of beech trees completely surrounded with
masses of fungi not unlike them in appearance. The doctor ate enough to
redeem our character with the savages, and then we proceeded in the same
amicable way as before, till we reached their village. It consisted of
ten wigwams, some of considerable size, capable of holding twelve or
more people. They were neatly thatched with straw, and their doorways
had a piece of carved wood, so as to form an arch overhead. Several
little, long-backed, sharp-eyed, hairy terriers came barking out and
snapping at our heels, and wore very annoying till they were called off
by their masters. In and about the huts were a number of women and
children, the former far from unpleasant in their looks, though as dirty
as the men. Indeed, from their appearance, we had reason to doubt
whether any of the tribe had ever washed in their lives. The women had
a modest, retiring look; and the children seemed in no way frightened
when they saw us. Cousin Silas had a happy knack of making friends with
savages, and especially with their children. His secret, I found, was
great gentleness. While Mr McRitchie, Jerry, and I sat down on a log
facing the huts, he advanced slowly towards the nearest group of
children with some bracelets and lockets, which he now first produced,
singing and dancing at the same time, so as to attract their attention.
They stared at him with open eyes, but showed no inclination to run away
till he got near enough to slip the string of a locket over the neck of
the tallest child--a little girl--and a bracelet over the arm of
another; and then, taking their hands, he began slowly to move round and
round in a circle, beckoning to the rest of the children to join hands.
This they readily did, and then two or three of the men--their fathers
probably--joined the circle, and we got up and united our hands to those
of the savages, and then several of the women came; and there we were--
Mr Brand, and the doctor, and Jerry, and I, and the savages--men,
women, and children--all singing, and dancing, and jumping, and laughing
like mad, till we were fain to stop for want of strength to go on. To
show their satisfaction, the savages gave us all round some
over-affectionate hugs, which, besides nearly squeezing the breath out
of our bodies, were unpleasant on account of the very dirty condition of
the huggers. We would not tell them that we did not like it, so we had
to submit to the ceremony