away. The nose had taken its departure,
and from the general appearance of the head, it might have been supposed
that the wooden divinity, in despair at the neglect of its worshippers,
had been trying to beat its own brains out against the surrounding trees.

I drew near, to inspect more closely this strange object of idolatry, but
halted reverently at the distance of two or three paces, out of regard of
the religious prejudices of my valet. As soon, however, as Kory-Kory
perceived that I was in one of my inquiring, scientific moods, to my
astonishment he sprang to the side of the idol, and pushing it away from
the stones against which it rested, endeavoured to make it stand upon its
legs. But the divinity had lost the use of them altogether; and while
Kory-Kory was trying to prop it up, by placing a stick between it and
pi-pi, the monster fell clumsily to the ground, and would infallibly have
broken its neck had not Kory-Kory providentially broken its fall, by
receiving its whole weight on his own half-crushed back. I never saw the
honest fellow in such a rage before. He leaped furiously to his feet, and,
seizing the stick, began beating the poor image, every moment or two
pausing and talking to it in the most violent manner, as if upbraiding it
for the accident. When his indignation had subsided a little, he whirled
the idol about most profanely, so as to give me an opportunity of
examining it on all sides. I am quite sure I never should have presumed to
have taken such liberties with the god myself, and I was not a little
shocked at Kory-Kory's impiety.

CHAPTER XXIV

General information gathered at the festival--Personal beauty of
the Typees--Their superiority over the inhabitants of the other
islands--Diversity of complexion--A vegetable cosmetic and
ointment--Testimony of voyagers to the uncommon beauty of the
Marquesans--Few evidences of intercourse with civilized
beings--Dilapidated musket--Primitive simplicity of government--Regal
dignity of Mehevi.

Although I had been unable during the late festival to obtain information
on many interesting subjects which had much excited my curiosity, still
that important event had not passed by without adding materially to my
general knowledge of the islanders.

I was especially struck by the physical strength and beauty which they
displayed, by their great su