' is an islander whose person has been made to a
certain extent sacred by the operation of a singular custom hereafter to
be explained.

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 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.

Then they 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 propound their queries long after we had
shown that we were utterly unable 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 perfectly. But all in vain; and
in the end they looked at us despairingly, as if we were the receptacles
of invaluable information; 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 individuals 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.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

MIDNIGHT REFLECTIONS--MORNING VISITORS--A WARRIOR IN COSTUME--A SAVAGE
AESCULAPIUS--PRACTICE OF T