hideous old wretches, on whose decrepit forms
time and tattooing seemed to have obliterated every trace of humanity.
Owing to the continued operation of this latter process, which only
terminates among the warriors of the island after all the figures
stretched upon their limbs in youth have been blended together--an
effect, however, produced only in cases of extreme longevity--the bodies
of these men were of a uniform dull green colour--the hue which the
tattooing gradually assumes as the individual advances in age. Their
skin had a frightful scaly appearance, which, united with its singular
colour, made their limbs not a little resemble dusty specimens of
verde-antique. Their flesh, in parts, hung upon them in huge folds, like
the overlapping plaits on the flank of a rhinoceros. Their heads were
completely bald, whilst their faces were puckered into a thousand
wrinkles, and they presented no vestige of a beard. But the most
remarkable peculiarity about them was the appearance of their feet;
the toes, like the radiating lines of the mariner's compass, pointed
to every quarter of the horizon. This was doubtless attributable to
the fact, that during nearly a hundred years of existence the said toes
never had been subjected to any artificial confinement, and in their
old age, being averse to close neighbourhood, bid one another keep open
order.

These repulsive-looking creatures appeared to have lost the use of their
lower limbs altogether; sitting upon the floor cross-legged in a state
of torpor. They never heeded us in the least, scarcely looking conscious
of our presence, while Mehevi seated us upon the mats, and Kory-Kory
gave utterance to some unintelligible gibberish.

In a few moments a boy entered with a wooden trencher of poee-poee; and
in regaling myself with its contents I was obliged again to submit to
the officious intervention of my indefatigable servitor. Various other
dishes followed, the chief manifesting the most hospitable importunity
in pressing us to partake, and to remove all bashfulness on our part,
set us no despicable example in his own person.

The repast concluded, a pipe was lighted, which passed from mouth to
mouth, and yielding to its soporific influence, the quiet of the place,
and the deepening shadows of approaching night, my companion and I sank
into a kind of drowsy repose, while the chief and Kory-Kory seemed to be
slumbering beside us.

I awoke from an uneasy nap, about midnight, a