tick at the tent.

KING PETER.

One strange native arrived, after many cooeys, from a distance; whereupon
the chief of the fishing-tribe (whom we styled king Peter) led him to us
and introduced him to my particular attention. The tribe also took great
interest in this introduction, and I, on our part, met the stranger as
favourably as I could, by sitting down opposite to him in the midst of
the tribe to which king Peter had led me. While I sat thus, under a dense
group of bawling savages, I perceived that the most loquacious and
apparently influential of all was the female who came up to us on the
morning of the 8th, carrying a net. She was now all animation, and her
finely shaped mouth, beautiful teeth, and well-formed person, appeared to
great advantage as she hung over us both, addressing me vehemently about
something relative to the stranger. He, all the while, sat mute before me
while I continued not only silent but quite ignorant of the purport of
what was said. My handkerchief was at length taken out, and many hands
being at length laid upon me, I retired as ceremoniously as circumstances
permitted, but not until I had been so manipulated by fishy paws that the
peculiar odour of the savage adhered to my clothes long after.

I next allowed Peter to approach my tent, upon looking into which he set
up a loud but feigned laugh, instead of evincing any surprise on seeing
many objects to him so very strange. He afterwards came up with the old
man and the stranger, proposing that the three should go in and examine
it; but I positively refused to let them enter the tent together, for a
bull in a china-shop were no hyperbole compared to pilfering savages in a
tent among barometers, sextants and books.

At length I found to my regret king Peter's hand in my pocket, pulling at
my handkerchief several times, although I had given him a tomahawk and
breastplate. They began to see (as I hoped) that they could not easily
get more from us. I perceived a messenger despatched across the river,
and asked this chief by gestures and looks the object of the mission,
when he made signs that others would come to dance. It was clear the man
was sent for another tribe as:

The messenger of blood and brand.

Still their numbers did not exceed sixty, though gathered along the
riverbank for many miles back; and my men, with twelve muskets, were
strong enough when kept together; but this could not be, and it was a
time of considerable an