had ever seen
him brought in contact; but when I remembered that my wanderings had been
confined to a limited portion of the valley, and that towards the sea a
number of distinguished chiefs resided, some of whom had separately
visited me at Marheyo's house, and whom, until the festival, I had never
seen in the company of Mehevi, I felt disposed to believe that his rank,
after all, might not be particularly elevated.

The revels, however, had brought together all the warriors whom I had seen
individually and in groups at different times and places. Among them
Mehevi moved with an easy air of superiority which was not to be mistaken;
and he whom I had only looked at as the hospitable host of the Ti, and one
of the military leaders of the tribe, now assumed in my eyes the dignity
of royal station. His striking costume, no less than his naturally
commanding figure, seemed indeed to give him pre-eminence over the rest.
The towering helmet of feathers that he wore raised him in height above
all who surrounded him; and though some others were similarly adorned, the
length and luxuriance of their plumes were far inferior to his.

Mehevi was in fact the greatest of the chiefs--the head of his clan--the
sovereign of the valley; and the simplicity of the social institutions of
the people could not have been more completely proved than by the fact,
that after having been several weeks in the valley, and almost in daily
intercourse with Mehevi, I should have remained until the time of the
festival ignorant of his regal character. But a new light had now broken
in upon me. The Ti was the palace--and Mehevi the king. Both the one and
the other of a most simple and patriarchal nature it must be allowed, and
wholly unattended by the ceremonious pomp which usually surrounds the
purple.

After having made this discovery I could not avoid congratulating myself
that Mehevi had from the first taken me as it were under his royal
protection, and that he still continued to entertain for me the warmest
regard, as far at least as I was enabled to judge from appearances. For
the future I determined to pay most assiduous court to him, hoping that
eventually through his kindness I might obtain my liberty.

CHAPTER XXV

King Mehevi--Conduct of Marheyo and Mehevi in certain delicate
matters--Peculiar system of marriage--Number of
population--Uniformity--Embalming--Places of sepul