces and silent tongues; and as the press severed to make way
for the