llustration: WE WERE SOON COMPLETELY ENCIRCLED BY A DENSE THRONG]

After undergoing this scrutiny till I grew absolutely nervous, with a view
of diverting it if possible, and conciliating the good opinion of the
warrior, I took some tobacco from the bosom of my frock, and offered it to
him. He quietly rejected the proffered gift, and, without speaking,
motioned me to return it to its place.

In my previous intercourse with the natives of Nukuheva and Tior, I had
found that the present of a small piece of tobacco would have rendered any
of them devoted to my service. Was this act of the chief a token of his
enmity? Typee or Happar? I asked within myself. I started, for at the same
moment this identical question was asked by the strange being before me. I
turned to Toby; the flickering light of a native taper showed me his
countenance pale with trepidation at this fatal question. I paused for a
second, and I know not by what impulse it was that I answered, "Typee."
The piece of dusky statuary nodded in approval, and then murmured,
"Mortarkee?" "Mortarkee," said I, without further hesitation--"Typee
mortarkee."

What a transition! The dark figures around us leaped to their feet,
clapped their hands in transport, and shouted again and again the
talismanic syllables, the utterance of which appeared to have settled
everything.

When this commotion had a little subsided, the principal chief squatted
once more before me, and throwing himself into a sudden rage, poured forth
a string of philippics, which I was at no loss to understand, from the
frequent recurrence of the word Happar, as being directed against the
natives of the adjoining valley. In all these denunciations my companion
and I acquiesced, while we extolled the character of the warlike Typees.
To be sure our panegyrics were somewhat laconic, consisting in the
repetition of that name, united with the potent adjective, "Mortarkee."
But this was sufficient, and served to conciliate the good-will of the
natives, with whom our congeniality of sentiment on this point did more
towards inspiring a friendly feeling than anything else that could have
happened.

At last the wrath of the chief evaporated, and in a few moments he was as
placid as ever. Laying his hand upon his breast, he gave me to understand
that his name was "Mehevi," and that, in return, he wished me to
communicate my appellation. I hesitated for an instant, thinking that it
might be difficult for him to