drawing us steadily
inshore.

I began to wonder directly whether these would be anything like the
savages who came to Robinson Crusoe's island; but a moment's reflection
told me that Juan Fernandez was supposed to be his island, and that was
on the other side of the world.

"Well, Nat, what do you think of our visitors?" said my uncle, as I
leaned over the prow of our vessel and watched the men in the canoe.

"I was thinking, uncle, that it can't cost them much for clothes," I
said, laughing.

"No, Nat," he replied, joining in my mirth; "but do you see how
different they are to our sailors here?"

"Yes, they are blacker, uncle, and have different shaped noses, and
their hair curls instead of being straight."

"Good!" he exclaimed; "that's the way to become a naturalist. Observe
everything. You are quite right; we are going to leave one race of men
now, Nat, the Malays, to travel amongst the Papuans, a people who are
wonderfully different in every way."

I felt a little nervous at first on going ashore, for we were surrounded
by quite a crowd of fierce-looking blacks, all chattering,
gesticulating, and pressing on us in their eagerness to get close up,
but I soon found that it was only excitement and delight at seeing us
among them, and that they wanted to barter ornaments and shells, for
tobacco and sugar, or knives.

They were just like children, and though, had they been so disposed,
they could have overpowered us and taken possession of everything we
possessed in an instant, nothing seemed farther from their thoughts.

The captain of the prahu came ashore with us, and we explained to one of
the chief men that we wanted to have a hut on shore and stay with them
for a time, and his countenance expanded into a broad grin of pleasure,
one which seemed to increase as we both shook hands with him, and uncle
gave him a handful of tobacco, and I a small common one-bladed knife.

He looked at both in turn, and then seemed puzzled as to what he ought
to give us in exchange, while, when he was made to understand that they
were presents and nothing was wanted back, he attached himself to us,
and very soon we found ourselves the possessors of a very dark, little
well-thatched hut, with no windows, and nothing to close the door, but
it answered our purpose in giving us shelter, and to it the chief
willingly helped with a couple of dozen of his men, in getting our
chests, boxes, and stores.

The next thing was to fi