siness thenceforth would be to
attend upon my person. I am not certain that I comprehended as much as
this at the time, but the subsequent 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 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 first introduced
was the place of my permanent abode while I remained in the valley,
and as I was necessarily placed upon the most intimate footing with its
occupants, 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.

Near one side of the valley, and about midway up the ascent of a rather
abrupt rise of ground waving with the richest verdure, 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 reserved 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 successive ranges of
cocoanut 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 c