TYPEE

A ROMANCE OF THE SOUTH SEAS

By Herman Melville

PREFACE

MORE than three years have elapsed since the occurrence of the eventsrecorded in this volume. The interval, with the exception of the lastfew months, has been chiefly spent by the author tossing about onthe wide ocean. Sailors are the only class of men who now-a-days seeanything like stirring adventure; and many things which to fire-sidepeople appear strange and romantic, to them seem as common-place as ajacket out at elbows. Yet, notwithstanding the familiarity of sailorswith all sorts of curious adventure, the incidents recorded in thefollowing pages have often served, when 'spun as a yarn, ' not only torelieve the weariness of many a night-watch at sea, but to excite thewarmest sympathies of the author's shipmates. He has been, therefore, led to think that his story could scarcely fail to interest those whoare less familiar than the sailor with a life of adventure. 

In his account of the singular and interesting people among whom he wasthrown, it will be observed that he chiefly treats of their more obviouspeculiarities; and, in describing their customs, refrains in most casesfrom entering into explanations concerning their origin and purposes. As writers of travels among barbarous communities are generally verydiffuse on these subjects, he deems it right to advert to what may beconsidered a culpable omission. No one can be more sensible than theauthor of his deficiencies in this and many other respects; but when thevery peculiar circumstances in which he was placed are understood, hefeels assured that all these omissions will be excused. 

In very many published narratives no little degree of attention isbestowed upon dates; but as the author lost all knowledge of the days ofthe week, during the occurrence of the scenes herein related, he hopesthat the reader will charitably pass over his shortcomings in thisparticular. 

In the Polynesian words used in this volume, --except in those caseswhere the spelling has been previously determined by others, --that formof orthography has been employed, which might be supposed most easilyto convey their sound to a stranger. In several works descriptive of theislands in the Pacific, many of the most beautiful combinations ofvocal sounds have been altogether lost to the ear of the reader by anover-attention to the ordinary rules of spelling. 

There are a few passages in the ensuing chapters which may be thoughtto bear rather hard upon a reverend order of men, the account of whoseproceedings in different quarters of the globe--transmitted to usthrough their own hands--very generally, and often very deservedly, receives high commendation. Such passages will be found, however, tobe based upon facts admitting of no contradiction, and which have comeimmediately under the writer's cognizance. The conclusions deduced fromthese facts are unavoidable, and in stating them the author has beeninfluenced by no feeling of animosity, either to the individualsthemselves, or to that glorious cause which has not always been servedby the proceedings of some of its advocates. 

The great interest with which the important events lately occurringat the Sandwich, Marquesas, and Society Islands, have been regarded inAmerica and England, and indeed throughout the world, will, he trusts, justify a few otherwise unwarrantable digressions. 

There are some things related in the narrative which will be sure toappear strange, or perhaps entirely incomprehensible, to the reader;but they cannot appear more so to him than they did to the author at thetime. He has stated such matters just as they occurred, and leaves everyone to form his own opinion concerning them; trusting that his anxiousdesire to speak the unvarnished truth will gain for him the confidenceof his readers. 1846. 

INTRODUCTION TO THE EDITION OF 1892

By Arthur Stedman

OF the trinity of American authors whose births made the year 1819 anotable one in our literary history, --Lowell, Whitman, and Melville, --itis interesting to observe that the two latter were both descended, onthe fathers' and mothers' sides respectively, from have families ofBritish New England and Dutch New York extraction. Whitman and VanVelsor, Melville and Gansevoort, were the several combinations whichproduced these men; and it is easy to trace in the life and characterof each author the qualities derived from his joint ancestry. Here, however, the resemblance ceases, for Whitman's forebears, while worthycountry people of good descent, were not prominent in public or privatelife. Melville, on the other hand, was of distinctly patrician birth, his paternal and maternal grandfathers having been leading characters inthe Revolutionary War; their descendants still maintaining a dignifiedsocial position. 

Allan Melville, great-grandfather of Herman Melville, removed fromScotland to America in 1748, and established himself as a merchantin Boston. His son, Major Thomas Melville, was a leader in the famous'Boston Tea Party' of 1773 and afterwards became an officer in theContinental Army. He is reported to have been a Conservative in allmatters except his opposition to unjust taxation, and he wore theold-fashioned cocked hat and knee-breeches until his death, in 1832, thus becoming the original of Doctor Holmes's poem, 'The Last Leaf'. Major Melville's son Allan, the father of Herman, was an importingmerchant, --first in Boston, and later in New York. He was a man of muchculture, and was an extensive traveller for his time. He married MariaGansevoort, daughter of General Peter Gansevoort, best known as 'thehero of Fort Stanwix. ' This fort was situated on the present site ofRome, N. Y. ; and there Gansevoort, with a small body of men, held incheck reinforcements on their way to join Burgoyne, until the disastrousending of the latter's campaign of 1777 was insured. The Gansevoorts, itshould be said, were at that time and subsequently residents of Albany, N. Y. 

Herman Melville was born in New York on August 1, 1819, and receivedhis early education in that city. There he imbibed his first love ofadventure, listening, as he says in 'Redburn, ' while his father 'ofwinter evenings, by the well-remembered sea-coal fire in old GreenwichStreet, used to tell my brother and me of the monstrous waves at sea, mountain high, of the masts bending like twigs, and all about Havreand Liverpool. ' The death of his father in reduced circumstancesnecessitated the removal of his mother and the family of eight brothersand sisters to the village of Lansingburg, on the Hudson River. ThereHerman remained until 1835, when he attended the Albany Classical Schoolfor some months. Dr. Charles E. West, the well-known Brooklyn educator, was then in charge of the school, and remembers the lad's deftness inEnglish composition, and his struggles with mathematics. 

The following year was passed at Pittsfield, Mass. , where he engaged inwork on his uncle's farm, long known as the 'Van Schaack place. ' Thisuncle was Thomas Melville, president of the Berkshire AgriculturalSociety, and a successful gentleman farmer. 

Herman's roving disposition, and a desire to support himselfindependently of family assistance, soon led him to ship as cabin boyin a New York vessel bound for Liverpool. He made the voyage, visitedLondon, and returned in the same ship. 'Redburn: His First Voyage, 'published in 1849, is partly founded on the experiences of this trip, which was undertaken with the full consent of his relatives, and whichseems to have satisfied his nautical ambition for a time. As told in thebook, Melville met with more than the usual hardships of a sailor-boy'sfirst venture. It does not seem difficult in 'Redburn' to separate theauthor's actual experiences from those invented by him, this being thecase in some of his other writings. 

A good part of the succeeding three years, from 1837 to 1840, wasoccupied with school-teaching. While so engaged at Greenbush, nowEast Albany, N. Y. , he received the munificent salary of 'six dollarsa quarter and board. ' He taught for one term at Pittsfield, Mass. , 'boarding around' with the families of his pupils, in true Americanfashion, and easily suppressing, on one memorable occasion, the effortsof his larger scholars to inaugurate a rebellion by physical force. 

I fancy that it was the reading of Richard Henry Dana's 'Two YearsBefore the Mast' which revived the spirit of adventure in Melville'sbreast. That book was published in 1840, and was at once talked ofeverywhere. Melville must have read it at the time, mindful of hisown experience as a sailor. At any rate, he once more signed a ship'sarticles, and on January 1, 1841, sailed from New Bedford harbour in thewhaler Acushnet, bound for the Pacific Ocean and the sperm fishery. He has left very little direct information as to the events of thiseighteen months' cruise, although his whaling romance, 'Moby Dick; or, the Whale, ' probably gives many pictures of life on board the Acushnet. In the present volume he confines himself to a general account ofthe captain's bad treatment of the crew, and of his non-fulfilment ofagreements. Under these considerations, Melville decided to abandon thevessel on reaching the Marquesas Islands; and the narrative of 'Typee'begins at this point. However, he always recognised the immenseinfluence the voyage had had upon his career, and in regard to itsresults has said in 'Moby Dick, '--

'If I shall ever deserve any real repute in that small but high hushedworld which I might not be unreasonably ambitious of; if hereafter Ishall do anything that on the whole a man might rather have done than tohave left undone... Then here I prospectively ascribe all the honourand the glory to whaling; for a whale-ship was my Yale College and myHarvard. '

The record, then, of Melville's escape from the Dolly, otherwise theAcushnet, the sojourn of his companion Toby and himself in the TypeeValley on the island of Nukuheva, Toby's mysterious disappearance, andMelville's own escape, is fully given in the succeeding pages; and rashindeed would he be who would enter into a descriptive contest with theseinimitable pictures of aboriginal life in the 'Happy Valley. ' So greatan interest has always centred in the character of Toby, whose actualexistence has been questioned, that I am glad to be able to declare himan authentic personage, by name Richard T. Greene. He was enabled todiscover himself again to Mr. Melville through the publication of thepresent volume, and their acquaintance was renewed, lasting for quitea long period. I have seen his portrait, --a rare old daguerrotype, --andsome of his letters to our author. One of his children was named for thelatter, but Mr. Melville lost trace of him in recent years. 

With the author's rescue from what Dr. T. M. Coan has styled his'anxious paradise, ' 'Typee' ends, and its sequel, 'Omoo, ' begins. Here, again, it seems wisest to leave the remaining adventures in the SouthSeas to the reader's own discovery, simply stating that, after a sojournat the Society Islands, Melville shipped for Honolulu. There he remainedfor four months, employed as a clerk. He joined the crew of the Americanfrigate United States, which reached Boston, stopping on the way at oneof the Peruvian ports, in October of 1844. Once more was a narrativeof his experiences to be preserved in 'White Jacket; or, the World ina Man-of-War. ' Thus, of Melville's four most important books, three, 'Typee, ' 'Omoo, ' and 'White-Jacket, ' are directly auto biographical, and 'Moby Dick' is partially so; while the less important 'Redburn' isbetween the two classes in this respect. Melville's other prose works, as will be shown, were, with some exceptions, unsuccessful efforts atcreative romance. 

Whether our author entered on his whaling adventures in the South Seaswith a determination to make them available for literary purposes, maynever be certainly known. There was no such elaborate announcement oradvance preparation as in some later cases. I am inclined to believethat the literary prospect was an after-thought, and that this insureda freshness and enthusiasm of style not otherwise to be attained. Returning to his mother's home at Lansingburg, Melville soon began thewriting of 'Typee, ' which was completed by the autumn of 1845. Shortlyafter this his older brother, Gansevoort Melville, sailed for Englandas secretary of legation to Ambassador McLane, and the manuscript wasintrusted to Gansevoort for submission to John Murray. Its immediateacceptance and publication followed in 1846. 'Typee' was dedicated toChief Justice Lemuel Shaw of Massachusetts, an old friendship betweenthe author's family and that of Justice Shaw having been renewed aboutthis time. Mr. Melville became engaged to Miss Elizabeth Shaw, the onlydaughter of the Chief Justice, and their marriage followed on August 4, 1847, in Boston. 

The wanderings of our nautical Othello were thus brought to aconclusion. Mr. And Mrs. Melville resided in New York City until 1850, when they purchased a farmhouse at Pittsfield, their farm adjoining thatformerly owned by Mr. Melville's uncle, which had been inherited by thelatter's son. The new place was named 'Arrow Head, ' from the numerousIndian antiquities found in the neighbourhood. The house was so situatedas to command an uninterrupted view of Greylock Mountain and theadjacent hills. Here Melville remained for thirteen years, occupiedwith his writing, and managing his farm. An article in Putnam's Monthlyentitled 'I and My Chimney, ' another called 'October Mountain, ' and theintroduction to the 'Piazza Tales, ' present faithful pictures of ArrowHead and its surroundings. In a letter to Nathaniel Hawthorne, givenin 'Nathaniel Hawthorne and His Wife, ' his daily life is set forth. Theletter is dated June 1, 1851. 

'Since you have been here I have been building some shanties of houses(connected with the old one), and likewise some shanties of chapters andessays. I have been ploughing and sowing and raising and printing andpraying, and now begin to come out upon a less bristling time, and toenjoy the calm prospect of things from a fair piazza at the north of theold farmhouse here. Not entirely yet, though, am I without something tobe urgent with. The 'Whale' is only half through the press; for, weariedwith the long delays of the printers, and disgusted with the heatand dust of the Babylonish brick-kiln of New York, I came back to thecountry to feel the grass, and end the book reclining on it, if I may. '

Mr. Hawthorne, who was then living in the red cottage at Lenox, hada week at Arrow Head with his daughter Una the previous spring. It isrecorded that the friends 'spent most of the time in the barn, bathingin the early spring sunshine, which streamed through the open doors, and talking philosophy. ' According to Mr. J. E. A. Smith's volume on theBerkshire Hills, these gentlemen, both reserved in nature, though nearneighbours and often in the same company, were inclined to be shy ofeach other, partly, perhaps, through the knowledge that Melville hadwritten a very appreciative review of 'Mosses from an Old Manse' for theNew York Literary World, edited by their mutual friends, the Duyckincks. 'But one day, ' writes Mr. Smith, 'it chanced that when they were out ona picnic excursion, the two were compelled by a thundershower to takeshelter in a narrow recess of the rocks of Monument Mountain. Two hoursof this enforced intercourse settled the matter. They learned so muchof each other's character, ... That the most intimate friendship forthe future was inevitable. ' A passage in Hawthorne's 'Wonder Book'is noteworthy as describing the number of literary neighbours inBerkshire:--

'For my part, I wish I had Pegasus here at this moment, ' said thestudent. 'I would mount him forthwith, and gallop about the countrywithin a circumference of a few miles, making literary calls on mybrother authors. Dr. Dewey would be within ray reach, at the foot ofthe Taconic. In Stockbridge, yonder, is Mr. James [G. P. R. James], conspicuous to all the world on his mountain-pile of history andromance. Longfellow, I believe, is not yet at the Oxbow, else the wingedhorse would neigh at him. But here in Lenox I should find our mosttruthful novelist [Miss Sedgwick], who has made the scenery and lifeof Berkshire all her own. On the hither side of Pittsfield sits HermanMelville, shaping out the gigantic conception of his 'White Whale, 'while the gigantic shadow of Greylock looms upon him from his studywindow. Another bound of my flying steed would bring me to the door ofHolmes, whom I mention last, because Pegasus would certainly unseat methe next minute, and claim the poet as his rider. '

While at Pittsfield, Mr. Melville was induced to enter the lecturefield. From 1857 to 1860 he filled many engagements in the lyceums, chiefly speaking of his adventures in the South Seas. He lecturedin cities as widely apart as Montreal, Chicago, Baltimore, and SanFrancisco, sailing to the last-named place in 1860, by way of CapeHorn, on the Meteor, commanded, by his younger brother, Captain ThomasMelville, afterward governor of the 'Sailor's Snug Harbor' at StatenIsland, N. Y. Besides his voyage to San Francisco, he had, in 1849 and1856, visited England, the Continent, and the Holy Land, partly tosuperintend the publication of English editions of his works, and partlyfor recreation. 

A pronounced feature of Melville's character was his unwillingness tospeak of himself, his adventures, or his writings in conversation. Hewas, however, able to overcome this reluctance on the lecture platform. Our author's tendency to philosophical discussion is strikingly setforth in a letter from Dr. Titus Munson Coan to the latter's mother, written while a student at Williams College over thirty years ago, and fortunately preserved by her. Dr. Coan enjoyed the friendship andconfidence of Mr. Melville during most of his residence in New York. Theletter reads:--

'I have made my first literary pilgrimage, a call upon Herman Melville, the renowned author of 'Typee, ' etc. He lives in a spacious farmhouseabout two miles from Pittsfield, a weary walk through the dust. But itas well repaid. I introduced myself as a Hawaiian-American, and soonfound myself in full tide of talk, or rather of monologue. But he wouldnot repeat the experiences of which I had been reading with rapture inhis books. In vain I sought to hear of Typee and those paradise islands, but he preferred to pour forth his philosophy and his theories oflife. The shade of Aristotle arose like a cold mist between myself andFayaway. We have quite enough of deep philosophy at Williams College, and I confess I was disappointed in this trend of the talk. But whata talk it was! Melville is transformed from a Marquesan to a gypsystudent, the gypsy element still remaining strong within him. And thiscontradiction gives him the air of one who has suffered from opposition, both literary and social. With his liberal views, he is apparentlyconsidered by the good people of Pittsfield as little better than acannibal or a 'beach-comber. ' His attitude seemed to me something likethat of Ishmael; but perhaps I judged hastily. I managed to draw him outvery freely on everything but the Marquesas Islands, and when I left himhe was in full tide of discourse on all things sacred and profane. Buthe seems to put away the objective side of his life, and to shut himselfup in this cold north as a cloistered thinker. '

I have been told by Dr. Coan that his father, the Rev. Titus Coan, ofthe Hawaiian Islands, personally visited the Marquesas group, foundthe Typee Valley, and verified in all respects the statements madein 'Typee. ' It is known that Mr. Melville from early manhood indulgeddeeply in philosophical studies, and his fondness for discussing suchmatters is pointed out by Hawthorne also, in the 'English Note Books. 'This habit increased as he advanced in years, if possible. 

The chief event of the residence in Pittsfield was the completion andpublication of 'Moby Dick; or, the Whale, ' in 1851. How many young menhave been drawn to sea by this book is a question of interest. Meetingwith Mr. Charles Henry Webb ('John Paul') the day after Mr. Melville'sdeath, I asked him if he were not familiar with that author's writings. He replied that 'Moby Dick' was responsible for his three years of lifebefore the mast when a lad, and added that while 'gamming' on boardanother vessel he had once fallen in with a member of the boat's crewwhich rescued Melville from his friendly imprisonment among the Typees. 

While at Pittsfield, besides his own family, Mr. Melville's motherand sisters resided with him. As his four children grew up he foundit necessary to obtain for them better facilities for study than thevillage school afforded; and so, several years after, the household wasbroken up, and he removed with his wife and children to the New Yorkhouse that was afterwards his home. This house belonged to his brotherAllan, and was exchanged for the estate at Pittsfield. In December, 1866, he was appointed by Mr. H. A. Smyth, a former travelling companionin Europe, a district officer in the New York Custom House. He held theposition until 1886, preferring it to in-door clerical work, and thenresigned, the duties becoming too arduous for his failing strength. 

In addition to his philosophical studies, Mr. Melville was muchinterested in all matters relating to the fine arts, and devoted most ofhis leisure hours to the two subjects. A notable collection of etchingsand engravings from the old masters was gradually made by him, thosefrom Claude's paintings being a specialty. After he retired from theCustom House, his tall, stalwart figure could be seen almost dailytramping through the Fort George district or Central Park, his rovinginclination leading him to obtain as much out-door life as possible. His evenings were spent at home with his books, his pictures, and hisfamily, and usually with them alone; for, in spite of the melodramaticdeclarations of various English gentlemen, Melville's seclusion in hislatter years, and in fact throughout his life, was a matter of personalchoice. More and more, as he grew older, he avoided every action on hispart, and on the part of his family, that might tend to keep his nameand writings before the public. A few friends felt at liberty to visitthe recluse, and were kindly welcomed, but he himself sought no one. Hisfavorite companions were his grandchildren, with whom he delighted topass his time, and his devoted wife, who was a constant assistant andadviser in his literary work, chiefly done at this period for hisown amusement. To her he addressed his last little poem, the touching'Return of the Sire de Nesle. ' Various efforts were made by the New Yorkliterary colony to draw him from his retirement, but without success. It has been suggested that he might have accepted a magazine editorship, but this is doubtful, as he could not bear business details or routinework of any sort. His brother Allan was a New York lawyer, and until hisdeath, in 1872, managed Melville's affairs with ability, particularlythe literary accounts. 

During these later years he took great pleasure in a friendlycorrespondence with Mr. W. Clark Russell. Mr. Russell had taken manyoccasions to mention Melville's sea-tales, his interest in them, and hisindebtedness to them. The latter felt impelled to write Mr. Russell inregard to one of his newly published novels, and received in answer thefollowing letter:

July 21, 1886. 

MY DEAR Mr. MELVILLE, Your letter has given me a very great and singularpleasure. Your delightful books carry the imagination into a maritimeperiod so remote that, often as you have been in my mind, I couldnever satisfy myself that you were still amongst the living. I am glad, indeed, to learn from Mr. Toft that you are still hale and hearty, and Ido most heartily wish you many years yet of health and vigour. 

Your books I have in the American edition. I have 'Typee, 'Omoo, ''Redburn, ' and that noble piece 'Moby Dick. ' These are all I have beenable to obtain. There have been many editions of your works in thiscountry, particularly the lovely South Sea sketches; but the editionsare not equal to those of the American publishers. Your reputation hereis very great. It is hard to meet a man whose opinion as a reader isworth leaving who does not speak of your works in such terms as hemight hesitate to employ, with all his patriotism, toward many renownedEnglish writers. 

Dana is, indeed, great. There is nothing in literature more remarkablethan the impression produced by Dana's portraiture of the homely innerlife of a little brig's forecastle. 

I beg that you will accept my thanks for the kindly spirit in which youhave read my books. I wish it were in my power to cross the Atlantic, for you assuredly would be the first whom it would be my happiness tovisit. 

The condition of my right hand obliges me to dictate this to my son;but painful as it is to me to hold a pen, I cannot suffer this letterto reach the hands of a man of so admirable genitis as Herman Melvillewithout begging him to believe me to be, with my own hand, his mostrespectful and hearty admirer, W. Clark Russell. 

It should be noted here that Melville's increased reputation in Englandat the period of this letter was chiefly owing to a series of articleson his work written by Mr. Russell. I am sorry to say that few Englishpapers made more than a passing reference to Melville's death. TheAmerican press discussed his life and work in numerous and lengthyreviews. At the same time, there always has been a steady sale of hisbooks in England, and some of them never have been out of print in thatcountry since the publication of 'Typee. ' One result of this friendshipbetween the two authors was the dedication of new volumes to each otherin highly complimentary terms--Mr. Melville's 'John Marr and OtherSailors, ' of which twenty-five copies only were printed, on the onehand, and Mr. Russell's 'An Ocean Tragedy, ' on the other, of which manythousand have been printed, not to mention unnumbered pirated copies. 

Beside Hawthorne, Mr. Richard Henry Stoddard, of American writers, specially knew and appreciated Herman Melville. Mr. Stoddard wasconnected with the New York dock department at the time of Mr. Melville's appointment to a custom-house position, and they at oncebecame acquainted. For a good many years, during the period in whichour author remained in seclusion, much that appeared in print in Americaconcerning Melville came from the pen of Mr. Stoddard. Nevertheless, the sailor author's presence in New York was well known to the literaryguild. He was invited to join in all new movements, but as often feltobliged to excuse himself from doing so. The present writer lived forsome time within a short distance of his house, but found no opportunityto meet him until it became necessary to obtain his portrait for ananthology in course of publication. The interview was brief, and theinterviewer could not help feeling although treated with pleasantcourtesy, that more important matters were in hand than the perpetuationof a romancer's countenance to future generations; but a friendly familyacquaintance grew up from the incident, and will remain an abidingmemory. 

Mr. Melville died at his home in New York City early on the morning ofSeptember 28, 1891. His serious illness had lasted a number ofmonths, so that the end came as a release. True to his ruling passion, philosophy had claimed him to the last, a set of Schopenhauer's worksreceiving his attention when able to study; but this was varied withreadings in the 'Mermaid Series' of old plays, in which he took muchpleasure. His library, in addition to numerous works on philosophy andthe fine arts, was composed of standard books of all classes, including, of course, a proportion of nautical literature. Especially interestingare fifteen or twenty first editions of Hawthorne's books inscribed toMr. And Mrs. Melville by the author and his wife. 

The immediate acceptance of 'Typee' by John Murray was followed by anarrangement with the London agent of an American publisher, for itssimultaneous publication in the United States. I understand that Murraydid not then publish fiction. At any rate, the book was accepted by himon the assurance of Gansevoort Melville that it contained nothing notactually experienced by his brother. Murray brought it out early in1846, in his Colonial and Home Library, as 'A Narrative of a FourMonths' Residence among the Natives of a Valley of the MarquesasIslands; or, a Peep at Polynesian Life, ' or, more briefly, 'Melville'sMarquesas Islands. ' It was issued in America with the author's owntitle, 'Typee, ' and in the outward shape of a work of fiction. Mr. Melville found himself famous at once. Many discussions were carried onas to the genuineness of the author's name and the reality of the eventsportrayed, but English and American critics alike recognised the book'simportance as a contribution to literature. 

Melville, in a letter to Hawthorne, speaks of himself as having nodevelopment at all until his twenty-fifth year, the time of his returnfrom the Pacific; but surely the process of development must have beenwell advanced to permit of so virile and artistic a creation as 'Typee. 'While the narrative does not always run smoothly, yet the style for themost part is graceful and alluring, so that we pass from one scene ofPacific enchantment to another quite oblivious of the vast amount ofdescriptive detail which is being poured out upon us. It is the varyingfortune of the hero which engrosses our attention. We follow hisadventures with breathless interest, or luxuriate with him in the leafybowers of the 'Happy Valley, ' surrounded by joyous children of nature. When all is ended, we then for the first time realise that we know thesepeople and their ways as if we too had dwelt among them. 

I do not believe that 'Typee' will ever lose its position as a classicof American Literature. The pioneer in South Sea romance--forthe mechanical descriptions of earlier voyagers are not worthy ofcomparison--this book has as yet met with no superior, even in Frenchliterature; nor has it met with a rival in any other language than theFrench. The character of 'Fayaway, ' and, no less, William S. Mayo's'Kaloolah, ' the enchanting dreams of many a youthful heart, will retaintheir charm; and this in spite of endless variations by modern explorersin the same domain. A faint type of both characters may be found in theSurinam Yarico of Captain John Gabriel Stedman, whose 'Narrative of aFive Years' Expedition' appeared in 1796. 

'Typee, ' as written, contained passages reflecting with considerableseverity on the methods pursued by missionaries in the South Seas. Themanuscript was printed in a complete form in England, and created muchdiscussion on this account, Melville being accused of bitterness; but heasserted his lack of prejudice. The passages referred to were omitted inthe first and all subsequent American editions. They have been restoredin the present issue, which is complete save for a few paragraphsexcluded by written direction of the author. I have, with the consentof his family, changed the long and cumbersome sub-title of the book, calling it a 'Real-Romance of the South Seas, ' as best expressing itsnature. 

The success of his first volume encouraged Melville to proceed in hiswork, and 'Omoo, ' the sequel to 'Typee, ' appeared in England and Americain 1847. Here we leave, for the most part, the dreamy pictures of islandlife, and find ourselves sharing the extremely realistic discomforts ofa Sydney whaler in the early forties. The rebellious crew's experiencesin the Society Islands are quite as realistic as events on board shipand very entertaining, while the whimsical character, Dr. Long Ghost, next to Captain Ahab in 'Moby Dick, ' is Melville's most strikingdelineation. The errors of the South Sea missions are pointed out witheven more force than in 'Typee, ' and it is a fact that both these bookshave ever since been of the greatest value to outgoing missionaries onaccount of the exact information contained in them with respect to theislanders. 

Melville's power in describing and investing with romance scenes andincidents witnessed and participated in by himself, and his frequentfailure of success as an inventor of characters and situations, wereearly pointed out by his critics. More recently Mr. Henry S. Salthas drawn the same distinction very carefully in an excellent articlecontributed to the Scottish Art Review. In a prefatory note to 'Mardi'(1849), Melville declares that, as his former books have been receivedas romance instead of reality, he will now try his hand at pure fiction. 'Mardi' may be called a splendid failure. It must have been soon afterthe completion of 'Omoo' that Melville began to study the writings ofSir Thomas Browne. Heretofore our author's style was rough in places, but marvellously simple and direct. 'Mardi' is burdened with anover-rich diction, which Melville never entirely outgrew. The sceneof this romance, which opens well, is laid in the South Seas, buteverything soon becomes overdrawn and fantastical, and the thread of thestory loses itself in a mystical allegory. 

'Redburn, ' already mentioned, succeeded 'Mardi' in the same year, andwas a partial return to the author's earlier style. In 'White-Jacket;or, the World in a Man-of-War' (1850), Melville almost regained it. Thisbook has no equal as a picture of life aboard a sailing man-of-war, thelights and shadows of naval existence being well contrasted. 

With 'Moby Dick; or, the Whale' (1851), Melville reached the topmostnotch of his fame. The book represents, to a certain extent, theconflict between the author's earlier and later methods of composition, but the gigantic conception of the 'White Whale, ' as Hawthorne expressedit, permeates the whole work, and lifts it bodily into the highestdomain of romance. 'Moby Dick' contains an immense amount of informationconcerning the habits of the whale and the methods of its capture, butthis is characteristically introduced in a way not to interfere withthe narrative. The chapter entitled 'Stubb Kills a Whale' ranks with thechoicest examples of descriptive literature. 

'Moby Dick' appeared, and Melville enjoyed to the full the enhancedreputation it brought him. He did not, however, take warning from'Mardi, ' but allowed himself to plunge more deeply into the sea ofphilosophy and fantasy. 

'Pierre; or, the Ambiguities' (1852) was published, and there ensueda long series of hostile criticisms, ending with a severe, thoughimpartial, article by Fitz-James O'Brien in Putnam's Monthly. About thesame time the whole stock of the author's books was destroyed by fire, keeping them out of print at a critical moment; and public interest, which until then had been on the increase, gradually began to diminish. 

After this Mr. Melville contributed several short stories to Putnam'sMonthly and Harper's Magazine. Those in the former periodical werecollected in a volume as Piazza Tales (1856); and of these 'BenitoCereno' and 'The Bell Tower' are equal to his best previous efforts. 

'Israel Potter: His Fifty Years of Exile' (1855), first printed as aserial in Putnam's, is an historical romance of the American Revolution, based on the hero's own account of his adventures, as given in a littlevolume picked up by Mr. Melville at a book-stall. The story is welltold, but the book is hardly worthy of the author of 'Typee. ' 'TheConfidence Man' (1857), his last serious effort in prose fiction, doesnot seem to require criticism. 

Mr. Melville's pen had rested for nearly ten years, when it was againtaken up to celebrate the events of the Civil War. 'Battle Pieces andAspects of the War' appeared in 1866. Most of these poems originated, according to the author, in an impulse imparted by the fall of Richmond;but they have as subjects all the chief incidents of the struggle. Thebest of them are 'The Stone Fleet, ' 'In the Prison Pen, ' 'The CollegeColonel, ' 'The March to the Sea, ' 'Running the Batteries, ' and 'Sheridanat Cedar Creek. ' Some of these had a wide circulation in the press, andwere preserved in various anthologies. 'Clarel, a Poem and Pilgrimagein the Holy Land' (1876), is a long mystical poem requiring, as some onehas said, a dictionary, a cyclopaedia, and a copy of the Bible for itselucidation. In the two privately printed volumes, the arrangement ofwhich occupied Mr. Melville during his last illness, there are severalfine lyrics. The titles of these books are, 'John Marr and OtherSailors' (1888), and 'Timoleon' (1891). 

There is no question that Mr. Melville's absorption in philosophicalstudies was quite as responsible as the failure of his later books forhis cessation from literary productiveness. That he sometimes realisedthe situation will be seen by a passage in 'Moby Dick':--

'Didn't I tell you so?' said Flask. 'Yes, you'll soon see this rightwhale's head hoisted up opposite that parmacetti's. '

'In good time Flask's saying proved true. As before, the Pequod steeplyleaned over towards the sperm whale's head, now, by the counterpoise ofboth heads, she regained her own keel, though sorely strained, you maywell believe. So, when on one side you hoist in Locke's head, you goover that way; but now, on the other side, hoist in Kant's and youcome back again; but in very poor plight. Thus, some minds forever keeptrimming boat. Oh, ye foolish! throw all these thunderheads overboard, and then you will float right and light. '

Mr. Melville would have been more than mortal if he had been indifferentto his loss of popularity. Yet he seemed contented to preserve anentirely independent attitude, and to trust to the verdict of thefuture. The smallest amount of activity would have kept him before thepublic; but his reserve would not permit this. That reinstatement of hisreputation cannot be doubted. 

In the editing of this reissue of 'Melville's Works, ' I have beenmuch indebted to the scholarly aid of Dr. Titus Munson Coan, whosefamiliarity with the languages of the Pacific has enabled me toharmonise the spelling of foreign words in 'Typee' and 'Omoo, ' thoughwithout changing the phonetic method of printing adopted by Mr. Melville. Dr. Coan has also been most helpful with suggestions in otherdirections. Finally, the delicate fancy of La Fargehas supplemented theimmortal pen-portrait of the Typee maiden with a speaking impersonationof her beauty. 

New York, June, 1892. 

TYPEE

CHAPTER ONE

THE SEA--LONGINGS FOR SHORE--A LAND-SICK SHIP--DESTINATION OF THEVOYAGERS--THE MARQUESAS--ADVENTURE OF A MISSIONARY'S WIFE AMONG THESAVAGES--CHARACTERISTIC ANECDOTE OF THE QUEEN OF NUKUHEVA

Six months at sea! Yes, reader, as I live, six months out of sight ofland; cruising after the sperm-whale beneath the scorching sun of theLine, and tossed on the billows of the wide-rolling Pacific--the skyabove, the sea around, and nothing else! Weeks and weeks ago our freshprovisions were all exhausted. There is not a sweet potato left; not asingle yam. Those glorious bunches of bananas, which once decoratedour stern and quarter-deck, have, alas, disappeared! and the deliciousoranges which hung suspended from our tops and stays--they, too, aregone! Yes, they are all departed, and there is nothing left us butsalt-horse and sea-biscuit. Oh! ye state-room sailors, who make somuch ado about a fourteen-days' passage across the Atlantic; who sopathetically relate the privations and hardships of the sea, where, after a day of breakfasting, lunching, dining off five courses, chatting, playing whist, and drinking champagne-punch, it was your hardlot to be shut up in little cabinets of mahogany and maple, and sleepfor ten hours, with nothing to disturb you but 'those good-for-nothingtars, shouting and tramping overhead', --what would ye say to our sixmonths out of sight of land?

Oh! for a refreshing glimpse of one blade of grass--for a snuff at thefragrance of a handful of the loamy earth! Is there nothing fresh aroundus? Is there no green thing to be seen? Yes, the inside of our bulwarksis painted green; but what a vile and sickly hue it is, as if nothingbearing even the semblance of verdure could flourish this weary way fromland. Even the bark that once clung to the wood we use for fuel has beengnawed off and devoured by the captain's pig; and so long ago, too, thatthe pig himself has in turn been devoured. 

There is but one solitary tenant in the chicken-coop, once a gay anddapper young cock, bearing him so bravely among the coy hens. 

But look at him now; there he stands, moping all the day long on thateverlasting one leg of his. He turns with disgust from the mouldy cornbefore him, and the brackish water in his little trough. He mourns nodoubt his lost companions, literally snatched from him one by one, andnever seen again. But his days of mourning will be few for Mungo, ourblack cook, told me yesterday that the word had at last gone forth, andpoor Pedro's fate was sealed. His attenuated body will be laid out uponthe captain's table next Sunday, and long before night will be buriedwith all the usual ceremonies beneath that worthy individual's vest. Whowould believe that there could be any one so cruel as to long for thedecapitation of the luckless Pedro; yet the sailors pray every minute, selfish fellows, that the miserable fowl may be brought to his end. Theysay the captain will never point the ship for the land so long as hehas in anticipation a mess of fresh meat. This unhappy bird can alonefurnish it; and when he is once devoured, the captain will come to hissenses. I wish thee no harm, Pedro; but as thou art doomed, sooner orlater, to meet the fate of all thy race; and if putting a period tothy existence is to be the signal for our deliverance, why--truth tospeak--I wish thy throat cut this very moment; for, oh! how I wish tosee the living earth again! The old ship herself longs to look out uponthe land from her hawse-holes once more, and Jack Lewis said right theother day when the captain found fault with his steering. 

'Why d'ye see, Captain Vangs, ' says bold Jack, 'I'm as good a helmsmanas ever put hand to spoke; but none of us can steer the old lady now. Wecan't keep her full and bye, sir; watch her ever so close, she will falloff and then, sir, when I put the helm down so gently, and try like tocoax her to the work, she won't take it kindly, but will fall round offagain; and it's all because she knows the land is under the lee, sir, and she won't go any more to windward. ' Aye, and why should she, Jack?didn't every one of her stout timbers grow on shore, and hasn't shesensibilities; as well as we?

Poor old ship! Her very looks denote her desires! how deplorably sheappears! The paint on her sides, burnt up by the scorching sun, ispuffed out and cracked. See the weeds she trails along with her, andwhat an unsightly bunch of those horrid barnacles has formed about herstern-piece; and every time she rises on a sea, she shows her coppertorn away, or hanging in jagged strips. 

Poor old ship! I say again: for six months she has been rolling andpitching about, never for one moment at rest. But courage, old lass, Ihope to see thee soon within a biscuit's toss of the merry land, ridingsnugly at anchor in some green cove, and sheltered from the boisterouswinds. 

 . . . . . . 

'Hurra, my lads! It's a settled thing; next week we shape our course tothe Marquesas!' The Marquesas! What strange visions of outlandish thingsdoes the very name spirit up! Naked houris--cannibal banquets--grovesof cocoanut--coral reefs--tattooed chiefs--and bamboo temples; sunnyvalleys planted with bread-fruit-trees--carved canoes dancing onthe flashing blue waters--savage woodlands guarded by horribleidols--HEATHENISH RITES AND HUMAN SACRIFICES. 

Such were the strangely jumbled anticipations that haunted me during ourpassage from the cruising ground. I felt an irresistible curiosity tosee those islands which the olden voyagers had so glowingly described. 

The group for which we were now steering (although among the earliest ofEuropean discoveries in the South Seas, having been first visited inthe year 1595) still continues to be tenanted by beings as strangeand barbarous as ever. The missionaries sent on a heavenly errand, hadsailed by their lovely shores, and had abandoned them to their idols ofwood and stone. How interesting the circumstances under which they werediscovered! In the watery path of Mendanna, cruising in quest of someregion of gold, these isles had sprung up like a scene of enchantment, and for a moment the Spaniard believed his bright dream was realized. 

In honour of the Marquess de Mendoza, then viceroy of Peru--under whoseauspices the navigator sailed--he bestowed upon them the name whichdenoted the rank of his patron, and gave to the world on his returna vague and magnificent account of their beauty. But these islands, undisturbed for years, relapsed into their previous obscurity; and it isonly recently that anything has been known concerning them. Once in thecourse of a half century, to be sure, some adventurous rover would breakin upon their peaceful repose, and astonished at the unusual scene, would be almost tempted to claim the merit of a new discovery. 

Of this interesting group, but little account has ever been given, ifwe except the slight mention made of them in the sketches of South-Seavoyages. Cook, in his repeated circumnavigations of the globe, barelytouched at their shores; and all that we know about them is from a fewgeneral narratives. 

Among these, there are two that claim particular notice. Porter's'Journal of the Cruise of the U. S. Frigate Essex, in the Pacific, during the late War', is said to contain some interesting particularsconcerning the islanders. This is a work, however, which I have neverhappened to meet with; and Stewart, the chaplain of the American sloopof war Vincennes, has likewise devoted a portion of his book, entitled'A Visit to the South Seas', to the same subject. 

Within the last few, years American and English vessels engaged in theextensive whale fisheries of the Pacific have occasionally, when shortof provisions, put into the commodious harbour which there is in one ofthe islands; but a fear of the natives, founded on the recollection ofthe dreadful fate which many white men have received at their hands, hasdeterred their crews from intermixing with the population sufficientlyto gain any insight into their peculiar customs and manners. 

The Protestant Missions appear to have despaired of reclaiming theseislands from heathenism. The usage they have in every case received fromthe natives has been such as to intimidate the boldest of their number. Ellis, in his 'Polynesian Researches', gives some interesting accountsof the abortive attempts made by the ''Tahiti Mission'' to establish abranch Mission upon certain islands of the group. A short time beforemy visit to the Marquesas, a somewhat amusing incident took place inconnection with these efforts, which I cannot avoid relating. 

An intrepid missionary, undaunted by the ill-success that had attendedall previous endeavours to conciliate the savages, and believing muchin the efficacy of female influence, introduced among them his young andbeautiful wife, the first white woman who had ever visited their shores. The islanders at first gazed in mute admiration at so unusual a prodigy, and seemed inclined to regard it as some new divinity. But after a shorttime, becoming familiar with its charming aspect, and jealous of thefolds which encircled its form, they sought to pierce the sacred veilof calico in which it was enshrined, and in the gratification of theircuriosity so far overstepped the limits of good breeding, as deeplyto offend the lady's sense of decorum. Her sex once ascertained, theiridolatry was changed into contempt and there was no end to the contumelyshowered upon her by the savages, who were exasperated at the deceptionwhich they conceived had been practised upon them. To the horror ofher affectionate spouse, she was stripped of her garments, and given tounderstand that she could no longer carry on her deceits with impunity. The gentle dame was not sufficiently evangelical to endure this, and, fearful of further improprieties, she forced her husband to relinquishhis undertaking, and together they returned to Tahiti. 

Not thus shy of exhibiting her charms was the Island Queen herself, thebeauteous wife of Movianna, the king of Nukuheva. Between two and threeyears after the adventures recorded in this volume, I chanced, whileaboard of a man-of-war to touch at these islands. The French hadthen held possession of the Marquesas some time, and already pridedthemselves upon the beneficial effects of their jurisdiction, asdiscernible in the deportment of the natives. To be sure, in one oftheir efforts at reform they had slaughtered about a hundred and fiftyof them at Whitihoo--but let that pass. At the time I mention, theFrench squadron was rendezvousing in the bay of Nukuheva, and during aninterview between one of their captains and our worthy Commodore, itwas suggested by the former, that we, as the flag-ship of the Americansquadron, should receive, in state, a visit from the royal pair. TheFrench officer likewise represented, with evident satisfaction, thatunder their tuition the king and queen had imbibed proper notions oftheir elevated station, and on all ceremonious occasions conductedthemselves with suitable dignity. Accordingly, preparations were made togive their majesties a reception on board in a style corresponding withtheir rank. 

One bright afternoon, a gig, gaily bedizened with streamers, wasobserved to shove off from the side of one of the French frigates, andpull directly for our gangway. In the stern sheets reclined Mowanna andhis consort. As they approached, we paid them all the honours clue toroyalty;--manning our yards, firing a salute, and making a prodigioushubbub. 

They ascended the accommodation ladder, were greeted by the Commodore, hat in hand, and passing along the quarter-deck, the marine guardpresented arms, while the band struck up 'The King of the CannibalIslands'. So far all went well. The French officers grimaced and smiledin exceedingly high spirits, wonderfully pleased with the discreetmanner in which these distinguished personages behaved themselves. 

Their appearance was certainly calculated to produce an effect. Hismajesty was arrayed in a magnificent military uniform, stiff with goldlace and embroidery, while his shaven crown was concealed by a hugechapeau bras, waving with ostrich plumes. There was one slight blemish, however, in his appearance. A broad patch of tattooing stretchedcompletely across his face, in a line with his eyes, making him look asif he wore a huge pair of goggles; and royalty in goggles suggested someludicrous ideas. But it was in the adornment of the fair person of hisdark-complexioned spouse that the tailors of the fleet had evinced thegaiety of their national taste. She was habited in a gaudy tissue ofscarlet cloth, trimmed with yellow silk, which, descending a littlebelow the knees, exposed to view her bare legs, embellished with spiraltattooing, and somewhat resembling two miniature Trajan's columns. Uponher head was a fanciful turban of purple velvet, figured with silversprigs, and surmounted by a tuft of variegated feathers. 

The ship's company, crowding into the gangway to view the sight, soonarrested her majesty's attention. She singled out from their number anold salt, whose bare arms and feet, and exposed breast, were coveredwith as many inscriptions in India ink as the lid of an Egyptiansarcophagus. Notwithstanding all the sly hints and remonstrances of theFrench officers, she immediately approached the man, and pulling furtheropen the bosom of his duck frock, and rolling up the leg of his widetrousers, she gazed with admiration at the bright blue and vermilionpricking thus disclosed to view. She hung over the fellow, caressinghim, and expressing her delight in a variety of wild exclamations andgestures. The embarrassment of the polite Gauls at such an unlooked-foroccurrence may be easily imagined, but picture their consternation, whenall at once the royal lady, eager to display the hieroglyphics on herown sweet form, bent forward for a moment, and turning sharply round, threw up the skirt of her mantle and revealed a sight from which theaghast Frenchmen retreated precipitately, and tumbling into their boats, fled the scene of so shocking a catastrophe. 

CHAPTER TWO

PASSAGE FROM THE CRUISING GROUND TO THE MARQUESAS--SLEEPY TIMES ABOARDSHIP--SOUTH SEA SCENERY--LAND HO--THE FRENCH SQUADRON DISCOVERED ATANCHOR IN THE BAY OF NUKUHEVA--STRANGE PILOT--ESCORT OF CANOES--AFLOTILLA OF COCOANUTS--SWIMMING VISITORS--THE DOLLY BOARDED BYTHEM--STATE OF AFFAIRS THAT ENSUE

I CAN never forget the eighteen or twenty days during which the lighttrade-winds were silently sweeping us towards the islands. In pursuit ofthe sperm whale, we had been cruising on the line some twenty degreesto the westward of the Gallipagos; and all that we had to do, when ourcourse was determined on, was to square in the yards and keep the vesselbefore the breeze, and then the good ship and the steady gale did therest between them. The man at the wheel never vexed the old lady withany superfluous steering, but comfortably adjusting his limbs at thetiller, would doze away by the hour. True to her work, the Dolly headedto her course, and like one of those characters who always do best whenlet alone, she jogged on her way like a veteran old sea-pacer as shewas. 

What a delightful, lazy, languid time we had whilst we were thus glidingalong! There was nothing to be done; a circumstance that happilysuited our disinclination to do anything. We abandoned the fore-peakaltogether, and spreading an awning over the forecastle, slept, ate, and lounged under it the live-long day. Every one seemed to be under theinfluence of some narcotic. Even the officers aft, whose duty requiredthem never to be seated while keeping a deck watch, vainly endeavouredto keep on their pins; and were obliged invariably to compromise thematter by leaning up against the bulwarks, and gazing abstractedly overthe side. Reading was out of the question; take a book in your hand, andyou were asleep in an instant. 

Although I could not avoid yielding in a great measure to the generallanguor, still at times I contrived to shake off the spell, and toappreciate the beauty of the scene around me. The sky presented aclear expanse of the most delicate blue, except along the skirts of thehorizon, where you might see a thin drapery of pale clouds which nevervaried their form or colour. The long, measured, dirge-like well ofthe Pacific came rolling along, with its surface broken by little tinywaves, sparkling in the sunshine. Every now and then a shoal of flyingfish, scared from the water under the bows, would leap into the air, and fall the next moment like a shower of silver into the sea. Then youwould see the superb albicore, with his glittering sides, sailing aloft, and often describing an arc in his descent, disappear on the surface ofthe water. Far off, the lofty jet of the whale might be seen, and nearerat hand the prowling shark, that villainous footpad of the seas, wouldcome skulking along, and, at a wary distance, regard us with his evileye. At times, some shapeless monster of the deep, floating on thesurface, would, as we approached, sink slowly into the blue waters, andfade away from the sight. But the most impressive feature of thescene was the almost unbroken silence that reigned over sky and water. Scarcely a sound could be heard but the occasional breathing of thegrampus, and the rippling at the cut-water. 

As we drew nearer the land, I hailed with delight the appearance ofinnumerable sea-fowl. Screaming and whirling in spiral tracks, theywould accompany the vessel, and at times alight on our yards andstays. That piratical-looking fellow, appropriately named theman-of-war's-hawk, with his blood-red bill and raven plumage, wouldcome sweeping round us in gradually diminishing circles, till youcould distinctly mark the strange flashings of his eye; and then, as ifsatisfied with his observation, would sail up into the air and disappearfrom the view. Soon, other evidences of our vicinity to the land wereapparent, and it was not long before the glad announcement of its beingin sight was heard from aloft, --given with that peculiar prolongation ofsound that a sailor loves--'Land ho!'

The captain, darting on deck from the cabin, bawled lustily for hisspy-glass; the mate in still louder accents hailed the masthead with atremendous 'where-away?' The black cook thrust his woolly head from thegalley, and Boatswain, the dog, leaped up between the knight-heads, andbarked most furiously. Land ho! Aye, there it was. A hardly perceptibleblue irregular outline, indicating the bold contour of the lofty heightsof Nukuheva. 

This island, although generally called one of the Marquesas, is by somenavigators considered as forming one of a distinct cluster, comprisingthe islands of Ruhooka, Ropo, and Nukuheva; upon which three theappellation of the Washington Group has been bestowed. They form atriangle, and lie within the parallels of 8 degrees 38" and 9 degrees32" South latitude and 139 degrees 20" and 140 degrees 10" Westlongitude from Greenwich. With how little propriety they are to beregarded as forming a separate group will be at once apparent, whenit is considered that they lie in the immediate vicinity of the otherislands, that is to say, less than a degree to the northwest of them;that their inhabitants speak the Marquesan dialect, and that their laws, religion, and general customs are identical. The only reason why theywere ever thus arbitrarily distinguished may be attributed to thesingular fact, that their existence was altogether unknown to the worlduntil the year 1791, when they were discovered by Captain Ingraham, ofBoston, Massachusetts, nearly two centuries after the discovery of theadjacent islands by the agent of the Spanish Viceroy. Notwithstandingthis, I shall follow the example of most voyagers, and treat of them asforming part and parcel of Marquesas. 

Nukuheva is the most important of these islands, being the only oneat which ships are much in the habit of touching, and is celebrated asbeing the place where the adventurous Captain Porter refitted his shipsduring the late war between England and the United States, and whence hesallied out upon the large whaling fleet then sailing under the enemy'sflag in the surrounding seas. This island is about twenty miles inlength and nearly as many in breadth. It has three good harbours on itscoast; the largest and best of which is called by the people livingin its vicinity 'Taiohae', and by Captain Porter was denominatedMassachusetts Bay. Among the adverse tribes dwelling about the shores ofthe other bays, and by all voyagers, it is generally known by the namebestowed upon the island itself--Nukuheva. Its inhabitants have becomesomewhat corrupted, owing to their recent commerce with Europeans, butso far as regards their peculiar customs and general mode of life, theyretain their original primitive character, remaining very nearly in thesame state of nature in which they were first beheld by white men. Thehostile clans, residing in the more remote sections of the island, andvery seldom holding any communication with foreigners, are in everyrespect unchanged from their earliest known condition. 

In the bay of Nukuheva was the anchorage we desired to reach. We hadperceived the loom of the mountains about sunset; so that after runningall night with a very light breeze, we found ourselves close in withthe island the next morning, but as the bay we sought lay on its fartherside, we were obliged to sail some distance along the shore, catching, as we proceeded, short glimpses of blooming valleys, deep glens, waterfalls, and waving groves hidden here and there by projecting androcky headlands, every moment opening to the view some new and startlingscene of beauty. 

Those who for the first time visit the South Sea, generally aresurprised at the appearance of the islands when beheld from the sea. From the vague accounts we sometimes have of their beauty, many peopleare apt to picture to themselves enamelled and softly swelling plains, shaded over with delicious groves, and watered by purling brooks, andthe entire country but little elevated above the surrounding ocean. Thereality is very different; bold rock-bound coasts, with the surf beatinghigh against the lofty cliffs, and broken here and there into deepinlets, which open to the view thickly-wooded valleys, separated by thespurs of mountains clothed with tufted grass, and sweeping down towardsthe sea from an elevated and furrowed interior, form the principalfeatures of these islands. 

Towards noon we drew abreast the entrance go the harbour, and at lastwe slowly swept by the intervening promontory, and entered the bay ofNukuheva. No description can do justice to its beauty; but that beautywas lost to me then, and I saw nothing but the tri-coloured flag ofFrance trailing over the stern of six vessels, whose black hulls andbristling broadsides proclaimed their warlike character. There theywere, floating in that lovely bay, the green eminences of the shorelooking down so tranquilly upon them, as if rebuking the sternness oftheir aspect. To my eye nothing could be more out of keeping than thepresence of these vessels; but we soon learnt what brought themthere. The whole group of islands had just been taken possession ofby Rear-Admiral Du Petit Thouars, in the name of the invincible Frenchnation. 

This item of information was imparted to us by a most extraordinaryindividual, a genuine South-Sea vagabond, who came alongside of us ina whale-boat as soon as we entered the bay, and, by the aid of somebenevolent persons at the gangway, was assisted on board, for ourvisitor was in that interesting stage of intoxication when a man isamiable and helpless. Although he was utterly unable to stand erect orto navigate his body across the deck, he still magnanimously profferedhis services to pilot the ship to a good and secure anchorage. Ourcaptain, however, rather distrusted his ability in this respect, andrefused to recognize his claim to the character he assumed; butour gentleman was determined to play his part, for, by dint of muchscrambling, he succeeded in getting into the weather-quarter boat, where he steadied himself by holding on to a shroud, and then commencedissuing his commands with amazing volubility and very peculiar gestures. Of course no one obeyed his orders; but as it was impossible to quiethim, we swept by the ships of the squadron with this strange fellowperforming his antics in full view of all the French officers. 

We afterwards learned that our eccentric friend had been a lieutenant inthe English navy; but having disgraced his flag by some criminal conductin one of the principal ports on the main, he had deserted his ship, and spent many years wandering among the islands of the Pacific, untilaccidentally being at Nukuheva when the French took possession ofthe place, he had been appointed pilot of the harbour by the newlyconstituted authorities. 

As we slowly advanced up the bay, numerous canoes pushed off from thesurrounding shores, and we were soon in the midst of quite a flotillaof them, their savage occupants struggling to get aboard of us, andjostling one another in their ineffectual attempts. Occasionally theprojecting out-riggers of their slight shallops running foul of oneanother, would become entangled beneath the water, threatening tocapsize the canoes, when a scene of confusion would ensue that bafflesdescription. Such strange outcries and passionate gesticulations I nevercertainly heard or saw before. You would have thought the islanders wereon the point of flying at each other's throats, whereas they were onlyamicably engaged in disentangling their boats. 

Scattered here and there among the canoes might be seen numbers ofcocoanuts floating closely together in circular groups, and bobbing upand down with every wave. By some inexplicable means these cocoanutswere all steadily approaching towards the ship. As I leaned curiouslyover the side, endeavouring to solve their mysterious movements, onemass far in advance of the rest attracted my attention. In its centrewas something I could take for nothing else than a cocoanut, but whichI certainly considered one of the most extraordinary specimens of thefruit I had ever seen. It kept twirling and dancing about among the restin the most singular manner, and as it drew nearer I thought it bore aremarkable resemblance to the brown shaven skull of one of the savages. Presently it betrayed a pair of eyes, and soon I became aware that whatI had supposed to have been one of the fruit was nothing else than thehead of an islander, who had adopted this singular method of bringinghis produce to market. The cocoanuts were all attached to one anotherby strips of the husk, partly torn from the shell and rudely fastenedtogether. Their proprietor inserting his head into the midst of them, impelled his necklace of cocoanuts through the water by striking outbeneath the surface with his feet. 

I was somewhat astonished to perceive that among the number of nativesthat surrounded us, not a single female was to be seen. At that time Iwas ignorant of the fact that by the operation of the 'taboo' the use ofcanoes in all parts of the island is rigorously prohibited to the entiresex, for whom it is death even to be seen entering one when hauled onshore; consequently, whenever a Marquesan lady voyages by water, sheputs in requisition the paddles of her own fair body. 

We had approached within a mile and a half perhaps of this foot ofthe bay, when some of the islanders, who by this time had managed toscramble aboard of us at the risk of swamping their canoes, directed ourattention to a singular commotion in the water ahead of the vessel. Atfirst I imagined it to be produced by a shoal of fish sporting on thesurface, but our savage friends assured us that it was caused by a shoalof 'whinhenies' (young girls), who in this manner were coming off fromthe shore to welcome is. As they drew nearer, and I watched the risingand sinking of their forms, and beheld the uplifted right arm bearingabove the water the girdle of tappa, and their long dark hair trailingbeside them as they swam, I almost fancied they could be nothing elsethan so many mermaids--and very like mermaids they behaved too. 

We were still some distance from the beach, and under slow headway, when we sailed right into the midst of these swimming nymphs, and theyboarded us at every quarter; many seizing hold of the chain-plates andspringing into the chains; others, at the peril of being run over bythe vessel in her course, catching at the bob-stays, and wreathing theirslender forms about the ropes, hung suspended in the air. All of themat length succeeded in getting up the ship's side, where they clungdripping with the brine and glowing from the bath, their jet-blacktresses streaming over their shoulders, and half enveloping theirotherwise naked forms. There they hung, sparkling with savage vivacity, laughing gaily at one another, and chattering away with infinite glee. Nor were they idle the while, for each one performed the simple officesof the toilette for the other. Their luxuriant locks, wound up andtwisted into the smallest possible compass, were freed from the brinyelement; the whole person carefully dried, and from a little roundshell that passed from hand to hand, anointed with a fragrant oil: theiradornments were completed by passing a few loose folds of white tappa, in a modest cincture, around the waist. Thus arrayed they no longerhesitated, but flung themselves lightly over the bulwarks, and werequickly frolicking about the decks. Many of them went forward, perchingupon the headrails or running out upon the bowsprit, while others seatedthemselves upon the taffrail, or reclined at full length upon the boats. What a sight for us bachelor sailors! How avoid so dire a temptation?For who could think of tumbling these artless creatures overboard, whenthey had swum miles to welcome us?

Their appearance perfectly amazed me; their extreme youth, thelight clear brown of their complexions, their delicate features, andinexpressibly graceful figures, their softly moulded limbs, and freeunstudied action, seemed as strange as beautiful. 

The Dolly was fairly captured; and never I will say was vessel carriedbefore by such a dashing and irresistible party of boarders! The shiptaken, we could not do otherwise than yield ourselves prisoners, and forthe whole period that she remained in the bay, the Dolly, as well as hercrew, were completely in the hands of the mermaids. 

In the evening after we had come to an anchor the deck was illuminatedwith lanterns, and this picturesque band of sylphs, tricked out withflowers, and dressed in robes of variegated tappa, got up a ball ingreat style. These females are passionately fond of dancing, and in thewild grace and spirit of the style excel everything I have ever seen. The varied dances of the Marquesan girls are beautiful in the extreme, but there is an abandoned voluptuousness in their character which I darenot attempt to describe. 

CHAPTER THREE

SOME ACCOUNT OF THE LATE OPERATIONS OF THE FRENCH AT THEMARQUESAS--PRUDENT CONDUCT OF THE ADMIRAL--SENSATION PRODUCED BYTHE ARRIVAL OF THE STRANGERS--THE FIRST HORSE SEEN BY THEISLANDERS--REFLECTIONS--MISERABLE SUBTERFUGE OF THE FRENCH--DIGRESSIONCONCERNING TAHITI--SEIZURE OF THE ISLAND BY THE ADMIRAL--SPIRITEDCONDUCT OF AN ENGLISH LADY

IT was in the summer of 1842 that we arrived at the islands; the Frenchhad then held possession of them for several weeks. During this timethey had visited some of the principal places in the group, and haddisembarked at various points about five hundred troops. These wereemployed in constructing works of defence, and otherwise providingagainst the attacks of the natives, who at any moment might be expectedto break out in open hostility. The islanders looked upon the people whomade this cavalier appropriation of their shores with mingled feelingsof fear and detestation. They cordially hated them; but the impulsesof their resentment were neutralized by their dread of the floatingbatteries, which lay with their fatal tubes ostentatiously pointed, not at fortifications and redoubts, but at a handful of bamboo sheds, sheltered in a grove of cocoanuts! A valiant warrior doubtless, buta prudent one too, was this same Rear-Admiral Du Petit Thouars. Fourheavy, doublebanked frigates and three corvettes to frighten a parcel ofnaked heathen into subjection! Sixty-eight pounders to demolish huts ofcocoanut boughs, and Congreve rockets to set on fire a few canoe sheds!

At Nukuheva, there were about one hundred soldiers ashore. They wereencamped in tents, constructed of the old sails and spare spars ofthe squadron, within the limits of a redoubt mounted with a fewnine-pounders, and surrounded with a fosse. Every other day, thesetroops were marched out in martial array, to a level piece of groundin the vicinity, and there for hours went through all sorts of militaryevolutions, surrounded by flocks of the natives, who looked on withsavage admiration at the show, and as savage a hatred of the actors. A regiment of the Old Guard, reviewed on a summer's day in the ChampsElysees, could not have made a more critically correct appearance. Theofficers' regimentals, resplendent with gold lace and embroidery as ifpurposely calculated to dazzle the islanders, looked as if just unpackedfrom their Parisian cases. 

The sensation produced by the presence of the strangers had not in theleast subsided at the period of our arrival at the islands. The nativesstill flocked in numbers about the encampment, and watched with theliveliest curiosity everything that was going forward. A blacksmith'sforge, which had been set up in the shelter of a grove near the beach, attracted so great a crowd, that it required the utmost efforts of thesentries posted around to keep the inquisitive multitude at a sufficientdistance to allow the workmen to ply their vocation. But nothing gainedso large a share of admiration as a horse, which had been brought fromValparaiso by the Achille, one of the vessels of the squadron. Theanimal, a remarkably fine one, had been taken ashore, and stabled in ahut of cocoanut boughs within the fortified enclosure. Occasionally itwas brought out, and, being gaily caparisoned, was ridden by one of theofficers at full speed over the hard sand beach. This performance wassure to be hailed with loud plaudits, and the 'puarkee nuee' (big hog)was unanimously pronounced by the islanders to be the most extraordinaryspecimen of zoology that had ever come under their observation. 

The expedition for the occupation of the Marquesas had sailed from Brestin the spring of 1842, and the secret of its destination was solely inthe possession of its commander. No wonder that those who contemplatedsuch a signal infraction of the rights of humanity should have sought toveil the enormity from the eyes of the world. And yet, notwithstandingtheir iniquitous conduct in this and in other matters, the Frenchhave ever plumed themselves upon being the most humane and polished ofnations. A high degree of refinement, however, does not seem to subdueour wicked propensities so much after all; and were civilization itselfto be estimated by some of its results, it would seem perhaps better forwhat we call the barbarous part of the world to remain unchanged. 

One example of the shameless subterfuges under which the French standprepared to defend whatever cruelties they may hereafter think fit tocommit in bringing the Marquesan natives into subjection is well worthyof being recorded. On some flimsy pretext or other Mowanna, the king ofNukuheva, whom the invaders by extravagant presents had cajoled over totheir interests, and moved about like a mere puppet, has been set upas the rightful sovereign of the entire island--the alleged ruler byprescription of various clans, who for ages perhaps have treated witheach other as separate nations. To reinstate this much-injured prince inthe assumed dignities of his ancestors, the disinterested strangers havecome all the way from France: they are determined that his title shallbe acknowledged. If any tribe shall refuse to recognize the authorityof the French, by bowing down to the laced chapeau of Mowanna, let themabide the consequences of their obstinacy. Under cover of a similarpretence, have the outrages and massacres at Tahiti the beautiful, thequeen of the South Seas, been perpetrated. 

On this buccaneering expedition, Rear Admiral Du Petit Thouars, leavingthe rest of his squadron at the Marquesas, --which had then been occupiedby his forces about five months--set sail for the doomed island inthe Reine Blanche frigate. On his arrival, as an indemnity for allegedinsults offered to the flag of his country, he demanded some twentyor thirty thousand dollars to be placed in his hands forthwith, and indefault of payment, threatened to land and take possession of the place. 

The frigate, immediately upon coming to an anchor, got springs on hercables, and with her guns cast loose and her men at their quarters, layin the circular basin of Papeete, with her broadside bearing upon thedevoted town; while her numerous cutters, hauled in order alongside, were ready to effect a landing, under cover of her batteries. Shemaintained this belligerent attitude for several days, during which timea series of informal negotiations were pending, and wide alarm spreadover the island. Many of the Tahitians were at first disposed to resortto arms, and drive the invaders from their shores; but more pacific andfeebler counsels ultimately prevailed. The unfortunate queen Pomare, incapable of averting the impending calamity, terrified at the arroganceof the insolent Frenchman, and driven at last to despair, fled by nightin a canoe to Emio. 

During the continuance of the panic there occurred an instance offeminine heroism that I cannot omit to record. 

In the grounds of the famous missionary consul, Pritchard, then absentin London, the consular flag of Britain waved as usual during the day, from a lofty staff planted within a few yards of the beach, and in fullview of the frigate. One morning an officer, at the head of a partyof men, presented himself at the verandah of Mr Pritchard's house, andinquired in broken English for the lady his wife. The matron soon madeher appearance; and the polite Frenchman, making one of his best bows, and playing gracefully with the aiguillettes that danced upon hisbreast, proceeded in courteous accents to deliver his mission. 'Theadmiral desired the flag to be hauled down--hoped it would be perfectlyagreeable--and his men stood ready to perform the duty. ' 'Tell thePirate your master, ' replied the spirited Englishwoman, pointing tothe staff, 'that if he wishes to strike these colours, he must come andperform the act himself; I will suffer no one else to do it. ' The ladythen bowed haughtily and withdrew into the house. As the discomfitedofficer slowly walked away, he looked up to the flag, and perceived thatthe cord by which it was elevated to its place, led from the top of thestaff, across the lawn, to an open upper window of the mansion, wheresat the lady from whom he had just parted, tranquilly engaged inknitting. Was that flag hauled down? Mrs Pritchard thinks not; andRear-Admiral Du Petit Thouars is believed to be of the same opinion. 

CHAPTER FOUR

STATE OF AFFAIRS ABOARD THE SHIP--CONTENTS OF HER LARDER--LENGTH OFSOUTH SEAMEN'S VOYAGES--ACCOUNT OF A FLYING WHALE-MAN--DETERMINATIONTO LEAVE THE VESSEL--THE BAY OF NUKUHEVA--THE TYPEES--INVASION OF THEIRVALLEY BY PORTER--REFLECTIONS--GLEN OF TIOR--INTERVIEW BETWEEN THE OLDKING AND THE FRENCH ADMIRAL

OUR ship had not been many days in the harbour of Nukuheva before I cameto the determination of leaving her. That my reasons for resolving totake this step were numerous and weighty, may be inferred from the factthat I chose rather to risk my fortunes among the savages of the islandthan to endure another voyage on board the Dolly. To use the concise, pointblank phrase of the sailors. I had made up my mind to 'run away'. Now as a meaning is generally attached to these two words no wayflattering to the individual to whom they are applied, it behovesme, for the sake of my own character, to offer some explanation of myconduct. 

When I entered on board the Dolly, I signed as a matter of course theship's articles, thereby voluntarily engaging and legally bindingmyself to serve in a certain capacity for the period of the voyage;and, special considerations apart, I was of course bound to fulfill theagreement. But in all contracts, if one party fail to perform his shareof the compact, is not the other virtually absolved from his liability?Who is there who will not answer in the affirmative?

Having settled the principle, then, let me apply it to the particularcase in question. In numberless instances had not only the implied butthe specified conditions of the articles been violated on the part ofthe ship in which I served. The usage on board of her was tyrannical;the sick had been inhumanly neglected; the provisions had been doled outin scanty allowance; and her cruises were unreasonably protracted. Thecaptain was the author of the abuses; it was in vain to think that hewould either remedy them, or alter his conduct, which was arbitraryand violent in the extreme. His prompt reply to all complaints andremonstrances was--the butt-end of a handspike, so convincinglyadministered as effectually to silence the aggrieved party. 

To whom could we apply for redress? We had left both law and equityon the other side of the Cape; and unfortunately, with a very fewexceptions, our crew was composed of a parcel of dastardly andmeanspirited wretches, divided among themselves, and only united inenduring without resistance the unmitigated tyranny of the captain. It would have been mere madness for any two or three of the number, unassisted by the rest, to attempt making a stand against his illusage. They would only have called down upon themselves the particularvengeance of this 'Lord of the Plank', and subjected their shipmates toadditional hardships. 

But, after all, these things could have been endured awhile, had weentertained the hope of being speedily delivered from them by the duecompletion of the term of our servitude. But what a dismal prospectawaited us in this quarter! The longevity of Cape Horn whaling voyagesis proverbial, frequently extending over a period of four or five years. 

Some long-haired, bare-necked youths, who, forced by the unitedinfluences of Captain Marryatt and hard times, embark at Nantucket fora pleasure excursion to the Pacific, and whose anxious mothers providethem, with bottled milk for the occasion, oftentimes return veryrespectable middle-aged gentlemen. 

The very preparations made for one of these expeditions are enough tofrighten one. As the vessel carries out no cargo, her hold is filledwith provisions for her own consumption. The owners, who officiateas caterers for the voyage, supply the larder with an abundanceof dainties. Delicate morsels of beef and pork, cut on scientificprinciples from every part of the animal, and of all conceivable shapesand sizes, are carefully packed in salt, and stored away in barrels;affording a never-ending variety in their different degrees oftoughness, and in the peculiarities of their saline properties. Choiceold water too, decanted into stout six-barrel-casks, and two pints ofwhich is allowed every day to each soul on board; together with amplestore of sea-bread, previously reduced to a state of petrifaction, witha view to preserve it either from decay or consumption in the ordinarymode, are likewise provided for the nourishment and gastronomicenjoyment of the crew. 

But not to speak of the quality of these articles of sailors' fare, the abundance in which they are put onboard a whaling vessel is almostincredible. Oftentimes, when we had occasion to break out in the hold, and I beheld the successive tiers of casks and barrels, whose contentswere all destined to be consumed in due course by the ship's company, myheart has sunk within me. 

Although, as a general case, a ship unlucky in falling in withwhales continues to cruise after them until she has barely sufficientprovisions remaining to take her home, turning round then quietly andmaking the best of her way to her friends, yet there are instances wheneven this natural obstacle to the further prosecution of the voyageis overcome by headstrong captains, who, bartering the fruits of theirhard-earned toils for a new supply of provisions in some of the portsof Chili or Peru, begin the voyage afresh with unabated zeal andperseverance. It is in vain that the owners write urgent letters to himto sail for home, and for their sake to bring back the ship, since itappears he can put nothing in her. Not he. He has registered a vow: hewill fill his vessel with good sperm oil, or failing to do so, neveragain strike Yankee soundings. 

I heard of one whaler, which after many years' absence was given up forlost. The last that had been heard of her was a shadowy report of herhaving touched at some of those unstable islands in the far Pacific, whose eccentric wanderings are carefully noted in each new editionof the South-Sea charts. After a long interval, however, 'ThePerseverance'--for that was her name--was spoken somewhere in thevicinity of the ends of the earth, cruising along as leisurely as ever, her sails all bepatched and be quilted with rope-yarns, her spars fishedwith old pipe staves, and her rigging knotted and spliced in everypossible direction. Her crew was composed of some twenty venerableGreenwich-pensioner-looking old salts, who just managed to hobble aboutdeck. The ends of all the running ropes, with the exception of thesignal halyards and poop-down-haul, were rove through snatch-blocks, andled to the capstan or windlass, so that not a yard was braced or a sailset without the assistance of machinery. 

Her hull was encrusted with barnacles, which completely encased her. Three pet sharks followed in her wake, and every day came alongside toregale themselves from the contents of the cook's bucket, which werepitched over to them. A vast shoal of bonetas and albicores always kepther company. 

Such was the account I heard of this vessel and the remembrance of italways haunted me; what eventually became of her I never learned; atany rate: he never reached home, and I suppose she is still regularlytacking twice in the twenty-four hours somewhere off Desolate Island, orthe Devil's-Tail Peak. 

Having said thus much touching the usual length of these voyages, when Iinform the reader that ours had as it were just commenced, we being onlyfifteen months out, and even at that time hailed as a late arrival andboarded for news, he will readily perceive that there was little toencourage one in looking forward to the future, especially as I hadalways had a presentiment that we should make an unfortunate voyage, andour experience so far had justified the expectation. 

I may here state, and on my faith as an honest man, that though morethan three years have elapsed since I left this same identical vessel, she still continues; in the Pacific, and but a few days since I sawher reported in the papers as having touched at the Sandwich Islandsprevious to going on the coast of Japan. 

But to return to my narrative. Placed in these circumstances then, withno prospect of matters mending if I remained aboard the Dolly, I at oncemade up my mind to leave her: to be sure it was rather an ingloriousthing to steal away privily from those at whose hands I had receivedwrongs and outrages that I could not resent; but how was such a courseto be avoided when it was the only alternative left me? Having madeup my mind, I proceeded to acquire all the information I could obtainrelating to the island and its inhabitants, with a view of shaping myplans of escape accordingly. The result of these inquiries I will nowstate, in order that the ensuing narrative may be the better understood. 

The bay of Nukuheva in which we were then lying is an expanse ofwater not unlike in figure the space included within the limits of ahorse-shoe. It is, perhaps, nine miles in circumference. You approachit from the sea by a narrow entrance, flanked on each side by two smalltwin islets which soar conically to the height of some five hundredfeet. From these the shore recedes on both hands, and describes a deepsemicircle. 

From the verge of the water the land rises uniformly on all sides, withgreen and sloping acclivities, until from gently rolling hill-sidesand moderate elevations it insensibly swells into lofty and majesticheights, whose blue outlines, ranged all around, close in the view. Thebeautiful aspect of the shore is heightened by deep and romanticglens, which come down to it at almost equal distances, all apparentlyradiating from a common centre, and the upper extremities of which arelost to the eye beneath the shadow of the mountains. Down each of theselittle valleys flows a clear stream, here and there assuming the formof a slender cascade, then stealing invisibly along until it burstsupon the sight again in larger and more noisy waterfalls, and at lastdemurely wanders along to the sea. 

The houses of the natives, constructed of the yellow bamboo, tastefullytwisted together in a kind of wicker-work, and thatched with the longtapering leaves of the palmetto, are scattered irregularly along thesevalleys beneath the shady branches of the cocoanut trees. 

Nothing can exceed the imposing scenery of this bay. Viewed from ourship as she lay at anchor in the middle of the harbour, it presented theappearance of a vast natural amphitheatre in decay, and overgrown withvines, the deep glens that furrowed it's sides appearing like enormousfissures caused by the ravages of time. Very often when lost inadmiration at its beauty, I have experienced a pang of regret that ascene so enchanting should be hidden from the world in these remoteseas, and seldom meet the eyes of devoted lovers of nature. 

Besides this bay the shores of the island are indented by several otherextensive inlets, into which descend broad and verdant valleys. Theseare inhabited by as many distinct tribes of savages, who, althoughspeaking kindred dialects of a common language, and having the samereligion and laws, have from time immemorial waged hereditary warfareagainst each other. The intervening mountains generally two or threethousand feet above the level of the sea geographically define theterritories of each of these hostile tribes, who never cross them, saveon some expedition of war or plunder. Immediately adjacent to Nukuheva, and only separated from it by the mountains seen from the harbour, liesthe lovely valley of Happar, whose inmates cherish the most friendlyrelations with the inhabitants of Nukuheva. On the other side of Happar, and closely adjoining it, is the magnificent valley of the dreadedTypees, the unappeasable enemies of both these tribes. 

These celebrated warriors appear to inspire the other islanders withunspeakable terrors. Their very name is a frightful one; for the word'Typee' in the Marquesan dialect signifies a lover of human flesh. Itis rather singular that the title should have been bestowed upon themexclusively, inasmuch as the natives of all this group are irreclaimablecannibals. The name may, perhaps, have been given to denote the peculiarferocity of this clan, and to convey a special stigma along with it. 

These same Typees enjoy a prodigious notoriety all over the islands. Thenatives of Nukuheva would frequently recount in pantomime to our ship'scompany their terrible feats, and would show the marks of wounds theyhad received in desperate encounters with them. When ashore they wouldtry to frighten us by pointing, to one of their own number, and callinghim a Typee, manifesting no little surprise that we did not take to ourheels at so terrible an announcement. It was quite amusing, too, to seewith what earnestness they disclaimed all cannibal propensities on theirown part, while they denounced their enemies--the Typees--as inveterategourmandizers of human flesh; but this is a peculiarity to which I shallhereafter have occasion to allude. 

Although I was convinced that the inhabitants of our bay were as arrantcannibals as any of the other tribes on the island, still I could notbut feel a particular and most unqualified repugnance to the aforesaidTypees. Even before visiting the Marquesas, I had heard from men whohad touched at the group on former voyages some revolting stories inconnection with these savages; and fresh in my remembrance was theadventure of the master of the Katherine, who only a few monthsprevious, imprudently venturing into this bay in an armed boat for thepurpose of barter, was seized by the natives, carried back a littledistance into their valley, and was only saved from a cruel death by theintervention of a young girl, who facilitated his escape by night alongthe beach to Nukuheva. 

I had heard too of an English vessel that many years ago, after a wearycruise, sought to enter the bay of Nukuheva, and arriving within two orthree miles of the land, was met by a large canoe filled with natives, who offered to lead the way to the place of their destination. Thecaptain, unacquainted with the localities of the island, joyfullyacceded to the proposition--the canoe paddled on, the ship followed. Shewas soon conducted to a beautiful inlet, and dropped her anchor inits waters beneath the shadows of the lofty shore. That same night theperfidious Typees, who had thus inveigled her into their fatal bay, flocked aboard the doomed vessel by hundreds, and at a given signalmurdered every soul on board. 

I shall never forget the observation of one of our crew as we werepassing slowly by the entrance of the bay in our way to Nukuheva. As westood gazing over the side at the verdant headlands, Ned, pointingwith his hand in the direction of the treacherous valley, exclaimed, 'There--there's Typee. Oh, the bloody cannibals, what a meal they'd makeof us if we were to take it into our heads to land! but they say theydon't like sailor's flesh, it's too salt. I say, maty, how should youlike to be shoved ashore there, eh?' I little thought, as I shudderedat the question, that in the space of a few weeks I should actually be acaptive in that self-same valley. 

The French, although they had gone through the ceremony of hoistingtheir colours for a few hours at all the principal places of thegroup, had not as yet visited the bay of Typee, anticipating a fierceresistance on the part of the savages there, which for the present atleast they wished to avoid. Perhaps they were not a little influenced inthe adoption of this unusual policy from a recollection of the warlikereception given by the Typees to the forces of Captain Porter, aboutthe year 1814, when that brave and accomplished officer endeavoured tosubjugate the clan merely to gratify the mortal hatred of his allies theNukuhevas and Happars. 

On that occasion I have been told that a considerable detachment ofsailors and marines from the frigate Essex, accompanied by at least twothousand warriors of Happar and Nukuheva, landed in boats and canoes atthe head of the bay, and after penetrating a little distance into thevalley, met with the stoutest resistance from its inmates. Valiantly, although with much loss, the Typees disputed every inch of ground, andafter some hard fighting obliged their assailants to retreat and abandontheir design of conquest. 

The invaders, on their march back to the sea, consoled themselves fortheir repulse by setting fire to every house and temple in their route;and a long line of smoking ruins defaced the once-smiling bosom of thevalley, and proclaimed to its pagan inhabitants the spirit that reignedin the breasts of Christian soldiers. Who can wonder at the deadlyhatred of the Typees to all foreigners after such unprovoked atrocities?

Thus it is that they whom we denominate 'savages' are made to deservethe title. When the inhabitants of some sequestered island first descrythe 'big canoe' of the European rolling through the blue waters towardstheir shores, they rush down to the beach in crowds, and with open armsstand ready to embrace the strangers. Fatal embrace! They fold to theirbosom the vipers whose sting is destined to poison all their joys; andthe instinctive feeling of love within their breast is soon convertedinto the bitterest hate. 

The enormities perpetrated in the South Seas upon some of theinoffensive islanders will nigh pass belief. These things are seldomproclaimed at home; they happen at the very ends of the earth; theyare done in a corner, and there are none to reveal them. But there is, nevertheless, many a petty trader that has navigated the Pacific whosecourse from island to island might be traced by a series of cold-bloodedrobberies, kidnappings, and murders, the iniquity of which might beconsidered almost sufficient to sink her guilty timbers to the bottom ofthe sea. 

Sometimes vague accounts of such thing's reach our firesides, andwe coolly censure them as wrong, impolitic, needlessly severe, anddangerous to the crews of other vessels. How different is our tone whenwe read the highly-wrought description of the massacre of the crew ofthe Hobomak by the Feejees; how we sympathize for the unhappy victims, and with what horror do we regard the diabolical heathens, who, afterall, have but avenged the unprovoked injuries which they have received. We breathe nothing but vengeance, and equip armed vessels to traversethousands of miles of ocean in order to execute summary punishment uponthe offenders. On arriving at their destination, they burn, slaughter, and destroy, according to the tenor of written instructions, and sailingaway from the scene of devastation, call upon all Christendom to applaudtheir courage and their justice. 

How often is the term 'savages' incorrectly applied! None reallydeserving of it were ever yet discovered by voyagers or by travellers. They have discovered heathens and barbarians whom by horrible crueltiesthey have exasperated into savages. It may be asserted without fearof contradictions that in all the cases of outrages committed byPolynesians, Europeans have at some time or other been the aggressors, and that the cruel and bloodthirsty disposition of some of the islandersis mainly to be ascribed to the influence of such examples. 

But to return. Owing to the mutual hostilities of the different tribesI have mentioned, the mountainous tracts which separate their respectiveterritories remain altogether uninhabited; the natives invariablydwelling in the depths of the valleys, with a view of securingthemselves from the predatory incursions of their enemies, who oftenlurk along their borders, ready to cut off any imprudent straggler, or make a descent upon the inmates of some sequestered habitation. Iseveral times met with very aged men, who from this cause had neverpassed the confines of their native vale, some of them having never evenascended midway up the mountains in the whole course of their lives, andwho, accordingly had little idea of the appearance of any other part ofthe island, the whole of which is not perhaps more than sixty miles incircuit. The little space in which some of these clans pass away theirdays would seem almost incredible. 

The glen of the Tior will furnish a curious illustration of this. 

The inhabited part is not more than four miles in length, and variesin breadth from half a mile to less than a quarter. The rocky vine-cladcliffs on one side tower almost perpendicularly from their base tothe height of at least fifteen hundred feet; while across the vale--instriking contrast to the scenery opposite--grass-grown elevations riseone above another in blooming terraces. Hemmed in by these stupendousbarriers, the valley would be altogether shut out from the rest of theworld, were it not that it is accessible from the sea at one end, and bya narrow defile at the other. 

The impression produced upon the mind, when I first visited thisbeautiful glen, will never be obliterated. 

I had come from Nukuheva by water in the ship's boat, and when weentered the bay of Tior it was high noon. The heat had been intense, aswe had been floating upon the long smooth swell of the ocean, for therewas but little wind. The sun's rays had expended all their fury upon us;and to add to our discomfort, we had omitted to supply ourselves withwater previous to starting. What with heat and thirst together, I becameso impatient to get ashore, that when at last we glided towards it, I stood up in the bow of the boat ready for a spring. As she shottwo-thirds of her length high upon the beach, propelled by three or fourstrong strokes of the oars, I leaped among a parcel of juvenile savages, who stood prepared to give us a kind reception; and with them at myheels, yelling like so many imps, I rushed forward across the openground in the vicinity of the sea, and plunged, diver fashion, into therecesses of the first grove that offered. 

What a delightful sensation did I experience! I felt as if floating insome new element, while all sort of gurgling, trickling, liquid soundsfell upon my ear. People may say what they will about the refreshinginfluences of a coldwater bath, but commend me when in a perspiration tothe shade baths of Tior, beneath the cocoanut trees, and amidst the cooldelightful atmosphere which surrounds them. 

How shall I describe the scenery that met my eye, as I looked outfrom this verdant recess! The narrow valley, with its steep and closeadjoining sides draperied with vines, and arched overhead with afret-work of interlacing boughs, nearly hidden from view by massesof leafy verdure, seemed from where I stood like an immense arbourdisclosing its vista to the eye, whilst as I advanced it insensiblywidened into the loveliest vale eye ever beheld. 

It so happened that the very day I was in Tior the French admiral, attended by all the boats of his squadron, came down in state fromNukuheva to take formal possession of the place. He remained in thevalley about two hours, during which time he had a ceremonious interviewwith the king. The patriarch-sovereign of Tior was a man very faradvanced in years; but though age had bowed his form and rendered himalmost decrepid, his gigantic frame retained its original magnitude andgrandeur of appearance. 

He advanced slowly and with evident pain, assisting his tottering stepswith the heavy warspear he held in his hand, and attended by a group ofgrey-bearded chiefs, on one of whom he occasionally leaned for support. The admiral came forward with head uncovered and extended hand, whilethe old king saluted him by a stately flourish of his weapon. Thenext moment they stood side by side, these two extremes of the socialscale, --the polished, splendid Frenchman, and the poor tattooed savage. They were both tall and noble-looking men; but in other respects howstrikingly contrasted! Du Petit Thouars exhibited upon his personall the paraphernalia of his naval rank. He wore a richly decoratedadmiral's frock-coat, a laced chapeau bras, and upon his breast werea variety of ribbons and orders; while the simple islander, with theexception of a slight cincture about his loins, appeared in all thenakedness of nature. 

At what an immeasurable distance, thought I, are these two beingsremoved from each other. In the one is shown the result of longcenturies of progressive Civilization and refinement, which havegradually converted the mere creature into the semblance of all that iselevated and grand; while the other, after the lapse of the same period, has not advanced one step in the career of improvement, 'Yet, afterall, ' quoth I to myself, 'insensible as he is to a thousand wants, andremoved from harassing cares, may not the savage be the happier man ofthe two?' Such were the thoughts that arose in my mind as I gazed uponthe novel spectacle before me. In truth it was an impressive one, and little likely to be effaced. I can recall even now with vividdistinctness every feature of the scene. The umbrageous shades wherethe interview took place--the glorious tropical vegetation around--thepicturesque grouping of the mingled throng of soldiery and natives--andeven the golden-hued bunch of bananas that I held in my hand at thetime, and of which I occasionally partook while making the aforesaidphilosophical reflections. 

CHAPTER FIVE

THOUGHTS PREVIOUS TO ATTEMPTING AN ESCAPE--TOBY, A FELLOW SAILOR, AGREESTO SHARE THE ADVENTURE--LAST NIGHT ABOARD THE SHIP

HAVING fully resolved to leave the vessel clandestinely, and havingacquired all the knowledge concerning the bay that I could obtain underthe circumstances in which I was placed, I now deliberately turned overin my mind every plan to escape that suggested itself, being determinedto act with all possible prudence in an attempt where failure would beattended with so many disagreeable consequences. The idea of beingtaken and brought back ignominiously to the ship was so inexpressiblyrepulsive to me, that I was determined by no hasty and imprudentmeasures to render such an event probable. 

I knew that our worthy captain, who felt, such a paternal solicitudefor the welfare of his crew, would not willingly consent that one of hisbest hands should encounter the perils of a sojourn among the nativesof a barbarous island; and I was certain that in the event of mydisappearance, his fatherly anxiety would prompt him to offer, by way ofa reward, yard upon yard of gaily printed calico for my apprehension. He might even have appreciated my services at the value of a musket, inwhich case I felt perfectly certain that the whole population of thebay would be immediately upon my track, incited by the prospect of somagnificent a bounty. 

Having ascertained the fact before alluded to, that the islanders, --frommotives of precaution, dwelt altogether in the depths of the valleys, and avoided wandering about the more elevated portions of the shore, unless bound on some expedition of war or plunder, I concluded that ifI could effect unperceived a passage to the mountain, I might easilyremain among them, supporting myself by such fruits as came in my wayuntil the sailing of the ship, an event of which I could not fail to beimmediately apprised, as from my lofty position I should command a viewof the entire harbour. 

The idea pleased me greatly. It seemed to combine a great deal ofpracticability with no inconsiderable enjoyment in a quiet way; for howdelightful it would be to look down upon the detested old vessel fromthe height of some thousand feet, and contrast the verdant scenery aboutme with the recollection of her narrow decks and gloomy forecastle! Why, it was really refreshing even to think of it; and so I straightway fellto picturing myself seated beneath a cocoanut tree on the brow of themountain, with a cluster of plantains within easy reach, criticizing hernautical evolutions as she was working her way out of the harbour. 

To be sure there was one rather unpleasant drawback to these agreeableanticipations--the possibility of falling in with a foraging party ofthese same bloody-minded Typees, whose appetites, edged perhaps by theair of so elevated a region, might prompt them to devour one. This, Imust confess, was a most disagreeable view of the matter. 

Just to think of a party of these unnatural gourmands taking it intotheir heads to make a convivial meal of a poor devil, who would haveno means of escape or defence: however, there was no help for it. I waswilling to encounter some risks in order to accomplish my object, andcounted much upon my ability to elude these prowling cannibals amongstthe many coverts which the mountains afforded. Besides, the chanceswere ten to one in my favour that they would none of them quit their ownfastnesses. 

I had determined not to communicate my design of withdrawing from thevessel to any of my shipmates, and least of all to solicit any one toaccompany me in my flight. But it so happened one night, that being upondeck, revolving over in my mind various plans of escape, I perceived oneof the ship's company leaning over the bulwarks, apparently plunged in aprofound reverie. He was a young fellow about my own age, for whom Ihad all along entertained a great regard; and Toby, such was the nameby which he went among us, for his real name he would never tell us, wasevery way worthy of it. He was active, ready and obliging, of dauntlesscourage, and singularly open and fearless in the expression of hisfeelings. I had on more than one occasion got him out of scrapes intowhich this had led him; and I know not whether it was from this cause, or a certain congeniality of sentiment between us, that he had alwaysshown a partiality for my society. We had battled out many a long watchtogether, beguiling the weary hours with chat, song, and story, mingledwith a good many imprecations upon the hard destiny it seemed our commonfortune to encounter. 

Toby, like myself, had evidently moved in a different sphere of life, and his conversation at times betrayed this, although he was anxiousto conceal it. He was one of that class of rovers you sometimes meetat sea, who never reveal their origin, never allude to home, and gorambling over the world as if pursued by some mysterious fate theycannot possibly elude. 

There was much even in the appearance of Toby calculated to draw metowards him, for while the greater part of the crew were as coarse inperson as in mind, Toby was endowed with a remarkably prepossessingexterior. Arrayed in his blue frock and duck trousers, he was as smart alooking sailor as ever stepped upon a deck; he was singularly smalland slightly made, with great flexibility of limb. His naturally darkcomplexion had been deepened by exposure to the tropical sun, and a massof jetty locks clustered about his temples, and threw a darker shadeinto his large black eyes. He was a strange wayward being, moody, fitful, and melancholy--at times almost morose. He had a quick and fierytemper too, which, when thoroughly roused, transported him into a statebordering on delirium. 

It is strange the power that a mind of deep passion has over feeblernatures. I have seen a brawny, fellow, with no lack of ordinary courage, fairly quail before this slender stripling, when in one of his curiousfits. But these paroxysms seldom occurred, and in them my big-heartedshipmate vented the bile which more calm-tempered individuals get rid ofby a continual pettishness at trivial annoyances. 

No one ever saw Toby laugh. I mean in the hearty abandonment ofbroad-mouthed mirth. He did smile sometimes, it is true; and there wasa good deal of dry, sarcastic humour about him, which told the more fromthe imperturbable gravity of his tone and manner. 

Latterly I had observed that Toby's melancholy had greatly increased, and I had frequently seen him since our arrival at the island gazingwistfully upon the shore, when the remainder of the crew would berioting below. I was aware that he entertained a cordial detestationof the ship, and believed that, should a fair chance of escape presentitself, he would embrace it willingly. 

But the attempt was so perilous in the place where we then lay, thatI supposed myself the only individual on board the ship who wassufficiently reckless to think of it. In this, however, I was mistaken. 

When I perceived Toby leaning, as I have mentioned, against the bulwarksand buried in thought, it struck me at once that the subject of hismeditations might be the same as my own. And if it be so, thought I, is he not the very one of all my shipmates whom I would choose: for thepartner of my adventure? and why should I not have some comrade with meto divide its dangers and alleviate its hardships? Perhaps I might beobliged to lie concealed among the mountains for weeks. In such an eventwhat a solace would a companion be?

These thoughts passed rapidly through my mind, and I wondered why I hadnot before considered the matter in this light. But it was not too late. A tap upon the shoulder served to rouse Toby from his reverie; I foundhim ripe for the enterprise, and a very few words sufficed for a mutualunderstanding between us. In an hour's time we had arranged all thepreliminaries, and decided upon our plan of action. We then ratified ourengagement with an affectionate wedding of palms, and to elude suspicionrepaired each to his hammock, to spend the last night on board theDolly. 

The next day the starboard watch, to which we both belonged, was to besent ashore on liberty; and, availing ourselves of this opportunity, we determined, as soon after landing as possible, to separate ourselvesfrom the rest of the men without exciting their suspicions, and strikeback at once for the mountains. Seen from the ship, their summitsappeared inaccessible, but here and there sloping spurs extended fromthem almost into the sea, buttressing the lofty elevations with whichthey were connected, and forming those radiating valleys I have beforedescribed. One of these ridges, which appeared more practicable than therest, we determined to climb, convinced that it would conduct us tothe heights beyond. Accordingly, we carefully observed its bearings andlocality from the ship, so that when ashore we should run no chance ofmissing it. 

In all this the leading object we had in view was to seclude ourselvesfrom sight until the departure of the vessel; then to take our chance asto the reception the Nukuheva natives might give us; and after remainingupon the island as long as we found our stay agreeable, to leave it thefirst favourable opportunity that offered. 

CHAPTER SIX

A SPECIMEN OF NAUTICAL ORATORY--CRITICISMS OF THE SAILORS--THE STARBOARDWATCH ARE GIVEN A HOLIDAY--THE ESCAPE TO THE MOUNTAINS

EARLY the next morning the starboard watch were mustered upon thequarter-deck, and our worthy captain, standing in the cabin gangway, harangued us as follows:--

'Now, men, as we are just off a six months' cruise, and have got throughmost all our work in port here, I suppose you want to go ashore. Well, Imean to give your watch liberty today, so you may get ready as soon allyou please, and go; but understand this, I am going to give you libertybecause I suppose you would growl like so many old quarter gunners if Ididn't; at the same time, if you'll take my advice, every mother's sonof you will stay aboard and keep out of the way of the bloody cannibalsaltogether. Ten to one, men, if you go ashore, you will get into someinfernal row, and that will be the end of you; for if those tattooedscoundrels get you a little ways back into their valleys, they'll nabyou--that you may be certain of. Plenty of white men have gone ashorehere and never been seen any more. There was the old Dido, she put inhere about two years ago, and sent one watch off on liberty; they neverwere heard of again for a week--the natives swore they didn't know wherethey were--and only three of them ever got back to the ship again, andone with his face damaged for life, for the cursed heathens tattooed abroad patch clean across his figure-head. But it will be no use talkingto you, for go you will, that I see plainly; so all I have to say is, that you need not blame me if the islanders make a meal of you. You maystand some chance of escaping them though, if you keep close about theFrench encampment, --and are back to the ship again before sunset. Keepthat much in your mind, if you forget all the rest I've been saying toyou. There, go forward: bear a hand and rig yourselves, and stand by fora call. At two bells the boat will be manned to take you off, and theLord have mercy on you!'

Various were the emotions depicted upon the countenances of thestarboard watch whilst listening to this address; but on its conclusionthere was a general move towards the forecastle, and we soon wereall busily engaged in getting ready for the holiday so auspiciouslyannounced by the skipper. During these preparations his harangue wascommented upon in no very measured terms; and one of the party, afterdenouncing him as a lying old son of a seacook who begrudged a fellow afew hours' liberty, exclaimed with an oath, 'But you don't bounce me outof my liberty, old chap, for all your yarns; for I would go ashore ifevery pebble on the beach was a live coal, and every stick a gridiron, and the cannibals stood ready to broil me on landing. '

The spirit of this sentiment was responded to by all hands, and weresolved that in spite of the captain's croakings we would make aglorious day of it. 

But Toby and I had our own game to play, and we availed ourselves ofthe confusion which always reigns among a ship's company preparatory togoing ashore, to confer together and complete our arrangements. As ourobject was to effect as rapid a flight as possible to the mountains, wedetermined not to encumber ourselves with any superfluous apparel; andaccordingly, while the rest were rigging themselves out with some ideaof making a display, we were content to put on new stout duck trousers, serviceable pumps, and heavy Havre-frocks, which with a Payta hatcompleted our equipment. 

When our shipmates wondered at this, Toby exclaimed in his odd grave waythat the rest might do, as they liked, but that he for one preservedhis go-ashore traps for the Spanish main, where the tie of a sailor'sneckerchief might make some difference; but as for a parcel ofunbreeched heathen, he wouldn't go to the bottom of his chest for anyof them, and was half disposed to appear among them in buff himself. Themen laughed at what they thought was one of his strange conceits, and sowe escaped suspicion. 

It may appear singular that we should have been thus on our guard withour own shipmates; but there were some among us who, had they possessedthe least inkling of our project, would, for a paltry hope of reward, have immediately communicated it to the captain. 

As soon as two bells were struck, the word was passed for theliberty-men to get into the boat. I lingered behind in the forecastle amoment to take a parting glance at its familiar features, and just asI was about to ascend to the deck my eye happened to light on thebread-barge and beef-kid, which contained the remnants of our last hastymeal. Although I had never before thought of providing anything in theway of food for our expedition, as I fully relied upon the fruits of theisland to sustain us wherever we might wander, yet I could not resistthe inclination I felt to provide luncheon from the relics before me. Accordingly I took a double handful of those small, broken, flinty bitsof biscuit which generally go by the name of 'midshipmen's nuts', andthrust them into the bosom of my frock in which same simple receptacle Ihad previously stowed away several pounds of tobacco and a few yards ofcotton cloth--articles with which I intended to purchase the good-willof the natives, as soon as we should appear among them after thedeparture of our vessel. 

This last addition to my stock caused a considerable protuberance infront, which I abated in a measure by shaking the bits of bread aroundmy waist, and distributing the plugs of tobacco among the folds of thegarment. 

Hardly had I completed these arrangements when my name was sung out by adozen voices, and I sprung upon the deck, where I found all the party inthe boat, and impatient to shove off. I dropped over the side and seatedmyself with the rest of the watch in the stern sheets, while the poorlarboarders shipped their oars, and commenced pulling us ashore. 

This happened to be the rainy season at the islands, and the heavenshad nearly the whole morning betokened one of those heavy showers whichduring this period so frequently occur. The large drops fell bubblinginto the water shortly after our leaving the ship, and by the time wehad affected a landing it poured down in torrents. We fled for shelterunder cover of an immense canoe-house which stood hard by the beach, andwaited for the first fury of the storm to pass. 

It continued, however, without cessation; and the monotonous beating ofthe rain over head began to exert a drowsy influence upon the men, who, throwing themselves here and there upon the large war-canoes, afterchatting awhile, all fell asleep. 

This was the opportunity we desired, and Toby and I availed ourselvesof it at once by stealing out of the canoe-house and plunging into thedepths of an extensive grove that was in its rear. After ten minutes'rapid progress we gained an open space from which we could just descrythe ridge we intended to mount looming dimly through the mists of thetropical shower, and distant from us, as we estimated, something morethan a mile. Our direct course towards it lay through a rather populouspart of the bay; but desirous as we were of evading the natives andsecuring an unmolested retreat to the mountains, we determined, bytaking a circuit through some extensive thickets, to avoid theirvicinity altogether. 

The heavy rain that still continued to fall without intermissionfavoured our enterprise, as it drove the islanders into their houses, and prevented any casual meeting with them. Our heavy frocks soon becamecompletely saturated with water, and by their weight, and that ofthe articles we had concealed beneath them, not a little impeded ourprogress. But it was no time to pause when at any moment we might besurprised by a body of the savages, and forced at the very outset torelinquish our undertaking. 

Since leaving the canoe-house we had scarcely exchanged a singlesyllable with one another; but when we entered a second narrow openingin the wood, and again caught sight of the ridge before us, I took Tobyby the arm, and pointing along its sloping outline to the lofty heightsat its extremity, said in a low tone, 'Now, Toby, not a word, nor aglance backward, till we stand on the summit of yonder mountain--so nomore lingering but let us shove ahead while we can, and in a few hours'time we may laugh aloud. You are the lightest and the nimblest, so leadon, and I will follow. '

'All right, brother, ' said Toby, 'quick's our play; only lets keep closetogether, that's all;' and so saying with a bound like a young roe, hecleared a brook which ran across our path, and rushed forward with aquick step. 

When we arrived within a short distance of the ridge, we were stopped bya mass of tall yellow reeds, growing together as thickly as they couldstand, and as tough and stubborn as so many rods of steel; and weperceived, to our chagrin, that they extended midway up the elevation weproposed to ascend. 

For a moment we gazed about us in quest of a more practicable route; itwas, however, at once apparent that there was no resource but to piercethis thicket of canes at all hazards. We now reversed our order ofmarch, I, being the heaviest, taking the lead, with a view of breaking apath through the obstruction, while Toby fell into the rear. 

Two or three times I endeavoured to insinuate myself between the canes, and by dint of coaxing and bending them to make some progress; but abull-frog might as well have tried to work a passage through the teethof a comb, and I gave up the attempt in despair. 

Half wild with meeting an obstacle we had so little anticipated, I threwmyself desperately against it, crushing to the ground the canes withwhich I came in contact, and, rising to my feet again, repeated theaction with like effect. Twenty minutes of this violent exercise almostexhausted me, but it carried us some way into the thicket; when Toby, who had been reaping the benefit of my labours by following close at myheels, proposed to become pioneer in turn, and accordingly passed aheadwith a view of affording me a respite from my exertions. As howeverwith his slight frame he made but bad work of it, I was soon obliged toresume my old place again. On we toiled, the perspiration starting fromour bodies in floods, our limbs torn and lacerated with the splinteredfragments of the broken canes, until we had proceeded perhaps as faras the middle of the brake, when suddenly it ceased raining, and theatmosphere around us became close and sultry beyond expression. Theelasticity of the reeds quickly recovering from the temporary pressureof our bodies, caused them to spring back to their original position;so that they closed in upon us as we advanced, and prevented thecirculation of little air which might otherwise have reached us. Besides this, their great height completely shut us out from the view ofsurrounding objects, and we were not certain but that we might have beengoing all the time in a wrong direction. 

Fatigued with my long-continued efforts, and panting for breath, I feltmyself completely incapacitated for any further exertion. I rolled upthe sleeve of my frock, and squeezed the moisture it contained intomy parched mouth. But the few drops I managed to obtain gave me littlerelief, and I sank down for a moment with a sort of dogged apathy, fromwhich I was aroused by Toby, who had devised a plan to free us from thenet in which we had become entangled. 

He was laying about him lustily with his sheath-knive, lopping the canesright and left, like a reaper, and soon made quite a clearing around us. This sight reanimated me; and seizing my own knife, I hacked and hewedaway without mercy. But alas! the farther we advanced the thicker andtaller, and apparently the more interminable, the reeds became. 

I began to think we were fairly snared, and had almost made up my mindthat without a pair of wings we should never be able to escape from thetoils; when all at once I discerned a peep of daylight through the caneson my right, and, communicating the joyful tidings to Toby, we both fellto with fresh spirit, and speedily opening the passage towards it wefound ourselves clear of perplexities, and in the near vicinity of theridge. After resting for a few moments we began the ascent, and aftera little vigorous climbing found ourselves close to its summit. Insteadhowever of walking along its ridge, where we should have been in fullview of the natives in the vales beneath, and at a point where theycould easily intercept us were they so inclined, we cautiously advancedon one side, crawling on our hands and knees, and screened fromobservation by the grass through which we glided, much in the fashion ofa couple of serpents. After an hour employed in this unpleasant kindof locomotion, we started to our feet again and pursued our way boldlyalong the crest of the ridge. 

This salient spur of the lofty elevations that encompassed the bay rosewith a sharp angle from the valleys at its base, and presented, with theexception of a few steep acclivities, the appearance of a vast inclinedplane, sweeping down towards the sea from the heights in the distance. We had ascended it near the place of its termination and at its lowestpoint, and now saw our route to the mountains distinctly defined alongits narrow crest, which was covered with a soft carpet of verdure, andwas in many parts only a few feet wide. 

Elated with the success which had so far attended our enterprise, andinvigorated by the refreshing atmosphere we now inhaled, Toby and I inhigh spirits were making our way rapidly along the ridge, when suddenlyfrom the valleys below which lay on either side of us we heard thedistant shouts of the natives, who had just descried us, and to whom ourfigures, brought in bold relief against the sky, were plainly revealed. 

Glancing our eyes into these valleys, we perceived their savageinhabitants hurrying to and fro, seemingly under the influence of somesudden alarm, and appearing to the eye scarcely bigger than so manypigmies; while their white thatched dwellings, dwarfed by the distance, looked like baby-houses. As we looked down upon the islanders from ourlofty elevation, we experienced a sense of security; feeling confidentthat, should they undertake a pursuit, it would, from the start wenow had, prove entirely fruitless, unless they followed us into themountains, where we knew they cared not to venture. 

However, we thought it as well to make the most of our time; andaccordingly, where the ground would admit of it, we ran swiftly alongthe summit of the ridge, until we were brought to a stand by a steepcliff, which at first seemed to interpose an effectual barrier to ourfarther advance. By dint of much hard scrambling however, and at somerisk to our necks, we at last surmounted it, and continued our fightwith unabated celerity. 

We had left the beach early in the morning, and after an uninterrupted, though at times difficult and dangerous ascent, during which we hadnever once turned our faces to the sea, we found ourselves, aboutthree hours before sunset, standing on the top of what seemed to be thehighest land on the island, an immense overhanging cliff composed ofbasaltic rocks, hung round with parasitical plants. We must have beenmore than three thousand feet above the level of the sea, and thescenery viewed from this height was magnificent. 

The lonely bay of Nukuheva, dotted here and there with the black hullsof the vessels composing the French squadron, lay reposing at the baseof a circular range of elevations, whose verdant sides, perforated withdeep glens or diversified with smiling valleys, formed altogether theloveliest view I ever beheld, and were I to live a hundred years, Ishall never forget the feeling of admiration which I then experienced. 

CHAPTER SEVEN

THE OTHER SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN--DISAPPOINTMENT--INVENTORY OF ARTICLESBROUGHT FROM THE SHIP--DIVISION OF THE STOCK OF BREAD--APPEARANCE OFTHE INTERIOR OF THE ISLAND--A DISCOVERY--A RAVINE AND WATERFALLS--ASLEEPLESS NIGHT--FURTHER DISCOVERIES--MY ILLNESS--A MARQUESAN LANDSCAPE

MY curiosity had been not a little raised with regard to the descriptionof country we should meet on the other side of the mountains; and I hadsupposed, with Toby, that immediately on gaining the heights we shouldbe enabled to view the large bays of Happar and Typee reposing at ourfeet on one side, in the same way that Nukuheva lay spread out belowon the other. But here we were disappointed. Instead of finding themountain we had ascended sweeping down in the opposite direction intobroad and capacious valleys, the land appeared to retain its generalelevation, only broken into a series of ridges and inter-vales whichso far as the eye could reach stretched away from us, with theirprecipitous sides covered with the brightest verdure, and waving hereand there with the foliage of clumps of woodland; among which, however, we perceived none of those trees upon whose fruit we had relied withsuch certainty. 

This was a most unlooked-for discovery, and one that promised to defeatour plans altogether, for we could not think of descending the mountainon the Nukuheva side in quest of food. Should we for this purposebe induced to retrace our steps, we should run no small chance ofencountering the natives, who in that case, if they did nothing worse tous, would be certain to convey us back to the ship for the sake of thereward in calico and trinkets, which we had no doubt our skipper wouldhold out to them as an inducement to our capture. 

What was to be done? The Dolly would not sail perhaps for ten days, andhow were we to sustain life during this period? I bitterly repented ourimprovidence in not providing ourselves, as we easily might have done, with a supply of biscuits. With a rueful visage I now bethought me ofthe scanty handful of bread I had stuffed into the bosom of my frock, and felt somewhat desirous to ascertain what part of it had weatheredthe rather rough usage it had experienced in ascending the mountain. I accordingly proposed to Toby that we should enter into a jointexamination of the various articles we had brought from the ship. 

With this intent we seated ourselves upon the grass; and a littlecurious to see with what kind of judgement my companion had filledhis frock--which I remarked seemed about as well lined as my own--Irequested him to commence operations by spreading out its contents. 

Thrusting his hand, then, into the bosom of this capacious receptacle, he first brought to light about a pound of tobacco, whose componentparts still adhered together, the whole outside being covered withsoft particles of sea-bread. Wet and dripping, it had the appearance ofhaving been just recovered from the bottom of the sea. But I paidslight attention to a substance of so little value to us in our presentsituation, as soon as I perceived the indications it gave of Toby'sforesight in laying in a supply of food for the expedition. 

I eagerly inquired what quantity he had brought with him, when rummagingonce more beneath his garment, he produced a small handful of somethingso soft, pulpy, and discoloured, that for a few moments he was asmuch puzzled as myself to tell by what possible instrumentality sucha villainous compound had become engendered in his bosom. I can onlydescribe it as a hash of soaked bread and bits of tobacco, brought toa doughy consistency by the united agency of perspiration and rain. But repulsive as it might otherwise have been, I now regarded it asan invaluable treasure, and proceeded with great care to transfer thispaste-like mass to a large leaf which I had plucked from a bush besideme. Toby informed me that in the morning he had placed two wholebiscuits in his bosom, with a view of munching them, should he feel soinclined, during our flight. These were now reduced to the equivocalsubstance which I had just placed on the leaf. 

Another dive into the frock brought to view some four or five yards ofcalico print, whose tasteful pattern was rather disfigured by the yellowstains of the tobacco with which it had been brought in contact. Indrawing this calico slowly from his bosom inch by inch, Toby remindedme of a juggler performing the feat of the endless ribbon. The nextcast was a small one, being a sailor's little 'ditty bag', containingneedles, thread, and other sewing utensils, then came a razor-case, followed by two or three separate plugs of negro-head, which were fishedup from the bottom of the now empty receptacle. These various matters, being inspected, I produced the few things which I had myself brought. 

As might have been anticipated from the state of my companion's ediblesupplies, I found my own in a deplorable condition, and diminished to aquantity that would not have formed half a dozen mouthfuls for a hungryman who was partial enough to tobacco not to mind swallowing it. Afew morsels of bread, with a fathom or two of white cotton cloth, andseveral pounds of choice pigtail, composed the extent of my possessions. 

Our joint stock of miscellaneous articles were now made up into acompact bundle, which it was agreed we should carry alternately. But thesorry remains of the biscuit were not to be disposed of so summarily:the precarious circumstances in which we were placed made us regard themas something on which very probably, depended the fate of our adventure. After a brief discussion, in which we both of us expressed ourresolution of not descending into the bay until the ship's departure, I suggested to my companion that little of it as there was, we shoulddivide the bread into six equal portions, each of which should be aday's allowance for both of us. This proposition he assented to; so Itook the silk kerchief from my neck, and cutting it with my knife intohalf a dozen equal pieces, proceeded to make an exact division. 

At first, Toby with a degree of fastidiousness that seemed to meill-timed, was for picking out the minute particles of tobaccowith which the spongy mass was mixed; but against this proceeding Iprotested, as by such an operation we must have greatly diminished itsquantity. 

When the division was accomplished, we found that a day's allowance forthe two was not a great deal more than what a table-spoon might hold. Each separate portion we immediately rolled up in the bit of silkprepared for it, and joining them all together into a small package, Icommitted them, with solemn injunctions of fidelity, to the custody ofToby. For the remainder of that day we resolved to fast, as we had beenfortified by a breakfast in the morning; and now starting again to ourfeet, we looked about us for a shelter during the night, which, from theappearance of the heavens, promised to be a dark and tempestuous one. 

There was no place near us which would in any way answer our purpose, so turning our backs upon Nukuheva, we commenced exploring the unknownregions which lay upon the other side of the mountain. 

In this direction, as far as our vision extended, not a sign of life, nor anything that denoted even the transient residence of man, could beseen. The whole landscape seemed one unbroken solitude, the interior ofthe island having apparently been untenanted since the morning of thecreation; and as we advanced through this wilderness, our voicessounded strangely in our ears, as though human accents had never beforedisturbed the fearful silence of the place, interrupted only by the lowmurmurings of distant waterfalls. 

Our disappointment, however, in not finding the various fruits withwhich we had intended to regale ourselves during our stay in thesewilds, was a good deal lessened by the consideration that from this verycircumstance we should be much less exposed to a casual meeting with thesavage tribes about us, who we knew always dwelt beneath the shadows ofthose trees which supplied them with food. 

We wandered along, casting eager glances into every bush we passed, until just as we had succeeded in mounting one of the many ridges thatintersected the ground, I saw in the grass before me something like anindistinctly traced footpath, which appeared to lead along the top ofthe ridge, and to descend--with it into a deep ravine about half a milein advance of us. 

Robinson Crusoe could not have been more startled at the footprint inthe sand than we were at this unwelcome discovery. My first impulse wasto make as rapid a retreat as possible, and bend our steps in someother direction; but our curiosity to see whither this path might lead, prompted us to pursue it. So on we went, the track becoming more andmore visible the farther we proceeded, until it conducted us to theverge of the ravine, where it abruptly terminated. 

'And so, ' said Toby, peering down into the chasm, 'everyone that travelsthis path takes a jump here, eh?'

'Not so, ' said I, 'for I think they might manage to descend without it;what say you, --shall we attempt the feat?'

'And what, in the name of caves and coal-holes, do you expect to find atthe bottom of that gulf but a broken neck--why it looks blacker than ourship's hold, and the roar of those waterfalls down there would batterone's brains to pieces. '

'Oh, no, Toby, ' I exclaimed, laughing; 'but there's something to be seenhere, that's plain, or there would have been no path, and I am resolvedto find out what it is. '

'I will tell you what, my pleasant fellow, ' rejoined Toby quickly, 'ifyou are going to pry into everything you meet with here that excitesyour curiosity, you will marvellously soon get knocked on the head; toa dead certainty you will come bang upon a party of these savages in themidst of your discovery-makings, and I doubt whether such an event wouldparticularly delight you, just take my advice for once, and let us 'boutship and steer in some other direction; besides, it's getting late andwe ought to be mooring ourselves for the night. '

'That is just the thing I have been driving at, ' replied I; 'and I amthinking that this ravine will exactly answer our purpose, for it isroomy, secluded, well watered, and may shelter us from the weather. '

'Aye, and from sleep too, and by the same token will give us sorethroats, and rheumatisms into the bargain, ' cried Toby, with evidentdislike at the idea. 

'Oh, very well then, my lad, ' said I, 'since you will not accompany me, here I go alone. You will see me in the morning;' and advancing to theedge of the cliff upon which we had been standing, I proceeded to lowermyself down by the tangled roots which clustered about all the crevicesof the rock. As I had anticipated, Toby, in spite of his previousremonstrances, followed my example, and dropping himself with theactivity of a squirrel from point to point, he quickly outstrippedme and effected a landing at the bottom before I had accomplishedtwo-thirds of the descent. 

The sight that now greeted us was one that will ever be vividlyimpressed upon my mind. Five foaming streams, rushing through as manygorges, and swelled and turbid by the recent rains, united together inone mad plunge of nearly eighty feet, and fell with wild uproar into adeep black pool scooped out of the gloomy looking rocks that lay piledaround, and thence in one collected body dashed down a narrow slopingchannel which seemed to penetrate into the very bowels of the earth. Overhead, vast roots of trees hung down from the sides of the ravinedripping with moisture, and trembling with the concussions produced bythe fall. It was now sunset, and the feeble uncertain light that foundits way into these caverns and woody depths heightened their strangeappearance, and reminded us that in a short time we should findourselves in utter darkness. 

As soon as I had satisfied my curiosity by gazing at this scene, I fellto wondering how it was that what we had taken for a path should haveconducted us to so singular a place, and began to suspect that after allI might have been deceived in supposing it to have been a trickformed by the islanders. This was rather an agreeable reflection thanotherwise, for it diminished our dread of accidentally meeting with anyof them, and I came to the conclusion that perhaps we could not haveselected a more secure hiding-place than this very spot we had soaccidentally hit upon. 

Toby agreed with me in this view of the matter, and we immediately begangathering together the limbs of trees which lay scattered about, withthe view of constructing a temporary hut for the night. This we wereobliged to build close to the foot of the cataract, for the current ofwater extended very nearly to the sides of the gorge. The few momentsof light that remained we employed in covering our hut with a species ofbroad-bladed grass that grew in every fissure of the ravine. Our hut, if it deserved to be called one, consisted of six or eight of thestraightest branches we could find laid obliquely against the steep wallof rock, with their lower ends within a foot of the stream. Into thespace thus covered over we managed to crawl, and dispose our weariedbodies as best we could. 

Shall I ever forget that horrid night! As for poor Toby, I couldscarcely get a word out of him. It would have been some consolation tohave heard his voice, but he lay shivering the live-long night like aman afflicted with the palsy, with his knees drawn up to his head, whilehis back was supported against the dripping side of the rock. Duringthis wretched night there seemed nothing wanting to complete the perfectmisery of our condition. The rain descended in such torrents that ourpoor shelter proved a mere mockery. In vain did I try to elude theincessant streams that poured upon me; by protecting one part I onlyexposed another, and the water was continually finding some new openingthrough which to drench us. 

I have had many a ducking in the course of my life, and in generalcared little about it; but the accumulated horrors of that night, thedeathlike coldness of the place, the appalling darkness and the dismalsense of our forlorn condition, almost unmanned me. 

It will not be doubted that the next morning we were early risers, andas soon as I could catch the faintest glimpse of anything like daylightI shook my companion by the arm, and told him it was sunrise. Poor Tobylifted up his head, and after a moment's pause said, in a husky voice, 'Then, shipmate, my toplights have gone out, for it appears darker nowwith my eyes open that it did when they were shut. '

'Nonsense!' exclaimed I; 'You are not awake yet. '

'Awake!' roared Toby in a rage, 'awake! You mean to insinuate I've beenasleep, do you? It is an insult to a man to suppose he could sleep insuch an infernal place as this. '

By the time I had apologized to my friend for having misconstrued hissilence, it had become somewhat more light, and we crawled out of ourlair. The rain had ceased, but everything around us was dripping withmoisture. We stripped off our saturated garments, and wrung them as dryas we could. We contrived to make the blood circulate in our benumbedlimbs by rubbing them vigorously with our hands; and after performingour ablutions in the stream, and putting on our still wet clothes, we began to think it advisable to break our long fast, it being nowtwenty-four hours since we had tasted food. 

Accordingly our day's ration was brought out, and seating ourselves on adetached fragment of rock, we proceeded to discuss it. First we dividedit into two equal portions, and carefully rolling one of them up for ourevening's repast, divided the remainder again as equally as possible, and then drew lots for the first choice. I could have placed the morselthat fell to my share upon the tip of my finger; but notwithstandingthis I took care that it should be full ten minutes before I hadswallowed the last crumb. What a true saying it is that 'appetitefurnishes the best sauce. ' There was a flavour and a relish to thissmall particle of food that under other circumstances it would havebeen impossible for the most delicate viands to have imparted. A copiousdraught of the pure water which flowed at our feet served to completethe meal, and after it we rose sensibly refreshed, and prepared forwhatever might befall us. 

We now carefully examined the chasm in which we had passed the night. We crossed the stream, and gaining the further side of the pool I havementioned, discovered proofs that the spot must have been visited bysome one but a short time previous to our arrival. Further observationconvinced us that it had been regularly frequented, and, as weafterwards conjectured from particular indications, for the purposeof obtaining a certain root, from which the natives obtained a kind ofointment. 

These discoveries immediately determined us to abandon a place whichhad presented no inducement for us to remain, except the promise ofsecurity; and as we looked about us for the means of ascending againinto the upper regions, we at last found a practicable part of the rock, and half an hour's toil carried us to the summit of the same cliff fromwhich the preceding evening we had descended. 

I now proposed to Toby that instead of rambling about the island, exposing ourselves to discovery at every turn, we should select someplace as our fixed abode for as long a period as our food shouldhold out, build ourselves a comfortable hut, and be as prudent andcircumspect as possible. To all this my companion assented, and we atonce set about carrying the plan into execution. 

With this view, after exploring without success a little glen near us, we crossed several of the ridges of which I have before spoken; andabout noon found ourselves ascending a long and gradually rising slope, but still without having discovered any place adapted to our purpose. Low and heavy clouds betokened an approaching storm, and we hurried onto gain a covert in a clump of thick bushes, which appeared to terminatethe long ascent. We threw ourselves under the lee of these bushes, andpulling up the long grass that grew around, covered ourselves completelywith it, and awaited the shower. 

But it did not come as soon as we had expected, and before many minutesmy companion was fast asleep, and I was rapidly falling into the samestate of happy forgetfulness. Just at this juncture, however, down camethe rain with the violence that put all thoughts of slumber to flight. Although in some measure sheltered, our clothes soon became as wetas ever; this, after all the trouble we had taken to dry them, wasprovoking enough: but there was no help for it; and I recommend alladventurous youths who abandon vessels in romantic islands during therainy season to provide themselves with umbrellas. 

After an hour or so the shower passed away. My companion slept throughit all, or at least appeared so to do; and now that it was over I hadnot the heart to awaken him. As I lay on my back completely shroudedwith verdure, the leafy branches drooping over me, my limbs buriedin grass, I could not avoid comparing our situation with that of theinteresting babes in the wood. Poor little sufferers!--no wonder theirconstitutions broke down under the hardships to which they were exposed. 

During the hour or two spent under the shelter of these bushes, I beganto feel symptoms which I at once attributed to the exposure of thepreceding night. Cold shiverings and a burning fever succeeded oneanother at intervals, while one of my legs was swelled to such a degree, and pained me so acutely, that I half suspected I had been bitten bysome venomous reptile, the congenial inhabitant of the chasm from whichwe had lately emerged. I may here remark by the way--what I subsequentlygleamed--that all the islands of Polynesia enjoy the reputation, incommon with the Hibernian isle, of being free from the presence of anyvipers; though whether Saint Patrick ever visited them, is a question Ishall not attempt to decide. 

As the feverish sensation increased upon me I tossed about, stillunwilling to disturb my slumbering companion, from whose side I removedtwo or three yards. I chanced to push aside a branch, and by so doingsuddenly disclosed to my view a scene which even now I can recall withall the vividness of the first impression. Had a glimpse of the gardensof Paradise been revealed to me, I could scarcely have been moreravished with the sight. 

From the spot where I lay transfixed with surprise and delight, I lookedstraight down into the bosom of a valley, which swept away in long wavyundulations to the blue waters in the distance. Midway towards thesea, and peering here and there amidst the foliage, might be seen thepalmetto-thatched houses of its inhabitants glistening in the sun thathad bleached them to a dazzling whiteness. The vale was more than threeleagues in length, and about a mile across at its greatest width. 

On either side it appeared hemmed in by steep and green acclivities, which, uniting near the spot where I lay, formed an abrupt andsemicircular termination of grassy cliffs and precipices hundreds offeet in height, over which flowed numberless small cascades. But thecrowning beauty of the prospect was its universal verdure; and in thisindeed consists, I believe, the peculiar charm of every Polynesianlandscape. Everywhere below me, from the base of the precipice uponwhose very verge I had been unconsciously reposing, the surface of thevale presented a mass of foliage, spread with such rich profusionthat it was impossible to determine of what description of trees itconsisted. 

But perhaps there was nothing about the scenery I beheld more impressivethan those silent cascades, whose slender threads of water, afterleaping down the steep cliffs, were lost amidst the rich herbage of thevalley. 

Over all the landscape there reigned the most hushed repose, which Ialmost feared to break, lest, like the enchanted gardens in the fairytale, a single syllable might dissolve the spell. For a long time, forgetful alike of my own situation, and the vicinity of my stillslumbering companion, I remained gazing around me, hardly able tocomprehend by what means I had thus suddenly been made a spectator ofsuch a scene. 

CHAPTER EIGHT

THE IMPORTANT QUESTION, TYPEE OR HAPPAR?--A WILD GOOSE CHASE--MYSUFFERINGS--DISHEARTENING SITUATION--A NIGHT IN A RAVINE--MORNINGMEAL--HAPPY IDEA OF TOBY--JOURNEY TOWARDS THE VALLEY

RECOVERING from my astonishment at the beautiful scene before me, Iquickly awakened Toby, and informed him of the discovery I had made. Together we now repaired to the border of the precipice, and mycompanion's admiration was equal to my own. A little reflection, however, abated our surprise at coming so unexpectedly upon this valley, since the large vales of Happar and Typee, lying upon this side ofNukuheva, and extending a considerable distance from the sea towards theinterior, must necessarily terminate somewhere about this point. 

The question now was as to which of those two places we were lookingdown upon. Toby insisted that it was the abode of the Happar, and I thatit was tenanted by their enemies the ferocious Typees. To be sure I wasnot entirely convinced by my own arguments, but Toby's proposition todescend at once into the valley, and partake of the hospitality of itsinmates, seemed to me to be risking so much upon the strength of a meresupposition, that I resolved to oppose it until we had more evidence toproceed upon. 

The point was one of vital importance, as the natives of Happar werenot only at peace with Nukuheva, but cultivated with its inhabitants themost friendly relations, and enjoyed besides a reputation for gentlenessand humanity which led us to expect from them, if not a cordialreception, at least a shelter during the short period we should remainin their territory. 

On the other hand, the very name of Typee struck a panic into my heartwhich I did not attempt to disguise. The thought of voluntarily throwingourselves into the hands of these cruel savages, seemed to me an actof mere madness; and almost equally so the idea of venturing into thevalley, uncertain by which of these two tribes it was inhabited. Thatthe vale at our feet was tenanted by one of them, was a point thatappeared to us past all doubt, since we knew that they resided in thisquarter, although our information did not enlighten us further. 

My companion, however, incapable of resisting the tempting prospectwhich the place held out of an abundant supply of food and other meansof enjoyment, still clung to his own inconsiderate view of the subject, nor could all my reasoning shake it. When I reminded him that it wasimpossible for either of us to know anything with certainty, and whenI dwelt upon the horrible fate we should encounter were we rashlyto descend into the valley, and discover too late the error we hadcommitted, he replied by detailing all the evils of our presentcondition, and the sufferings we must undergo should we continue toremain where we then were. 

Anxious to draw him away from the subject, if possible--for I sawthat it would be in vain to attempt changing his mind--I directed hisattention to a long bright unwooded tract of land which, sweeping downfrom the elevations in the interior, descended into the valley beforeus. I then suggested to him that beyond this ridge might lie a capaciousand untenanted valley, abounding with all manner of delicious fruits;for I had heard that there were several such upon the island, andproposed that we should endeavour to reach it, and if we found ourexpectations realized we should at once take refuge in it and remainthere as long as we pleased. 

He acquiesced in the suggestion; and we immediately, therefore, begansurveying the country lying before us, with a view of determining uponthe best route for us to pursue; but it presented little choice, thewhole interval being broken into steep ridges, divided by dark ravines, extending in parallel lines at right angles to our direct course. Allthese we would be obliged to cross before we could hope to arrive at ourdestination. 

A weary journey! But we decided to undertake it, though, for my ownpart, I felt little prepared to encounter its fatigues, shivering andburning by turns with the ague and fever; for I know not how else todescribe the alternate sensations I experienced, and suffering nota little from the lameness which afflicted me. Added to this was thefaintness consequent on our meagre diet--a calamity in which Tobyparticipated to the same extent as myself. 

These circumstances, however, only augmented my anxiety to reach a placewhich promised us plenty and repose, before I should be reduced to astate which would render me altogether unable to perform the journey. Accordingly we now commenced it by descending the almost perpendicularside of a steep and narrow gorge, bristling with a thick growth ofreeds. Here there was but one mode for us to adopt. We seated ourselvesupon the ground, and guided our descent by catching at the canes in ourpath. This velocity with which we thus slid down the side of the ravinesoon brought us to a point where we could use our feet, and in a shorttime we arrived at the edge of the torrent, which rolled impetuouslyalong the bed of the chasm. 

After taking a refreshing draught from the water of the stream, weaddressed ourselves to a much more difficult undertaking than the last. Every foot of our late descent had to be regained in ascending theopposite side of the gorge--an operation rendered the less agreeablefrom the consideration that in these perpendicular episodes we did notprogress a hundred yards on our journey. But, ungrateful as the taskwas, we set about it with exemplary patience, and after a snail-likeprogress of an hour or more, had scaled perhaps one half of thedistance, when the fever which had left me for a while returned withsuch violence, and accompanied by so raging a thirst, that it requiredall the entreaties of Toby to prevent me from losing all the fruits ofmy late exertion, by precipitating myself madly down the cliffs we hadjust climbed, in quest of the water which flowed so temptingly at theirbase. At the moment all my hopes and fears appeared to be merged inthis one desire, careless of the consequences that might result from itsgratification. I am aware of no feeling, either of pleasure or of pain, that so completely deprives one of an power to resist its impulses, asthis same raging thirst. 

Toby earnestly conjured me to continue the ascent, assuring me that alittle more exertion would bring us to the summit, and that then in lessthan five minutes we should find ourselves at the brink of the stream, which must necessarily flow on the other side of the ridge. 

'Do not, ' he exclaimed, 'turn back, now that we have proceeded thus far;for I tell you that neither of us will have the courage to repeat theattempt, if once more we find ourselves looking up to where we now arefrom the bottom of these rocks!'

I was not yet so perfectly beside myself as to be heedless of theserepresentations, and therefore toiled on, ineffectually endeavouring toappease the thirst which consumed me, by thinking that in a short time Ishould be able to gratify it to my heart's content. 

At last we gained the top of the second elevation, the loftiest ofthose I have described as extending in parallel lines between us and thevalley we desired to reach. It commanded a view of the whole interveningdistance; and, discouraged as I was by other circumstances, thisprospect plunged me into the very depths of despair. Nothing but darkand fearful chasms, separated by sharp-crested and perpendicular ridgesas far as the eye could reach. Could we have stepped from summitto summit of these steep but narrow elevations we could easily haveaccomplished the distance; but we must penetrate to the bottom of everyyawning gulf, and scale in succession every one of the eminences beforeus. Even Toby, although not suffering as I did, was not proof againstthe disheartening influences of the sight. 

But we did not long stand to contemplate it, impatient as I was to reachthe waters of the torrent which flowed beneath us. With an insensibilityto danger which I cannot call to mind without shuddering, we threwourselves down the depths of the ravine, startling its savage solitudeswith the echoes produced by the falling fragments of rock we everymoment dislodged from their places, careless of the insecurity of ourfooting, and reckless whether the slight roots and twigs we clutched atsustained us for the while, or treacherously yielded to our grasp. Formy own part, I scarcely knew whether I was helplessly falling from theheights above, or whether the fearful rapidity with which I descendedwas an act of my own volition. 

In a few minutes we reached the foot of the gorge, and kneeling upona small ledge of dripping rocks, I bent over to the stream. What adelicious sensation was I now to experience! I paused for a second toconcentrate all my capabilities of enjoyment, and then immerged my lipsin the clear element before me. Had the apples of Sodom turned to ashesin my mouth, I could not have felt a more startling revulsion. A singledrop of the cold fluid seemed to freeze every drop of blood in my body;the fever that had been burning in my veins gave place on the instant todeath-like chills, which shook me one after another like so many shocksof electricity, while the perspiration produced by my late violentexertions congealed in icy beads upon my forehead. My thirst was gone, and I fairly loathed the water. Starting to my feet, the sight of thosedank rocks, oozing forth moisture at every crevice, and the darkstream shooting along its dismal channel, sent fresh chills throughmy shivering frame, and I felt as uncontrollable a desire to climb uptowards the genial sunlight as I before had to descend the ravine. 

After two hours' perilous exertions we stood upon the summit of anotherridge, and it was with difficulty I could bring myself to believe thatwe had ever penetrated the black and yawning chasm which then gaped atour feet. Again we gazed upon the prospect which the height commanded, but it was just as depressing as the one which had before met our eyes. I now felt that in our present situation it was in vain for us to thinkof ever overcoming the obstacles in our way, and I gave up all thoughtsof reaching the vale which lay beyond this series of impediments; whileat the same time I could not devise any scheme to extricate ourselvesfrom the difficulties in which we were involved. 

The remotest idea of returning to Nukuheva, unless assured of ourvessel's departure, never once entered my mind, and indeed it wasquestionable whether we could have succeeded in reaching it, divided aswe were from the bay by a distance we could not compute, and perplexedtoo in our remembrance of localities by our recent wanderings. Besides, it was unendurable the thought of retracing our steps and rendering allour painful exertions of no avail. 

There is scarcely anything when a man is in difficulties that he ismore disposed to look upon with abhorrence than a rightabout retrogrademovement--a systematic going over of the already trodden ground:and especially if he has a love of adventure, such a course appearsindescribably repulsive, so long as there remains the least hope to bederived from braving untried difficulties. 

It was this feeling that prompted us to descend the opposite side of theelevation we had just scaled, although with what definite object in viewit would have been impossible for either of us to tell. 

Without exchanging a syllable upon the subject, Toby and myselfsimultaneously renounced the design which had lured us thusfar--perceiving in each other's countenances that desponding expressionwhich speaks more eloquently than words. 

Together we stood towards the close of this weary day in the cavity ofthe third gorge we had entered, wholly incapacitated for any furtherexertion, until restored to some degree of strength by food and repose. 

We seated ourselves upon the least uncomfortable spot we could select, and Toby produced from the bosom of his frock the sacred package. Insilence we partook of the small morsel of refreshment that had been leftfrom the morning's repast, and without once proposing to violate thesanctity of our engagement with respect to the remainder, we rose toour feet, and proceeded to construct some sort of shelter under which wemight obtain the sleep we so greatly needed. 

Fortunately the spot was better adapted to our purpose than the one inwhich we had passed the last wretched night. We cleared away the tallreeds from the small but almost level bit of ground, and twisted theminto a low basket-like hut, which we covered with a profusion of longthick leaves, gathered from a tree near at hand. We disposed themthickly all around, reserving only a slight opening that barelypermitted us to crawl under the shelter we had thus obtained. 

These deep recesses, though protected from the winds that assail thesummits of their lofty sides, are damp and chill to a degree that onewould hardly anticipate in such a climate; and being unprovided withanything but our woollen frocks and thin duck trousers to resist thecold of the place, we were the more solicitous to render our habitationfor the night as comfortable as we could. Accordingly, in addition towhat we had already done, we plucked down all the leaves within ourreach and threw them in a heap over our little hut, into which we nowcrept, raking after us a reserved supply to form our couch. 

That night nothing but the pain I suffered prevented me from sleepingmost refreshingly. As it was, I caught two or three naps, while Tobyslept away at my side as soundly as though he had been sandwichedbetween two Holland sheets. Luckily it did not rain, and we werepreserved from the misery which a heavy shower would have occasionedus. In the morning I was awakened by the sonorous voice of my companionringing in my ears and bidding me rise. I crawled out from our heap ofleaves, and was astonished at the change which a good night's rest hadwrought in his appearance. He was as blithe and joyous as a young bird, and was staying the keenness of his morning's appetite by chewing thesoft bark of a delicate branch he held in his hand, and he recommendedthe like to me as an admirable antidote against the gnawings of hunger. 

For my own part, though feeling materially better than I had done thepreceding evening, I could not look at the limb that had pained meso violently at intervals during the last twenty-four hours, withoutexperiencing a sense of alarm that I strove in vain to shake off. Unwilling to disturb the flow of my comrade's spirits, I managed tostifle the complaints to which I might otherwise have given vent, andcalling upon him good-humouredly to speed our banquet, I prepared myselffor it by washing in the stream. This operation concluded, we swallowed, or rather absorbed, by a peculiar kind of slow sucking process, ourrespective morsels of nourishment, and then entered into a discussion asto the steps is was necessary for us to pursue. 

'What's to be done now?' inquired I, rather dolefully. 

'Descend into that same valley we descried yesterday. ' rejoined Toby, with a rapidity and loudness of utterance that almost led me to suspecthe had been slyly devouring the broadside of an ox in some of theadjoining thickets. 'What else, ' he continued, 'remains for us to do butthat, to be sure? Why, we shall both starve to a certainty if we remainhere; and as to your fears of those Typees--depend upon it, it is allnonsense. '

'It is impossible that the inhabitants of such a lovely place as wesaw can be anything else but good fellows; and if you choose rather toperish with hunger in one of these soppy caverns, I for one prefer tochance a bold descent into the valley, and risk the consequences'. 

'And who is to pilot us thither, ' I asked, 'even if we should decideupon the measure you propose? Are we to go again up and down thoseprecipices that we crossed yesterday, until we reach the place westarted from, and then take a flying leap from the cliffs to thevalley?'

'Faith, I didn't think of that, ' said Toby; 'sure enough, both sides ofthe valley appeared to be hemmed in by precipices, didn't they?'

'Yes, ' answered I, 'as steep as the sides of a line-of-battle ship, and about a hundred times as high. ' My companion sank his head upon hisbreast, and remained for a while in deep thought. Suddenly he sprang tohis feet, while his eyes lighted up with that gleam of intelligence thatmarks the presence of some bright idea. 

'Yes, yes, ' he exclaimed; 'the streams all run in the same direction, and must necessarily flow into the valley before they reach the sea; allwe have to do is just to follow this stream, and sooner or later it willlead us into the vale. '

'You are right, Toby, ' I exclaimed, 'you are right; it must conduct usthither, and quickly too; for, see with what a steep inclination thewater descends. '

'It does, indeed, ' burst forth my companion, overjoyed at myverification of his theory, 'it does indeed; why, it is as plain as apike-staff. Let us proceed at once; come, throw away all those stupidideas about the Typees, and hurrah for the lovely valley of theHappars. '

'You will have it to be Happar, I see, my dear fellow; pray Heaven youmay not find yourself deceived, ' observed I, with a shake of my head. 

'Amen to all that, and much more, ' shouted Toby, rushing forward; 'butHappar it is, for nothing else than Happar can it be. So glorious avalley--such forests of bread-fruit trees--such groves of cocoanut--suchwilderness of guava-bushes! Ah! shipmate! don't linger behind: in thename of all delightful fruits, I am dying to be at them. Come on, comeon; shove ahead, there's a lively lad; never mind the rocks; kick themout of the way, as I do; and tomorrow, old fellow, take my word forit, we shall be in clover. Come on;' and so saying, he dashed along theravine like a madman, forgetting my inability to keep up with him. In afew minutes, however, the exuberance of his spirits abated, and, pausingfor a while, he permitted me to overtake him. 

CHAPTER NINE

PERILOUS PASSAGE OF THE RAVINE--DESCENT INTO THE VALLEY

The fearless confidence of Toby was contagious, and I began to adopt theHappar side of the question. I could not, however, overcome a certainfeeling of trepidation as we made our way along these gloomy solitudes. Our progress, at first comparatively easy, became more and moredifficult. The bed of the watercourse was covered with fragments ofbroken rocks, which had fallen from above, offering so many obstructionsto the course of the rapid stream, which vexed and fretted aboutthem, --forming at intervals small waterfalls, pouring over into deepbasins, or splashing wildly upon heaps of stones. 

From the narrowness of the gorge, and the steepness of its sides, therewas no mode of advancing but by wading through the water; stumblingevery moment over the impediments which lay hidden under its surface, or tripping against the huge roots of trees. But the most annoyinghindrance we encountered was from a multitude of crooked boughs, which, shooting out almost horizontally from the sides of the chasm, twistedthemselves together in fantastic masses almost to the surface of thestream, affording us no passage except under the low arches which theyformed. Under these we were obliged to crawl on our hands and feet, sliding along the oozy surface of the rocks, or slipping into the deeppools, and with scarce light enough to guide us. Occasionally we wouldstrike our heads against some projecting limb of a tree; and whileimprudently engaged in rubbing the injured part, would fall sprawlingamongst flinty fragments, cutting and bruising ourselves, whilst theunpitying waters flowed over our prostrate bodies. Belzoni, worminghimself through the subterranean passages of the Egyptian catacombs, could not have met with great impediments than those we hereencountered. But we struggled against them manfully, well knowing ouronly hope lay in advancing. 

Towards sunset we halted at a spot where we made preparations forpassing the night. Here we constructed a hut, in much the same way asbefore, and crawling into it, endeavoured to forget our sufferings. Mycompanion, I believe, slept pretty soundly; but at day break, when werolled out of our dwelling, I felt nearly disqualified for any furtherefforts. Toby prescribed as a remedy for my illness the contents of oneof our little silk packages, to be taken at once in a single dose. Tothis species of medical treatment, however, I would by no means accede, much as he insisted upon it; and so we partook of our usual morsel, andsilently resumed our journey. It was now the fourth day since we leftNukuheva, and the gnawings of hunger became painfully acute. We werefain to pacify them by chewing the tender bark of roots and twigs, which, if they did not afford us nourishment, were at least sweet andpleasant to the taste. 

Our progress along the steep watercourse was necessarily slow, and bynoon we had not advanced more than a mile. It was somewhere near thispart of the day that the noise of falling waters, which we had faintlycaught in the early morning, became more distinct; and it was not longbefore we were arrested by a rocky precipice of nearly a hundred feetin depth, that extended all across the channel, and over which the wildstream poured in an unbroken leap. On each hand the walls of theravine presented their overhanging sides both above and below the fall, affording no means whatever of avoiding the cataract by taking a circuitround it. 

'What's to be done now, Toby?' said I. 

'Why, ' rejoined he, 'as we cannot retreat, I suppose we must keepshoving along. '

'Very true, my dear Toby; but how do you purpose accomplishing thatdesirable object?'

'By jumping from the top of the fall, if there be no other way, 'unhesitatingly replied my companion: 'it will be much the quickest wayof descent; but as you are not quite as active as I am, we will try someother way. '

And, so saying, he crept cautiously along and peered over into theabyss, while I remained wondering by what possible means we couldovercome this apparently insuperable obstruction. As soon as mycompanion had completed his survey, I eagerly inquired the result. 

'The result of my observations you wish to know, do you?' began Toby, deliberately, with one of his odd looks: 'well, my lad, the result of myobservations is very quickly imparted. It is at present uncertain whichof our two necks will have the honour to be broken first; but about ahundred to one would be a fair bet in favour of the man who takes thefirst jump. '

'Then it is an impossible thing, is it?' inquired I gloomily. 

'No, shipmate; on the contrary, it is the easiest thing in life: theonly awkward point is the sort of usage which our unhappy limbs mayreceive when we arrive at the bottom, and what sort of travelling trimwe shall be in afterwards. But follow me now, and I will show you theonly chance we have. ' With this he conducted me to the verge of thecataract, and pointed along the side of the ravine to a number ofcurious looking roots, some three or four inches in thickness, andseveral feet long, which, after twisting among the fissures of the rock, shot perpendicularly from it and ran tapering to a point in the air, hanging over the gulf like so many dark icicles. They covered nearlythe entire surface of one side of the gorge, the lowest of themreaching even to the water. Many were moss grown and decayed, with theirextremities snapped short off, and those in the immediate vicinity ofthe fall were slippery with moisture. 

Toby's scheme, and it was a desperate one, was to entrust ourselvesto these treacherous-looking roots, and by slipping down from one toanother to gain the bottom. 

'Are you ready to venture it?' asked Toby, looking at me earnestly butwithout saying a word as to the practicability of the plan. 

'I am, ' was my reply; for I saw it was our only resource if we wished toadvance, and as for retreating, all thoughts of that sort had been longabandoned. 

After I had signified my assent, Toby, without uttering a a single word, crawled along the dripping ledge until he gained a point from whencehe could just reach one of the largest of the pendant roots; he shookit--it quivered in his grasp, and when he let it go it twanged in theair like a strong, wire sharply struck. Satisfied by his scrutiny, mylight limbed companion swung himself nimbly upon it, and twisting hislegs round it in sailor fashion, slipped down eight or ten feet, wherehis weight gave it a motion not un-like that of a pendulum. He could notventure to descend any further; so holding on with one hand, he with theother shook one by one all the slender roots around him, and at last, finding one which he thought trustworthy, shifted him self to it andcontinued his downward progress. 

So far so well; but I could not avoid comparing my heavier frame anddisabled condition with his light figure and remarkable activity;but there was no help for it, and in less than a minute's time I wasswinging directly over his head. As soon as his upturned eyes caught aglimpse of me, he exclaimed in his usual dry tone, for the danger didnot seem to daunt him in the least, 'Mate, do me the kindness not tofall until I get out of your way;' and then swinging himself more onone side, he continued his descent. In the mean time I cautiouslytransferred myself from the limb down which I had been slipping to acouple of others that were near it, deeming two strings to my bow betterthan one, and taking care to test their strength before I trusted myweight to them. 

On arriving towards the end of the second stage in this verticaljourney, and shaking the long roots which were round me, to myconsternation they snapped off one after another like so many pipestems, and fell in fragments against the side of the gulf, splashing atlast into the waters beneath. 

As one after another the treacherous roots yielded to my grasp, and fellinto the torrent, my heart sunk within me. The branches on which I wassuspended over the yawning chasm swang to and fro in the air, and Iexpected them every moment to snap in twain. Appalled at the dreadfulfate that menaced me, I clutched frantically at the only large rootwhich remained near me, but in vain; I could not reach it, though myfingers were within a few inches of it. Again and again I tried to reachit, until at length, maddened with the thought of my situation, I swayedmyself violently by striking my foot against the side of the rock, andat the instant that I approached the large root caught desperately atit, and transferred myself to it. It vibrated violently under the suddenweight, but fortunately did not give way. 

My brain grew dizzy with the idea of the frightful risk I had just run, and I involuntarily closed my eyes to shut out the view of thedepth beneath me. For the instant I was safe, and I uttered a devoutejaculation of thanksgiving for my escape. 

'Pretty well done, ' shouted Toby underneath me; 'you are nimbler thanI thought you to be--hopping about up there from root to root like anyyoung squirrel. As soon as you have diverted yourself sufficiently, Iwould advise you to proceed. '

'Aye, aye, Toby, all in good time: two or three more such famous rootsas this, and I shall be with you. '

The residue of my downward progress was comparatively easy; the rootswere in greater abundance, and in one or two places jutting out pointsof rock assisted me greatly. In a few moments I was standing by the sideof my companion. 

Substituting a stout stick for the one I had thrown aside at the top ofthe precipice, we now continued our course along the bed of the ravine. Soon we were saluted by a sound in advance, that grew by degreeslouder and louder, as the noise of the cataract we were leaving behindgradually died on our ears. 

'Another precipice for us, Toby. '

'Very good; we can descend them, you know--come on. '

Nothing indeed appeared to depress or intimidate this intrepid fellow. Typees or Niagaras, he was as ready to engage one as the other, and Icould not avoid a thousand times congratulating myself upon having sucha companion in an enterprise like the present. 

After an hour's painful progress, we reached the verge of another fall, still loftier than the preceding and flanked both above and below withthe same steep masses of rock, presenting, however, here and therenarrow irregular ledges, supporting a shallow soil, on which grew avariety of bushes and trees, whose bright verdure contrasted beautifullywith the foamy waters that flowed between them. 

Toby, who invariably acted as pioneer, now proceeded to reconnoitre. On his return, he reported that the shelves of rock on our rightwould enable us to gain with little risk the bottom of the cataract. Accordingly, leaving the bed of the stream at the very point where itthundered down, we began crawling along one of those sloping ledgesuntil it carried us to within a few feet of another that inclineddownwards at a still sharper angle, and upon which, by assisting eachother we managed to alight in safety. We warily crept along this, steadying ourselves by the naked roots of the shrubs that clung to everyfissure. As we proceeded, the narrow path became still more contracted, rendering it difficult for us to maintain our footing, until suddenly, as we reached an angle of the wall of rock where we had expected it towiden, we perceived to our consternation that a yard or two further onit abruptly terminated at a place we could not possibly hope to pass. 

Toby as usual led the van, and in silence I waited to learn from him howhe proposed to extricate us from this new difficulty. 

'Well, my boy, ' I exclaimed, after the expiration of several minutes, during which time my companion had not uttered a word, 'what's to bedone now?'

He replied in a tranquil tone, that probably the best thing we could doin our present strait was to get out of it as soon as possible. 

'Yes, my dear Toby, but tell me how we are to get out of it. '

'Something in this sort of style, ' he replied, and at the same moment tomy horror he slipped sideways off the rocks and, as I then thought, bygood fortune merely, alighted among the spreading branches of a speciesof palm tree, that shooting its hardy roots along a ledge below, curvedits trunk upwards into the air, and presented a thick mass of foliageabout twenty feet below the spot where we had thus suddenly been broughtto a standstill. I involuntarily held my breath, expecting to see theform of my companion, after being sustained for a moment by the branchesof the tree, sink through their frail support, and fall headlong tothe bottom. To my surprise and joy, however, he recovered himself, anddisentangling his limbs from the fractured branches, he peered out fromhis leafy bed, and shouted lustily, 'Come on, my hearty there is noother alternative!' and with this he ducked beneath the foliage, andslipping down the trunk, stood in a moment at least fifty feet beneathme, upon the broad shelf of rock from which sprung the tree he haddescended. 

What would I not have given at that moment to have been by his side. Thefeat he had just accomplished seemed little less than miraculous, andI could hardly credit the evidence of my senses when I saw the widedistance that a single daring act had so suddenly placed between us. 

Toby's animating 'come on' again sounded in my ears, and dreading tolose all confidence in myself if I remained meditating upon the step, I once more gazed down to assure myself of the relative bearing of thetree and my own position, and then closing my eyes and uttering onecomprehensive ejaculation of prayer, I inclined myself over towards theabyss, and after one breathless instant fell with a crash into the tree, the branches snapping and cracking with my weight, as I sunk lower andlower among them, until I was stopped by coming in contact with a sturdylimb. 

In a few moments I was standing at the foot of the tree manipulatingmyself all over with a view of ascertaining the extent of the injuriesI had received. To my surprise the only effects of my feat were a fewslight contusions too trifling to care about. The rest of our descentwas easily accomplished, and in half an hour after regaining the ravinewe had partaken of our evening morsel, built our hut as usual, andcrawled under its shelter. 

The next morning, in spite of our debility and the agony of hunger underwhich we were now suffering, though neither of us confessed to the fact, we struggled along our dismal and still difficult and dangerous path, cheered by the hope of soon catching a glimpse of the valley beforeus, and towards evening the voice of a cataract which had for some timesounded like a low deep bass to the music of the smaller waterfalls, broke upon our ears in still louder tones, and assured us that we wereapproaching its vicinity. 

That evening we stood on the brink of a precipice, over which the darkstream bounded in one final leap of full 300 feet. The sheer descentterminated in the region we so long had sought. On each side of thefall, two lofty and perpendicular bluffs buttressed the sides of theenormous cliff, and projected into the sea of verdure with which thevalley waved, and a range of similar projecting eminences stood disposedin a half circle about the head if the vale. A thick canopy of treeshung over the very verge of the fall, leaving an arched aperture for thepassage of the waters, which imparted a strange picturesqueness to thescene. 

The valley was now before us; but instead of being conducted into itssmiling bosom by the gradual descent of the deep watercourse we had thusfar pursued, all our labours now appeared to have been rendered futileby its abrupt termination. But, bitterly disappointed, we did notentirely despair. 

As it was now near sunset we determined to pass the night where we were, and on the morrow, refreshed by sleep, and by eating at one meal all ourstock of food, to accomplish a descent into the valley, or perish in theattempt. 

We laid ourselves down that night on a spot, the recollection of whichstill makes me shudder. A small table of rock which projected over theprecipice on one side of the stream, and was drenched by the sprayof the fall, sustained a huge trunk of a tree which must have beendeposited there by some heavy freshet. It lay obliquely, with one endresting on the rock and the other supported by the side of the ravine. Against it we placed in a sloping direction a number of the half decayedboughs that were strewn about, and covering the whole with twigs andleaves, awaited the morning's light beneath such shelter as it afforded. 

During the whole of this night the continual roaring of thecataract--the dismal moaning of the gale through the trees--thepattering of the rain, and the profound darkness, affected my spirits toa degree which nothing had ever before produced. Wet, half famished, and chilled to the heart with the dampness of the place, and nearly wildwith the pain I endured, I fairly cowered down to the earth underthis multiplication of hardships, and abandoned myself to frightfulanticipations of evil; and my companion, whose spirit at last was a gooddeal broken, scarcely uttered a word during the whole night. 

At length the day dawned upon us, and rising from our miserable pallet, we stretched our stiffened joints, and after eating all that remainedof our bread, prepared for the last stage of our journey. I will notrecount every hair-breadth escape, and every fearful difficulty thatoccurred before we succeeded in reaching the bosom of the valley. As Ihave already described similar scenes, it will be sufficient to say thatat length, after great toil and great dangers, we both stood with nolimbs broken at the head of that magnificent vale which five days beforehad so suddenly burst upon my sight, and almost beneath the shadow ofthose very cliffs from whose summits we had gazed upon the prospect. 

CHAPTER TEN

THE HEAD OF THE VALLEY--CAUTIOUS ADVANCE--A PATH--FRUIT--DISCOVERYOF TWO OF THE NATIVES--THEIR SINGULAR CONDUCT--APPROACH TOWARDSTHE INHABITED PARTS OF THE VALE--SENSATION PRODUCED BY OURAPPEARANCE--RECEPTION AT THE HOUSE OF ONE OF THE NATIVES

HOW to obtain the fruit which we felt convinced must grow near at handwas our first thought. 

Typee or Happar? A frightful death at the hands of the fiercest ofcannibals, or a kindly reception from a gentler race of savages? Which?But it was too late now to discuss a question which would so soon beanswered. 

The part of the valley in which we found ourselves appeared to bealtogether uninhabited. An almost impenetrable thicket extendedfrom side to side, without presenting a single plant affording thenourishment we had confidently calculated upon; and with this object, wefollowed the course of the stream, casting quick glances as weproceeded into the thick jungles on each hand. My companion--to whosesolicitations I had yielded in descending into the valley--now thatthe step was taken, began to manifest a degree of caution I had littleexpected from him. He proposed that in the event of our finding anadequate supply of fruit, we should remain in this unfrequented portionof the country--where we should run little chance of being surprised byits occupants, whoever they might be--until sufficiently recruited toresume our journey; when laying a store of food equal to our wants, wemight easily regain the bay of Nukuheva, after the lapse of a sufficientinterval to ensure the departure of our vessel. 

I objected strongly to this proposition, plausible as it was, as thedifficulties of the route would be almost insurmountable, unacquaintedas we were with the general bearings of the country, and I remindedmy companion of the hardships which we had already encountered in ouruncertain wanderings; in a word, I said that since we had deemedit advisable to enter the valley, we ought manfully to face theconsequences, whatever they might be; the more especially as I wasconvinced there was no alternative left us but to fall in with thenatives at once, and boldly risk the reception they might give us; andthat as to myself, I felt the necessity of rest and shelter, and thatuntil I had obtained them, I should be wholly unable to encounter suchsufferings as we had lately passed through. To the justice of theseobservations Toby somewhat reluctantly assented. 

We were surprised that, after moving as far as we had along the valley, we should still meet with the same impervious thickets; and thinking, that although the borders of the stream might be lined for some distancewith them, yet beyond there might be more open ground, I requested Tobyto keep a bright look-out upon one side, while I did the same on theother, in order to discover some opening in the bushes, and especiallyto watch for the slightest appearance of a path or anything else thatmight indicate the vicinity of the islanders. 

What furtive and anxious glances we cast into those dim-looking shadows!With what apprehensions we proceeded, ignorant at what moment we mightbe greeted by the javelin of some ambushed savage. At last my companionpaused, and directed my attention to a narrow opening in the foliage. Westruck into it, and it soon brought us by an indistinctly traced path toa comparatively clear space, at the further end of which we descrieda number of the trees, the native name of which is 'annuee', and whichbear a most delicious fruit. What a race! I hobbling over the groundlike some decrepid wretch, and Toby leaping forward like a greyhound. Hequickly cleared one of the trees on which there were two or three ofthe fruit, but to our chagrin they proved to be much decayed; the rindspartly opened by the birds, and their hearts half devoured. However, wequickly despatched them, and no ambrosia could have been more delicious. 

We looked about us uncertain whither to direct our steps, since the pathwe had so far followed appeared to be lost in the open space around us. At last we resolved to enter a grove near at hand, and had advanced afew rods, when, just upon its skirts, I picked up a slender bread-fruitshoot perfectly green, and with the tender bark freshly stripped fromit. It was still slippery with moisture, and appeared as if it had beenbut that moment thrown aside. I said nothing, but merely held it up toToby, who started at this undeniable evidence of the vicinity of thesavages. 

The plot was now thickening. --A short distance further lay a littlefaggot of the same shoots bound together with a strip of bark. Could ithave been thrown down by some solitary native, who, alarmed at seeingus, had hurried forward to carry the tidings of our approach to hiscountrymen?--Typee or Happar?--But it was too late to recede, so wemoved on slowly, my companion in advance casting eager glances under thetrees on each side, until all at once I saw him recoil as if stung byan adder. Sinking on his knee, he waved me off with one hand, while withthe other he held aside some intervening leaves, and gazed intently atsome object. 

Disregarding his injunction, I quickly approached him and caught aglimpse of two figures partly hidden by the dense foliage; they werestanding close together, and were perfectly motionless. They must havepreviously perceived us, and withdrawn into the depths of the wood toelude our observation. 

My mind was at once made up. Dropping my staff, and tearing open thepackage of things we had brought from the ship, I unrolled the cottoncloth, and holding it in one hand picked with the other a twig from thebushes beside me, and telling Toby to follow my example, I broke throughthe covert and advanced, waving the branch in token of peace towardsthe shrinking forms before me. They were a boy and a girl, slender andgraceful, and completely naked, with the exception of a slight girdle ofbark, from which depended at opposite points two of the russet leaves ofthe bread-fruit tree. An arm of the boy, half screened from sight byher wild tresses, was thrown about the neck of the girl, while with theother he held one of her hands in his; and thus they stood together, their heads inclined forward, catching the faint noise we made in ourprogress, and with one foot in advance, as if half inclined to fly fromour presence. 

As we drew near, their alarm evidently increased. Apprehensive thatthey might fly from us altogether, I stopped short and motioned themto advance and receive the gift I extended towards them, but they wouldnot; I then uttered a few words of their language with which I wasacquainted, scarcely expected that they would understand me, but to showthat we had not dropped from the clouds upon them. This appeared to givethem a little confidence, so I approached nearer, presenting the clothwith one hand, and holding the bough with the other, while they slowlyretreated. At last they suffered us to approach so near to them that wewere enabled to throw the cotton cloth across their shoulders, givingthem to understand that it was theirs, and by a variety of gesturesendeavouring to make them understand that we entertained the highestpossible regard for them. 

The frightened pair now stood still, whilst we endeavoured to make themcomprehend the nature of our wants. In doing this Toby went through witha complete series of pantomimic illustrations--opening his mouth fromear to ear, and thrusting his fingers down his throat, gnashing histeeth and rolling his eyes about, till I verily believe the poorcreatures took us for a couple of white cannibals who were about tomake a meal of them. When, however, they understood us, they showedno inclination to relieve our wants. At this juncture it began to rainviolently, and we motioned them to lead us to some place of shelter. With this request they appeared willing to comply, but nothing couldevince more strongly the apprehension with which they regarded us, than the way in which, whilst walking before us, they kept their eyesconstantly turned back to watch every movement we made, and even ourvery looks. 

'Typee or Happar, Toby?' asked I as we walked after them. 

'Of course Happar, ' he replied, with a show of confidence which wasintended to disguise his doubts. 

'We shall soon know, ' I exclaimed; and at the same moment Istepped forward towards our guides, and pronouncing the two namesinterrogatively and pointing to the lowest part of the valley, endeavoured to come to the point at once. They repeated the words afterme again and again, but without giving any peculiar emphasis to either, so that I was completely at a loss to understand them; for a couple ofwilier young things than we afterwards found them to have been on thisparticular occasion never probably fell in any traveller's way. 

More and more curious to ascertain our fate, I now threw together in theform of a question the words 'Happar' and 'Motarkee', the latter beingequivalent to the word 'good'. The two natives interchanged glancesof peculiar meaning with one another at this, and manifested no littlesurprise; but on the repetition of the question after some consultationtogether, to the great joy of Toby, they answered in the affirmative. Toby was now in ecstasies, especially as the young savages continuedto reiterate their answer with great energy, as though desirous ofimpressing us with the idea that being among the Happars, we ought toconsider ourselves perfectly secure. 

Although I had some lingering doubts, I feigned great delight with Tobyat this announcement, while my companion broke out into a pantomimicabhorrence of Typee, and immeasurable love for the particular valley inwhich we were; our guides all the while gazing uneasily at one anotheras if at a loss to account for our conduct. 

They hurried on, and we followed them; until suddenly they set up astrange halloo, which was answered from beyond the grove through whichwe were passing, and the next moment we entered upon some open ground, at the extremity of which we descried a long, low hut, and in front ofit were several young girls. As soon as they perceived us they fled withwild screams into the adjoining thickets, like so many startled fawns. A few moments after the whole valley resounded with savage outcries, andthe natives came running towards us from every direction. 

Had an army of invaders made an irruption into their territory theycould not have evinced greater excitement. We were soon completelyencircled by a dense throng, and in their eager desire to behold us theyalmost arrested our progress; an equal number surrounded our youthfulguides, who with amazing volubility appeared to be detailing thecircumstances which had attended their meeting with us. Every item ofintelligence appeared to redouble the astonishment of the islanders, andthey gazed at us with inquiring looks. 

At last we reached a large and handsome building of bamboos, and were bysigns told to enter it, the natives opening a lane for us through whichto pass; on entering without ceremony, we threw our exhausted framesupon the mats that covered the floor. In a moment the slight tenementwas completely full of people, whilst those who were unable to obtainadmittance gazed at us through its open cane-work. 

It was now evening, and by the dim light we could just discern thesavage countenances around us, gleaming with wild curiosity and wonder;the naked forms and tattooed limbs of brawny warriors, with here andthere the slighter figures of young girls, all engaged in a perfectstorm of conversation, of which we were of course the one onlytheme, whilst our recent guides were fully occupied in answering theinnumerable questions which every one put to them. Nothing can exceedthe fierce gesticulation of these people when animated in conversation, and on this occasion they gave loose to all their natural vivacity, shouting and dancing about in a manner that well nigh intimidated us. 

Close to where we lay, squatting upon their haunches, were some eight orten noble-looking chiefs--for such they subsequently proved to be--who, more reserved than the rest, regarded us with a fixed and sternattention, which not a little discomposed our equanimity. One of themin particular, who appeared to be the highest in rank, placed himselfdirectly facing me, looking at me with a rigidity of aspect under whichI absolutely quailed. He never once opened his lips, but maintained hissevere expression of countenance, without turning his face aside fora single moment. Never before had I been subjected to so strange andsteady a glance; it revealed nothing of the mind of the savage, but itappeared to be reading my own. 

After undergoing this scrutiny till I grew absolutely nervous, with aview of diverting it if possible, and conciliating the good opinion ofthe warrior, I took some tobacco from the bosom of my frock andoffered it to him. He quietly rejected the proffered gift, and, withoutspeaking, motioned me to return it to its place. 

In my previous intercourse with the natives of Nukuheva and Tior, I hadfound that the present of a small piece of tobacco would have renderedany of them devoted to my service. Was this act of the chief a token ofhis enmity? Typee or Happar? I asked within myself. I started, for atthe same moment this identical question was asked by the strange beingbefore me. I turned to Toby, the flickering light of a native tapershowed 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 Ianswered 'Typee'. The piece of dusky statuary nodded in approval, andthen murmured 'Motarkee!' 'Motarkee, ' said I, without further hesitation'Typee motarkee. '

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

When this commotion had a little subsided, the principal chief squattedonce more before me, and throwing himself into a sudden rage, pouredforth a string of philippics, which I was at no loss to understand, fromthe frequent recurrence of the word Happar, as being directed againstthe natives of the adjoining valley. In all these denunciations mycompanion and I acquiesced, while we extolled the character of thewarlike Typees. To be sure our panegyrics were somewhat laconic, consisting in the repetition of that name, united with the potentadjective 'motarkee'. But this was sufficient, and served to conciliatethe good will of the natives, with whom our congeniality of sentiment onthis point did more towards inspiring a friendly feeling than anythingelse that could have happened. 

At last the wrath of the chief evaporated, and in a few moments hewas as placid as ever. Laying his hand upon his breast, he gave me tounderstand that his name was 'Mehevi', and that, in return, he wished meto communicate my appellation. I hesitated for an instant, thinking thatit might be difficult for him to pronounce my real name, and then withthe most praiseworthy intentions intimated that I was known as 'Tom'. But I could not have made a worse selection; the chief could not masterit. 'Tommo, ' 'Tomma', 'Tommee', everything but plain 'Tom'. As hepersisted in garnishing the word with an additional syllable, Icompromised the matter with him at the word 'Tommo'; and by that nameI went during the entire period of my stay in the valley. The sameproceeding was gone through with Toby, whose mellifluous appellation wasmore easily caught. 

An exchange of names is equivalent to a ratification of good will andamity among these simple people; and as we were aware of this fact, wewere delighted that it had taken place on the present occasion. 

Reclining upon our mats, we now held a kind of levee, giving audienceto successive troops of the natives, who introduced themselves to us bypronouncing their respective names, and retired in high good humour onreceiving ours in return. During this ceremony the greatest merrimentprevailed nearly every announcement on the part of the islanders beingfollowed by a fresh sally of gaiety, which induced me to believe thatsome of them at least were innocently diverting the company at ourexpense, by bestowing upon themselves a string of absurd titles, of thehumour of which we were of course entirely ignorant. 

All this occupied about an hour, when the throng having a littlediminished, I turned to Mehevi and gave him to understand that we werein need of food and sleep. Immediately the attentive chief addressed afew words to one of the crowd, who disappeared, and returned in a fewmoments with a calabash of 'poee-poee', and two or three young cocoanutsstripped of their husks, and with their shells partly broken. We bothof us forthwith placed one of these natural goblets to our lips, anddrained it in a moment of the refreshing draught it contained. Thepoee-poee was then placed before us, and even famished as I was, Ipaused to consider in what manner to convey it to my mouth. 

This staple article of food among the Marquese islanders is manufacturedfrom the produce of the bread-fruit tree. It somewhat resembles inits plastic nature our bookbinders' paste, is of a yellow colour, andsomewhat tart to the taste. 

Such was the dish, the merits of which I was now eager to discuss. Ieyed it wistfully for a moment, and then, unable any longer to stand onceremony, plunged my hand into the yielding mass, and to the boisterousmirth of the natives drew it forth laden with the poee-poee, whichadhered in lengthy strings to every finger. So stubborn was itsconsistency, that in conveying my heavily-weighted hand to my mouth, theconnecting links almost raised the calabash from the mats on which ithad been placed. This display of awkwardness--in which, by-the-bye, Tobykept me company--convulsed the bystanders with uncontrollable laughter. 

As soon as their merriment had somewhat subsided, Mehevi, motioning usto be attentive, dipped the forefinger of his right hand in the dish, and giving it a rapid and scientific twirl, drew it out coated smoothlywith the preparation. With a second peculiar flourish he prevented thepoee-poee from dropping to the ground as he raised it to his mouth, intowhich the finger was inserted and drawn forth perfectly free from anyadhesive matter. 

This performance was evidently intended for our instruction; so Iagain essayed the feat on the principles inculcated, but with very illsuccess. 

A starving man, however, little heeds conventional proprieties, especially on a South-Sea Island, and accordingly Toby and I partook ofthe dish after our own clumsy fashion, beplastering our faces all overwith the glutinous compound, and daubing our hands nearly to thewrist. This kind of food is by no means disagreeable to the palate of aEuropean, though at first the mode of eating it may be. For my ownpart, after the lapse of a few days I became accustomed to its singularflavour, and grew remarkably fond of it. 

So much for the first course; several other dishes followed it, some ofwhich were positively delicious. We concluded our banquet by tossingoff the contents of two more young cocoanuts, after which we regaledourselves with the soothing fumes of tobacco, inhaled from a quaintlycarved pipe which passed round the circle. 

During the repast, the natives eyed us with intense curiosity, observingour minutest motions, and appearing to discover abundant matter forcomment in the most trifling occurrence. Their surprise mounted thehighest, when we began to remove our uncomfortable garments, which weresaturated with rain. They scanned the whiteness of our limbs, and seemedutterly unable to account for the contrast they presented to the swarthyhue of our faces embrowned from a six months' exposure to the scorchingsun of the Line. They felt our skin, much in the same way that a silkmercer would handle a remarkably fine piece of satin; and some of themwent so far in their investigation as to apply the olfactory organ. 

Their singular behaviour almost led me to imagine that they never beforehad beheld a white man; but a few moments' reflection convinced me thatthis could not have been the case; and a more satisfactory reason fortheir conduct has since suggested itself to my mind. 

Deterred by the frightful stories related of its inhabitants, shipsnever enter this bay, while their hostile relations with the tribes inthe adjoining valleys prevent the Typees from visiting that section ofthe island where vessels occasionally lie. At long intervals, however, some intrepid captain will touch on the skirts of the bay, with two orthree armed boats' crews and accompanied by interpreters. The nativeswho live near the sea descry the strangers long before they reach theirwaters, and aware of the purpose for which they come, proclaim loudlythe news of their approach. By a species of vocal telegraph theintelligence reaches the inmost recesses of the vale in an inconceivablyshort space of time, drawing nearly its whole population down tothe beach laden with every variety of fruit. The interpreter, who isinvariably a 'tabooed Kanaka'*, leaps ashore with the goods intended forbarter, while the boats, with their oars shipped, and every man on histhwart, lie just outside the surf, heading off the shore, in readinessat the first untoward event to escape to the open sea. As soon as thetraffic is concluded, one of the boats pulls in under cover of themuskets of the others, the fruit is quickly thrown into her, and thetransient visitors precipitately retire from what they justly considerso dangerous a vicinity. 

* The word 'Kanaka' is at the present day universally used in the SouthSeas by Europeans to designate the Islanders. In the various dialectsof the principal groups it is simply a sexual designation applied tothe males; but it is now used by the natives in their intercourse withforeigners in the same sense in which the latter employ it. 

A 'Tabooed Kanaka' is an islander whose person has been made to acertain extent sacred by the operation of a singular custom hereafter tobe explained. 

The intercourse occurring with Europeans being so restricted, no wonderthat the inhabitants of the valley manifested so much curiosity withregard to us, appearing as we did among them under such singularcircumstances. I have no doubt that we were the first white men who everpenetrated thus far back into their territories, or at least the firstwho had ever descended from the head of the vale. What had brought usthither must have appeared a complete mystery to them, and from ourignorance of the language it was impossible for us to enlighten them. Inanswer to inquiries which the eloquence of their gestures enabled us tocomprehend, all that we could reply was, that we had come from Nukuheva, a place, be it remembered, with which they were at open war. Thisintelligence appeared to affect them with the most lively emotions. 'Nukuheva motarkee?' they asked. Of course we replied most energeticallyin the negative. 

Then they plied us with a thousand questions, of which we couldunderstand nothing more than that they had reference to the recentmovements of the French, against whom they seemed to cherish the mostfierce hatred. So eager were they to obtain information on this point, that they still continued to propound their queries long after we hadshown that we were utterly unable to answer them. Occasionally we caughtsome indistinct idea of their meaning, when we would endeavour by everymethod in our power to communicate the desired intelligence. At suchtimes their gratification was boundless, and they would redouble theirefforts to make us comprehend them more perfectly. But all in vain; andin the end they looked at us despairingly, as if we were the receptaclesof invaluable information; but how to come at it they knew not. 

After a while the group around us gradually dispersed, and we wereleft about midnight (as we conjectured) with those who appeared to bepermanent residents of the house. These individuals now provided us withfresh mats to lie upon, covered us with several folds of tappa, and thenextinguishing the tapers that had been burning, threw themselves downbeside us, and after a little desultory conversation were soon soundasleep. 

CHAPTER ELEVEN

MIDNIGHT REFLECTIONS--MORNING VISITORS--A WARRIOR IN COSTUME--A SAVAGEAESCULAPIUS--PRACTICE OF THE HEALING ART--BODY SERVANT--A DWELLING-HOUSEOF THE VALLEY DESCRIBED--PORTRAITS OF ITS INMATES

VARIOUS and conflicting were the thoughts which oppressed me during thesilent hours that followed the events related in the preceding chapter. Toby, wearied with the fatigues of the day, slumbered heavily by myside; but the pain under which I was suffering effectually preventedmy sleeping, and I remained distressingly alive to all the fearfulcircumstances of our present situation. Was it possible that, after allour vicissitudes, we were really in the terrible valley of Typee, andat the mercy of its inmates, a fierce and unrelenting tribe of savages?Typee or Happar? I shuddered when I reflected that there was no longerany room for doubt; and that, beyond all hope of escape, we were nowplaced in those very circumstances from the bare thought of which I hadrecoiled with such abhorrence but a few days before. What might notbe our fearful destiny? To be sure, as yet we had been treated with noviolence; nay, had been even kindly and hospitably entertained. But whatdependence could be placed upon the fickle passions which sway the bosomof a savage? His inconstancy and treachery are proverbial. Might itnot be that beneath these fair appearances the islanders covered someperfidious design, and that their friendly reception of us might onlyprecede some horrible catastrophe? How strongly did these forebodingsspring up in my mind as I lay restlessly upon a couch of mats surroundedby the dimly revealed forms of those whom I so greatly dreaded!

From the excitement of these fearful thoughts I sank towards morninginto an uneasy slumber; and on awaking, with a start, in the midst of anappalling dream, looked up into the eager countenance of a number of thenatives, who were bending over me. 

It was broad day; and the house was nearly filled with young females, fancifully decorated with flowers, who gazed upon me as I rose withfaces in which childish delight and curiosity were vividly portrayed. After waking Toby, they seated themselves round us on the mats, and gavefull play to that prying inquisitiveness which time out of mind has beenattributed to the adorable sex. 

As these unsophisticated young creatures were attended by no jealousduennas, their proceedings were altogether informal, and void ofartificial restraint. Long and minute was the investigation with whichthey honoured us, and so uproarious their mirth, that I felt infinitelysheepish; and Toby was immeasurably outraged at their familiarity. 

These lively young ladies were at the same time wonderfully politeand humane; fanning aside the insects that occasionally lighted on ourbrows; presenting us with food; and compassionately regarding me in themidst of my afflictions. But in spite of all their blandishments, myfeelings of propriety were exceedingly shocked, for I could but considerthem as having overstepped the due limits of female decorum. 

Having diverted themselves to their hearts' content, our young visitantsnow withdrew, and gave place to successive troops of the other sex, whocontinued flocking towards the house until near noon; by which time Ihave no doubt that the greater part of the inhabitants of the valley hadbathed themselves in the light of our benignant countenances. 

At last, when their numbers began to diminish, a superb-looking warriorstooped the towering plumes of his head-dress beneath the low portal, and entered the house. I saw at once that he was some distinguishedpersonage, the natives regarding him with the utmost deference, andmaking room for him as he approached. His aspect was imposing. Thesplendid long drooping tail-feathers of the tropical bird, thicklyinterspersed with the gaudy plumage of the cock, were disposed in animmense upright semicircle upon his head, their lower extremities beingfixed in a crescent of guinea-heads which spanned the forehead. Aroundhis neck were several enormous necklaces of boar's tusks, polished likeivory, and disposed in such a manner as that the longest and largestwere upon his capacious chest. Thrust forward through the largeapertures in his ears were two small and finely-shaped sperm whaleteeth, presenting their cavities in front, stuffed with freshly-pluckedleaves, and curiously wrought at the other end into strange littleimages and devices. These barbaric trinkets, garnished in this manner attheir open extremities, and tapering and curving round to a point behindthe ear, resembled not a little a pair of cornucopias. 

The loins of the warrior were girt about with heavy folds of adark-coloured tappa, hanging before and behind in clusters of braidedtassels, while anklets and bracelets of curling human hair completedhis unique costume. In his right hand he grasped a beautifully carvedpaddle-spear, nearly fifteen feet in length, made of the brightkoar-wood, one end sharply pointed, and the other flattened like anoar-blade. Hanging obliquely from his girdle by a loop of sinnate wasa richly decorated pipe; the slender reed forming its stem was colouredwith a red pigment, and round it, as well as the idol-bowl, flutteredlittle streamers of the thinnest tappa. 

But that which was most remarkable in the appearance of this splendidislander was the elaborate tattooing displayed on every noble limb. Allimaginable lines and curves and figures were delineated over his wholebody, and in their grotesque variety and infinite profusion I could onlycompare them to the crowded groupings of quaint patterns we sometimessee in costly pieces of lacework. The most simple and remarkable of allthese ornaments was that which decorated the countenance of the chief. Two broad stripes of tattooing, diverging from the centre of his shavencrown, obliquely crossed both eyes--staining the lids--to a littlebelow each ear, where they united with another stripe which swept in astraight line along the lips and formed the base of the triangle. The warrior, from the excellence of his physical proportions, mightcertainly have been regarded as one of Nature's noblemen, and the linesdrawn upon his face may possibly have denoted his exalted rank. 

This warlike personage, upon entering the house, seated himself at somedistance from the spot where Toby and myself reposed, while the rest ofthe savages looked alternately from us to him, as if in expectation ofsomething they were disappointed in not perceiving. Regarding the chiefattentively, I thought his lineaments appeared familiar to me. Assoon as his full face was turned upon me, and I again beheld itsextraordinary embellishment, and met the strange gaze to which I hadbeen subjected the preceding night, I immediately, in spite of thealteration in his appearance, recognized the noble Mehevi. On addressinghim, he advanced at once in the most cordial manner, and greeting mewarmly, seemed to enjoy not a little the effect his barbaric costume hadproduced upon me. 

I forthwith determined to secure, if possible, the good-will of thisindividual, as I easily perceived he was a man of great authority in histribe, and one who might exert a powerful influence upon our subsequentfate. In the endeavour I was not repulsed; for nothing could surpassthe friendliness he manifested towards both my companion and myself. He extended his sturdy limbs by our side, and endeavoured to makeus comprehend the full extent of the kindly feelings by which he wasactuated. The almost insuperable difficulty in communicating to oneanother our ideas affected the chief with no little mortification. Heevinced a great desire to be enlightened with regard to the customs andpeculiarities of the far-off country we had left behind us, and to whichunder the name of Maneeka he frequently alluded. 

But that which more than any other subject engaged his attention wasthe late proceedings of the 'Frannee' as he called the French, in theneighbouring bay of Nukuheva. This seemed a never-ending theme with him, and one concerning which he was never weary of interrogating us. All theinformation we succeeded in imparting to him on this subject was littlemore than that we had seen six men-of-war lying in the hostile bay atthe time we had left it. When he received this intelligence, Mehevi, bythe aid of his fingers, went through a long numerical calculation, as ifestimating the number of Frenchmen the squadron might contain. 

It was just after employing his faculties in this way that he happenedto notice the swelling in my limb. He immediately examined it with theutmost attention, and after doing so, despatched a boy who happened tobe standing by with some message. 

After the lapse of a few moments the stripling re-entered the house withan aged islander, who might have been taken for old Hippocrates himself. His head was as bald as the polished surface of a cocoanut shell, whicharticle it precisely resembled in smoothness and colour, while a longsilvery beard swept almost to his girdle of bark. Encircling his templeswas a bandeau of the twisted leaves of the Omoo tree, pressed closelyover the brows to shield his feeble vision from the glare of the sun. His tottering steps were supported by a long slim staff, resembling thewand with which a theatrical magician appears on the stage, and inone hand he carried a freshly plaited fan of the green leaflets of thecocoanut tree. A flowing robe of tappa, knotted over the shoulder, hungloosely round his stooping form, and heightened the venerableness of hisaspect. 

Mehevi, saluting this old gentleman, motioned him to a seat between us, and then uncovering my limb, desired him to examine it. The leechgazed intently from me to Toby, and then proceeded to business. Afterdiligently observing the ailing member, he commenced manipulating it;and on the supposition probably that the complaint had deprived the legof all sensation, began to pinch and hammer it in such a manner that Iabsolutely roared with pain. Thinking that I was as capable of makingan application of thumps and pinches to the part as any one else, Iendeavoured to resist this species of medical treatment. But it wasnot so easy a matter to get out of the clutches of the old wizard; hefastened on the unfortunate limb as if it were something for which hehad been long seeking, and muttering some kind of incantation continuedhis discipline, pounding it after a fashion that set me well nigh crazy;while Mehevi, upon the same principle which prompts an affectionatemother to hold a struggling child in a dentist's chair, restrained mein his powerful grasp, and actually encouraged the wretch in thisinfliction of torture. 

Almost frantic with rage and pain, I yelled like a bedlamite; whileToby, throwing himself into all the attitudes of a posture-master, vainly endeavoured to expostulate with the natives by signs andgestures. To have looked at my companion, as, sympathizing with mysufferings, he strove to put an end to them, one would have thoughtthat he was the deaf and dumb alphabet incarnated. Whether my tormentoryielded to Toby's entreaties, or paused from sheer exhaustion, I do notknow; but all at once he ceased his operations, and at the same time thechief relinquishing his hold upon me, I fell back, faint and breathlesswith the agony I had endured. 

My unfortunate limb was now left much in the same condition as arump-steak after undergoing the castigating process which precedescooking. My physician, having recovered from the fatigues of hisexertions, as if anxious to make amends for the pain to which he hadsubjected me, now took some herbs out of a little wallet that wassuspended from his waist, and moistening them in water, applied themto the inflamed part, stooping over it at the same time, and eitherwhispering a spell, or having a little confidential chat with someimaginary demon located in the calf of my leg. My limb was now swathedin leafy bandages, and grateful to Providence for the cessation ofhostilities, I was suffered to rest. 

Mehevi shortly after rose to depart; but before he went he spokeauthoritatively to one of the natives whom he addressed as Kory-Kory;and from the little I could understand of what took place, pointedhim out to me as a man whose peculiar business thenceforth would be toattend upon my person. I am not certain that I comprehended as much asthis at the time, but the subsequent conduct of my trusty body-servantfully assured me that such must have been the case. 

I could not but be amused at the manner in which the chief addressed meupon this occasion, talking to me for at least fifteen or twenty minutesas calmly as if I could understand every word that he said. I remarkedthis peculiarity very often afterwards in many other of the islanders. 

Mehevi having now departed, and the family physician having likewisemade his exit, we were left about sunset with ten or twelve natives, whoby this time I had ascertained composed the household of which Toby andI were members. As the dwelling to which we had been first introducedwas the place of my permanent abode while I remained in the valley, and as I was necessarily placed upon the most intimate footing with itsoccupants, I may as well here enter into a little description of itand its inhabitants. This description will apply also to nearly all theother dwelling-places in the vale, and will furnish some idea of thegenerality of the natives. 

Near one side of the valley, and about midway up the ascent of a ratherabrupt rise of ground waving with the richest verdure, a number of largestones were laid in successive courses, to the height of nearlyeight feet, and disposed in such a manner that their level surfacecorresponded in shape with the habitation which was perched upon it. Anarrow space, however, was reserved in front of the dwelling, upon thesummit of this pile of stones (called by the natives a 'pi-pi'), which being enclosed by a little picket of canes, gave it somewhat theappearance of a verandah. The frame of the house was constructed oflarge bamboos planted uprightly, and secured together at intervals bytransverse stalks of the light wood of the habiscus, lashed with thongsof bark. The rear of the tenement--built up with successive ranges ofcocoanut boughs bound one upon another, with their leaflets cunninglywoven together--inclined a little from the vertical, and extended fromthe extreme edge of the 'pi-pi' to about twenty feet from its surface;whence the shelving roof--thatched with the long tapering leaves of thepalmetto--sloped steeply off to within about five feet of the floor;leaving the eaves drooping with tassel-like appendages over the frontof the habitation. This was constructed of light and elegant canes in akind of open screenwork, tastefully adorned with bindings of variegatedsinnate, which served to hold together its various parts. The sides ofthe house were similarly built; thus presenting three quarters for thecirculation of the air, while the whole was impervious to the rain. 

In length this picturesque building was perhaps twelve yards, whilein breadth it could not have exceeded as many feet. So much for theexterior; which, with its wire-like reed-twisted sides, not a littlereminded me of an immense aviary. 

Stooping a little, you passed through a narrow aperture in its front;and facing you, on entering, lay two long, perfectly straight, andwell-polished trunks of the cocoanut tree, extending the full length ofthe dwelling; one of them placed closely against the rear, and the otherlying parallel with it some two yards distant, the interval betweenthem being spread with a multitude of gaily-worked mats, nearly all of adifferent pattern. This space formed the common couch and lounging placeof the natives, answering the purpose of a divan in Oriental countries. Here would they slumber through the hours of the night, and reclineluxuriously during the greater part of the day. The remainder of thefloor presented only the cool shining surfaces of the large stones ofwhich the 'pi-pi' was composed. 

From the ridge-pole of the house hung suspended a number of largepackages enveloped in coarse tappa; some of which contained festivaldresses, and various other matters of the wardrobe, held in highestimation. These were easily accessible by means of a line, which, passing over the ridge-pole, had one end attached to a bundle, whilewith the other, which led to the side of the dwelling and was theresecured, the package could be lowered or elevated at pleasure. 

Against the farther wall of the house were arranged in tasteful figuresa variety of spears and javelins, and other implements of savagewarfare. Outside of the habitation, and built upon the piazza-like areain its front, was a little shed used as a sort of larder or pantry, andin which were stored various articles of domestic use and convenience. A few yards from the pi-pi was a large shed built of cocoanut boughs, where the process of preparing the 'poee-poee' was carried on, and allculinary operations attended to. 

Thus much for the house, and its appurtenances; and it will be readilyacknowledged that a more commodious and appropriate dwelling for theclimate and the people could not possibly be devised. It was cool, freeto admit the air, scrupulously clean, and elevated above the dampnessand impurities of the ground. 

But now to sketch the inmates; and here I claim for my tried servitorand faithful valet Kory-Kory the precedence of a first description. Ashis character will be gradually unfolded in the course of my narrative, I shall for the present content myself with delineating his personalappearance. Kory-Kory, though the most devoted and best naturedserving-man in the world, was, alas! a hideous object to look upon. Hewas some twenty-five years of age, and about six feet in height, robustand well made, and of the most extraordinary aspect. His head wascarefully shaven with the exception of two circular spots, about thesize of a dollar, near the top of the cranium, where the hair, permittedto grow of an amazing length, was twisted up in two prominent knots, that gave him the appearance of being decorated with a pair of horns. His beard, plucked out by the root from every other part of his face, was suffered to droop in hairy pendants, two of which garnished hisunder lip, and an equal number hung from the extremity of his chin. 

Kory-Kory, with a view of improving the handiwork of nature, andperhaps prompted by a desire to add to the engaging expression ofhis countenance, had seen fit to embellish his face with three broadlongitudinal stripes of tattooing, which, like those country roads thatgo straight forward in defiance of all obstacles, crossed his nasalorgan, descended into the hollow of his eyes, and even skirted theborders of his mouth. Each completely spanned his physiognomy; oneextending in a line with his eyes, another crossing the face in thevicinity of the nose, and the third sweeping along his lips from earto ear. His countenance thus triply hooped, as it were, with tattooing, always reminded me of those unhappy wretches whom I have sometimesobserved gazing out sentimentally from behind the grated bars of aprison window; whilst the entire body of my savage valet, covered allover with representations of birds and fishes, and a variety of mostunaccountable-looking creatures, suggested to me the idea of a pictorialmuseum of natural history, or an illustrated copy of 'Goldsmith'sAnimated Nature. '

But it seems really heartless in me to write thus of the poor islander, when I owe perhaps to his unremitting attentions the very existence Inow enjoy. Kory-Kory, I mean thee no harm in what I say in regard tothy outward adornings; but they were a little curious to my unaccustomedsight, and therefore I dilate upon them. But to underrate or forget thyfaithful services is something I could never be guilty of, even in thegiddiest moment of my life. 

The father of my attached follower was a native of gigantic frame, andhad once possessed prodigious physical powers; but the lofty form wasnow yielding to the inroads of time, though the hand of disease seemednever to have been laid upon the aged warrior. Marheyo--for such washis name--appeared to have retired from all active participation in theaffairs of the valley, seldom or never accompanying the natives intheir various expeditions; and employing the greater part of his timein throwing up a little shed just outside the house, upon which he wasengaged to my certain knowledge for four months, without appearingto make any sensible advance. I suppose the old gentleman was in hisdotage, for he manifested in various ways the characteristics which markthis particular stage of life. 

I remember in particular his having a choice pair of ear-ornaments, fabricated from the teeth of some sea-monster. These he wouldalternately wear and take off at least fifty times in the course of theday, going and coming from his little hut on each occasion with all thetranquillity imaginable. Sometimes slipping them through the slitsin his ears, he would seize his spear--which in length and slightnessresembled a fishing-pole--and go stalking beneath the shadows of theneighbouring groves, as if about to give a hostile meeting to somecannibal knight. But he would soon return again, and hiding his weaponunder the projecting eaves of the house, and rolling his clumsy trinketscarefully in a piece of tappa, would resume his more pacific operationsas quietly as if he had never interrupted them. 

But despite his eccentricities, Marheyo was a most paternal andwarm-hearted old fellow, and in this particular not a little resembledhis son Kory-Kory. The mother of the latter was the mistress of thefamily, and a notable housewife, and a most industrious old lady shewas. If she did not understand the art of making jellies, jams, custard, tea-cakes, and such like trashy affairs, she was profoundly skilled inthe mysteries of preparing 'amar', 'poee-poee', and 'kokoo', with othersubstantial matters. 

She was a genuine busy-body; bustling about the house like a countrylandlady at an unexpected arrival; for ever giving the young girls tasksto perform, which the little hussies as often neglected; poking intoevery corner, and rummaging over bundles of old tappa, or making aprodigious clatter among the calabashes. Sometimes she might have beenseen squatting upon her haunches in front of a huge wooden basin, andkneading poee-poee with terrific vehemence, dashing the stone pestleabout as if she would shiver the vessel into fragments; on otheroccasions, galloping about the valley in search of a particular kindof leaf, used in some of her recondite operations, and returning home, toiling and sweating, with a bundle of it, under which most women wouldhave sunk. 

To tell the truth, Kory-Kory's mother was the only industrious personin all the valley of Typee; and she could not have employed herself moreactively had she been left an exceedingly muscular and destitute widow, with an inordinate ate supply of young children, in the bleakest partof the civilized world. There was not the slightest necessity for thegreater portion of the labour performed by the old lady: but she seemedto work from some irresistible impulse; her limbs continually swaying toand fro, as if there were some indefatigable engine concealed within herbody which kept her in perpetual motion. 

Never suppose that she was a termagant or a shrew for all this; she hadthe kindliest heart in the world, and acted towards me in particularin a truly maternal manner, occasionally putting some little morsel ofchoice food into my hand, some outlandish kind of savage sweetmeat orpastry, like a doting mother petting a sickly urchin with tartsand sugar plums. Warm indeed are my remembrances of the dear, good, affectionate old Tinor!

Besides the individuals I have mentioned, there belonged to thehousehold three young men, dissipated, good-for-nothing, roysteringblades of savages, who were either employed in prosecuting love affairswith the maidens of the tribe, or grew boozy on 'arva' and tobacco inthe company of congenial spirits, the scapegraces of the valley. 

Among the permanent inmates of the house were likewise several lovelydamsels, who instead of thrumming pianos and reading novels, likemore enlightened young ladies, substituted for these employments themanufacture of a fine species of tappa; but for the greater portion ofthe time were skipping from house to house, gadding and gossiping withtheir acquaintances. 

From the rest of these, however, I must except the beauteous nymphFayaway, who was my peculiar favourite. Her free pliant figure was thevery perfection of female grace and beauty. Her complexion was a richand mantling olive, and when watching the glow upon her cheeks I couldalmost swear that beneath the transparent medium there lurked theblushes of a faint vermilion. 

The face of this girl was a rounded oval, and each feature as perfectlyformed as the heart or imagination of man could desire. 

Her full lips, when parted with a smile, disclosed teeth of dazzlingwhiteness and when her rosy mouth opened with a burst of merriment, theylooked like the milk-white seeds of the 'arta, ' a fruit of the valley, which, when cleft in twain, shows them reposing in rows on each side, imbedded in the red and juicy pulp. Her hair of the deepest brown, parted irregularly in the middle, flowed in natural ringlets over hershoulders, and whenever she chanced to stoop, fell over and hid fromview her lovely bosom. Gazing into the depths of her strange blueeyes, when she was in a contemplative mood, they seemed most placid yetunfathomable; but when illuminated by some lively emotion, they beamedupon the beholder like stars. The hands of Fayaway were as soft anddelicate as those of any countess; for an entire exemption from rudelabour marks the girlhood and even prime of a Typee woman's life. Herfeet, though wholly exposed, were as diminutive and fairly shaped asthose which peep from beneath the skirts of a Lima lady's dress. Theskin of this young creature, from continual ablutions and the use ofmollifying ointments, was inconceivably smooth and soft. 

I may succeed, perhaps, in particularizing some of the individualfeatures of Fayaway's beauty, but that general loveliness of appearancewhich they all contributed to produce I will not attempt to describe. The easy unstudied graces of a child of nature like this, breathing frominfancy an atmosphere of perpetual summer, and nurtured by the simplefruits of the earth; enjoying a perfect freedom from care and anxiety, and removed effectually from all injurious tendencies, strike the eye ina manner which cannot be pourtrayed. This picture is no fancy sketch; itis drawn from the most vivid recollections of the person delineated. 

Were I asked if the beauteous form of Fayaway was altogether free fromthe hideous blemish of tattooing, I should be constrained to answer thatit was not. But the practitioners of the barbarous art, so remorselessin their inflictions upon the brawny limbs of the warriors of the tribe, seem to be conscious that it needs not the resources of their professionto augment the charms of the maidens of the vale. 

The females are very little embellished in this way, and Fayaway, andall the other young girls of her age, were even less so than those oftheir sex more advanced in years. The reason of this peculiarity willbe alluded to hereafter. All the tattooing that the nymph in questionexhibited upon her person may be easily described. Three minute dots, nobigger than pin-heads, decorated each lip, and at a little distance werenot at all discernible. Just upon the fall of the shoulder were drawntwo parallel lines half an inch apart, and perhaps three inches inlength, the interval being filled with delicately executed figures. These narrow bands of tattooing, thus placed, always reminded me ofthose stripes of gold lace worn by officers in undress, and which are inlieu of epaulettes to denote their rank. 

Thus much was Fayaway tattooed. The audacious hand which had gone so farin its desecrating work stopping short, apparently wanting the heart toproceed. 

But I have omitted to describe the dress worn by this nymph of thevalley. 

Fayaway--I must avow the fact--for the most part clung to the primitiveand summer garb of Eden. But how becoming the costume!

It showed her fine figure to the best possible advantage; and nothingcould have been better adapted to her peculiar style of beauty. Onordinary occasions she was habited precisely as I have described the twoyouthful savages whom we had met on first entering the valley. At othertimes, when rambling among the groves, or visiting at the houses of heracquaintances, she wore a tunic of white tappa, reaching from her waistto a little below the knees; and when exposed for any length of time tothe sun, she invariably protected herself from its rays by a floatingmantle of--the same material, loosely gathered about the person. Hergala dress will be described hereafter. 

As the beauties of our own land delight in bedecking themselves withfanciful articles of jewellery, suspending them from their ears, hangingthem about their necks, and clasping them around their wrists; soFayaway and her companions were in the habit of ornamenting themselveswith similar appendages. 

Flora was their jeweller. Sometimes they wore necklaces of smallcarnation flowers, strung like rubies upon a fibre of tappa, ordisplayed in their ears a single white bud, the stem thrust backwardthrough the aperture, and showing in front the delicate petals foldedtogether in a beautiful sphere, and looking like a drop of the purestpearl. Chaplets too, resembling in their arrangement the strawberrycoronal worn by an English peeress, and composed of intertwined leavesand blossoms, often crowned their temples; and bracelets and ankletsof the same tasteful pattern were frequently to be seen. Indeed, themaidens of the island were passionately fond of flowers, and neverwearied of decorating their persons with them; a lovely trait in theircharacter, and one that ere long will be more fully alluded to. 

Though in my eyes, at least, Fayaway was indisputably the loveliestfemale I saw in Typee, yet the description I have given of her will insome measure apply to nearly all the youthful portion of her sex in thevalley. Judge ye then, reader, what beautiful creatures they must havebeen. 

CHAPTER TWELVE

OFFICIOUSNESS OF KORY-KORY--HIS DEVOTION--A BATH IN THE STREAM--WANTOF REFINEMENT OF THE TYPEE DAMSELS--STROLL WITH MEHEVI--A TYPEEHIGHWAY--THE TABOO GROVES--THE HOOLAH HOOLAH GROUND--THE TI--TIMEWORNSAVAGES--HOSPITALITY OF MEHEVI--MIDNIGHT MUSINGS--ADVENTURES IN THEDARK--DISTINGUISHED HONOURS PAID TO THE VISITORS--STRANGE PROCESSION ANDRETURN TO THE HOUSE OF MARHEYO

WHEN Mehevi had departed from the house, as related in the precedingchapter, Kory-Kory commenced the functions of the post assigned him. He brought out, various kinds of food; and, as if I were an infant, insisted upon feeding me with his own hands. To this procedure I, ofcourse, most earnestly objected, but in vain; and having laid a calabashof kokoo before me, he washed his fingers in a vessel of water, and thenputting his hands into the dish and rolling the food into little balls, put them one after another into my mouth. All my remonstrances againstthis measure only provoked so great a clamour on his part, that Iwas obliged to acquiesce; and the operation of feeding being thusfacilitated, the meal was quickly despatched. As for Toby, he wasallowed to help himself after his own fashion. 

The repast over, my attendant arranged the mats for repose, and, biddingme lie down, covered me with a large robe of tappa, at the same timelooking approvingly upon me, and exclaiming 'Ki-Ki, nuee nuee, ah! moeemoee motarkee' (eat plenty, ah! sleep very good). The philosophy ofthis sentiment I did not pretend to question; for deprived of sleep forseveral preceding nights, and the pain of my limb having much abated, Inow felt inclined to avail myself of the opportunity afforded me. 

The next morning, on waking, I found Kory-Kory stretched out on one sideof me, while my companion lay upon the other. I felt sensibly refreshedafter a night of sound repose, and immediately agreed to the propositionof my valet that I should repair to the water and wash, althoughdreading the suffering that the exertion might produce. From thisapprehension, however, I was quickly relieved; for Kory-Kory, leapingfrom the pi-pi, and then backing himself up against it, like a porterin readiness to shoulder a trunk, with loud vociferations and asuperabundance of gestures, gave me to understand that I was to mountupon his back and be thus transported to the stream, which flowedperhaps two hundred yards from the house. 

Our appearance upon the verandah in front of the habitation drewtogether quite a crowd, who stood looking on and conversing with oneanother in the most animated manner. They reminded one of a group ofidlers gathered about the door of a village tavern when the equipageof some distinguished traveller is brought round previously to hisdeparture. As soon as I clasped my arms about the neck of the devotedfellow, and he jogged off with me, the crowd--composed chiefly of younggirls and boys--followed after, shouting and capering with infiniteglee, and accompanied us to the banks of the stream. 

On gaining it, Kory-Kory, wading up to his hips in the water, carried mehalf way across, and deposited me on a smooth black stone which rose afew inches above the surface. The amphibious rabble at our heels plungedin after us, and climbing to the summit of the grass-grown rocks withwhich the bed of the brook was here and there broken, waited curiouslyto witness our morning ablutions. 

Somewhat embarrassed by the presence of the female portion of thecompany, and feeling my cheeks burning with bashful timidity, I formeda primitive basin by joining my hands together, and cooled my blushesin the water it contained; then removing my frock, bent over and washedmyself down to my waist in the stream. As soon as Kory-Kory comprehendedfrom my motions that this was to be the extent of my performance, heappeared perfectly aghast with astonishment, and rushing towards me, poured out a torrent of words in eager deprecation of so limited anoperation, enjoining me by unmistakable signs to immerse my whole body. To this I was forced to consent; and the honest fellow regarding me as afroward, inexperienced child, whom it was his duty to serve at the riskof offending, lifted me from the rocks, and tenderly bathed my limbs. This over, and resuming my seat, I could not avoid bursting intoadmiration of the scene around me. 

From the verdant surfaces of the large stones that lay scattered about, the natives were now sliding off into the water, diving and duckingbeneath the surface in all directions--the young girls springingbuoyantly into the air, and revealing their naked forms to the waist, with their long tresses dancing about their shoulders, their eyessparkling like drops of dew in the sun, and their gay laughter pealingforth at every frolicsome incident. On the afternoon of the day that Itook my first bath in the valley, we received another visit from Mehevi. The noble savage seemed to be in the same pleasant mood, and was quiteas cordial in his manner as before. After remaining about an hour, herose from the mats, and motioning to leave the house, invited Toby andmyself to accompany him. I pointed to my leg; but Mehevi in his turnpointed to Kory-Kory, and removed that objection; so, mounting upon thefaithful fellow's shoulders again--like the old man of the sea astrideof Sindbad--I followed after the chief. 

The nature of the route we now pursued struck me more forcibly thananything I had yet seen, as illustrating the indolent disposition ofthe islanders. The path was obviously the most beaten one in thevalley, several others leading from each side into it, and perhaps forsuccessive generations it had formed the principal avenue of the place. And yet, until I grew more familiar with its impediments, it seemed asdifficult to travel as the recesses of a wilderness. Part of it sweptaround an abrupt rise of ground, the surface of which was broken byfrequent inequalities, and thickly strewn with projecting masses ofrocks, whose summits were often hidden from view by the drooping foliageof the luxurious vegetation. Sometimes directly over, sometimes evadingthese obstacles with a wide circuit, the path wound along;--one momentclimbing over a sudden eminence smooth with continued wear, thendescending on the other side into a steep glen, and crossing the flintychannel of a brook. Here it pursued the depths of a glade, occasionallyobliging you to stoop beneath vast horizontal branches; and now youstepped over huge trunks and boughs that lay rotting across the track. 

Such was the grand thoroughfare of Typee. After proceeding a littledistance along it--Kory-Kory panting and blowing with the weight ofhis burden--I dismounted from his back, and grasping the long spear ofMehevi in my hand, assisted my steps over the numerous obstacles ofthe road; preferring this mode of advance to one which, from thedifficulties of the way, was equally painful to myself and my weariedservitor. 

Our journey was soon at an end; for, scaling a sudden height, we cameabruptly upon the place of our destination. I wish that it were possibleto sketch in words this spot as vividly as I recollect it. 

Here were situated the Taboo groves of the valley--the scene of many aprolonged feast, of many a horrid rite. Beneath the dark shadows ofthe consecrated bread-fruit trees there reigned a solemn twilight--acathedral-like gloom. The frightful genius of pagan worship seemed tobrood in silence over the place, breathing its spell upon every objectaround. Here and there, in the depths of these awful shades, halfscreened from sight by masses of overhanging foliage, rose theidolatrous altars of the savages, built of enormous blocks of black andpolished stone, placed one upon another, without cement, to the heightof twelve or fifteen feet, and surmounted by a rustic open temple, enclosed with a low picket of canes, within which might be seen, invarious stages of decay, offerings of bread-fruit and cocoanuts, and theputrefying relics of some recent sacrifice. 

In the midst of the wood was the hallowed 'Hoolah Hoolah' ground--setapart for the celebration of the fantastical religious ritual of thesepeople--comprising an extensive oblong pi-pi, terminating at either endin a lofty terraced altar, guarded by ranks of hideous wooden idols, andwith the two remaining sides flanked by ranges of bamboo sheds, openingtowards the interior of the quadrangle thus formed. Vast trees, standingin the middle of this space, and throwing over it an umbrageous shade, had their massive trunks built round with slight stages, elevated a fewfeet above the ground, and railed in with canes, forming so many rusticpulpits, from which the priests harangued their devotees. 

This holiest of spots was defended from profanation by the strictestedicts of the all-pervading 'taboo', which condemned to instant deaththe sacrilegious female who should enter or touch its sacred precincts, or even so much as press with her feet the ground made holy by theshadows that it cast. 

Access was had to the enclosure through an embowered entrance, on oneside, facing a number of towering cocoanut trees, planted at intervalsalong a level area of a hundred yards. At the further extremity of thisspace was to be seen a building of considerable size, reserved for thehabitation of the priests and religious attendants of the groves. 

In its vicinity was another remarkable edifice, built as usual upon thesummit of a pi-pi, and at least two hundred feet in length, though notmore than twenty in breadth. The whole front of this latter structurewas completely open, and from one end to the other ran a narrowverandah, fenced in on the edge of the pi-pi with a picket of canes. Its interior presented the appearance of an immense lounging place, theentire floor being strewn with successive layers of mats, lying betweenparallel trunks of cocoanut trees, selected for the purpose from thestraightest and most symmetrical the vale afforded. 

To this building, denominated in the language of the natives the 'Ti', Mehevi now conducted us. Thus far we had been accompanied by a troop ofthe natives of both sexes; but as soon as we approached its vicinity, the females gradually separated themselves from the crowd, and standingaloof, permitted us to pass on. The merciless prohibitions of thetaboo extended likewise to this edifice, and were enforced by thesame dreadful penalty that secured the Hoolah-Hoolah ground from theimaginary pollution of a woman's presence. 

On entering the house, I was surprised to see six muskets ranged againstthe bamboo on one side, from the barrels of which depended as many smallcanvas pouches, partly filled with powder. 

Disposed about these muskets, like the cutlasses that decorate thebulkhead of a man-of-war's cabin, were a great variety of rude spearsand paddles, javelins, and war-clubs. This then, said I to Toby, must bethe armoury of the tribe. 

As we advanced further along the building, we were struck with theaspect of four or five hideous old wretches, on whose decrepit formstime and tattooing seemed to have obliterated every trace of humanity. Owing to the continued operation of this latter process, which onlyterminates among the warriors of the island after all the figuresstretched upon their limbs in youth have been blended together--aneffect, however, produced only in cases of extreme longevity--the bodiesof these men were of a uniform dull green colour--the hue which thetattooing gradually assumes as the individual advances in age. Theirskin had a frightful scaly appearance, which, united with its singularcolour, made their limbs not a little resemble dusty specimens ofverde-antique. Their flesh, in parts, hung upon them in huge folds, likethe overlapping plaits on the flank of a rhinoceros. Their heads werecompletely bald, whilst their faces were puckered into a thousandwrinkles, and they presented no vestige of a beard. But the mostremarkable peculiarity about them was the appearance of their feet;the toes, like the radiating lines of the mariner's compass, pointedto every quarter of the horizon. This was doubtless attributable tothe fact, that during nearly a hundred years of existence the said toesnever had been subjected to any artificial confinement, and in theirold age, being averse to close neighbourhood, bid one another keep openorder. 

These repulsive-looking creatures appeared to have lost the use of theirlower limbs altogether; sitting upon the floor cross-legged in a stateof torpor. They never heeded us in the least, scarcely looking consciousof our presence, while Mehevi seated us upon the mats, and Kory-Korygave utterance to some unintelligible gibberish. 

In a few moments a boy entered with a wooden trencher of poee-poee; andin regaling myself with its contents I was obliged again to submit tothe officious intervention of my indefatigable servitor. Various otherdishes followed, the chief manifesting the most hospitable importunityin pressing us to partake, and to remove all bashfulness on our part, set us no despicable example in his own person. 

The repast concluded, a pipe was lighted, which passed from mouth tomouth, and yielding to its soporific influence, the quiet of the place, and the deepening shadows of approaching night, my companion and I sankinto a kind of drowsy repose, while the chief and Kory-Kory seemed to beslumbering beside us. 

I awoke from an uneasy nap, about midnight, as I supposed; and, raisingmyself partly from the mat, became sensible that we were envelopedin utter darkness. Toby lay still asleep, but our late companions haddisappeared. The only sound that interrupted the silence of the placewas the asthmatic breathing of the old men I have mentioned, who reposedat a little distance from us. Besides them, as well as I could judge, there was no one else in the house. 

Apprehensive of some evil, I roused my comrade, and we were engaged in awhispered conference concerning the unexpected withdrawal of the nativeswhen all at once, from the depths of the grove, in full view of uswhere we lay, shoots of flame were seen to rise, and in a few momentsilluminated the surrounding trees, casting, by contrast, into stilldeeper gloom the darkness around us. 

While we continued gazing at this sight, dark figures appeared movingto and fro before the flames; while others, dancing and capering about, looked like so many demons. 

Regarding this new phenomenon with no small degree of trepidation, Isaid to my companion, 'What can all this mean, Toby?'

'Oh, nothing, ' replied he; 'getting the fire ready, I suppose. '

'Fire!' exclaimed I, while my heart took to beating like a trip-hammer, 'what fire?'

'Why, the fire to cook us, to be sure, what else would the cannibals bekicking up such a row about if it were not for that?'

'Oh, Toby! have done with your jokes; this is no time for them;something is about to happen, I feel confident. '

'Jokes, indeed?' exclaimed Toby indignantly. 'Did you ever hear me joke?Why, for what do you suppose the devils have been feeding us up in thiskind of style during the last three days, unless it were for somethingthat you are too much frightened at to talk about? Look at thatKory-Kory there!--has he not been stuffing you with his confoundedmushes, just in the way they treat swine before they kill them? Dependupon it, we will be eaten this blessed night, and there is the fire weshall be roasted by. '

This view of the matter was not at all calculated to allay myapprehensions, and I shuddered when I reflected that we were indeed atthe mercy of a tribe of cannibals, and that the dreadful contingencyto which Toby had alluded was by no means removed beyond the bounds ofpossibility. 

'There! I told you so! they are coming for us!' exclaimed my companionthe next moment, as the forms of four of the islanders were seen inbold relief against the illuminated back-ground mounting the pi-pi andapproaching towards us. 

They came on noiselessly, nay stealthily, and glided along through thegloom that surrounded us as if about to spring upon some object theywere fearful of disturbing before they should make sure of it. --Graciousheaven! the horrible reflections which crowded upon me that moment. --Acold sweat stood upon my brow, and spell-bound with terror I awaited myfate!

Suddenly the silence was broken by the well-remembered tones of Mehevi, and at the kindly accents of his voice my fears were immediatelydissipated. 'Tommo, Toby, ki ki!' (eat). He had waited to address us, until he had assured himself that we were both awake, at which he seemedsomewhat surprised. 

'Ki ki! is it?' said Toby in his gruff tones; 'Well, cook us first, willyou--but what's this?' he added, as another savage appeared, bearingbefore him a large trencher of wood containing some kind of steamingmeat, as appeared from the odours it diffused, and which he deposited atthe feet of Mehevi. 'A baked baby, I dare say I but I will have noneof it, never mind what it is. --A pretty fool I should make of myself, indeed, waked up here in the middle of the night, stuffing and guzzling, and all to make a fat meal for a parcel of booby-minded cannibals oneof these mornings!--No, I see what they are at very plainly, so I amresolved to starve myself into a bunch of bones and gristle, and then, if they serve me up, they are welcome! But I say, Tommo, you are notgoing to eat any of that mess there, in the dark, are you? Why, how canyou tell what it is?'

'By tasting it, to be sure, ' said I, masticating a morsel that Kory-Koryhad just put in my mouth, 'and excellently good it is, too, very muchlike veal. '

'A baked baby, by the soul of Captain Cook!' burst forth Toby, withamazing vehemence; 'Veal? why there never was a calf on the islandtill you landed. I tell you you are bolting down mouthfuls from a deadHappar's carcass, as sure as you live, and no mistake!'

Emetics and lukewarm water! What a sensation in the abdominal region!Sure enough, where could the fiends incarnate have obtained meat? But Iresolved to satisfy myself at all hazards; and turning to Mehevi, I soonmade the ready chief understand that I wished a light to be brought. When the taper came, I gazed eagerly into the vessel, and recognized themutilated remains of a juvenile porker! 'Puarkee!' exclaimed Kory-Kory, looking complacently at the dish; and from that day to this I have neverforgotten that such is the designation of a pig in the Typee lingo. 

The next morning, after being again abundantly feasted by the hospitableMehevi, Toby and myself arose to depart. But the chief requested us topostpone our intention. 'Abo, abo' (Wait, wait), he said and accordinglywe resumed our seats, while, assisted by the zealous Kory-Kory, heappeared to be engaged in giving directions to a number of the nativesoutside, who were busily employed in making arrangements, the natureof which we could not comprehend. But we were not left long in ourignorance, for a few moments only had elapsed, when the chief beckonedus to approach, and we perceived that he had been marshalling a kind ofguard of honour to escort us on our return to the house of Marheyo. 

The procession was led off by two venerable-looking savages, eachprovided with a spear, from the end of which streamed a pennon ofmilk-white tappa. After them went several youths, bearing aloftcalabashes of poee-poee, and followed in their turn by four stalwartfellows, sustaining long bamboos, from the tops of which hungsuspended, at least twenty feet from the ground, large baskets ofgreen bread-fruits. Then came a troop of boys, carrying bunches of ripebananas, and baskets made of the woven leaflets of cocoanut boughs, filled with the young fruit of the tree, the naked shells stripped oftheir husks peeping forth from the verdant wicker-work that surroundedthem. Last of all came a burly islander, holding over his head a woodentrencher, in which lay disposed the remnants of our midnight feast, hidden from view, however, by a covering of bread-fruit leaves. 

Astonished as I was at this exhibition, I could not avoid smiling atits grotesque appearance, and the associations it naturally calledup. Mehevi, it seemed, was bent on replenishing old Marheyo's larder, fearful perhaps that without this precaution his guests might not fareas well as they could desire. 

As soon as I descended from the pi-pi, the procession formed anew, enclosing us in its centre; where I remained part of the time, carriedby Kory-Kory, and occasionally relieving him from his burden by limpingalong with spear. When we moved off in this order, the natives struckup a musical recitative, which with various alternations, they continueduntil we arrived at the place of our destination. 

As we proceeded on our way, bands of young girls, darting from thesurrounding groves, hung upon our skirts, and accompanied us with shoutsof merriment and delight, which almost drowned the deep notes of therecitative. On approaching old Marheyo's domicile, its inmates rushedout to receive us; and while the gifts of Mehevi were being disposed of, the superannuated warrior did the honours of his mansion with all thewarmth of hospitality evinced by an English squire when he regales hisfriends at some fine old patrimonial mansion. 

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

ATTEMPT TO PROCURE RELIEF FROM NUKUHEVA--PERILOUS ADVENTURE OF TOBY INTHE HAPPAR MOUNTAINS--ELOQUENCE OF KORY-KORY

AMIDST these novel scenes a week passed away almost imperceptibly. Thenatives, actuated by some mysterious impulse, day after day redoubledtheir attentions to us. Their manner towards us was unaccountable. Surely, thought I, they would not act thus if they meant us any harm. But why this excess of deferential kindness, or what equivalent can theyimagine us capable of rendering them for it?

We were fairly puzzled. But despite the apprehensions I could notdispel, the horrible character imputed to these Typees appeared to bewholly undeserved. 

'Why, they are cannibals!' said Toby on one occasion when I eulogizedthe tribe. 'Granted, ' I replied, 'but a more humane, gentlemanly andamiable set of epicures do not probably exist in the Pacific. '

But, notwithstanding the kind treatment we received, I was too familiarwith the fickle disposition of savages not to feel anxious to withdrawfrom the valley, and put myself beyond the reach of that fearful deathwhich, under all these smiling appearances, might yet menace us. Buthere there was an obstacle in the way of doing so. It was idle for meto think of moving from the place until I should have recovered from thesevere lameness that afflicted me; indeed my malady began seriously toalarm me; for, despite the herbal remedies of the natives, it continuedto grow worse and worse. Their mild applications, though they soothedthe pain, did not remove the disorder, and I felt convinced that withoutbetter aid I might anticipate long and acute suffering. 

But how was this aid to be procured? From the surgeons of the Frenchfleet, which probably still lay in the bay of Nukuheva, it might easilyhave been obtained, could I have made my case known to them. But howcould that be effected?

At last, in the exigency to which I was reduced, I proposed to Toby thathe should endeavour to go round to Nukuheva, and if he could notsucceed in returning to the valley by water, in one of the boats of thesquadron, and taking me off, he might at least procure me some propermedicines, and effect his return overland. 

My companion listened to me in silence, and at first did not appear torelish the idea. The truth was, he felt impatient to escape from theplace, and wished to avail himself of our present high favour withthe natives to make good our retreat, before we should experience somesudden alteration in their behaviour. As he could not think of leavingme in my helpless condition, he implored me to be of good cheer; assuredme that I should soon be better, and enabled in a few days to returnwith him to Nukuheva. 

Added to this, he could not bear the idea of again returning to thisdangerous place; and as for the expectation of persuading the Frenchmento detach a boat's crew for the purpose of rescuing me from the Typees, he looked upon it as idle; and with arguments that I could not answer, urged the improbability of their provoking the hostilities of the clanby any such measure; especially, as for the purpose of quieting itsapprehensions, they had as yet refrained from making any visit to thebay. 'And even should they consent, ' said Toby, 'they would only producea commotion in the valley, in which we might both be sacrificed by theseferocious islanders. ' This was unanswerable; but still I clung to thebelief that he might succeed in accomplishing the other part of my plan;and at last I overcame his scruples, and he agreed to make the attempt. 

As soon as we succeeded in making the natives understand our intention, they broke out into the most vehement opposition to the measure, andfor a while I almost despaired of obtaining their consent. At the barethought of one of us leaving them, they manifested the most livelyconcern. The grief and consternation of Kory-Kory, in particular, wasunbounded; he threw himself into a perfect paroxysm of gestures whichwere intended to convey to us not only his abhorrence of Nukuhevaand its uncivilized inhabitants, but also his astonishment that afterbecoming acquainted with the enlightened Typees, we should evince theleast desire to withdraw, even for a time, from their agreeable society. 

However, I overbore his objections by appealing to my lameness; fromwhich I assured the natives I should speedily recover if Toby werepermitted to obtain the supplies I needed. 

It was agreed that on the following morning my companion should depart, accompanied by some one or two of the household, who should point out tohim an easy route, by which the bay might be reached before sunset. 

At early dawn of the next day, our habitation was astir. One of theyoung men mounted into an adjoining cocoanut tree, and threw down anumber of the young fruit, which old Marheyo quickly stripped of thegreen husks, and strung together upon a short pole. These were intendedto refresh Toby on his route. 

The preparations being completed, with no little emotion I bade mycompanion adieu. He promised to return in three days at farthest; and, bidding me keep up my spirits in the interval, turned round the cornerof the pi-pi, and, under the guidance of the venerable Marheyo, wassoon out of sight. His departure oppressed me with melancholy, and, re-entering the dwelling, I threw myself almost in despair upon thematting of the floor. 

In two hours' time the old warrior returned, and gave me to understandthat after accompanying my companion a little distance, and showing himthe route, he had left him journeying on his way. 

It was about noon of this same day, a season which these people are wontto pass in sleep, that I lay in the house, surrounded by its slumberinginmates, and painfully affected by the strange silence which prevailed. All at once I thought I heard a faint shout, as if proceeding fromsome persons in the depth of the grove which extended in front of ourhabitation. 

The sounds grew louder and nearer, and gradually the whole valley rangwith wild outcries. The sleepers around me started to their feet inalarm, and hurried outside to discover the cause of the commotion. Kory-Kory, who had been the first to spring up, soon returned almostbreathless, and nearly frantic with the excitement under which he seemedto be labouring. All that I could understand from him was that someaccident had happened to Toby. Apprehensive of some dreadful calamity, I rushed out of the house, and caught sight of a tumultuous crowd, who, with shrieks and lamentations, were just emerging from the grovebearing in their arms some object, the sight of which produced all thistransport of sorrow. As they drew near, the men redoubled theircries, while the girls, tossing their bare arms in the air, exclaimedplaintively, 'Awha! awha! Toby mukee moee!'--Alas! alas! Toby is killed!

In a moment the crowd opened, and disclosed the apparently lifeless bodyof my companion home between two men, the head hanging heavily againstthe breast of the foremost. The whole face, neck, back, and bosom werecovered with blood, which still trickled slowly from a wound behind thetemple. In the midst of the greatest uproar and confusion the body wascarried into the house and laid on a mat. Waving the natives off to giveroom and air, I bent eagerly over Toby, and, laying my hand upon thebreast, ascertained that the heart still beat. Overjoyed at this, Iseized a calabash of water, and dashed its contents upon his face, thenwiping away the blood, anxiously examined the wound. It was about threeinches long, and on removing the clotted hair from about it, showed theskull laid completely bare. Immediately with my knife I cut away theheavy locks, and bathed the part repeatedly in water. 

In a few moments Toby revived, and opening his eyes for a second--closedthem again without speaking. Kory-Kory, who had been kneeling beside me, now chafed his limbs gently with the palms of his hands, while a younggirl at his head kept fanning him, and I still continued to moisten hislips and brow. Soon my poor comrade showed signs of animation, and Isucceeded in making him swallow from a cocoanut shell a few mouthfuls ofwater. 

Old Tinor now appeared, holding in her hand some simples she hadgathered, the juice of which she by signs besought me to squeeze intothe wound. Having done so, I thought it best to leave Toby undisturbeduntil he should have had time to rally his faculties. Several times heopened his lips, but fearful for his safety I enjoined silence. In thecourse of two or three hours, however, he sat up, and was sufficientlyrecovered to tell me what had occurred. 

'After leaving the house with Marheyo, ' said Toby, 'we struck across thevalley, and ascended the opposite heights. Just beyond them, my guideinformed me, lay the valley of Happar, while along their summits, andskirting the head of the vale, was my route to Nukuheva. After mountinga little way up the elevation my guide paused, and gave me to understandthat he could not accompany me any farther, and by various signsintimated that he was afraid to approach any nearer the territories ofthe enemies of his tribe. He however pointed out my path, which nowlay clearly before me, and bidding me farewell, hastily descended themountain. 

'Quite elated at being so near the Happars, I pushed up the acclivity, and soon gained its summit. It tapered to a sharp ridge, from whenceI beheld both the hostile valleys. Here I sat down and rested for amoment, refreshing myself with my cocoanuts. I was soon again pursuingmy way along the height, when suddenly I saw three of the islanders, whomust have just come out of Happar valley, standing in the path ahead ofme. They were each armed with a heavy spear, and one from his appearanceI took to be a chief. They sung out something, I could not understandwhat, and beckoned me to come on. 

'Without the least hesitation I advanced towards them, and hadapproached within about a yard of the foremost, when, pointing angrilyinto the Typee valley, and uttering some savage exclamation, he wheeledround his weapon like lightning, and struck me in a moment to theground. The blow inflicted this wound, and took away my senses. As soonas I came to myself, I perceived the three islanders standing a littledistance off, and apparently engaged in some violent altercationrespecting me. 

'My first impulse was to run for it; but, in endeavouring to rise, Ifell back, and rolled down a little grassy precipice. The shock seemedto rally my faculties; so, starting to my feet, I fled down the path Ihad just ascended. I had no need to look behind me, for, from the yellsI heard, I knew that my enemies were in full pursuit. Urged on by theirfearful outcries, and heedless of the injury I had received--thoughthe blood flowing from the wound trickled over into my eyes and almostblinded me--I rushed down the mountain side with the speed of the wind. In a short time I had descended nearly a third of the distance, and thesavages had ceased their cries, when suddenly a terrific howl burst uponmy ear, and at the same moment a heavy javelin darted past me as I fled, and stuck quivering in a tree close to me. Another yell followed, anda second spear and a third shot through the air within a few feet of mybody, both of them piercing the ground obliquely in advance of me. Thefellows gave a roar of rage and disappointment; but they were afraid, Isuppose, of coming down further into the Typee valley, and so abandonedthe chase. I saw them recover their weapons and turn back; and Icontinued my descent as fast as I could. 

'What could have caused this ferocious attack on the part of theseHappars I could not imagine, unless it were that they had seen meascending the mountain with Marheyo, and that the mere fact of comingfrom the Typee valley was sufficient to provoke them. 

'As long as I was in danger I scarcely felt the wound I had received;but when the chase was over I began to suffer from it. I had lost myhat in the flight, and the run scorched my bare head. I felt faintand giddy; but, fearful of falling to the ground beyond the reach ofassistance, I staggered on as well as I could, and at last gained thelevel of the valley, and then down I sank; and I knew nothing more untilI found myself lying upon these mats, and you stooping over me with thecalabash of water. '

Such was Toby's account of this sad affair. I afterwards learned that, fortunately, he had fallen close to a spot where the natives go forfuel. A party of them caught sight of him as he fell, and soundingthe alarm, had lifted him up; and after ineffectually endeavouring torestore him at the brook, had hurried forward with him to the house. 

This incident threw a dark cloud over our prospects. It reminded us thatwe were hemmed in by hostile tribes, whose territories we could not hopeto pass, on our route to Nukuheva, without encountering the effects oftheir savage resentment. There appeared to be no avenue opened to ourescape but the sea, which washed the lower extremities of the vale. 

Our Typee friends availed themselves of the recent disaster of Toby toexhort us to a due appreciation of the blessings we enjoyed among them, contrasting their own generous reception of us with the animosity oftheir neighbours. They likewise dwelt upon the cannibal propensities ofthe Happars, a subject which they were perfectly aware could not failto alarm us; while at the same time they earnestly disclaimed allparticipation in so horrid a custom. Nor did they omit to call uponus to admire the natural loveliness of their own abode, and the lavishabundance with which it produced all manner of luxuriant fruits;exalting it in this particular above any of the surrounding valleys. 

Kory-Kory seemed to experience so heartfelt a desire to infuse into ourminds proper views on these subjects, that, assisted in his endeavoursby the little knowledge of the language we had acquired, he actuallymade us comprehend a considerable part of what he said. To facilitateour correct apprehension of his meaning, he at first condensed his ideasinto the smallest possible compass. 

'Happar keekeeno nuee, ' he exclaimed, 'nuee, nuee, ki kikannaka!--ah! owle motarkee!' which signifies, 'Terrible fellows thoseHappars!--devour an amazing quantity of men!--ah, shocking bad!'Thus far he explained himself by a variety of gestures, duringthe performance of which he would dart out of the house, and pointabhorrently towards the Happar valley; running in to us again witha rapidity that showed he was fearful he would lose one part ofhis meaning before he could complete the other; and continuing hisillustrations by seizing the fleshy part of my arm in his teeth, intimating by the operation that the people who lived over in thatdirection would like nothing better than to treat me in that manner. 

Having assured himself that we were fully enlightened on this point, heproceeded to another branch of his subject. 'Ah! Typee mortakee!--nuee, nuee mioree--nuee, nuee wai--nuee, nuee poee-poee--nuee, nuee kokoo--ah!nuee, nuee kiki--ah! nuee, nuee, nuee!' Which literally interpretedas before, would imply, 'Ah, Typee! isn't it a fine place though!--nodanger of starving here, I tell you!--plenty of bread-fruit--plenty ofwater--plenty of pudding--ah! plenty of everything! ah! heaps, heapsheaps!' All this was accompanied by a running commentary of signs andgestures which it was impossible not to comprehend. 

As he continued his harangue, however, Kory-Kory, in emulation of ourmore polished orators, began to launch out rather diffusely into otherbranches of his subject, enlarging probably upon the moral reflectionsit suggested; and proceeded in such a strain of unintelligible andstunning gibberish, that he actually gave me the headache for the restof the day. 

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

A GREAT EVENT HAPPENS IN THE VALLEY--THE ISLAND TELEGRAPH--SOMETHINGBEFALLS TOBY--FAYAWAY DISPLAYS A TENDER HEART--MELANCHOLYREFLECTIONS--MYSTERIOUS CONDUCT OF THE ISLANDERS--DEVOTION OFKORY-KORY--A RURAL COUCH--A LUXURY--KORY-KORY STRIKES A LIGHT A LA TYPEE

IN the course of a few days Toby had recovered from the effects ofhis adventure with the Happar warriors; the wound on his head rapidlyhealing under the vegetable treatment of the good Tinor. Less fortunatethan my companion however, I still continued to languish under acomplaint, the origin and nature of which were still a mystery. Cut offas I was from all intercourse with the civilized world, and feeling theinefficacy of anything the natives could do to relieve me; knowing, too, that so long as I remained in my present condition, it wouldbe impossible for me to leave the valley, whatever opportunity mightpresent itself; and apprehensive that ere long we might be exposed tosome caprice on the part of the islanders, I now gave up all hopesof recovery, and became a prey to the most gloomy thoughts. A deepdejection fell upon me, which neither the friendly remonstrances ofmy companion, the devoted attentions of Kory-Kory nor all the soothinginfluences of Fayaway could remove. 

One morning as I lay on the mats in the house, plunged in melancholyreverie, and regardless of everything around me, Toby, who had left meabout an hour, returned in haste, and with great glee told me to cheerup and be of good heart; for he believed, from what was going on amongthe natives, that there were boats approaching the bay. 

These tidings operated upon me like magic. The hour of our deliverancewas at hand, and starting up, I was soon convinced that somethingunusual was about to occur. The word 'botee! botee!' was vociferated inall directions; and shouts were heard in the distance, at firstfeebly and faintly; but growing louder and nearer at each successiverepetition, until they were caught up by a fellow in a cocoanut tree afew yards off, who sounding them in turn, they were reiterated from aneighbouring grove, and so died away gradually from point to point, asthe intelligence penetrated into the farthest recess of the valley. Thiswas the vocal telegraph of the islanders; by means of which condenseditems of information could be carried in a very few minutes from thesea to their remotest habitation, a distance of at least eight or ninemiles. On the present occasion it was in active operation; one piece ofinformation following another with inconceivable rapidity. 

The greatest commotion now appeared to prevail. At every fresh item ofintelligence the natives betrayed the liveliest interest, and redoubledthe energy with which they employed themselves in collecting fruit tosell to the expected visitors. Some were tearing off the husks fromcocoanuts; some perched in the trees were throwing down bread-fruitto their companions, who gathered them into heaps as they fell; whileothers were plying their fingers rapidly in weaving leafen baskets inwhich to carry the fruit. 

There were other matters too going on at the same time. Here you wouldsee a stout warrior polishing his spear with a bit of old tappa, oradjusting the folds of the girdle about his waist; and there you mightdescry a young damsel decorating herself with flowers, as if havingin her eye some maidenly conquest; while, as in all cases of hurryand confusion in every part of the world, a number of individuals kepthurrying to and fro, with amazing vigour and perseverance, doing nothingthemselves, and hindering others. 

Never before had we seen the islanders in such a state of bustle andexcitement; and the scene furnished abundant evidence of the fact--thatit was only at long intervals any such events occur. 

When I thought of the length of time that might intervene before asimilar chance of escape would be presented, I bitterly lamented thatI had not the power of availing myself effectually of the presentopportunity. 

From all that we could gather, it appeared that the natives were fearfulof arriving too late upon the beach, unless they made extraordinaryexertions. Sick and lame as I was, I would have started with Toby atonce, had not Kory-Kory not only refused to carry me, but manifestedthe most invincible repugnance to our leaving the neighbourhood of thehouse. The rest of the savages were equally opposed to our wishes, andseemed grieved and astonished at the earnestness of my solicitations. I clearly perceived that while my attendant avoided all appearance ofconstraining my movements, he was nevertheless determined to thwart mywishes. He seemed to me on this particular occasion, as well as oftenafterwards, to be executing the orders of some other person with regardto me, though at the same time feeling towards me the most livelyaffection. 

Toby, who had made up his mind to accompany the islanders if possible, as soon as they were in readiness to depart, and who for that reason hadrefrained from showing the same anxiety that I had done, now representedto me that it was idle for me to entertain the hope of reaching thebeach in time to profit by any opportunity that might then be presented. 

'Do you not see, ' said he, 'the savages themselves are fearful of beingtoo late, and I should hurry forward myself at once did I not think thatif I showed too much eagerness I should destroy all our hopes of reapingany benefit from this fortunate event. If you will only endeavour toappear tranquil or unconcerned, you will quiet their suspicions, and Ihave no doubt they will then let me go with them to the beach, supposingthat I merely go out of curiosity. Should I succeed in getting down tothe boats, I will make known the condition in which I have left you, andmeasures may then be taken to secure our escape. '

In the expediency of this I could not but acquiesce; and as the nativeshad now completed their preparations, I watched with the liveliestinterest the reception that Toby's application might meet with. As soonas they understood from my companion that I intended to remain, theyappeared to make no objection to his proposition, and even hailed itwith pleasure. Their singular conduct on this occasion not a littlepuzzled me at the time, and imparted to subsequent events an additionalmystery. 

The islanders were now to be seen hurrying along the path which led tothe sea. I shook Toby warmly by the hand, and gave him my Payta hatto shield his wounded head from the sun, as he had lost his own. Hecordially returned the pressure of my hand, and solemnly promising toreturn as soon as the boats should leave the shore, sprang from my side, and the next minute disappeared in a turn of the grove. 

In spite of the unpleasant reflections that crowded upon my mind, Icould not but be entertained by the novel and animated sight which bynow met my view. One after another the natives crowded along the narrowpath, laden with every variety of fruit. Here, you might have seen one, who, after ineffectually endeavouring to persuade a surly porker to beconducted in leading strings, was obliged at last to seize the perverseanimal in his arms, and carry him struggling against his naked breast, and squealing without intermission. There went two, who at a littledistance might have been taken for the Hebrew spies, on their return toMoses with the goodly bunch of grape. One trotted before the other at adistance of a couple of yards, while between them, from a pole restingon the shoulders, was suspended a huge cluster of bananas, which swayedto and fro with the rocking gait at which they proceeded. Here rananother, perspiring with his exertions, and bearing before him aquantity of cocoanuts, who, fearful of being too late, heeded not thefruit that dropped from his basket, and appeared solely intent uponreaching his destination, careless how many of his cocoanuts keptcompany with him. 

In a short time the last straggler was seen hurrying on his way, and thefaint shouts of those in advance died insensibly upon the ear. Ourpart of the valley now appeared nearly deserted by its inhabitants, Kory-Kory, his aged father, and a few decrepit old people, being allthat were left. 

Towards sunset the islanders in small parties began to return fromthe beach, and among them, as they drew near to the house, I sought todescry the form of my companion. But one after another they passed thedwelling, and I caught no glimpse of him. Supposing, however, that hewould soon appear with some of the members of the household, I quietedmy apprehensions, and waited patiently to see him advancing in companywith the beautiful Fayaway. At last, I perceived Tinor coming forward, followed by the girls and young men who usually resided in the house ofMarheyo; but with them came not my comrade, and, filled with a thousandalarms, I eagerly sought to discover the cause of his delay. 

My earnest questions appeared to embarrass the natives greatly. Alltheir accounts were contradictory: one giving me to understand thatToby would be with me in a very short time; another that he did not knowwhere he was; while a third, violently inveighing, against him, assuredme that he had stolen away, and would never come back. It appearedto me, at the time, that in making these various statements theyendeavoured to conceal from me some terrible disaster, lest theknowledge of it should overpower me. 

Fearful lest some fatal calamity had overtaken him, I sought out youngFayaway, and endeavoured to learn from her, if possible, the truth. 

This gentle being had early attracted my regard, not only from herextraordinary beauty, but from the attractive cast of her countenance, singularly expressive of intelligence and humanity. Of all the nativesshe alone seemed to appreciate the effect which the peculiarity of thecircumstances in which we were placed had produced upon the minds of mycompanion and myself. In addressing me--especially when I lay recliningupon the mats suffering from pain--there was a tenderness in her mannerwhich it was impossible to misunderstand or resist. Whenever she enteredthe house, the expression of her face indicated the liveliest sympathyfor me; and moving towards the place where I lay, with one arm slightlyelevated in a gesture of pity, and her large glistening eyes gazingintently into mine, she would murmur plaintively, 'Awha! awha! Tommo, 'and seat herself mournfully beside me. 

Her manner convinced me that she deeply compassionated my situation, asbeing removed from my country and friends, and placed beyond the reachof all relief. Indeed, at times I was almost led to believe that hermind was swayed by gentle impulses hardly to be anticipated from one inher condition; that she appeared to be conscious there were ties rudelysevered, which had once bound us to our homes; that there were sistersand brothers anxiously looking forward to our return, who were, perhaps, never more to behold us. 

In this amiable light did Fayaway appear in my eyes; and reposing fullconfidence in her candour and intelligence, I now had recourse to her, in the midst of my alarm, with regard to my companion. 

My questions evidently distressed her. She looked round from one toanother of the bystanders, as if hardly knowing what answer to give me. At last, yielding to my importunities, she overcame her scruples, andgave me to understand that Toby had gone away with the boats which hadvisited the bay, but had promised to return at the expiration of threedays. At first I accused him of perfidiously deserting me; but as I grewmore composed, I upbraided myself for imputing so cowardly an actionto him, and tranquillized myself with the belief that he had availedhimself, of the opportunity to go round to Nukuheva, in order to makesome arrangement by which I could be removed from the valley. At anyrate, thought I, he will return with the medicines I require, and then, as soon as I recover, there will be no difficulty in the way of ourdeparture. 

Consoling myself with these reflections, I lay down that night in ahappier frame of mind than I had done for some time. The next day passedwithout any allusion to Toby on the part of the natives, who seemeddesirous of avoiding all reference to the subject. This raised someapprehensions in my breast; but when night came, I congratulated myselfthat the second day had now gone by, and that on the morrow Toby wouldagain be with me. But the morrow came and went, and my companion didnot appear. Ah! thought I, he reckons three days from the morning of hisdeparture, --tomorrow he will arrive. But that weary day also closed uponme, without his return. Even yet I would not despair; I thought thatsomething detained him--that he was waiting for the sailing of a boat, at Nukuheva, and that in a day or two at farthest I should see himagain. But day after day of renewed disappointment passed by; at lasthope deserted me, and I fell a victim to despair. 

Yes; thought I, gloomily, he has secured his own escape, and cares notwhat calamity may befall his unfortunate comrade. Fool that I was, to suppose that any one would willingly encounter the perils of thisvalley, after having once got beyond its limits! He has gone, and hasleft me to combat alone all the dangers by which I am surrounded. Thuswould I sometimes seek to derive a desperate consolation from dwellingupon the perfidity of Toby: whilst at other times I sunk under thebitter remorse which I felt as having by my own imprudence brought uponmyself the fate which I was sure awaited me. 

At other times I thought that perhaps after all these treacheroussavages had made away with him, and thence the confusion into whichthey were thrown by my questions, and their contradictory answers, or hemight be a captive in some other part of the valley, or, more dreadfulstill, might have met with that fate at which my very soul shuddered. But all these speculations were vain; no tidings of Toby ever reachedme; he had gone never to return. 

The conduct of the islanders appeared inexplicable. All reference to mylost comrade was carefully evaded, and if at any time they were forcedto make some reply to my frequent inquiries on the subject, they woulduniformly denounce him as an ungrateful runaway, who had desertedhis friend, and taken himself off to that vile and detestable placeNukuheva. 

But whatever might have been his fate, now that he was gone the nativesmultiplied their acts of kindness and attention towards myself, treatingme with a degree of deference which could hardly have been surpassed hadI been some celestial visitant. Kory-Kory never for one moment left myside, unless it were to execute my wishes. The faithful fellow, twiceevery day, in the cool of the morning and in the evening, insisted uponcarrying me to the stream, and bathing me in its refreshing water. 

Frequently in the afternoon he would carry me to a particular part ofthe stream, where the beauty of the scene produced a soothing influenceupon my mind. At this place the waters flowed between grassy banks, planted with enormous bread-fruit trees, whose vast branches interlacingoverhead, formed a leafy canopy; near the stream were several smoothblack rocks. One of these, projecting several feet above the surfaceof the water, had upon its summit a shallow cavity, which, filled withfreshly-gathered leaves, formed a delightful couch. 

Here I often lay for hours, covered with a gauze-like veil of tappa, while Fayaway, seated beside me, and holding in her hand a fan wovenfrom the leaflets of a young cocoanut bough, brushed aside the insectsthat occasionally lighted on my face, and Kory-Kory, with a view ofchasing away my melancholy, performed a thousand antics in the waterbefore us. 

As my eye wandered along this romantic stream, it would fall upon thehalf-immersed figure of a beautiful girl, standing in the transparentwater, and catching in a little net a species of diminutive shell-fish, of which these people are extraordinarily fond. Sometimes a chatteringgroup would be seated upon the edge of a low rock in the midst of thebrook, busily engaged in thinning and polishing the shells of cocoanuts, by rubbing them briskly with a small stone in the water, an operationwhich soon converts them into a light and elegant drinking vessel, somewhat resembling goblets made of tortoise shell. 

But the tranquillizing influence of beautiful scenery, and theexhibition of human life under so novel and charming an aspect were notmy only sources of consolation. 

Every evening the girls of the house gathered about me on the mats, andafter chasing away Kory-Kory from my side--who nevertheless, retiredonly to a little distance and watched their proceedings with the mostjealous attention--would anoint my whole body with a fragrant oil, squeezed from a yellow root, previously pounded between a couple ofstones, and which in their language is denominated 'aka'. And mostrefreshing and agreeable are the juices of the 'aka', when applied toones, limbs by the soft palms of sweet nymphs, whose bright eyes arebeaming upon you with kindness; and I used to hail with delight thedaily recurrence of this luxurious operation, in which I forgot all mytroubles, and buried for the time every feeling of sorrow. 

Sometimes in the cool of the evening my devoted servitor would lead meout upon the pi-pi in front of the house, and seating me near its edge, protect my body from the annoyance of the insects which occasionallyhovered in the air, by wrapping me round with a large roll of tappa. He then bustled about, and employed himself at least twenty minutes inadjusting everything to secure my personal comfort. 

Having perfected his arrangements, he would get my pipe, and, lightingit, would hand it to me. Often he was obliged to strike a light for theoccasion, and as the mode he adopted was entirely different from what Ihad ever seen or heard of before I will describe it. 

A straight, dry, and partly decayed stick of the Hibiscus, about sixfeet in length, and half as many inches in diameter, with a small, bitof wood not more than a foot long, and scarcely an inch wide, is asinvariably to be met with in every house in Typee as a box of lucifermatches in the corner of a kitchen cupboard at home. 

The islander, placing the larger stick obliquely against some object, with one end elevated at an angle of forty-five degrees, mounts astrideof it like an urchin about to gallop off upon a cane, and then graspingthe smaller one firmly in both hands, he rubs its pointed end slowlyup and down the extent of a few inches on the principal stick, until atlast he makes a narrow groove in the wood, with an abrupt terminationat the point furthest from him, where all the dusty particles which thefriction creates are accumulated in a little heap. 

At first Kory-Kory goes to work quite leisurely, but gradually quickenshis pace, and waxing warm in the employment, drives the stick furiouslyalong the smoking channel, plying his hands to and fro with amazingrapidity, the perspiration starting from every pore. As he approachesthe climax of his effort, he pants and gasps for breath, and his eyesalmost start from their sockets with the violence of his exertions. Thisis the critical stage of the operation; all his previous laboursare vain if he cannot sustain the rapidity of the movement until thereluctant spark is produced. Suddenly he stops, becoming perfectlymotionless. His hands still retain their hold of the smaller stick, which is pressed convulsively against the further end of the channelamong the fine powder there accumulated, as if he had just piercedthrough and through some little viper that was wriggling and strugglingto escape from his clutches. The next moment a delicate wreath of smokecurls spirally into the air, the heap of dusty particles glows withfire, and Kory-Kory, almost breathless, dismounts from his steed. 

This operation appeared to me to be the most laborious species of workperformed in Typee; and had I possessed a sufficient intimacy with thelanguage to have conveyed my ideas upon the subject, I should certainlyhave suggested to the most influential of the natives the expediency ofestablishing a college of vestals to be centrally located in the valley, for the purpose of keeping alive the indispensable article of fire; soas to supersede the necessity of such a vast outlay of strength andgood temper, as were usually squandered on these occasions. There might, however, be special difficulties in carrying this plan into execution. 

What a striking evidence does this operation furnish of the widedifference between the extreme of savage and civilized life. A gentlemanof Typee can bring up a numerous family of children and give them alla highly respectable cannibal education, with infinitely less toiland anxiety than he expends in the simple process of striking a light;whilst a poor European artisan, who through the instrumentality of alucifer performs the same operation in one second, is put to his wit'send to provide for his starving offspring that food which the childrenof a Polynesian father, without troubling their parents, pluck from thebranches of every tree around them. 

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

KINDNESS OF MARHEYO AND THE REST OF THE ISLANDERS--A FULL DESCRIPTION OFTHE BREAD-FRUIT TREE--DIFFERENT MODES OF PREPARING THE FRUIT

ALL the inhabitants of the valley treated me with great kindness; but asto the household of Marheyo, with whom I was now permanently domiciled, nothing could surpass their efforts to minister to my comfort. To thegratification of my palate they paid the most unwearied attention. They continually invited me to partake of food, and when after eatingheartily I declined the viands they continued to offer me, they seemedto think that my appetite stood in need of some piquant stimulant toexcite its activity. 

In pursuance of this idea, old Marheyo himself would hie him away tothe sea-shore by the break of day, for the purpose of collectingvarious species of rare sea-weed; some of which among these people areconsidered a great luxury. After a whole day spent in this employment, he would return about nightfall with several cocoanut shells filled withdifferent descriptions of kelp. In preparing these for use he manifestedall the ostentation of a professed cook, although the chief mystery ofthe affair appeared to consist in pouring water in judicious quantitiesupon the slimy contents of his cocoanut shells. 

The first time he submitted one of these saline salads to my criticalattention I naturally thought that anything collected at such pains mustpossess peculiar merits; but one mouthful was a complete dose; and greatwas the consternation of the old warrior at the rapidity with which Iejected his Epicurean treat. 

How true it is, that the rarity of any particular article enhancesits value amazingly. In some part of the valley--I know not where, butprobably in the neighbourhood of the sea--the girls were sometimes inthe habit of procuring small quantities of salt, a thimble-full orso being the result of the united labours of a party of five or sixemployed for the greater part of the day. This precious commodity theybrought to the house, enveloped in multitudinous folds of leaves; andas a special mark of the esteem in which they held me, would spreadan immense leaf on the ground, and dropping one by one a few minuteparticles of the salt upon it, invite me to taste them. 

From the extravagant value placed upon the article, I verily believe, that with a bushel of common Liverpool salt all the real estate in Typeemight have been purchased. With a small pinch of it in one hand, and aquarter section of a bread-fruit in the other, the greatest chief in thevalley would have laughed at all luxuries of a Parisian table. 

The celebrity of the bread-fruit tree, and the conspicuous place itoccupies in a Typee bill of fare, induces me to give at some lengtha general description of the tree, and the various modes in which thefruit is prepared. 

The bread-fruit tree, in its glorious prime, is a grand and toweringobject, forming the same feature in a Marquesan landscape that thepatriarchal elm does in New England scenery. The latter tree it not alittle resembles in height, in the wide spread of its stalwart branches, and in its venerable and imposing aspect. 

The leaves of the bread-fruit are of great size, and their edges are cutand scolloped as fantastically as those of a lady's lace collar. As theyannually tend towards decay, they almost rival in brilliant varietyof their gradually changing hues the fleeting shades of the expiringdolphin. The autumnal tints of our American forests, glorious as theyare, sink into nothing in comparison with this tree. 

The leaf, in one particular stage, when nearly all the prismatic coloursare blended on its surface, is often converted by the natives intoa superb and striking head-dress. The principal fibre traversing itslength being split open a convenient distance, and the elastic sides ofthe aperture pressed apart, the head is inserted between them, the leafdrooping on one side, with its forward half turned jauntily up on thebrows, and the remaining part spreading laterally behind the ears. 

The fruit somewhat resembles in magnitude and general appearance one ofour citron melons of ordinary size; but, unlike the citron, it has nosectional lines drawn along the outside. Its surface is dotted all overwith little conical prominences, looking not unlike the knobs, on anantiquated church door. The rind is perhaps an eighth of an inch inthickness; and denuded of this at the time when it is in the greatestperfection, the fruit presents a beautiful globe of white pulp, thewhole of which may be eaten, with the exception of a slender core, whichis easily removed. 

The bread-fruit, however, is never used, and is indeed altogether unfitto be eaten, until submitted in one form or other to the action of fire. 

The most simple manner in which this operation is performed, and Ithink, the best, consists in placing any number of the freshly pluckedfruit, when in a particular state of greenness, among the embers of afire, in the same way that you would roast a potato. After the lapseof ten or fifteen minutes, the green rind embrowns and cracks, showingthrough the fissures in its sides the milk-white interior. As soon as itcools the rind drops off, and you then have the soft round pulp in itspurest and most delicious state. Thus eaten, it has a mild and pleasingflavour. 

Sometimes after having been roasted in the fire, the natives snatch itbriskly from the embers, and permitting it to slip out of the yieldingrind into a vessel of cold water, stir up the mixture, which theycall 'bo-a-sho'. I never could endure this compound, and indeed thepreparation is not greatly in vogue among the more polite Typees. 

There is one form, however, in which the fruit is occasionally served, that renders it a dish fit for a king. As soon as it is taken from thefire the exterior is removed, the core extracted, and the remaining partis placed in a sort of shallow stone mortar, and briskly worked witha pestle of the same substance. While one person is performing thisoperation, another takes a ripe cocoanut, and breaking it in halves, which they also do very cleverly, proceeds to grate the juicy meat intofine particles. This is done by means of a piece of mother-of-pearlshell, lashed firmly to the extreme end of a heavy stick, with itsstraight side accurately notched like a saw. The stick is sometimes agrotesquely-formed limb of a tree, with three or four branches twistingfrom its body like so many shapeless legs, and sustaining it two orthree feet from the ground. 

The native, first placing a calabash beneath the nose, as it were, ofhis curious-looking log-steed, for the purpose of receiving thegrated fragments as they fall, mounts astride of it as if it were ahobby-horse, and twirling the inside of his hemispheres of cocoanutaround the sharp teeth of the mother-of-pearl shell, the pure white meatfalls in snowy showers into the receptacle provided. Having obtained aquantity sufficient for his purpose, he places it in a bag made ofthe net-like fibrous substance attached to all cocoanut trees, andcompressing it over the bread-fruit, which being now sufficientlypounded, is put into a wooden bowl--extracts a thick creamy milk. Thedelicious liquid soon bubbles round the fruit, and leaves it at lastjust peeping above its surface. 

This preparation is called 'kokoo', and a most luscious preparation itis. The hobby-horse and the pestle and mortar were in great requisitionduring the time I remained in the house of Marheyo, and Kory-Kory hadfrequent occasion to show his skill in their use. 

But the great staple articles of food into which the bread-fruit isconverted by these natives are known respectively by the names of Amarand Poee-Poee. 

At a certain season of the year, when the fruit of the hundred grovesof the valley has reached its maturity, and hangs in golden spheres fromevery branch, the islanders assemble in harvest groups, and garner inthe abundance which surrounds them. 

The trees are stripped of their nodding burdens, which, easily freedfrom the rind and core, are gathered together in capacious woodenvessels, where the pulpy fruit is soon worked by a stone pestle, vigorously applied, into a blended mass of a doughy consistency, calledby the natives 'Tutao'. This is then divided into separate parcels, which, after being made up into stout packages, enveloped in successivefolds of leaves, and bound round with thongs of bark, are stored away inlarge receptacles hollowed in the earth, from whence they are drawn asoccasion may require. In this condition the Tutao sometimes remains foryears, and even is thought to improve by age. Before it is fit to beeaten, however, it has to undergo an additional process. A primitiveoven is scooped in the ground, and its bottom being loosely coveredwith stones, a large fire is kindled within it. As soon as the requisitedegree of heat is attained, the embers are removed, and the surface ofthe stones being covered with thick layers of leaves, one of the largepackages of Tutao is deposited upon them and overspread with anotherlayer of leaves. The whole is then quickly heaped up with earth, andforms a sloping mound. 

The Tutao thus baked is called 'Amar'; the action of the oven havingconverted it into an amber-coloured caky substance, a little tart, butnot at all disagreeable to the taste. 

By another and final process the 'Amar' is changed into 'Poee-Poee'. This transition is rapidly effected. The Amar is placed in a vessel, andmixed with water until it gains a proper pudding-like consistency, when, without further preparation, it is in readiness for use. This is theform in which the 'Tutao' is generally consumed. The singular mode ofeating it I have already described. 

Were it not that the bread-fruit is thus capable of being preserved fora length of time, the natives might be reduced to a state of starvation;for owing to some unknown cause the trees sometimes fail to bear fruit;and on such occasions the islanders chiefly depend upon the suppliesthey have been enabled to store away. 

This stately tree, which is rarely met with upon the Sandwich Islands, and then only of a very inferior quality, and at Tahiti does not aboundto a degree that renders its fruit the principal article of food, attains its greatest excellence in the genial climate of the Marquesangroup, where it grows to an enormous magnitude, and flourishes in theutmost abundance. 

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

MELANCHOLY CONDITION--OCCURRENCE AT THE TI--ANECDOTE OF MARHEYO--SHAVINGTHE HEAD OF A WARRIOR

IN looking back to this period, and calling to remembrance thenumberless proofs of kindness and respect which I received from thenatives of the valley, I can scarcely understand how it was that, in themidst of so many consolatory circumstances, my mind should still havebeen consumed by the most dismal forebodings, and have remained aprey to the profoundest melancholy. It is true that the suspiciouscircumstances which had attended the disappearance of Toby were enoughof themselves to excite distrust with regard to the savages, in whosepower I felt myself to be entirely placed, especially when it wascombined with the knowledge that these very men, kind and respectfulas they were to me, were, after all, nothing better than a set ofcannibals. 

But my chief source of anxiety, and that which poisoned every temporaryenjoyment, was the mysterious disease in my leg, which still remainedunabated. All the herbal applications of Tinor, united with the severerdiscipline of the old leech, and the affectionate nursing of Kory-Kory, had failed to relieve me. I was almost a cripple, and the pain I enduredat intervals was agonizing. The unaccountable malady showed no signsof amendment: on the contrary, its violence increased day by day, andthreatened the most fatal results, unless some powerful means wereemployed to counteract it. It seemed as if I were destined to sinkunder this grievous affliction, or at least that it would hinder me fromavailing myself of any opportunity of escaping from the valley. 

An incident which occurred as nearly as I can estimate about three weeksafter the disappearance of Toby, convinced me that the natives, fromsome reason or other, would interpose every possible obstacle to myleaving them. 

One morning there was no little excitement evinced by the people nearmy abode, and which I soon discovered proceeded from a vague reportthat boats, had been seen at a great distance approaching the bay. Immediately all was bustle and animation. It so happened that day thatthe pain I suffered having somewhat abated, and feeling in much betterspirits than usual, I had complied with Kory-Kory's invitation to visitthe chief Mehevi at the place called the 'Ti', which I have beforedescribed as being situated within the precincts of the Taboo Groves. These sacred recesses were at no great distance from Marheyo'shabitation, and lay between it and the sea; the path that conducted tothe beach passing directly in front of the Ti, and thence skirting alongthe border of the groves. 

I was reposing upon the mats, within the sacred building, in companywith Mehevi and several other chiefs, when the announcement was firstmade. It sent a thrill of joy through my whole frame;--perhaps Toby wasabout to return. I rose at once to my feet, and my instinctive impulsewas to hurry down to the beach, equally regardless of the distance thatseparated me from it, and of my disabled condition. As soon as Mehevinoticed the effect the intelligence had produced upon me, and theimpatience I betrayed to reach the sea, his countenance assumed thatinflexible rigidity of expression which had so awed me on the afternoonof our arrival at the house of Marheyo. As I was proceeding to leavethe Ti, he laid his hand upon my shoulder, and said gravely, 'abo, abo'(wait, wait). Solely intent upon the one thought that occupied my mind, and heedless of his request, I was brushing past him, when suddenly heassumed a tone of authority, and told me to 'moee' (sit down). Thoughstruck by the alteration in his demeanour, the excitement under which Ilaboured was too strong to permit me to obey the unexpected command, and I was still limping towards the edge of the pi-pi with Kory-Koryclinging to one arm in his efforts to restrain me, when the nativesaround started to their feet, ranged themselves along the open front ofthe building, while Mehevi looked at me scowlingly, and reiterated hiscommands still more sternly. 

It was at this moment, when fifty savage countenances were glaring uponme, that I first truly experienced I was indeed a captive in thevalley. The conviction rushed upon me with staggering force, and I wasoverwhelmed by this confirmation of my worst fears. I saw at once thatit was useless for me to resist, and sick at heart, I reseated myselfupon the mats, and for the moment abandoned myself to despair. 

I now perceived the natives one after the other hurrying past the Ti andpursuing the route that conducted to the sea. These savages, thoughtI, will soon be holding communication with some of my own countrymenperhaps, who with ease could restore me to liberty did they know of thesituation I was in. No language can describe the wretchedness which Ifelt; and in the bitterness of my soul I imprecated a thousand curses onthe perfidious Toby, who had thus abandoned me to destruction. It was invain that Kory-Kory tempted me with food, or lighted my pipe, or soughtto attract my attention by performing the uncouth antics thathad sometimes diverted me. I was fairly knocked down by this lastmisfortune, which, much as I had feared it, I had never before had thecourage calmly to contemplate. 

Regardless of everything but my own sorrow, I remained in the Ti forseveral hours, until shouts proceeding at intervals from the grovesbeyond the house proclaimed the return of the natives from the beach. 

Whether any boats visited the bay that morning or not, I never couldascertain. The savages assured me that there had not--but I was inclinedto believe that by deceiving me in this particular they sought to allaythe violence of my grief. However that might be, this incident showedplainly that the Typees intended to hold me a prisoner. As they stilltreated me with the same sedulous attention as before, I was utterlyat a loss how to account for their singular conduct. Had I been in asituation to instruct them in any of the rudiments of the mechanic arts, or had I manifested a disposition to render myself in any way usefulamong them, their conduct might have been attributed to some adequatemotive, but as it was, the matter seemed to me inexplicable. 

During my whole stay on the island there occurred but two or threeinstances where the natives applied to me with the view of availingthemselves of my superior information; and these now appear so ludicrousthat I cannot forbear relating them. 

The few things we had brought from Nukuheva had been done up into asmall bundle which we had carried with us in our descent to the valley. This bundle, the first night of our arrival, I had used as a pillow, buton the succeeding morning, opening it for the inspection of the natives, they gazed upon the miscellaneous contents as though I had just revealedto them a casket of diamonds, and they insisted that so precious atreasure should be properly secured. A line was accordingly attached toit, and the other end being passed over the ridge-pole of the house, itwas hoisted up to the apex of the roof, where it hung suspended directlyover the mats where I usually reclined. When I desired anything from itI merely raised my finger to a bamboo beside me, and taking hold ofthe string which was there fastened, lowered the package. This wasexceedingly handy, and I took care to let the natives understand howmuch I applauded the invention. Of this package the chief contents werea razor with its case, a supply of needles and thread, a pound or two oftobacco and a few yards of bright-coloured calico. 

I should have mentioned that shortly after Toby's disappearance, perceiving the uncertainty of the time I might be obliged to remain inthe valley--if, indeed, I ever should escape from it--and consideringthat my whole wardrobe consisted of a shirt and a pair of trousers, Iresolved to doff these garments at once, in order to preserve them ina suitable condition for wear should I again appear among civilizedbeings. I was consequently obliged to assume the Typee costume, a littlealtered, however, to suit my own views of propriety, and in which I haveno doubt I appeared to as much advantage as a senator of Rome envelopedin the folds of his toga. A few folds of yellow tappa tucked about mywaist, descended to my feet in the style of a lady's petticoat, onlyI did not have recourse to those voluminous paddings in the rear withwhich our gentle dames are in the habit of augmenting the sublimerotundity of their figures. This usually comprised my in-door dress;whenever I walked out, I superadded to it an ample robe of the samematerial, which completely enveloped my person, and screened it from therays of the sun. 

One morning I made a rent in this mantle; and to show the islanders withwhat facility it could be repaired, I lowered my bundle, and takingfrom it a needle and thread, proceeded to stitch up the opening. Theyregarded this wonderful application of science with intense admiration;and whilst I was stitching away, old Marheyo, who was one of thelookers-on, suddenly clapped his hand to his forehead, and rushing toa corner of the house, drew forth a soiled and tattered strip of fadedcalico which he must have procured some time or other in traffic on thebeach--and besought me eagerly to exercise a little of my art upon it. I willingly complied, though certainly so stumpy a needle as mine nevertook such gigantic strides over calico before. The repairs completed, old Marheyo gave me a paternal hug; and divesting himself of his 'maro'(girdle), swathed the calico about his loins, and slipping the belovedornaments into his ears, grasped his spear and sallied out of the house, like a valiant Templar arrayed in a new and costly suit of armour. 

I never used my razor during my stay in the island, but although avery subordinate affair, it had been vastly admired by the Typees; andNarmonee, a great hero among them, who was exceedingly precise in thearrangements of his toilet and the general adjustment of is person, being the most accurately tattooed and laboriously horrified individualin all the valley, thought it would be a great advantage to have itapplied to the already shaven crown of his head. 

The implement they usually employ is a shark's tooth, which is about aswell adapted to the purpose as a one-pronged fork for pitching hay. Nowonder, then, that the acute Narmonee perceived the advantage my razorpossessed over the usual implement. Accordingly, one day he requested asa personal favour that I would just run over his head with the razor. Inreply, I gave him to understand that it was too dull, and could not beused to any purpose without being previously sharpened. To assist mymeaning, I went through an imaginary honing process on the palm of myhand. Narmonee took my meaning in an instant, and running out of thehouse, returned the next moment with a huge rough mass of rock as bigas a millstone, and indicated to me that that was exactly the thingI wanted. Of course there was nothing left for me but to proceed tobusiness, and I began scraping away at a great rate. He writhed andwriggled under the infliction, but, fully convinced of my skill, enduredthe pain like a martyr. 

Though I never saw Narmonee in battle I will, from what I then observed, stake my life upon his courage and fortitude. Before commencingoperations, his head had presented a surface of short bristling hairs, and by the time I had concluded my unskilful operation it resembled nota little a stubble field after being gone over with a harrow. However, as the chief expressed the liveliest satisfaction at the result, I wastoo wise to dissent from his opinion. 

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

IMPROVEMENT IN HEALTH AND SPIRITS--FELICITY OF THETYPEES--THEIR ENJOYMENTS COMPARED WITH THOSE OF MORE ENLIGHTENEDCOMMUNITIES--COMPARATIVE WICKEDNESS OF CIVILIZED AND UNENLIGHTENEDPEOPLE--A SKIRMISH IN THE MOUNTAIN WITH THE WARRIORS OF HAPPAR

DAY after day wore on, and still there was no perceptible change in theconduct of the islanders towards me. Gradually I lost all knowledge ofthe regular recurrence of the days of the week, and sunk insensibly intothat kind of apathy which ensues after some violent outburst of despair. My limb suddenly healed, the swelling went down, the pain subsided, andI had every reason to suppose I should soon completely recover from theaffliction that had so long tormented me. 

As soon as I was enabled to ramble about the valley in company with thenatives, troops of whom followed me whenever I sallied out of the house, I began to experience an elasticity of mind which placed me beyond thereach of those dismal forebodings to which I had so lately been a prey. Received wherever I went with the most deferential kindness; regaledperpetually with the most delightful fruits; ministered to by dark-eyednymphs, and enjoying besides all the services of the devoted Kory-Kory, I thought that, for a sojourn among cannibals, no man could have wellmade a more agreeable one. 

To be sure there were limits set to my wanderings. Toward the sea myprogress was barred by an express prohibition of the savages; and afterhaving made two or three ineffectual attempts to reach it, as much togratify my curiosity as anything else, I gave up the idea. It was invain to think of reaching it by stealth, since the natives escorted mein numbers wherever I went, and not for one single moment that I canrecall to mind was I ever permitted to be alone. 

The green and precipitous elevations that stood ranged around thehead of the vale where Marheyo's habitation was situated effectuallyprecluded all hope of escape in that quarter, even if I could havestolen away from the thousand eyes of the savages. 

But these reflections now seldom obtruded upon me; I gave myself up tothe passing hour, and if ever disagreeable thoughts arose in my mind, Idrove them away. When I looked around the verdant recess in which I wasburied, and gazed up to the summits of the lofty eminence that hemmed mein, I was well disposed to think that I was in the 'Happy Valley', and that beyond those heights there was naught but a world of careand anxiety. As I extended my wanderings in the valley and grew morefamiliar with the habits of its inmates, I was fain to confess that, despite the disadvantages of his condition, the Polynesian savage, surrounded by all the luxurious provisions of nature, enjoyed aninfinitely happier, though certainly a less intellectual existence thanthe self-complacent European. 

The naked wretch who shivers beneath the bleak skies, and starves amongthe inhospitable wilds of Tierra-del-Fuego, might indeed be made happierby civilization, for it would alleviate his physical wants. But thevoluptuous Indian, with every desire supplied, whom Providence hasbountifully provided with all the sources of pure and natural enjoyment, and from whom are removed so many of the ills and pains of life--whathas he to desire at the hands of Civilization? She may 'cultivate hismind--may elevate his thoughts, '--these I believe are the establishedphrases--but will he be the happier? Let the once smiling and populousHawaiian islands, with their now diseased, starving, and dying natives, answer the question. The missionaries may seek to disguise the matteras they will, but the facts are incontrovertible; and the devoutestChristian who visits that group with an unbiased mind, must go awaymournfully asking--'Are these, alas! the fruits of twenty-five years ofenlightening?'

In a primitive state of society, the enjoyments of life, though fewand simple, are spread over a great extent, and are unalloyed; butCivilization, for every advantage she imparts, holds a hundred evils inreserve;--the heart-burnings, the jealousies, the social rivalries, the family dissentions, and the thousand self-inflicted discomforts ofrefined life, which make up in units the swelling aggregate of humanmisery, are unknown among these unsophisticated people. 

But it will be urged that these shocking unprincipled wretches arecannibals. Very true; and a rather bad trait in their character it mustbe allowed. But they are such only when they seek to gratify the passionof revenge upon their enemies; and I ask whether the mere eating ofhuman flesh so very far exceeds in barbarity that custom which onlya few years since was practised in enlightened England:--a convictedtraitor, perhaps a man found guilty of honesty, patriotism, and suchlikeheinous crimes, had his head lopped off with a huge axe, his bowelsdragged cut and thrown into a fire; while his body, carved into fourquarters, was with his head exposed upon pikes, and permitted to rot andfester among the public haunts of men!

The fiend-like skill we display in the invention of all manner ofdeath-dealing engines, the vindictiveness with which we carry on ourwars, and the misery and desolation that follow in their train, areenough of themselves to distinguish the white civilized man as the mostferocious animal on the face of the earth. 

His remorseless cruelty is seen in many of the institutions of our ownfavoured land. There is one in particular lately adopted in one of theStates of the Union, which purports to have been dictated by the mostmerciful considerations. To destroy our malefactors piece-meal, dryingup in their veins, drop by drop, the blood we are too chicken-heartedto shed by a single blow which would at once put a period to theirsufferings, is deemed to be infinitely preferable to the old-fashionedpunishment of gibbeting--much less annoying to the victim, and more inaccordance with the refined spirit of the age; and yet how feeble is alllanguage to describe the horrors we inflict upon these wretches, whom wemason up in the cells of our prisons, and condemn to perpetual solitudein the very heart of our population. 

But it is needless to multiply the examples of civilized barbarity; theyfar exceed in the amount of misery they cause the crimes which we regardwith such abhorrence in our less enlightened fellow-creatures. 

The term 'Savage' is, I conceive, often misapplied, and indeed, when Iconsider the vices, cruelties, and enormities of every kind that springup in the tainted atmosphere of a feverish civilization, I am inclinedto think that so far as the relative wickedness of the parties isconcerned, four or five Marquesan Islanders sent to the United Statesas Missionaries might be quite as useful as an equal number of Americansdespatched to the Islands in a similar capacity. 

I once heard it given as an instance of the frightful depravity of acertain tribe in the Pacific that they had no word in their languageto express the idea of virtue. The assertion was unfounded; but wereit otherwise, it might be met by stating that their language is almostentirely destitute of terms to express the delightful ideas conveyed byour endless catalogue of civilized crimes. 

In the altered frame of mind to which I have referred, every object thatpresented itself to my notice in the valley struck me in a new light, and the opportunities I now enjoyed of observing the manners of itsinmates, tended to strengthen my favourable impressions. One peculiaritythat fixed my admiration was the perpetual hilarity reigning through thewhole extent of the vale. 

There seemed to be no cares, griefs, troubles, or vexations, in allTypee. The hours tripped along as gaily as the laughing couples down acountry dance. 

There were none of those thousand sources of irritation that theingenuity of civilized man has created to mar his own felicity. Therewere no foreclosures of mortgages, no protested notes, no bills payable, no debts of honour in Typee; no unreasonable tailors and shoemakersperversely bent on being paid; no duns of any description and batteryattorneys, to foment discord, backing their clients up to a quarrel, and then knocking their heads together; no poor relations, everlastinglyoccupying the spare bed-chamber, and diminishing the elbow room at thefamily table; no destitute widows with their children starving on thecold charities of the world; no beggars; no debtors' prisons; no proudand hard-hearted nabobs in Typee; or to sum up all in one word--noMoney! 'That root of all evil' was not to be found in the valley. 

In this secluded abode of happiness there were no cross old women, nocruel step-dames, no withered spinsters, no lovesick maidens, no sourold bachelors, no inattentive husbands, no melancholy young men, noblubbering youngsters, and no squalling brats. All was mirth, fun andhigh good humour. Blue devils, hypochondria, and doleful dumps, went andhid themselves among the nooks and crannies of the rocks. 

Here you would see a parcel of children frolicking together thelive-long day, and no quarrelling, no contention, among them. The samenumber in our own land could not have played together for the space ofan hour without biting or scratching one another. There you might haveseen a throng of young females, not filled with envyings of each other'scharms, nor displaying the ridiculous affectations of gentility, noryet moving in whalebone corsets, like so many automatons, but free, inartificially happy, and unconstrained. 

There were some spots in that sunny vale where they would frequentlyresort to decorate themselves with garlands of flowers. To have seenthem reclining beneath the shadows of one of the beautiful groves;the ground about them strewn with freshly gathered buds and blossoms, employed in weaving chaplets and necklaces, one would have thoughtthat all the train of Flora had gathered together to keep a festival inhonour of their mistress. 

With the young men there seemed almost always some matter of diversionor business on hand that afforded a constant variety of enjoyment. Butwhether fishing, or carving canoes, or polishing their ornaments, neverwas there exhibited the least sign of strife or contention among them. As for the warriors, they maintained a tranquil dignity of demeanour, journeying occasionally from house to house, where they were always sureto be received with the attention bestowed upon distinguished guests. The old men, of whom there were many in the vale, seldom stirred fromtheir mats, where they would recline for hours and hours, smoking andtalking to one another with all the garrulity of age. 

But the continual happiness, which so far as I was able to judgeappeared to prevail in the valley, sprang principally from thatall-pervading sensation which Rousseau has told us be at one timeexperienced, the mere buoyant sense of a healthful physical existence. And indeed in this particular the Typees had ample reason to felicitatethemselves, for sickness was almost unknown. During the whole period ofmy stay I saw but one invalid among them; and on their smooth skins youobserved no blemish or mark of disease. 

The general repose, however, upon which I have just been descanting, was broken in upon about this time by an event which proved that theislanders were not entirely exempt from those occurrences which disturbthe quiet of more civilized communities. 

Having now been a considerable time in the valley, I began to feelsurprised that the violent hostility subsisting between its inhabitants, and those of the adjoining bay of Happar, should never have manifesteditself in any warlike encounter. Although the valiant Typees would oftenby gesticulations declare their undying hatred against their enemies, and the disgust they felt at their cannibal propensities; although theydilated upon the manifold injuries they had received at their hands, yetwith a forbearance truly commendable, they appeared to sit down undertheir grievances, and to refrain from making any reprisals. The Happars, entrenched behind their mountains, and never even showing themselves ontheir summits, did not appear to me to furnish adequate cause for thatexcess of animosity evinced towards them by the heroic tenants of ourvale, and I was inclined to believe that the deeds of blood attributedto them had been greatly exaggerated. 

On the other hand, as the clamours of war had not up to this perioddisturbed the serenity of the tribe, I began to distrust the truth ofthose reports which ascribed so fierce and belligerent a character tothe Typee nation. Surely, thought I, all these terrible stories I haveheard about the inveteracy with which they carried on the feud, theirdeadly intensity, of hatred and the diabolical malice with which theyglutted their revenge upon the inanimate forms of the slain, are nothingmore than fables, and I must confess that I experienced something like asense of regret at having my hideous anticipations thus disappointed. I felt in some sort like a 'prentice boy who, going to the play in theexpectation of being delighted with a cut-and-thrust tragedy, is almostmoved to tears of disappointment at the exhibition of a genteel comedy. 

I could not avoid thinking that I had fallen in with a greatly traducedpeople, and I moralized not a little upon the disadvantage of having abad name, which in this instance had given a tribe of savages, whowere as pacific as so many lambkins, the reputation of a confederacy ofgiant-killers. 

But subsequent events proved that I had been a little too premature incoming to this conclusion. One, day about noon, happening to be at theTi, I had lain down on the mats with several of the chiefs, and hadgradually sunk into a most luxurious siesta, when I was awakened bya tremendous outcry, and starting up beheld the natives seizing theirspears and hurrying out, while the most puissant of the chiefs, graspingthe six muskets which were ranged against the bamboos, followed after, and soon disappeared in the groves. These movements were accompaniedby wild shouts, in which 'Happar, Happar, ' greatly predominated. Theislanders were now seen running past the Ti, and striking across thevalley to the Happar side. Presently I heard the sharp report of amusket from the adjoining hills, and then a burst of voices in the samedirection. At this the women who had congregated in the groves, set upthe most violent clamours, as they invariably do here as elsewhere onevery occasion of excitement and alarm, with a view of tranquillizingtheir own minds and disturbing other people. On this particularoccasion they made such an outrageous noise, and continued it with suchperseverance, that for awhile, had entire volleys of musketry been firedoff in the neighbouring mountains, I should not have been able to haveheard them. 

When this female commotion had a little subsided I listened eagerly forfurther information. At last bang went another shot, and then a secondvolley of yells from the hills. Again all was quiet, and continued sofor such a length of time that I began to think the contending armieshad agreed upon a suspension of hostilities; when pop went a third gun, followed as before with a yell. After this, for nearly two hoursnothing occurred worthy of comment, save some straggling shouts from thehillside, sounding like the halloos of a parcel of truant boys who hadlost themselves in the woods. 

During this interval I had remained standing on the piazza of the 'Ti, 'which directly fronted the Happar mountain, and with no one near mebut Kory-Kory and the old superannuated savages I have described. Theselatter never stirred from their mats, and seemed altogether unconsciousthat anything unusual was going on. 

As for Kory-Kory, he appeared to think that we were in the midst ofgreat events, and sought most zealously to impress me with a due senseof their importance. Every sound that reached us conveyed some momentousitem of intelligence to him. At such times, as if he were gifted withsecond sight, he would go through a variety of pantomimic illustrations, showing me the precise manner in which the redoubtable Typees were atthat very moment chastising the insolence of the enemy. 'Mehevi hannapippee nuee Happar, ' he exclaimed every five minutes, giving me tounderstand that under that distinguished captain the warriors of hisnation were performing prodigies of valour. 

Having heard only four reports from the muskets, I was led to believethat they were worked by the islanders in the same manner as the SultanSolyman's ponderous artillery at the siege of Byzantium, one of themtaking an hour or two to load and train. At last, no sound whateverproceeding from the mountains, I concluded that the contest had beendetermined one way or the other. Such appeared, indeed, to be the case, for in a little while a courier arrived at the 'Ti', almost breathlesswith his exertions, and communicated the news of a great victory havingbeen achieved by his countrymen: 'Happar poo arva!--Happar poo arva!'(the cowards had fled). Kory-Kory was in ecstasies, and commenced avehement harangue, which, so far as I understood it, implied that theresult exactly agreed with his expectations, and which, moreover, was intended to convince me that it would be a perfectly uselessundertaking, even for an army of fire-eaters, to offer battle to theirresistible heroes of our valley. In all this I of course acquiesced, and looked forward with no little interest to the return of theconquerors, whose victory I feared might not have been purchased withoutcost to themselves. 

But here I was again mistaken; for Mehevi, in conducting his warlikeoperations, rather inclined to the Fabian than to the Bonaparteantactics, husbanding his resources and exposing his troops to nounnecessary hazards. The total loss of the victors in this obstinatelycontested affair was, in killed, wounded, and missing--one forefingerand part of a thumb-nail (which the late proprietor brought along withhim in his hand), a severely contused arm, and a considerable effusionof blood flowing from the thigh of a chief, who had received an uglythrust from a Happar spear. What the enemy had suffered I could notdiscover, but I presume they had succeeded in taking off with them thebodies of their slain. 

Such was the issue of the battle, as far as its results came under myobservation: and as it appeared to be considered an event of prodigiousimportance, I reasonably concluded that the wars of the natives weremarked by no very sanguinary traits. I afterwards learned how theskirmish had originated. A number of the Happars had been discoveredprowling for no good purpose on the Typee side of the mountain; thealarm sounded, and the invaders, after a protracted resistance, had beenchased over the frontier. But why had not the intrepid Mehevi carriedthe war into Happar? Why had he not made a descent into the hostilevale, and brought away some trophy of his victory--some materials forthe cannibal entertainment which I had heard usually terminated everyengagement? After all, I was much inclined to believe that theseshocking festivals must occur very rarely among the islanders, if, indeed, they ever take place. 

For two or three days the late event was the theme of general comment;after which the excitement gradually wore away, and the valley resumedits accustomed tranquility. 

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

SWIMMING IN COMPANY WITH THE GIRLS OF THE VALLEY--A CANOE--EFFECTSOF THE TABOO--A PLEASURE EXCURSION ON THE POND--BEAUTIFUL FREAK OFFAYAWAY--MANTUA-MAKING--A STRANGER ARRIVES IN THE VALLEY--HIS MYSTERIOUSCONDUCT--NATIVE ORATORY--THE INTERVIEW--ITS RESULTS--DEPARTURE OF THESTRANGER

RETURNING health and peace of mind gave a new interest to everythingaround me. I sought to diversify my time by as many enjoyments as laywithin my reach. Bathing in company with troops of girls formed one ofmy chief amusements. We sometimes enjoyed the recreation in the watersof a miniature lake, to which the central stream of the valley expanded. This lovely sheet of water was almost circular in figure, and aboutthree hundred yards across. Its beauty was indescribable. All aroundits banks waved luxuriant masses of tropical foliage, soaring high abovewhich were seen, here and there, the symmetrical shaft of the cocoanuttree, surmounted by its tufts of graceful branches, drooping in the airlike so many waving ostrich plumes. 

The ease and grace with which the maidens of the valley propelledthemselves through the water, and their familiarity with the element, were truly astonishing. Sometimes they might be seen gliding along justunder the surface, without apparently moving hand or foot--then throwingthemselves on their sides, they darted through the water, revealingglimpses of their forms, as, in the course of their rapid progress, theyshot for an instant partly into the air--at one moment they dived deepdown into the water, and the next they rose bounding to the surface. 

I remember upon one occasion plunging in among a parcel of theseriver-nymphs, and counting vainly on my superior strength, sought todrag some of them under the water, but I quickly repented my temerity. The amphibious young creatures swarmed about me like a shoal ofdolphins, and seizing hold of my devoted limbs, tumbled me about andducked me under the surface, until from the strange noises which rang inmy ears, and the supernatural visions dancing before my eyes, I thoughtI was in the land of the spirits. I stood indeed as little chance amongthem as a cumbrous whale attacked on all sides by a legion of swordfish. When at length they relinquished their hold of me, they swam away inevery direction, laughing at my clumsy endeavours to reach them. 

There was no boat on the lake; but at my solicitation and for my specialuse, some of the young men attached to Marheyo's household, underthe direction of the indefatigable Kory-Kory, brought up a light andtastefully carved canoe from the sea. It was launched upon the sheetof water, and floated there as gracefully as a swan. But, melancholy torelate, it produced an effect I had not anticipated. The sweet nymphs, who had sported with me before on the lake, now all fled its vicinity. The prohibited craft, guarded by the edicts of the 'taboo, ' extended theprohibition to the waters in which it lay. 

For a few days, Kory-Kory, with one or two other youths, accompaniedme in my excursions to the lake, and while I paddled about in my lightcanoe, would swim after me shouting and gambolling in pursuit. But Ias ever partial to what is termed in the 'Young Men's Own Book'--'thesociety of virtuous and intelligent young ladies;' and in the absenceof the mermaids, the amusement became dull and insipid. One morningI expressed to my faithful servitor my desire for the return of thenymphs. The honest fellow looked at me bewildered for a moment, andthen shook his head solemnly, and murmured 'taboo! taboo!' giving me tounderstand that unless the canoe was removed I could not expect to havethe young ladies back again. But to this procedure I was averse; I notonly wanted the canoe to stay where it was, but I wanted the beauteousFayaway to get into it, and paddle with me about the lake. This latterproposition completely horrified Kory-Kory's notions of propriety. Heinveighed against it, as something too monstrous to be thought of. Itnot only shocked their established notions of propriety, but was atvariance with all their religious ordinances. 

However, although the 'taboo' was a ticklish thing to meddle with, Idetermined to test its capabilities of resisting an attack. I consultedthe chief Mehevi, who endeavoured to dissuade me from my object; butI was not to be repulsed; and accordingly increased the warmth of mysolicitations. At last he entered into a long, and I have no doubt avery learned and eloquent exposition of the history and nature of the'taboo' as affecting this particular case; employing a variety of mostextraordinary words, which, from their amazing length and sonorousness, I have every reason to believe were of a theological nature. But allthat he said failed to convince me: partly, perhaps, because I could notcomprehend a word that he uttered; but chiefly, that for the life of meI could not understand why a woman would not have as much right toenter a canoe as a man. At last he became a little more rational, andintimated that, out of the abundant love he bore me, he would consultwith the priests and see what could be done. 

How it was that the priesthood of Typee satisfied the affair with theirconsciences, I know not; but so it was, and Fayaway dispensation fromthis portion of the taboo was at length procured. Such an event Ibelieve never before had occurred in the valley; but it was high timethe islanders should be taught a little gallantry, and I trust that theexample I set them may produce beneficial effects. Ridiculous, indeed, that the lovely creatures should be obliged to paddle about in thewater, like so many ducks, while a parcel of great strapping fellowsskimmed over its surface in their canoes. 

The first day after Fayaway's emancipation, I had a delightful littleparty on the lake--the damsels' Kory-Kory, and myself. My zealousbody-servant brought from the house a calabash of poee-poee, half adozen young cocoanuts--stripped of their husks--three pipes, as manyyams, and me on his back a part of the way. Something of a load; butKory-Kory was a very strong man for his size, and by no means brittle inthe spine. We had a very pleasant day; my trusty valet plied the paddleand swept us gently along the margin of the water, beneath the shadesof the overhanging thickets. Fayaway and I reclined in the stern ofthe canoe, on the very best terms possible with one another; the gentlenymph occasionally placing her pipe to her lip, and exhaling the mildfumes of the tobacco, to which her rosy breath added a fresh perfume. Strange as it may seem, there is nothing in which a young and beautifulfemale appears to more advantage than in the act of smoking. Howcaptivating is a Peruvian lady, swinging in her gaily-woven hammock ofgrass, extended between two orange-trees, and inhaling the fragrance ofa choice cigarro!

But Fayaway, holding in her delicately formed olive hand the long yellowreed of her pipe, with its quaintly carved bowl, and every few momentslanguishingly giving forth light wreaths of vapour from her mouth andnostrils, looked still more engaging. 

We floated about thus for several hours, when I looked up to the warm, glowing, tropical sky, and then down into the transparent depths below;and when my eye, wandering from the bewitching scenery around, fell uponthe grotesquely-tattooed form of Kory-Kory, and finally, encountered thepensive gaze of Fayaway, I thought I had been transported to some fairyregion, so unreal did everything appear. 

This lovely piece of water was the coolest spot in all the valley, and Inow made it a place of continual resort during the hottest period ofthe day. One side of it lay near the termination of a long graduallyexpanding gorge, which mounted to the heights that environed the vale. The strong trade wind, met in its course by these elevations, circledand eddied about their summits, and was sometimes driven down thesteep ravine and swept across the valley, ruffling in its passage theotherwise tranquil surface of the lake. 

One day, after we had been paddling about for some time, I disembarkedKory-Kory, and paddled the canoe to the windward side of the lake. AsI turned the canoe, Fayaway, who was with me, seemed all at once to bestruck with some happy idea. With a wild exclamation of delight, shedisengaged from her person the ample robe of tappa which was knottedover her shoulder (for the purpose of shielding her from the sun), andspreading it out like a sail, stood erect with upraised arms in the headof the canoe. We American sailors pride ourselves upon our straight, clean spars, but a prettier little mast than Fayaway made was nevershipped aboard of any craft. 

In a moment the tappa was distended by the breeze--the long browntresses of Fayaway streamed in the air--and the canoe glided rapidlythrough the water, and shot towards the shore. Seated in the stern, Idirected its course with my paddle until it dashed up the soft slopingbank, and Fayaway, with a light spring alighted on the ground; whilstKory-Kory, who had watched our manoeuvres with admiration, nowclapped his hands in transport, and shouted like a madman. Many a timeafterwards was this feat repeated. 

If the reader has not observed ere this that I was the declared admirerof Miss Fayaway, all I can say is that he is little conversant withaffairs of the heart, and I certainly shall not trouble myself toenlighten him any farther. Out of the calico I had brought from the shipI made a dress for this lovely girl. In it she looked, I must confess, something like an opera-dancer. 

The drapery of the latter damsel generally commences a little abovethe elbows, but my island beauty's began at the waist, and terminatedsufficiently far above the ground to reveal the most bewitching ankle inthe universe. 

The day that Fayaway first wore this robe was rendered memorable by anew acquaintance being introduced to me. In the afternoon I was lyingin the house when I heard a great uproar outside; but being by this timepretty well accustomed to the wild halloos which were almost continuallyringing through the valley, I paid little attention to it, until oldMarheyo, under the influence of some strange excitement, rushed into mypresence and communicated the astounding tidings, 'Marnoo pemi!' whichbeing interpreted, implied that an individual by the name of Marnoo wasapproaching. 

My worthy old friend evidently expected that this intelligence wouldproduce a great effect upon me, and for a time he stood earnestlyregarding me, as if curious to see how I should conduct myself, but asI remained perfectly unmoved, the old gentleman darted out of the houseagain, in as great a hurry as he had entered it. 

'Marnoo, Marnoo, ' cogitated I, 'I have never heard that name before. Some distinguished character, I presume, from the prodigious riot thenatives are making;' the tumultuous noise drawing nearer and nearerevery moment, while 'Marnoo!--Marnoo!' was shouted by every tongue. 

I made up my mind that some savage warrior of consequence, who hadnot yet enjoyed the honour of an audience, was desirous of paying hisrespects on the present occasion. So vain had I become by the lavishattention to which I had been accustomed, that I felt half inclined, as a punishment for such neglect, to give this Marnoo a cold reception, when the excited throng came within view, convoying one of the moststriking specimens of humanity that I ever beheld. 

The stranger could not have been more than twenty-five years of age, andwas a little above the ordinary height; had he a single hair's breadthtaller, the matchless symmetry of his form would have been destroyed. His unclad limbs were beautifully formed; whilst the elegant outline ofhis figure, together with his beardless cheeks, might have entitled himto the distinction of standing for the statue of the Polynesian Apollo;and indeed the oval of his countenance and the regularity of everyfeature reminded one of an antique bust. But the marble repose of artwas supplied by a warmth and liveliness of expression only to be seen inthe South Sea Islander under the most favourable developments of nature. The hair of Marnoo was a rich curling brown, and twined about histemples and neck in little close curling ringlets, which danced up anddown continually, when he was animated in conversation. His cheek wasof a feminine softness, and his face was free from the least blemishof tattooing, although the rest of his body was drawn all over withfanciful figures, which--unlike the unconnected sketching usual amongthese natives--appeared to have been executed in conformity with somegeneral design. 

The tattooing on his back in particular attracted my attention. Theartist employed must indeed have excelled in his profession. Tracedalong the course of the spine was accurately delineated the slender, tapering and diamond checkered shaft of the beautiful 'artu' tree. Branching from the stem on each side, and disposed alternately, werethe graceful branches drooping with leaves all correctly drawn andelaborately finished. Indeed the best specimen of the Fine Arts I hadyet seen in Typee. A rear view of the stranger might have suggested theidea of a spreading vine tacked against a garden wall. Upon his breast, arms and legs, were exhibited an infinite variety of figures; everyone of which, however, appeared to have reference to the generaleffect sought to be produced. The tattooing I have described was of thebrightest blue, and when contrasted with the light olive-colour of theskin, produced an unique and even elegant effect. A slight girdle ofwhite tappa, scarcely two inches in width, but hanging before and behindin spreading tassels, composed the entire costume of the stranger. 

He advanced surrounded by the islanders, carrying under one arm a smallroll of native cloth, and grasping in his other hand a long and richlydecorated spear. His manner was that of a traveller conscious that he isapproaching a comfortable stage in his journey. Every moment he turnedgood-humouredly on the throng around him, and gave some dashing sort ofreply to their incessant queries, which appeared to convulse them withuncontrollable mirth. 

Struck by his demeanour, and the peculiarity of his appearance, sounlike that of the shaven-crowned and face-tattooed natives in general, I involuntarily rose as he entered the house, and proffered him a seaton the mats beside me. But without deigning to notice the civility, oreven the more incontrovertible fact of my existence, the stranger passedon, utterly regardless of me, and flung himself upon the further endof the long couch that traversed the sole apartment of Marheyo'shabitation. 

Had the belle of the season, in the pride of her beauty and power, beencut in a place of public resort by some supercilious exquisite, shecould not have felt greater indignation than I did at this unexpectedslight. 

I was thrown into utter astonishment. The conduct of the savages hadprepared me to anticipate from every newcomer the same extravagantexpressions of curiosity and regard. The singularity of his conduct, however, only roused my desire to discover who this remarkable personagemight be, who now engrossed the attention of every one. 

Tinor placed before him a calabash of poee-poee, from which the strangerregaled himself, alternating every mouthful with some rapid exclamation, which was eagerly caught up and echoed by the crowd that completelyfilled the house. When I observed the striking devotion of the nativesto him, and their temporary withdrawal of all attention from myself, Ifelt not a little piqued. The glory of Tommo is departed, thought I, andthe sooner he removes from the valley the better. These were my feelingsat the moment, and they were prompted by that glorious principleinherent in all heroic natures--the strong-rooted determination to havethe biggest share of the pudding or to go without any of it. 

Marnoo, that all-attractive personage, having satisfied his hunger andinhaled a few whiffs from a pipe which was handed to him, launchedout into an harangue which completely enchained the attention of hisauditors. 

Little as I understood of the language, yet from his animated gesturesand the varying expression of his features--reflected as from so manymirrors in the countenances around him, I could easily discover thenature of those passions which he sought to arouse. From the frequentrecurrence of the words 'Nukuheva' and 'Frannee' (French), and someothers with the meaning of which I was acquainted, he appeared to berehearsing to his auditors events which had recently occurred in theneighbouring bays. But how he had gained the knowledge of these mattersI could not understand, unless it were that he had just come fromNukuheva--a supposition which his travel-stained appearance not a littlesupported. But, if a native of that region, I could not account for hisfriendly reception at the hands of the Typees. 

Never, certainly, had I beheld so powerful an exhibition of naturaleloquence as Marnoo displayed during the course of his oration. Thegrace of the attitudes into which he threw his flexible figure, thestriking gestures of his naked arms, and above all, the fire which shotfrom his brilliant eyes, imparted an effect to the continually changingaccents of his voice, of which the most accomplished orator might havebeen proud. At one moment reclining sideways upon the mat, and leaningcalmly upon his bended arm, he related circumstantially the aggressionsof the French--their hostile visits to the surrounding bays, enumeratingeach one in succession--Happar, Puerka, Nukuheva, Tior, --and thenstarting to his feet and precipitating himself forward with clenchedhands and a countenance distorted with passion, he poured out a tide ofinvectives. Falling back into an attitude of lofty command, he exhortedthe Typees to resist these encroachments; reminding them, with a fierceglance of exultation, that as yet the terror of their name had preservedthem from attack, and with a scornful sneer he sketched in ironicalterms the wondrous intrepidity of the French, who, with five war-canoesand hundreds of men, had not dared to assail the naked warriors of theirvalley. 

The effect he produced upon his audience was electric; one and all theystood regarding him with sparkling eyes and trembling limbs, as thoughthey were listening to the inspired voice of a prophet. 

But it soon appeared that Marnoo's powers were as versatile as theywere extraordinary. As soon as he had finished his vehement harangue, hethrew himself again upon the mats, and, singling out individuals in thecrowd, addressed them by name, in a sort of bantering style, the humourof which, though nearly hidden from me filled the whole assembly withuproarious delight. 

He had a word for everybody; and, turning rapidly from one to another, gave utterance to some hasty witticism, which was sure to be followedby peals of laughter. To the females as well as to the men, he addressedhis discourse. Heaven only knows what he said to them, but he causedsmiles and blushes to mantle their ingenuous faces. I am, indeed, verymuch inclined to believe that Marnoo, with his handsome person andcaptivating manners, was a sad deceiver among the simple maidens of theisland. 

During all this time he had never, for one moment, deigned to regard me. He appeared, indeed, to be altogether unconscious of my presence. Iwas utterly at a loss how to account for this extraordinary conduct. Ieasily perceived that he was a man of no little consequence among theislanders; that he possessed uncommon talents; and was gifted with ahigher degree of knowledge than the inmates of the valley. For thesereasons, I therefore greatly feared lest having, from some cause orother, unfriendly feelings towards me, he might exert his powerfulinfluence to do me mischief. 

It seemed evident that he was not a permanent resident of the vale, andyet, whence could he have come? On all sides the Typees were girt in byhostile tribes, and how could he possibly, if belonging to any of these, be received with so much cordiality?

The personal appearance of the enigmatical stranger suggested additionalperplexities. The face, free from tattooing, and the unshaven crown, were peculiarities I had never before remarked in any part of theisland, and I had always heard that the contrary were considered theindispensable distinction of a Marquesan warrior. Altogether the matterwas perfectly incomprehensible to me, and I awaited its solution with nosmall degree of anxiety. 

At length, from certain indications, I suspected that he was making methe subject of his remarks, although he appeared cautiously to avoideither pronouncing my name, or looking in the direction where I lay. Allat once he rose from the mats where he had been reclining, and, stillconversing, moved towards me, his eye purposely evading mine, and seatedhimself within less than a yard of me. I had hardly recovered from mysurprise, when he suddenly turned round, and, with a most benignantcountenance extended his right hand gracefully towards me. Of course Iaccepted the courteous challenge, and, as soon as our palms met, he benttowards me, and murmured in musical accents--'How you do?' 'How long youbeen in this bay?' 'You like this bay?'

Had I been pierced simultaneously by three Happar spears, I could nothave started more than I did at hearing these simple questions. For amoment I was overwhelmed with astonishment, and then answered somethingI know not what; but as soon as I regained my self-possession, thethought darted through my mind that from this individual I might obtainthat information regarding Toby which I suspected the natives hadpurposely withheld from me. Accordingly I questioned him concerningthe disappearance of my companion, but he denied all knowledge ofthe matter. I then inquired from whence he had come? He replied, fromNukuheva. When I expressed my surprise, he looked at me for a moment, as if enjoying my perplexity, and then with his strange vivacity, exclaimed, --'Ah! Me taboo, --me go Nukuheva, --me go Tior, --me goTypee, --me go everywhere, --nobody harm me, --me taboo. '

This explanation would have been altogether unintelligible to me, hadit not recalled to my mind something I had previously heard concerninga singular custom among these islanders. Though the country is possessedby various tribes, whose mutual hostilities almost wholly prelude anyintercourse between them; yet there are instances where a person havingratified friendly relations with some individual belonging longing tothe valley, whose inmates are at war with his own, may, under particularrestrictions, venture with impunity into the country of his friend, where, under other circumstances, he would have been treated as anenemy. In this light are personal friendships regarded among them, andthe individual so protected is said to be 'taboo', and his person, to acertain extent, is held as sacred. Thus the stranger informed me he hadaccess to all the valleys in the island. 

Curious to know how he had acquired his knowledge of English, Iquestioned him on the subject. At first, for some reason or other, heevaded the inquiry, but afterwards told me that, when a boy, he hadbeen carried to sea by the captain of a trading vessel, with whom hehad stayed three years, living part of the time with him at Sidney inAustralia, and that at a subsequent visit to the island, the captainhad, at his own request, permitted him to remain among his countrymen. The natural quickness of the savage had been wonderfully improved by hisintercourse with the white men, and his partial knowledge of a foreignlanguage gave him a great ascendancy over his less accomplishedcountrymen. 

When I asked the now affable Marnoo why it was that he had notpreviously spoken to me, he eagerly inquired what I had been led tothink of him from his conduct in that respect. I replied, that I hadsupposed him to be some great chief or warrior, who had seen plentyof white men before, and did not think it worth while to notice a poorsailor. At this declaration of the exalted opinion I had formed of him, he appeared vastly gratified, and gave me to understand that he hadpurposely behaved in that manner, in order to increase my astonishment, as soon as he should see proper to address me. 

Marnoo now sought to learn my version of the story as to how I cameto be an inmate of the Typee valley. When I related to him thecircumstances under which Toby and I had entered it, he listenedwith evident interest; but as soon as I alluded to the absence, yetunaccounted for, of my comrade, he endeavoured to change the subject, asif it were something he desired not to agitate. It seemed, indeed, asif everything connected with Toby was destined to beget distrust andanxiety in my bosom. Notwithstanding Marnoo's denial of any knowledgeof his fate, I could not avoid suspecting that he was deceiving me; andthis suspicion revived those frightful apprehensions with regard to myown fate, which, for a short time past, had subsided in my breast. 

Influenced by these feelings, I now felt a strong desire to avail myselfof the stranger's protection, and under his safeguard to return toNukuheva. But as soon as I hinted at this, he unhesitatingly pronouncedit to be entirely impracticable; assuring me that the Typees would neverconsent to my leaving the valley. Although what he said merely confirmedthe impression which I had before entertained, still it increasedmy anxiety to escape from a captivity which, however endurable, nay, delightful it might be in some respects, involved in its issues a fatemarked by the most frightful contingencies. 

I could not conceal from my mind that Toby had been treated in the samefriendly manner as I had been, and yet all their kindness terminatedwith his mysterious disappearance. Might not the same fate await me?--afate too dreadful to think of. Stimulated by these considerations, I urged anew my request to Marnoo; but he only set forth in strongercolours the impossibility of my escape, and repeated his previousdeclaration that the Typees would never be brought to consent to mydeparture. 

When I endeavoured to learn from him the motives which prompted them tohold me a prisoner, Marnoo again presumed that mysterious tone which hadtormented me with apprehension when I had questioned him with regard tothe fate of my companion. 

Thus repulsed, in a manner which only served, by arousing the mostdreadful forebodings, to excite me to renewed attempts, I conjured himto intercede for me with the natives, and endeavour to procure theirconsent to my leaving them. To this he appeared strongly averse; but, yielding at last to my importunities, he addressed several of thechiefs, who with the rest had been eyeing us intently during the wholeof our conversation. His petition, however, was at once met with themost violent disapprobation, manifesting itself in angry glances andgestures, and a perfect torrent of passionate words, directed to bothhim and myself. Marnoo, evidently repenting the step he had taken, earnestly deprecated the resentment of the crowd, and, in a few momentssucceeded in pacifying to some extent the clamours which had broken outas soon as his proposition had been understood. 

With the most intense interest had I watched the reception hisintercession might receive; and a bitter pang shot through my heartat the additional evidence, now furnished, of the unchangeabledetermination of the islanders. Marnoo told me with evident alarm in hiscountenance, that although admitted into the bay on a friendly footingwith its inhabitants, he could not presume to meddle with theirconcerns, as such procedure, if persisted in, would at once absolvethe Typees from the restraints of the 'taboo', although so long ashe refrained from such conduct, it screened him effectually from theconsequences of the enmity they bore his tribe. At this moment, Mehevi, who was present, angrily interrupted him; and the words which he utteredin a commanding tone, evidently meant that he must at once cease talkingto me and withdraw to the other part of the house. Marnoo immediatelystarted up, hurriedly enjoining me not to address him again, and as Ivalued my safety, to refrain from all further allusion to the subject ofmy departure; and then, in compliance with the order of the determinedchief, but not before it had again been angrily repeated, he withdrew toa distance. 

I now perceived, with no small degree of apprehension, the same savageexpression in the countenances of the natives, which had startled meduring the scene at the Ti. They glanced their eyes suspiciously fromMarnoo to me, as if distrusting the nature of an intercourse carried on, as it was, in a language they could not understand, and they seemed toharbour the belief that already we had concerted measures calculated toelude their vigilance. 

The lively countenances of these people are wonderfully indicative ofthe emotions of the soul, and the imperfections of their oral languageare more than compensated for by the nervous eloquence of their looksand gestures. I could plainly trace, in every varying expression oftheir faces, all those passions which had been thus unexpectedly arousedin their bosoms. 

It required no reflection to convince me, from what was going on, thatthe injunction of Marnoo was not to be rashly slighted; and accordingly, great as was the effort to suppress my feelings, I accosted Mehevi ina good-humoured tone, with a view of dissipating any ill impressionhe might have received. But the ireful, angry chief was not so easilymollified. He rejected my advances with that peculiarly stern expressionI have before described, and took care by the whole of his behaviourtowards me to show the displeasure and resentment which he felt. 

Marnoo, at the other extremity of the house, apparently desirous ofmaking a diversion in my favour, exerted himself to amuse with hispleasantries the crowd about him; but his lively attempts were not sosuccessful as they had previously been, and, foiled in his efforts, herose gravely to depart. No one expressed any regret at this movement, so seizing his roll of tappa, and grasping his spear, he advanced tothe front of the pi-pi, and waving his hand in adieu to the now silentthrong, cast upon me a glance of mingled pity and reproach, and flunghimself into the path which led from the house. I watched his recedingfigure until it was lost in the obscurity of the grove, and then gavemyself up to the most desponding reflections. 

CHAPTER NINETEEN

REFLECTIONS AFTER MARNOO'S DEPARTURE-BATTLE OF THE POP-GUNS--STRANGECONCEIT OF MARHEYO--PROCESS OF MAKING TAPPA

THE knowledge I had now obtained as to the intention of the savagesdeeply affected me. 

Marnoo, I perceived, was a man who, by reason of his superioracquirements, and the knowledge he possessed of the events which weretaking place in the different bays of the island, was held in no littleestimation by the inhabitants of the valley. He had been received withthe most cordial welcome and respect. The natives had hung upon theaccents of his voice, and, had manifested the highest gratification atbeing individually noticed by him. And yet despite all this, a fewwords urged in my behalf, with the intent of obtaining my release fromcaptivity, had sufficed not only to banish all harmony and good-will;but, if I could believe what he told me, had gone on to endanger his ownpersonal safety. 

How strongly rooted, then, must be the determination of the Typeeswith regard to me, and how suddenly could they display the strangestpassions! The mere suggestion of my departure had estranged from me, for the time at least, Mehevi, who was the most influential of allthe chiefs, and who had previously exhibited so many instances of hisfriendly sentiments. The rest of the natives had likewise evinced theirstrong repugnance to my wishes, and even Kory-Kory himself seemed toshare in the general disapprobation bestowed upon me. 

In vain I racked my invention to find out some motive for them, but Icould discover none. 

But however this might be, the scene which had just occurred admonishedme of the danger of trifling with the wayward and passionate spiritsagainst whom it was vain to struggle, and might even be fatal to do go. My only hope was to induce the natives to believe that I was reconciledto my detention in the valley, and by assuming a tranquil and cheerfuldemeanour, to allay the suspicions which I had so unfortunately aroused. Their confidence revived, they might in a short time remit in somedegree their watchfulness over my movements, and I should then be thebetter enabled to avail myself of any opportunity which presented itselffor escape. I determined, therefore, to make the best of a badbargain, and to bear up manfully against whatever might betide. In thisendeavour, I succeeded beyond my own expectations. At the periodof Marnoo's visit, I had been in the valley, as nearly as I couldconjecture, some two months. Although not completely recovered from mystrange illness, which still lingered about me, I was free from painand able to take exercise. In short, I had every reason to anticipate aperfect recovery. Freed from apprehension on this point, and resolvedto regard the future without flinching, I flung myself anew into all thesocial pleasures of the valley, and sought to bury all regrets, andall remembrances of my previous existence in the wild enjoyments itafforded. 

In my various wanderings through the vale, and as I became betteracquainted with the character of its inhabitants, I was more and morestruck with the light-hearted joyousness that everywhere prevailed. Theminds of these simple savages, unoccupied by matters of graver moment, were capable of deriving the utmost delight from circumstances whichwould have passed unnoticed in more intelligent communities. All theirenjoyment, indeed, seemed to be made up of the little trifling incidentsof the passing hour; but these diminutive items swelled altogether to anamount of happiness seldom experienced by more enlightened individuals, whose pleasures are drawn from more elevated but rarer sources. 

What community, for instance, of refined and intellectual mortalswould derive the least satisfaction from shooting pop-guns? Themere supposition of such a thing being possible would excite theirindignation, and yet the whole population of Typee did little else forten days but occupy themselves with that childish amusement, fairlyscreaming, too, with the delight it afforded them. 

One day I was frolicking with a little spirited urchin, some six yearsold, who chased me with a piece of bamboo about three feet long, withwhich he occasionally belaboured me. Seizing the stick from him, theidea happened to suggest itself, that I might make for the youngster, out of the slender tube, one of those nursery muskets with which I hadsometimes seen children playing. 

Accordingly, with my knife I made two parallel slits in the cane severalinches in length, and cutting loose at one end the elastic strip betweenthem, bent it back and slipped the point into a little notch made forthe purse. Any small substance placed against this would be projectedwith considerable force through the tube, by merely springing the bentstrip out of the notch. 

Had I possessed the remotest idea of the sensation this piece ofordnance was destined to produce, I should certainly have taken out apatent for the invention. The boy scampered away with it, half deliriouswith ecstasy, and in twenty minutes afterwards I might have been seensurrounded by a noisy crowd--venerable old graybeards--responsiblefathers of families--valiant warriors--matrons--young men--girls andchildren, all holding in their hands bits of bamboo, and each clamouringto be served first. 

For three or four hours I was engaged in manufacturing pop-guns, butat last made over my good-will and interest in the concern to a lad ofremarkably quick parts, whom I soon initiated into the art and mystery. 

Pop, Pop, Pop, Pop, now resounded all over the valley. Duels, skirmishes, pitched battles, and general engagements were to be seenon every side. Here, as you walked along a path which led through athicket, you fell into a cunningly laid ambush, and became a target fora body of musketeers whose tattooed limbs you could just see peepinginto view through the foliage. There you were assailed by the intrepidgarrison of a house, who levelled their bamboo rifles at you frombetween the upright canes which composed its sides. Farther on you werefired upon by a detachment of sharpshooters, mounted upon the top of api-pi. 

Pop, Pop, Pop, Pop! green guavas, seeds, and berries were flying aboutin every direction, and during this dangerous state of affairs I washalf afraid that, like the man and his brazen bull, I should falla victim to my own ingenuity. Like everything else, however, theexcitement gradually wore away, though ever after occasionally pop-gunsmight be heard at all hours of the day. 

It was towards the close of the pop-gun war, that I was infinitelydiverted with a strange freak of Marheyo's. 

I had worn, when I quitted the ship, a pair of thick pumps, which, fromthe rough usage they had received in scaling precipices and sliding downgorges, were so dilapidated as to be altogether unfit for use--so, atleast, would have thought the generality of people, and so they mostcertainly were, when considered in the light of shoes. But thingsunservicable in one way, may with advantage be applied in another, that is, if one have genius enough for the purpose. This genius Marheyopossessed in a superlative degree, as he abundantly evinced by the useto which he put those sorely bruised and battered old shoes. 

Every article, however trivial, which belonged to me, the nativesappeared to regard as sacred; and I observed that for several daysafter becoming an inmate of the house, my pumps were suffered to remain, untouched, where I had first happened to throw them. I remembered, however, that after awhile I had missed them from their accustomedplace; but the matter gave me no concern, supposing that Tinor--like anyother tidy housewife, having come across them in some of her domesticoccupations--had pitched the useless things out of the house. But I wassoon undeceived. 

One day I observed old Marheyo bustling about me with unusual activity, and to such a degree as almost to supersede Kory-Kory in the functionsof his office. One moment he volunteered to trot off with me on his backto the stream; and when I refused, noways daunted by the repulse, hecontinued to frisk about me like a superannuated house-dog. I could notfor the life of me conjecture what possessed the old gentleman, untilall at once, availing himself of the temporary absence of the household, he went through a variety of of uncouth gestures, pointing eagerly downto my feet, then up to a little bundle, which swung from the ridge poleoverhead. At last I caught a faint idea of his meaning, and motioned himto lower the package. He executed the order in the twinkling of an eye, and unrolling a piece of tappa, displayed to my astonished gaze theidentical pumps which I thought had been destroyed long before. 

I immediately comprehended his desire, and very generously gave him theshoes, which had become quite mouldy, wondering for what earthly purposehe could want them. The same afternoon I descried the venerable warriorapproaching the house, with a slow, stately gait, ear-rings in ears, andspear in hand, with this highly ornamental pair of shoes suspended fromhis neck by a strip of bark, and swinging backwards and forwards onhis capacious chest. In the gala costume of the tasteful Marheyo, thesecalf-skin pendants ever after formed the most striking feature. 

But to turn to something a little more important. Although the wholeexistence of the inhabitants of the valley seemed to pass away exemptfrom toil, yet there were some light employments which, although amusingrather than laborious as occupations, contributed to their comfort andluxury. Among these the most important was the manufacture of the nativecloth, --'tappa', --so well known, under various modifications, throughoutthe whole Polynesian Archipelago. As is generally understood, thisuseful and sometimes elegant article is fabricated from the barkof different trees. But, as I believe that no description of itsmanufacture has ever been given, I shall state what I know regarding it. 

In the manufacture of the beautiful white tappa generally worn on theMarquesan Islands, the preliminary operation consists in gathering acertain quantity of the young branches of the cloth-tree. The exteriorgreen bark being pulled off as worthless, there remains a slenderfibrous substance, which is carefully stripped from the stick, to whichit closely adheres. When a sufficient quantity of it has been collected, the various strips are enveloped in a covering of large leaves, whichthe natives use precisely as we do wrapping-paper, and which are securedby a few turns of a line passed round them. The package is then laid inthe bed of some running stream, with a heavy stone placed over it, toprevent its being swept away. After it has remained for two or threedays in this state, it is drawn out, and exposed, for a short time, tothe action of the air, every distinct piece being attentively inspected, with a view of ascertaining whether it has yet been sufficientlyaffected by the operation. This is repeated again and again, until thedesired result is obtained. 

When the substance is in a proper state for the next process, itbetrays evidences of incipient decomposition; the fibres are relaxed andsoftened, and rendered perfectly malleable. The different strips arenow extended, one by one, in successive layers, upon some smoothsurface--generally the prostrate trunk of a cocoanut tree--and the heapthus formed is subjected, at every new increase, to a moderate beating, with a sort of wooden mallet, leisurely applied. The mallet is made of ahard heavy wood resembling ebony, is about twelve inches in length, andperhaps two in breadth, with a rounded handle at one end, and in shapeis the exact counterpart of one of our four-sided razor-strops. The flatsurfaces of the implement are marked with shallow parallel indentations, varying in depth on the different sides, so as to be adapted to theseveral stages of the operation. These marks produce the corduroy sortof stripes discernible in the tappa in its finished state. After beingbeaten in the manner I have described, the material soon becomes blendedin one mass, which, moistened occasionally with water, is at intervalshammered out, by a kind of gold-beating process, to any degree ofthinness required. In this way the cloth is easily made to vary instrength and thickness, so as to suit the numerous purposes to which itis applied. 

When the operation last described has been concluded, the new-made tappais spread out on the grass to bleach and dry, and soon becomes of adazzling whiteness. Sometimes, in the first stages of the manufacture, the substance is impregnated with a vegetable juice, which gives ita permanent colour. A rich brown and a bright yellow are occasionallyseen, but the simple taste of the Typee people inclines them to preferthe natural tint. 

The notable wife of Kamehameha, the renowned conqueror and king of theSandwich Islands, used to pride herself in the skill she displayed indyeing her tappa with contrasting colours disposed in regular figures;and, in the midst of the innovations of the times, was regarded, towardsthe decline of her life, as a lady of the old school, clinging as shedid to the national cloth, in preference to the frippery of theEuropean calicoes. But the art of printing the tappa is unknown upon theMarquesan Islands. In passing along the valley, I was often attracted bythe noise of the mallet, which, when employed in the manufacture ofthe cloth produces at every stroke of its hard, heavy wood, a clear, ringing, and musical sound, capable of being heard at a great distance. When several of these implements happen to be in operation at the sametime, near one another, the effect upon the ear of a person, at a littledistance, is really charming. 

CHAPTER TWENTY

HISTORY OF A DAY AS USUALLY SPENT IN TYPEE VALLEY--DANCES OF THEMARQUESAN GIRLS

NOTHING can be more uniform and undiversified than the life of theTypees; one tranquil day of ease and happiness follows another in quietsuccession; and with these unsophisicated savages the history of aday is the history of a life. I will, therefore, as briefly as I can, describe one of our days in the valley. 

To begin with the morning. We were not very early risers--the sun wouldbe shooting his golden spikes above the Happar mountain, ere I threwaside my tappa robe, and girding my long tunic about my waist, salliedout with Fayaway and Kory-Kory, and the rest of the household, and bentmy steps towards the stream. Here we found congregated all those whodwelt in our section of the valley; and here we bathed with them. Thefresh morning air and the cool flowing waters put both soul and body ina glow, and after a half-hour employed in this recreation, we saunteredback to the house--Tinor and Marheyo gathering dry sticks by the wayfor fire-wood; some of the young men laying the cocoanut trees undercontribution as they passed beneath them; while Kory-Kory played hisoutlandish pranks for my particular diversion, and Fayaway and I, notarm in arm to be sure, but sometimes hand in hand, strolled along, withfeelings of perfect charity for all the world, and especial good-willtowards each other. 

Our morning meal was soon prepared. The islanders are somewhatabstemious at this repast; reserving the more powerful efforts oftheir appetite to a later period of the day. For my own part, with theassistance of my valet, who, as I have before stated, always officiatedas spoon on these occasions, I ate sparingly from one of Tinor'strenchers, of poee-poee; which was devoted exclusively for my own use, being mixed with the milky meat of ripe cocoanut. A section of a roastedbread-fruit, a small cake of 'Amar', or a mess of 'Cokoo, ' two or threebananas, or a mammee-apple; an annuee, or some other agreeable andnutritious fruit served from day to day to diversify the meal, which wasfinished by tossing off the liquid contents of a young cocoanut or two. 

While partaking of this simple repast, the inmates of Marheyo's house, after the style of the ancient Romans, reclined in sociable groups uponthe divan of mats, and digestion was promoted by cheerful conversation. 

After the morning meal was concluded, pipes were lighted; and among themmy own especial pipe, a present from the noble Mehevi. 

The islanders, who only smoke a whiff or two at a time, and at longintervals, and who keep their pipes going from hand to hand continually, regarded my systematic smoking of four or five pipefuls of tobacco insuccession, as something quite wonderful. When two or three pipes hadcirculated freely, the company gradually broke up. Marheyo went to thelittle hut he was forever building. Tinor began to inspect her rolls oftappa, or employed her busy fingers in plaiting grass-mats. The girlsanointed themselves with their fragrant oils, dressed their hair, orlooked over their curious finery, and compared together their ivorytrinkets, fashioned out of boar's tusks or whale's teeth. The young menand warriors produced their spears, paddles, canoe-gear, battle-clubs, and war-conchs, and occupied themselves in carving, all sorts of figuresupon them with pointed bits of shell or flint, and adorning them, especially the war-conchs, with tassels of braided bark and tufts ofhuman hair. Some, immediately after eating, threw themselves once moreupon the inviting mats, and resumed the employment of the previousnight, sleeping as soundly as if they had not closed their eyes for aweek. Others sallied out into the groves, for the purpose of gatheringfruit or fibres of bark and leaves; the last two being in constantrequisition, and applied to a hundred uses. A few, perhaps, among thegirls, would slip into the woods after flowers, or repair to the streamwill; small calabashes and cocoanut shells, in order to polish themby friction with a smooth stone in the water. In truth these innocentpeople seemed to be at no loss for something to occupy their time; andit would be no light task to enumerate all their employments, or ratherpleasures. 

My own mornings I spent in a variety of ways. Sometimes I rambled aboutfrom house to house, sure of receiving a cordial welcome wherever Iwent; or from grove to grove, and from one shady place to another, incompany with Kory-Kory and Fayaway, and a rabble rout of merry youngidlers. Sometimes I was too indolent for exercise, and accepting one ofthe many invitations I was continually receiving, stretched myself outon the mats of some hospitable dwelling, and occupied myself pleasantlyeither in watching the proceedings of those around me or taking partin them myself. Whenever I chose to do the latter, the delight of theislanders was boundless; and there was always a throng of competitorsfor the honour of instructing me in any particular craft. I soon becamequite an accomplished hand at making tappa--could braid a grass sling aswell as the best of them--and once, with my knife, carved the handle ofa javelin so exquisitely, that I have no doubt, to this day, Karnoonoo, its owner, preserves it as a surprising specimen of my skill. As noonapproached, all those who had wandered forth from our habitation, beganto return; and when midday was fairly come scarcely a sound was to beheard in the valley: a deep sleep fell upon all. The luxurious siestawas hardly ever omitted, except by old Marheyo, who was so eccentrica character, that he seemed to be governed by no fixed principleswhatever; but acting just according to the humour of the moment, slept, ate, or tinkered away at his little hut, without regard to theproprieties of time or place. Frequently he might have been seen takinga nap in the sun at noon-day, or a bath in the stream of mid-night. Once I beheld him perched eighty feet from the ground, in the tuft of acocoanut tree, smoking; and often I saw him standing up to the waistin water, engaged in plucking out the stray hairs of his beard, using apiece of muscle-shell for tweezers. 

The noon-tide slumber lasted generally an hour and a half: very oftenlonger; and after the sleepers had arisen from their mats they againhad recourse to their pipes, and then made preparations for the mostimportant meal of the day. 

I, however, like those gentlemen of leisure who breakfast at home anddine at their club, almost invariably, during my intervals of health, enjoyed the afternoon repast with the bachelor chiefs of the Ti, whowere always rejoiced to see me, and lavishly spread before me all thegood things which their larder afforded. Mehevi generally introducedamong other dainties a baked pig, an article which I have every reasonto suppose was provided for my sole gratification. 

The Ti was a right jovial place. It did my heart, as well as my body, good to visit it. Secure from female intrusion, there was no restraintupon the hilarity of the warriors, who, like the gentlemen of Europeafter the cloth is drawn and the ladies retire, freely indulged theirmirth. 

After spending a considerable portion of the afternoon at the Ti, Iusually found myself, as the cool of the evening came on, either sailingon the little lake with Fayaway, or bathing in the waters of thestream with a number of the savages, who, at this hour, always repairedthither. As the shadows of night approached Marheyo's household wereonce more assembled under his roof: tapers were lit, long curious chantswere raised, interminable stories were told (for which one present waslittle the wiser), and all sorts of social festivities served to whileaway the time. 

The young girls very often danced by moonlight in front of theirdwellings. There are a great variety of these dances, in which, however, I never saw the men take part. They all consist of active, romping, mischievous evolutions, in which every limb is brought into requisition. Indeed, the Marquesan girls dance all over, as it were; not only dotheir feet dance, but their arms, hands, fingers, ay, their very eyes, seem to dance in their heads. 

The damsels wear nothing but flowers and their compendious gala tunics;and when they plume themselves for the dance, they look like a band ofolive-coloured Sylphides on the point of taking wing. In good sooth, they so sway their floating forms, arch their necks, toss aloft theirnaked arms, and glide, and swim, and whirl, that it was almost too muchfor a quiet, sober-minded, modest young man like myself. 

Unless some particular festivity was going forward, the inmates ofMarheyo's house retired to their mats rather early in the evening; butnot for the night, since, after slumbering lightly for a while, theyrose again, relit their tapers, partook of the third and last meal ofthe day, at which poee-poee alone was eaten, and then, after inhaling anarcotic whiff from a pipe of tobacco, disposed themselves for the greatbusiness of night, sleep. With the Marquesans it might almost most bestyled the great business of life, for they pass a large portionof their time in the arms of Somnus. The native strength of theirconstitution is no way shown more emphatically than in the quantity ofsleep they can endure. To many of them, indeed, life is little else thanan often interrupted and luxurious nap. 

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

THE SPRING OF ARVA WAI--REMARKABLE MONUMENTAL REMAINS--SOME IDEAS WITHREGARD TO THE HISTORY OF THE PI-PIS FOUND IN THE VALLEY

ALMOST every country has its medicinal springs famed for their healingvirtues. The Cheltenham of Typee is embosomed in the deepest solitude, and but seldom receives a visitor. It is situated remote from anydwelling, a little way up the mountain, near the head of the valley; andyou approach it by a pathway shaded by the most beautiful foliage, andadorned with a thousand fragrant plants. The mineral waters of Arva Wai*ooze forth from the crevices of a rock, and gliding down its mossy side, fall at last, in many clustering drops, into a natural basin of stonefringed round with grass and dewy-looking little violet-colouredflowers, as fresh and beautiful as the perpetual moisture they enjoy canmake them. 

*I presume this might be translated into 'Strong Waters'. Arva is thename bestowed upon a root the properties of which are both inebriatingand medicinal. 'Wai' is the Marquesan word for water. 

The water is held in high estimation by the islanders, some of whomconsider it an agreeable as well as a medicinal beverage; they bring itfrom the mountain in their calabashes, and store it away beneath heapsof leaves in some shady nook near the house. Old Marheyo had a greatlove for the waters of the spring. Every now and then he lugged off tothe mountain a great round demijohn of a calabash, and, panting with hisexertions, brought it back filled with his darling fluid. 

The water tasted like a solution of a dozen disagreeable things, and wassufficiently nauseous to have made the fortune of the proprietor, hadthe spa been situated in the midst of any civilized community. 

As I am no chemist, I cannot give a scientific analysis of the water. All I know about the matter is, that one day Marheyo in my presencepoured out the last drop from his huge calabash, and I observed at thebottom of the vessel a small quantity of gravelly sediment very muchresembling our common sand. Whether this is always found in the water, and gives it its peculiar flavour and virtues, or whether its presencewas merely incidental, I was not able to ascertain. 

One day in returning from this spring by a circuitous path, I came upona scene which reminded me of Stonehenge and the architectural labours ofthe Druids. 

At the base of one of the mountains, and surrounded on all sides bydense groves, a series of vast terraces of stone rises, step by step, for a considerable distance up the hill side. These terraces cannotbe less than one hundred yards in length and twenty in width. Theirmagnitude, however, is less striking than the immense size of the blockscomposing them. Some of the stones, of an oblong shape, are from tento fifteen feet in length, and five or six feet thick. Their sides arequite smooth, but though square, and of pretty regular formation, theybear no mark of the chisel. They are laid together without cement, andhere and there show gaps between. The topmost terrace and the lowerone are somewhat peculiar in their construction. They have both aquadrangular depression in the centre, leaving the rest of the terraceelevated several feet above it. In the intervals of the stones immensetrees have taken root, and their broad boughs stretching far over, andinterlacing together, support a canopy almost impenetrable to the sun. Overgrowing the greater part of them, and climbing from one to another, is a wilderness of vines, in whose sinewy embrace many of the stoneslie half-hidden, while in some places a thick growth of bushes entirelycovers them. There is a wild pathway which obliquely crosses two ofthese terraces; and so profound is the shade, so dense the vegetation, that a stranger to the place might pass along it without being aware oftheir existence. 

These structures bear every indication of a very high antiquity andKory-Kory, who was my authority in all matters of scientific research, gave me to understand that they were coeval with the creation of theworld; that the great gods themselves were the builders; and that theywould endure until time shall be no more. 

Kory-Kory's prompt explanation and his attributing the work to adivine origin, at once convinced me that neither he nor the rest of hiscountry-men knew anything about them. 

As I gazed upon this monument, doubtless the work of an extinct andforgotten race, thus buried in the green nook of an island at the endsof the earth, the existence of which was yesterday unknown, a strongerfeeling of awe came over me than if I had stood musing at the mightybase of the Pyramid of Cheops. There are no inscriptions, no sculpture, no clue, by which to conjecture its history; nothing but the dumbstones. How many generations of the majestic trees which overshadow themhave grown and flourished and decayed since first they were erected!

These remains naturally suggest many interesting reflections. Theyestablish the great age of the island, an opinion which the buildersof theories concerning, the creation of the various groups in the SouthSeas are not always inclined to admit. For my own part, I think itjust as probable that human beings were living in the valleys of theMarquesas three thousand years ago as that they were inhabiting the landof Egypt. The origin of the island of Nukuheva cannot be imputed to thecoral insect; for indefatigable as that wonderful creature is, it wouldbe hardly muscular enough to pile rocks one upon the other more thanthree thousand feet above the level of the sea. That the land may havebeen thrown up by a submarine volcano is as possible as anything else. No one can make an affidavit to the contrary, and therefore I still saynothing against the supposition: indeed, were geologists to assert thatthe whole continent of America had in like manner been formed by thesimultaneous explosion of a train of Etnas laid under the water all theway from the North Pole to the parallel of Cape Horn, I am the last manin the world to contradict them. 

I have already mentioned that the dwellings of the islanders were almostinvariably built upon massive stone foundations, which they call pi-pis. The dimensions of these, however, as well as of the stones composingthem, are comparatively small: but there are other and larger erectionsof a similar description comprising the 'morais', or burying grounds, and festival-places, in nearly all the valleys of the island. Some ofthese piles are so extensive, and so great a degree of labour and skillmust have been requisite in constructing them, that I can scarcelybelieve they were built by the ancestors of the present inhabitants. Ifindeed they were, the race has sadly deteriorated in their knowledge ofthe mechanic arts. To say nothing of their habitual indolence, by whatcontrivance within the reach of so simple a people could such enormousmasses have been moved or fixed in their places? and how could they withtheir rude implements have chiselled and hammered them into shape?

All of these larger pi-pis--like that of the Hoolah Hoolah ground in theTypee valley--bore incontestible marks of great age; and I am disposedto believe that their erection may be ascribed to the same race of menwho were the builders of the still more ancient remains I have justdescribed. 

According to Kory-Kory's account, the pi-pi upon which stands the HoolahHoolah ground was built a great many moons ago, under the direction ofMonoo, a great chief and warrior, and, as it would appear, master-masonamong the Typees. It was erected for the express purpose to which it isat present devoted, in the incredibly short period of one sun; and wasdedicated to the immortal wooden idols by a grand festival, which lastedten days and nights. 

Among the smaller pi-pis, upon which stand the dwelling-houses of thenatives, I never observed any which intimated a recent erection. Thereare in every part of the valley a great many of these massive stonefoundations which have no houses upon them. This is vastly convenient, for whenever an enterprising islander chooses to emigrate a few hundredyards from the place where he was born, all he has to do in order toestablish himself in some new locality, is to select one of the manyunappropriated pi-pis, and without further ceremony pitch his bambootent upon it. 

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

PREPARATIONS FOR A GRAND FESTIVAL IN THE VALLEY--STRANGE DOINGS INTHE TABOO GROVES--MONUMENT OF CALABASHES--GALA COSTUME OF THE TYPEEDAMSELS--DEPARTURE FOR THE FESTIVAL

FROM the time that my lameness had decreased I had made a daily practiceof visiting Mehevi at the Ti, who invariably gave me a most cordialreception. I was always accompanied in these excursions by Fayawayand the ever-present Kory-Kory. The former, as soon as we reached thevicinity of the Ti--which was rigorously tabooed to the whole femalesex--withdrew to a neighbouring hut, as if her feminine delicacy'restricted' her from approaching a habitation which might be regardedas a sort of Bachelor's Hall. 

And in good truth it might well have been so considered. Although itwas the permanent residence of several distinguished chiefs, and ofthe noble Mehevi in particular, it was still at certain seasons thefavourite haunt of all the jolly, talkative, and elderly savages ofthe vale, who resorted thither in the same way that similar charactersfrequent a tavern in civilized countries. There they would remain hourafter hour, chatting, smoking, eating poee-poee, or busily engaged insleeping for the good of their constitutions. 

This building appeared to be the head-quarters of the valley, where allflying rumours concentrated; and to have seen it filled with a crowdof the natives, all males, conversing in animated clusters, whilemultitudes were continually coming and going, one would have thought ita kind of savage Exchange, where the rise and fall of Polynesian Stockwas discussed. 

Mehevi acted as supreme lord over the place, spending the greaterportion of his time there: and often when, at particular hours of theday, it was deserted by nearly every one else except the verd-antiquelooking centenarians, who were fixtures in the building, the chiefhimself was sure to be found enjoying his 'otium cum dignitate'--uponthe luxurious mats which covered the floor. Whenever I made myappearance he invariably rose, and like a gentleman doing the honours ofhis mansion, invited me to repose myself wherever I pleased, and callingout 'tamaree!' (boy), a little fellow would appear, and then retiringfor an instant, return with some savoury mess, from which the chiefwould press me to regale myself. To tell the truth, Mehevi was indebtedto the excellence of his viands for the honour of my repeated visits--amatter which cannot appear singular, when it is borne in mind thatbachelors, all the world over, are famous for serving up unexceptionablerepasts. 

One day, on drawing near to the Ti, I observed that extensivepreparations were going forward, plainly betokening some approachingfestival. Some of the symptoms reminded me of the stir produced amongthe scullions of a large hotel, where a grand jubilee dinner is about tobe given. The natives were hurrying about hither and thither, engaged invarious duties, some lugging off to the stream enormous hollowbamboos, for the purpose of filling them with water; others chasingfurious-looking hogs through the bushes, in their endeavours to capturethem; and numbers employed in kneading great mountains of poee-poeeheaped up in huge wooden vessels. 

After observing these lively indications for a while, I was attracted toa neighbouring grove by a prodigious squeaking which I heard there. Onreaching the spot I found it proceeded from a large hog which a numberof natives were forcibly holding to the earth, while a muscular fellow, armed with a bludgeon, was ineffectually aiming murderous blows at theskull of the unfortunate porker. Again and again he missed hiswrithing and struggling victim, but though puffing and panting withhis exertions, he still continued them; and after striking a sufficientnumber of blows to have demolished an entire drove of oxen, with onecrashing stroke he laid him dead at his feet. 

Without letting any blood from the body, it was immediately carried to afire which had been kindled near at hand and four savages taking hold ofthe carcass by its legs, passed it rapidly to and fro in the flames. In a moment the smell of burning bristles betrayed the object of thisprocedure. Having got thus far in the matter, the body was removed to alittle distance and, being disembowelled, the entrails were laid asideas choice parts, and the whole carcass thoroughly washed with water. Anample thick green cloth, composed of the long thick leaves of a speciesof palm-tree, ingeniously tacked together with little pins of bamboo, was now spread upon the ground, in which the body being carefullyrolled, it was borne to an oven previously prepared to receive it. Hereit was at once laid upon the heated stones at the bottom, and coveredwith thick layers of leaves, the whole being quickly hidden from sightby a mound of earth raised over it. 

Such is the summary style in which the Typees convert perverse-mindedand rebellious hogs into the most docile and amiable pork; a morselof which placed on the tongue melts like a soft smile from the lips ofBeauty. 

I commend their peculiar mode of proceeding to the consideration of allbutchers, cooks, and housewives. The hapless porker whose fate I havejust rehearsed, was not the only one who suffered in that memorable day. Many a dismal grunt, many an imploring squeak, proclaimed what was goingon throughout the whole extent of the valley; and I verily believe thefirst-born of every litter perished before the setting of that fatalsun. 

The scene around the Ti was now most animated. Hogs and poee-poee werebaking in numerous ovens, which, heaped up with fresh earth into slightelevations, looked like so many ant-hills. Scores of the savages werevigorously plying their stone pestles in preparing masses of poee-poee, and numbers were gathering green bread-fruit and young cocoanuts in thesurrounding groves; when an exceeding great multitude, with a view ofencouraging the rest in their labours, stood still, and kept shoutingmost lustily without intermission. 

It is a peculiarity among these people, that, when engaged in anemployment, they always make a prodigious fuss about it. So seldom dothey ever exert themselves, that when they do work they seem determinedthat so meritorious an action shall not escape the observation of thosearound if, for example, they have occasion to remove a stone to a littledistance, which perhaps might be carried by two able-bodied men, a wholeswarm gather about it, and, after a vast deal of palavering, lift itup among them, every one struggling to get hold of it, and bear it offyelling and panting as if accomplishing some mighty achievement. Seeingthem on these occasions, one is reminded of an infinity of black antsclustering about and dragging away to some hole the leg of a deceasedfly. 

Having for some time attentively observed these demonstrations of goodcheer, I entered the Ti, where Mehevi sat complacently looking out uponthe busy scene, and occasionally issuing his orders. The chief appearedto be in an extraordinary flow of spirits and gave me to understand thaton the morrow there would be grand doings in the Groves generally, andat the Ti in particular; and urged me by no means to absent myself. Incommemoration of what event, however, or in honour of whatdistinguished personage, the feast was to be given, altogether passed mycomprehension. Mehevi sought to enlighten my ignorance, but he failed assignally as when he had endeavoured to initiate me into the perplexingarcana of the taboo. 

On leaving the Ti, Kory-Kory, who had as a matter of course accompaniedme, observing that my curiosity remained unabated, resolved to makeeverything plain and satisfactory. With this intent, he escortedme through the Taboo Groves, pointing out to my notice a variety ofobjects, and endeavoured to explain them in such an indescribable jargonof words, that it almost put me in bodily pain to listen to him. Inparticular, he led me to a remarkable pyramidical structure some threeyards square at the base, and perhaps ten feet in height, which hadlately been thrown up, and occupied a very conspicuous position. Itwas composed principally of large empty calabashes, with a few polishedcocoanut shells, and looked not unlike a cenotaph of skulls. My ciceroneperceived the astonishment with which I gazed at this monument of savagecrockery, and immediately addressed himself in the task of enlighteningme: but all in vain; and to this hour the nature of the monument remainsa complete mystery to me. As, however, it formed so prominent a featurein the approaching revels, I bestowed upon the latter, in my own mind, the title of the 'Feast of Calabashes'. 

The following morning, awaking rather late, I perceived the whole ofMarheyo's family busily engaged in preparing for the festival. 

The old warrior himself was arranging in round balls the two grey locksof hair that were suffered to grow from the crown of his head; hisearrings and spear, both well polished, lay beside him, while the highlydecorative pair of shoes hung suspended from a projecting cane againstthe side of the house. The young men were similarly employed; and thefair damsels, including Fayaway, were anointing themselves with 'aka', arranging their long tresses, and performing other matters connectedwith the duties of the toilet. 

Having completed their preparations, the girls now exhibited themselvesin gala costume; the most conspicuous feature of which was a necklaceof beautiful white flowers, with the stems removed, and strung closelytogether upon a single fibre of tappa. Corresponding ornaments wereinserted in their ears, and woven garlands upon their heads. About theirwaist they wore a short tunic of spotless white tappa, and some of themsuper-added to this a mantle of the same material, tied in an elaboratebow upon the left shoulder, and falling about the figure in picturesquefolds. 

Thus arrayed, I would have matched the charming Fayaway against anybeauty in the world. 

People may say what they will about the taste evinced by our fashionableladies in dress. Their jewels, their feathers, their silks, andtheir furbelows, would have sunk into utter insignificance beside theexquisite simplicity of attire adopted by the nymphs of the vale on thisfestive occasion. I should like to have seen a gallery of coronationbeauties, at Westminster Abbey, confronted for a moment by this band ofisland girls; their stiffness, formality, and affectation, contrastedwith the artless vivacity and unconcealed natural graces of these savagemaidens. It would be the Venus de' Medici placed beside a milliner'sdoll. It was not long before Kory-Kory and myself were left alone in thehouse, the rest of its inmates having departed for the Taboo Groves. My valet was all impatience to follow them; and was as fidgety about mydilatory movements as a diner out waiting hat in hand at the bottomof the stairs for some lagging companion. At last, yielding to hisimportunities, I set out for the Ti. As we passed the houses peeping outfrom the groves through which our route lay, I noticed that they wereentirely deserted by their inhabitants. 

When we reached the rock that abruptly terminated the path, andconcealed from us the festive scene, wild shouts and a confused blendingof voices assured me that the occasion, whatever it might be, haddrawn together a great multitude. Kory-Kory, previous to mounting theelevation, paused for a moment, like a dandy at a ball-room door, to puta hasty finish to his toilet. During this short interval, the thoughtstruck me that I ought myself perhaps to be taking some little painswith my appearance. 

But as I had no holiday raiment, I was not a little puzzled to devisesome means of decorating myself. However, as I felt desirous to create asensation, I determined to do all that lay in my power; and knowing thatI could not delight the savages more than by conforming to their styleof dress, I removed from my person the large robe of tappa which I wasaccustomed to wear over my shoulders whenever I sallied into the openair, and remained merely girt about with a short tunic descending frommy waist to my knees. 

My quick-witted attendant fully appreciated the compliment I was payingto the costume of his race, and began more sedulously to arrange thefolds of the one only garment which remained to me. Whilst he was doingthis, I caught sight of a knot of young lasses, who were sitting near uson the grass surrounded by heaps of flowers which they were forming intogarlands. I motioned to them to bring some of their handywork to me;and in an instant a dozen wreaths were at my disposal. One of them Iput round the apology for a hat which I had been forced to construct formyself out of palmetto-leaves, and some of the others I converted into asplendid girdle. These operations finished, with the slow and dignifiedstep of a full-dressed beau I ascended the rock. 

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

THE FEAST OF CALABASHES

THE whole population of the valley seemed to be gathered within theprecincts of the grove. In the distance could be seen the long front ofthe Ti, its immense piazza swarming with men, arrayed in every varietyof fantastic costume, and all vociferating with animated gestures; whilethe whole interval between it and the place where I stood was enlivenedby groups of females fancifully decorated, dancing, capering, anduttering wild exclamations. As soon as they descried me they set up ashout of welcome; and a band of them came dancing towards me, chantingas they approached some wild recitative. The change in my garb seemed totransport them with delight, and clustering about me on all sides, theyaccompanied me towards the Ti. When however we drew near it these joyousnymphs paused in their career, and parting on either side, permitted meto pass on to the now densely thronged building. 

So soon as I mounted to the pi-pi I saw at a glance that the revels werefairly under way. 

What lavish plenty reigned around?--Warwick feasting his retainers withbeef and ale, was a niggard to the noble Mehevi!--All along the piazzaof the Ti were arranged elaborately carved canoe-shaped vessels, sometwenty feet in length, tied with newly made poee-poee, and shelteredfrom the sun by the broad leaves of the banana. At intervals were heapsof green bread-fruit, raised in pyramidical stacks, resembling theregular piles of heavy shot to be seen in the yard of an arsenal. Inserted into the interstices of the huge stones which formed the pi-piwere large boughs of trees; hanging from the branches of which, andscreened from the sun by their foliage, were innumerable little packageswith leafy coverings, containing the meat of the numerous hogs whichhad been slain, done up in this manner to make it more accessible to thecrowd. Leaning against the railing on the piazza were an immensenumber of long, heavy bamboos, plugged at the lower end, and with theirprojecting muzzles stuffed with a wad of leaves. These were filled withwater from the stream, and each of them might hold from four to fivegallons. 

The banquet being thus spread, naught remained but for everyone tohelp himself at his pleasure. Accordingly not a moment passed but thetransplanted boughs I have mentioned were rifled by the throng of thefruit they certainly had never borne before. Calabashes of poee-poeewere continually being replenished from the extensive receptacle inwhich that article was stored, and multitudes of little fires werekindled about the Ti for the purpose of roasting the bread-fruit. 

Within the building itself was presented a most extraordinary scene. Theimmense lounge of mats lying between the parallel rows of the trunks ofcocoanut trees, and extending the entire length of the house, at leasttwo hundred feet, was covered by the reclining forms of a host of chiefsand warriors who were eating at a great rate, or soothing the cares ofPolynesian life in the sedative fumes of tobacco. The smoke was inhaledfrom large pipes, the bowls of which, made out of small cocoanut shells, were curiously carved in strange heathenish devices. These were passedfrom mouth to mouth by the recumbent smokers, each of whom, taking twoor three prodigious whiffs, handed the pipe to his neighbour; sometimesfor that purpose stretching indolently across the body of some dozingindividual whose exertions at the dinner-table had already inducedsleep. 

The tobacco used among the Typees was of a very mild and pleasingflavour, and as I always saw it in leaves, and the natives appearedpretty well supplied with it, I was led to believe that it must havebeen the growth of the valley. Indeed Kory-Kory gave me to understandthat this was the case; but I never saw a single plant growing on theisland. At Nukuheva, and, I believe, in all the other valleys, the weedis very scarce, being only obtained in small quantities from foreigners, and smoking is consequently with the inhabitants of these places a verygreat luxury. How it was that the Typees were so well furnished withit I cannot divine. I should think them too indolent to devote anyattention to its culture; and, indeed, as far as my observationextended, not a single atom of the soil was under any other cultivationthan that of shower and sunshine. The tobacco-plant, however, like thesugar-cane, may grow wild in some remote part of the vale. 

There were many in the Ti for whom the tobacco did not furnish asufficient stimulus, and who accordingly had recourse to 'arva', as amore powerful agent in producing the desired effect. 

'Arva' is a root very generally dispersed over the South Seas, and fromit is extracted a juice, the effects of which upon the system are atfirst stimulating in a moderate degree; but it soon relaxes the muscles, and exerting a narcotic influence produces a luxurious sleep. Inthe valley this beverage was universally prepared in the followingway:--Some half-dozen young boys seated themselves in a circle aroundan empty wooden vessel, each one of them being supplied with a certainquantity of the roots of the 'arva', broken into small bits and laidby his side. A cocoanut goblet of water was passed around the juvenilecompany, who rinsing their mouths with its contents, proceeded to thebusiness before them. This merely consisted in thoroughly masticatingthe 'arva', and throwing it mouthful after mouthful into the receptacleprovided. When a sufficient quantity had been thus obtained water waspoured upon the mass, and being stirred about with the forefinger of theright hand, the preparation was soon in readiness for use. The 'arva'has medicinal qualities. 

Upon the Sandwich Islands it has been employed with no small success inthe treatment of scrofulous affections, and in combating the ravagesof a disease for whose frightful inroads the ill-starred inhabitants ofthat group are indebted to their foreign benefactors. But the tenants ofthe Typee valley, as yet exempt from these inflictions, generally employthe 'arva' as a minister to social enjoyment, and a calabash of theliquid circulates among them as the bottle with us. 

Mehevi, who was greatly delighted with the change in my costume, gaveme a cordial welcome. He had reserved for me a most delectable messof 'cokoo', well knowing my partiality for that dish; and had likewiseselected three or four young cocoanuts, several roasted bread-fruit, and a magnificent bunch of bananas, for my especial comfort andgratification. These various matters were at once placed before me; butKory-Kory deemed the banquet entirely insufficient for my wants untilhe had supplied me with one of the leafy packages of pork, which, notwithstanding the somewhat hasty manner in which it had been prepared, possessed a most excellent flavour, and was surprisingly sweet andtender. 

Pork is not a staple article of food among the people of the Marquesas;consequently they pay little attention to the BREEDING of the swine. Thehogs are permitted to roam at large on the groves, where they obtainno small part of their nourishment from the cocoanuts which continuallyfall from the trees. But it is only after infinite labour anddifficulty, that the hungry animal can pierce the husk and shell so asto get at the meat. I have frequently been amused at seeing one ofthem, after crunching the obstinate nut with his teeth for a long timeunsuccessfully, get into a violent passion with it. He would then rootfuriously under the cocoanut, and, with a fling of his snout, toss itbefore him on the ground. Following it up, he would crunch at it againsavagely for a moment, and then next knock it on one side, pausingimmediately after, as if wondering how it could so suddenly havedisappeared. In this way the persecuted cocoanuts were often chased halfacross the valley. 

The second day of the Feast of Calabashes was ushered in by still moreuproarious noises than the first. The skins of innumerable sheep seemedto be resounding to the blows of an army of drummers. Startled from myslumbers by the din, I leaped up, and found the whole household engagedin making preparations for immediate departure. Curious to discover ofwhat strange events these novel sounds might be the precursors, and nota little desirous to catch a sight of the instruments which producedthe terrific noise, I accompanied the natives as soon as they were inreadiness to depart for the Taboo Groves. 

The comparatively open space that extended from the Ti toward the rock, to which I have before alluded as forming the ascent to the place, was, with the building itself, now altogether deserted by the men; the wholedistance being filled by bands of females, shouting and dancing underthe influence of some strange excitement. 

I was amused at the appearance of four or five old women who, in a stateof utter nudity, with their arms extended flatly down their sides, andholding themselves perfectly erect, were leaping stiffly into theair, like so many sticks bobbing to the surface, after being pressedperpendicularly into the water. They preserved the utmost gravity ofcountenance, and continued their extraordinary movements withouta single moment's cessation. They did not appear to attract theobservation of the crowd around them, but I must candidly confess thatfor my own part, I stared at them most pertinaciously. 

Desirous of being enlightened in regard to the meaning of this peculiardiversion, I turned, inquiringly to Kory-Kory; that learned Typeeimmediately proceeded to explain the whole matter thoroughly. But allthat I could comprehend from what he said was, that the leaping figuresbefore me were bereaved widows, whose partners had been slain in battlemany moons previously; and who, at every festival, gave public evidencein this manner of their calamities. It was evident that Kory-Koryconsidered this an all-sufficient reason for so indecorous a custom; butI must say that it did not satisfy me as to its propriety. 

Leaving these afflicted females, we passed on to the Hoolah Hoolahground. Within the spacious quadrangle, the whole population of thevalley seemed to be assembled, and the sight presented was trulyremarkable. Beneath the sheds of bamboo which opened towards theinterior of the square reclined the principal chiefs and warriors, whilea miscellaneous throng lay at their ease under the enormous trees whichspread a majestic canopy overhead. Upon the terraces of the giganticaltars, at each end, were deposited green bread-fruit in baskets ofcocoanut leaves, large rolls of tappa, bunches of ripe bananas, clustersof mammee-apples, the golden-hued fruit of the artu-tree, and bakedhogs, laid out in large wooden trenchers, fancifully decorated withfreshly plucked leaves, whilst a variety of rude implements of war werepiled in confused heaps before the ranks of hideous idols. Fruits ofvarious kinds were likewise suspended in leafen baskets, from the topsof poles planted uprightly, and at regular intervals, along the lowerterraces of both altars. At their base were arranged two parallel rowsof cumbersome drums, standing at least fifteen feet in height, andformed from the hollow trunks of large trees. Their heads were coveredwith shark skins, and their barrels were elaborately carved with variousquaint figures and devices. At regular intervals they were bound roundby a species of sinnate of various colours, and strips of native clothflattened upon them here and there. Behind these instruments were builtslight platforms, upon which stood a number of young men who, beatingviolently with the palms of their hands upon the drum-heads, producedthose outrageous sounds which had awakened me in the morning. Every fewminutes these musical performers hopped down from their elevation intothe crowd below, and their places were immediately supplied by freshrecruits. Thus an incessant din was kept up that might have startledPandemonium. 

Precisely in the middle of the quadrangle were placed perpendicularlyin the ground, a hundred or more slender, fresh-cut poles, stripped oftheir bark, and decorated at the end with a floating pennon of whitetappa; the whole being fenced about with a little picket of canes. Forwhat purpose these angular ornaments were intended I in vain endeavouredto discover. 

Another most striking feature of the performance was exhibited by ascore of old men, who sat cross-legged in the little pulpits, whichencircled the trunks of the immense trees growing in the middle of theenclosure. These venerable gentlemen, who I presume were the priests, kept up an uninterrupted monotonous chant, which was partly drowned inthe roar of drums. In the right hand they held a finely woven grass fan, with a heavy black wooden handle curiously chased: these fans they keptin continual motion. 

But no attention whatever seemed to be paid to the drummers or to theold priests; the individuals who composed the vast crowd present beingentirely taken up in chanting and laughing with one another, smoking, drinking 'arva', and eating. For all the observation it attracted, or the good it achieved, the whole savage orchestra might with greatadvantage to its own members and the company in general, have ceased theprodigious uproar they were making. 

In vain I questioned Kory-Kory and others of the natives, as to themeaning of the strange things that were going on; all their explanationswere conveyed in such a mass of outlandish gibberish and gesticulationthat I gave up the attempt in despair. All that day the drums resounded, the priests chanted, and the multitude feasted and roared till sunset, when the throng dispersed, and the Taboo Groves were again abandoned toquiet and repose. The next day the same scene was repeated until night, when this singular festival terminated. 

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

IDEAS SUGGESTED BY THE FEAST OF CALABASHES--INACCURACY OF CERTAINPUBLISHED ACCOUNTS OF THE ISLANDS--A REASON--NEGLECTED STATE OFHEATHENISM IN THE VALLEY--EFFIGY OF A DEAD WARRIOR--A SINGULARSUPERSTITION--THE PRIEST KOLORY AND THE GOD MOA ARTUA--AMAZING RELIGIOUSOBSERVANCE--A DILAPIDATED SHRINE--KORY-KORY AND THE IDOL--AN INFERENCE

ALTHOUGH I had been baffled in my attempts to learn the origin ofthe Feast of Calabashes, yet it seemed very plain to me that it wasprincipally, if not wholly, of a religious character. As a religioussolemnity, however, it had not at all corresponded with the horribledescriptions of Polynesian worship which we have received in somepublished narratives, and especially in those accounts of theevangelized islands with which the missionaries have favoured us. Didnot the sacred character of these persons render the purity of theirintentions unquestionable, I should certainly be led to suppose thatthey had exaggerated the evils of Paganism, in order to enhance themerit of their own disinterested labours. 

In a certain work incidentally treating of the 'Washington, or NorthernMarquesas Islands, ' I have seen the frequent immolation of human victimsupon the altars of their gods, positively and repeatedly charged uponthe inhabitants. The same work gives also a rather minute account oftheir religion--enumerates a great many of their superstitions--andmakes known the particular designations of numerous orders of thepriesthood. One would almost imagine from the long list that is givenof cannibal primates, bishops, arch-deacons, prebendaries, and otherinferior ecclesiastics, that the sacerdotal order far outnumbered therest of the population, and that the poor natives were more severelypriest-ridden than even the inhabitants of the papal states. Theseaccounts are likewise calculated to leave upon the reader's mind animpression that human victims are daily cooked and served up upon thealtars; that heathenish cruelties of every description are continuallypractised; and that these ignorant Pagans are in a state of theextremest wretchedness in consequence of the grossness of theirsuperstitions. Be it observed, however, that all this information isgiven by a man who, according to his own statement, was only at one ofthe islands, and remained there but two weeks, sleeping every night onboard his ship, and taking little kid-glove excursions ashore in thedaytime, attended by an armed party. 

Now, all I can say is, that in all my excursions through the valley ofTypee, I never saw any of these alleged enormities. If any of them arepractised upon the Marquesas Islands they must certainly have come tomy knowledge while living for months with a tribe of savages, whollyunchanged from their original primitive condition, and reputed the mostferocious in the South Seas. 

The fact is, that there is a vast deal of unintentional humbuggeryin some of the accounts we have from scientific men concerning thereligious institutions of Polynesia. These learned tourists generallyobtain the greater part of their information from retired old South-Searovers, who have domesticated themselves among the barbarous tribes ofthe Pacific. Jack, who has long been accustomed to the long-bow, andto spin tough yarns on the ship's forecastle, invariably officiates asshowman of the island on which he has settled, and having mastered a fewdozen words of the language, is supposed to know all about the peoplewho speak it. A natural desire to make himself of consequence in theeyes of the strangers, prompts him to lay claim to a much greaterknowledge of such matters than he actually possesses. In reply toincessant queries, he communicates not only all he knows but a good dealmore, and if there be any information deficient still he is at noloss to supply it. The avidity with which his anecdotes are noteddown tickles his vanity, and his powers of invention increase with thecredulity auditors. He knows just the sort of information wanted, andfurnishes it to any extent. 

This is not a supposed case; I have met with several individuals likethe one described, and I have been present at two or three of theirinterviews with strangers. 

Now, when the scientific voyager arrives at home with his collectionof wonders, he attempts, perhaps, to give a description of some of thestrange people he has been visiting. Instead of representing them asa community of lusty savages, who are leading a merry, idle, innocentlife, he enters into a very circumstantial and learned narrative ofcertain unaccountable superstitions and practices, about which he knowsas little as the islanders themselves. Having had little time, andscarcely any opportunity, to become acquainted with the customs hepretends to describe, he writes them down one after another in anoff-hand, haphazard style; and were the book thus produced to betranslated into the tongue of the people of whom it purports to give thehistory, it would appear quite as wonderful to them as it does to theAmerican public, and much more improbable. 

For my own part, I am free to confess my almost entire inability togratify any curiosity that may be felt with regard to the theology ofthe valley. I doubt whether the inhabitants themselves could do so. Theyare either too lazy or too sensible to worry themselves about abstractpoints of religious belief. While I was among them, they never held anysynods or councils to settle the principles of their faith by agitatingthem. An unbounded liberty of conscience seemed to prevail. Thosewho pleased to do so were allowed to repose implicit faith in anill-favoured god with a large bottle-nose and fat shapeless arms crossedupon his breast; whilst others worshipped an image which, having nolikeness either in heaven or on earth, could hardly be called an idol. As the islanders always maintained a discreet reserve with regard tomy own peculiar views on religion, I thought it would be excessivelyill-bred of me to pry into theirs. 

But, although my knowledge of the religious faith of the Typees wasunavoidably limited, one of their superstitious observances with which Ibecame acquainted interested me greatly. 

In one of the most secluded portions of the valley within a stone'scast of Fayaway's lake--for so I christened the scene of our islandyachting--and hard by a growth of palms, which stood ranged in orderalong both banks of the stream, waving their green arms as if to dohonour to its passage, was the mausoleum of a deceased, warrior chief. Like all the other edifices of any note, it was raised upon a smallpi-pi of stones, which, being of unusual height, was a conspicuousobject from a distance. A light thatching of bleached palmetto-leaveshung over it like a self supported canopy; for it was not until youcame very near that you saw it was supported by four slender columns ofbamboo rising at each corner to a little more than the height of a man. A clear area of a few yards surrounded the pi-pi, and was enclosed byfour trunks of cocoanut trees resting at the angles on massive blocks ofstone. The place was sacred. The sign of the inscrutable Taboo was seenin the shape of a mystic roll of white tappa, suspended by a twistedcord of the same material from the top of a slight pole planted withinthe enclosure*. The sanctity of the spot appeared never to have beenviolated. The stillness of the grave was there, and the calm solitudearound was beautiful and touching. The soft shadows of those loftypalm-trees!--I can see them now--hanging over the little temple, as ifto keep out the intrusive sun. 

*White appears to be the sacred colour among the Marquesans. 

On all sides as you approached this silent spot you caught sight of thedead chief's effigy, seated in the stern of a canoe, which was raised ona light frame a few inches above the level of the pi-pi. The canoe wasabout seven feet in length; of a rich, dark coloured wood, handsomelycarved and adorned in many places with variegated bindings of stainedsinnate, into which were ingeniously wrought a number of sparklingseashells, and a belt of the same shells ran all round it. The bodyof the figure--of whatever material it might have been made--waseffectually concealed in a heavy robe of brown tappa, revealing; onlythe hands and head; the latter skilfully carved in wood, and surmountedby a superb arch of plumes. These plumes, in the subdued and gentlegales which found access to this sequestered spot, were never for onemoment at rest, but kept nodding and waving over the chief's brow. Thelong leaves of the palmetto drooped over the eaves, and through them yousaw the warrior holding his paddle with both hands in the act of rowing, leaning forward and inclining his head, as if eager to hurry on hisvoyage. Glaring at him forever, and face to face, was a polished humanskull, which crowned the prow of the canoe. The spectral figurehead, reversed in its position, glancing backwards, seemed to mock theimpatient attitude of the warrior. 

When I first visited this singular place with Kory-Kory, he told me--orat least I so understood him--that the chief was paddling his way tothe realms of bliss, and bread-fruit--the Polynesian heaven--whereevery moment the bread-fruit trees dropped their ripened spheres to theground, and where there was no end to the cocoanuts and bananas: therethey reposed through the livelong eternity upon mats much finer thanthose of Typee; and every day bathed their glowing limbs in riversof cocoanut oil. In that happy land there were plenty of plumes andfeathers, and boars'-tusks and sperm-whale teeth, far preferable to allthe shining trinkets and gay tappa of the white men; and, best of all, women far lovelier than the daughters of earth were there in abundance. 'A very pleasant place, ' Kory-Kory said it was; 'but after all, not muchpleasanter, he thought, than Typee. ' 'Did he not then, ' I asked him, 'wish to accompany the warrior?' 'Oh no: he was very happy where he was;but supposed that some time or other he would go in his own canoe. '

Thus far, I think, I clearly comprehended Kory-Kory. But there was asingular expression he made use of at the time, enforced by as singulara gesture, the meaning of which I would have given much to penetrate. I am inclined to believe it must have been a proverb he uttered; for Iafterwards heard him repeat the same words several times, and in whatappeared to me to be a somewhat: similar sense. Indeed, Kory-Kory hada great variety of short, smart-sounding sentences, with which hefrequently enlivened his discourse; and he introduced them with an airwhich plainly intimated, that in his opinion, they settled the matter inquestion, whatever it might be. 

Could it have been then, that when I asked him whether he desired to goto this heaven of bread-fruit, cocoanuts, and young ladies, which he hadbeen describing, he answered by saying something equivalent to ourold adage--'A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush'?--if he did, Kory-Kory was a discreet and sensible fellow, and I cannot sufficientlyadmire his shrewdness. 

Whenever, in the course of my rambles through the valley I happened tobe near the chief's mausoleum, I always turned aside to visit it. Theplace had a peculiar charm for me; I hardly know why, but so it was. AsI leaned over the railing and gazed upon the strange effigy and watchedthe play of the feathery head-dress, stirred by the same breeze which inlow tones breathed amidst the lofty palm-trees, I loved to yield myselfup to the fanciful superstition of the islanders, and could almostbelieve that the grim warrior was bound heavenward. In this mood whenI turned to depart, I bade him 'God speed, and a pleasant voyage. ' Aye, paddle away, brave chieftain, to the land of spirits! To the materialeye thou makest but little progress; but with the eye of faith, I seethy canoe cleaving the bright waves, which die away on those dimlylooming shores of Paradise. 

This strange superstition affords another evidence of the fact, thathowever ignorant man may be, he still feels within him his immortalspirit yearning, after the unknown future. 

Although the religious theories of the islands were a complete mysteryto me, their practical every-day operation could not be concealed. Ifrequently passed the little temples reposing in the shadows of thetaboo groves and beheld the offerings--mouldy fruit spread out upona rude altar, or hanging in half-decayed baskets around some uncouthjolly-looking image; I was present during the continuance of thefestival; I daily beheld the grinning idols marshalled rank and file inthe Hoolah Hoolah ground, and was often in the habit of meetingthose whom I supposed to be the priests. But the temples seemed to beabandoned to solitude; the festival had been nothing more than a jovialmingling of the tribe; the idols were quite harmless as any other logsof wood; and the priests were the merriest dogs in the valley. 

In fact religious affairs in Typee were at a very low ebb: all suchmatters sat very lightly upon the thoughtless inhabitants; and, in thecelebration of many of their strange rites, they appeared merely to seeka sort of childish amusement. 

A curious evidence of this was given in a remarkable ceremony in which Ifrequently saw Mehevi and several other chefs and warriors of note takepart; but never a single female. 

Among those whom I looked upon as forming the priesthood of the valley, there was one in particular who often attracted my notice, and whomI could not help regarding as the head of the order. He was a noblelooking man, in the prime of his life, and of a most benignant aspect. The authority this man, whose name was Kolory, seemed to exercise overthe rest, the episcopal part he took in the Feast of Calabashes, hissleek and complacent appearance, the mystic characters which weretattooed upon his chest, and above all the mitre he frequently wore, in the shape of a towering head-dress, consisting of part of a cocoanutbranch, the stalk planted uprightly on his brow, and the leafletsgathered together and passed round the temples and behind the ears, allthese pointed him out as Lord Primate of Typee. Kolory was a sort ofKnight Templar--a soldier-priest; for he often wore the dress of aMarquesan warrior, and always carried a long spear, which, instead ofterminating in a paddle at the lower end, after the general fashion ofthese weapons, was curved into a heathenish-looking little image. Thisinstrument, however, might perhaps have been emblematic of his doublefunctions. With one end in carnal combat he transfixed the enemies ofhis tribe; and with the other as a pastoral crook he kept in order hisspiritual flock. But this is not all I have to say about Kolory. 

His martial grace very often carried about with him what seemed to methe half of a broken war-club. It was swathed round with ragged bits ofwhite tappa, and the upper part, which was intended to represent ahuman head, was embellished with a strip of scarlet cloth of Europeanmanufacture. It required little observation to discover that thisstrange object was revered as a god. By the side of the big and lustyimages standing sentinel over the altars of the Hoolah Hoolah ground, itseemed a mere pigmy in tatters. But appearances all the world over aredeceptive. Little men are sometimes very potent, and rags sometimescover very extensive pretensions. In fact, this funny little image wasthe 'crack' god of the island; lording it over all the wooden lubberswho looked so grim and dreadful; its name was Moa Artua*. And it was inhonour of Moa Artua, and for the entertainment of those who believe inhim, that the curious ceremony I am about to describe was observed. 

*The word 'Artua', although having some other significations, is innearly all the Polynesian dialects used as the general designation ofthe gods. 

Mehevi and the chieftains of the Ti have just risen from their noontideslumbers. There are no affairs of state to dispose of; and having eatentwo or three breakfasts in the course of the morning, the magnates ofthe valley feel no appetite as yet for dinner. How are their leisuremoments to be occupied? They smoke, they chat, and at last one of theirnumber makes a proposition to the rest, who joyfully acquiescing, hedarts out of the house, leaps from the pi-pi, and disappears in thegrove. Soon you see him returning with Kolory, who bears the god MoaArtua in his arms, and carries in one hand a small trough, hollowed outin the likeness of a canoe. The priest comes along dandling his chargeas if it were a lachrymose infant he was endeavouring to put into agood humour. Presently entering the Ti, he seats himself on the mats ascomposedly as a juggler about to perform his sleight-of-hand tricks; andwith the chiefs disposed in a circle around him, commences his ceremony. In the first place he gives Moa Artua an affectionate hug, thencaressingly lays him to his breast, and, finally, whispers something inhis ear; the rest of the company listening eagerly for a reply. Butthe baby-god is deaf or dumb, --perhaps both, for never a word does, heutter. At last Kolory speaks a little louder, and soon growing angry, comes boldly out with what he has to say and bawls to him. He put me inmind of a choleric fellow, who, after trying in vain to communicated asecret to a deaf man, all at once flies into a passion and screams itout so that every one may hear. Still Moa Artua remains as quiet asever; and Kolory, seemingly losing his temper, fetches him a box overthe head, strips him of his tappa and red cloth, and laying him ina state of nudity in a little trough, covers him from sight. At thisproceeding all present loudly applaud and signify their approval byuttering the adjective 'motarkee' with violent emphasis. Kolory however, is so desirous his conduct should meet with unqualified approbation, that he inquires of each individual separately whether under existingcircumstances he has not done perfectly right in shutting up Moa Artua. The invariable response is 'Aa, Aa' (yes, yes), repeated over againand again in a manner which ought to quiet the scruples of the mostconscientious. After a few moments Kolory brings forth his doll again, and while arraying it very carefully in the tappa and red cloth, alternately fondles and chides it. The toilet being completed, he oncemore speaks to it aloud. The whole company hereupon show the greatestinterest; while the priest holding Moa Artua to his ear interprets tothem what he pretends the god is confidentially communicating to him. Some items intelligence appear to tickle all present amazingly; for oneclaps his hands in a rapture; another shouts with merriment; and a thirdleaps to his feet and capers about like a madman. 

What under the sun Moa Artua on these occasions had to say to KoloryI never could find out; but I could not help thinking that the formershowed a sad want of spirit in being disciplined into making thosedisclosures, which at first he seemed bent on withholding. Whether thepriest honestly interpreted what he believed the divinity said to him, or whether he was not all the while guilty of a vile humbug, I shallnot presume to decide. At any rate, whatever as coming from the godwas imparted to those present seemed to be generally of a complimentarynature: a fact which illustrates the sagacity of Kolory, or else thetimeserving disposition of this hardly used deity. 

Moa Artua having nothing more to say, his bearer goes to nursinghim again, in which occupation, however, he is soon interrupted by aquestion put by one of the warriors to the god. Kolory hereupon snatchesit up to his ear again, and after listening attentively, once moreofficiates as the organ of communication. A multitude of questions andanswers having passed between the parties, much to the satisfaction ofthose who propose them, the god is put tenderly to bed in the trough, and the whole company unite in a long chant, led off by Kolory. Thisended, the ceremony is over; the chiefs rise to their feet in high goodhumour, and my Lord Archbishop, after chatting awhile, and regalinghimself with a whiff or two from a pipe of tobacco, tucks the canoeunder his arm and marches off with it. 

The whole of these proceedings were like those of a parcel of childrenplaying with dolls and baby houses. 

For a youngster scarcely ten inches high, and with so few earlyadvantages as he doubtless had had, Moa Artua was certainly a precociouslittle fellow if he really said all that was imputed to him; but forwhat reason this poor devil of a deity, thus cuffed about, cajoled, andshut up in a box, was held in greater estimation than the full-grownand dignified personages of the Taboo Groves, I cannot divine. And yetMehevi, and other chiefs of unquestionable veracity--to say nothing ofthe Primate himself--assured me over and over again that Moa Artua wasthe tutelary deity of Typee, and was more to be held in honour than awhole battalion of the clumsy idols in the Hoolah Hoolah grounds. 

Kory-Kory--who seemed to have devoted considerable attention to thestudy of theology, as he knew the names of all the graven images in thevalley, and often repeated them over to me--likewise entertained somerather enlarged ideas with regard to the character and pretensions ofMoa Artua. He once gave me to understand, with a gesture there was nomisconceiving, that if he (Moa Artua) were so minded he could cause acocoanut tree to sprout out of his (Kory-Kory's) head; and that itwould be the easiest thing in life for him (Moa Artua) to take the wholeisland of Nukuheva in his mouth and dive down to the bottom of the seawith it. 

But in sober seriousness, I hardly knew what to make of the religionof the valley. There was nothing that so much perplexed the illustriousCook, in his intercourse with the South Sea islanders, as their sacredrites. Although this prince of navigators was in many instances assistedby interpreters in the prosecution of his researches, he still franklyacknowledges that he was at a loss to obtain anything like a clearinsight into the puzzling arcana of their faith. A similar admission hasbeen made by other eminent voyagers: by Carteret, Byron, Kotzebue, andVancouver. 

For my own part, although hardly a day passed while I remained upon theisland that I did not witness some religious ceremony or other, it wasvery much like seeing a parcel of 'Freemasons' making secret signs toeach other; I saw everything, but could comprehend nothing. 

On the whole, I am inclined to believe, that the islanders in thePacific have no fixed and definite ideas whatever on the subject ofreligion. I am persuaded that Kolory himself would be effectually posedwere he called upon to draw up the articles of his faith and pronouncethe creed by which he hoped to be saved. In truth, the Typees, so faras their actions evince, submitted to no laws human or divine--alwaysexcepting the thrice mysterious Taboo. The 'independent electors' of thevalley were not to be brow-beaten by chiefs, priests, idol or devils. As for the luckless idols, they received more hard knocks thansupplications. I do not wonder that some of them looked so grim, andstood so bolt upright as if fearful of looking to the right or the leftlest they should give any one offence. The fact is, they had tocarry themselves 'PRETTY STRAIGHT, ' or suffer the consequences. Theirworshippers were such a precious set of fickle-minded and irreverentheathens, that there was no telling when they might topple one of themover, break it to pieces, and making a fire with it on the very altaritself, fall to roasting the offerings of bread-fruit, and at them inspite of its teeth. 

In how little reverence these unfortunate deities were held by thenatives was on one occasion most convincingly proved to me. --Walkingwith Kory-Kory through the deepest recesses of the groves, I perceiveda curious looking image, about six feet in height which originally hadbeen placed upright against a low pi-pi, surmounted by a ruinous bambootemple, but having become fatigued and weak in the knees, was nowcarelessly leaning against it. The idol was partly concealed by thefoliage of a tree which stood near, and whose leafy boughs drooped overthe pile of stones, as if to protect the rude fane from the decay towhich it was rapidly hastening. The image itself was nothing more thana grotesquely shaped log, carved in the likeness of a portly naked manwith the arms clasped over the head, the jaws thrown wide apart, and itsthick shapeless legs bowed into an arch. It was much decayed. Thelower part was overgrown with a bright silky moss. Thin spears of grasssprouted from the distended mouth, and fringed the outline of the headand arms. His godship had literally attained a green old age. All itsprominent points were bruised and battered, or entirely rotted away. The nose had taken its departure, and from the general appearance of thehead it might have, been supposed that the wooden divinity, in despairat the neglect of its worshippers, had been trying to beat its ownbrains out against the surrounding trees. 

I drew near to inspect more closely this strange object of idolatry, buthalted reverently at the distance of two or three paces, out of regardto the religious prejudices of my valet. As soon, however, as Kory-Koryperceived that I was in one of my inquiring, scientific moods, to myastonishment, he sprang to the side of the idol, and pushing it awayfrom the stones against which it rested, endeavoured to make it standupon its legs. But the divinity had lost the use of them altogether; andwhile Kory-Kory was trying to prop it up, placing a stick between itand the pi-pi, the monster fell clumsily to the ground, and would haveinfallibly have broken its neck had not Kory-Kory providentially brokenits fall by receiving its whole weight on his own half-crushed back. Inever saw the honest fellow in such a rage before. He leaped furiouslyto his feet, and seizing the stick, began beating the poor image: everymoment, or two pausing and talking to it in the most violent manner, asif upbraiding it for the accident. When his indignation had subsideda little he whirled the idol about most profanely, so as to give me anopportunity of examining it on all sides. I am quite sure I never shouldhave presumed to have taken such liberties with the god myself, and Iwas not a little shocked at Kory-Kory's impiety. 

This anecdote speaks for itself. When one of the inferior order ofnatives could show such contempt for a venerable and decrepit God of theGroves, what the state of religion must be among the people in generalis easy to be imagined. In truth, I regard the Typees as a back-sliddengeneration. They are sunk in religious sloth, and require a spiritualrevival. A long prosperity of bread-fruit and cocoanuts has renderedthem remiss in the performance of their higher obligations. The wood-rotmalady is spreading among the idols--the fruit upon their altarsis becoming offensive--the temples themselves need rethatching--thetattooed clergy are altogether too light-hearted and lazy--and theirflocks are going astray. 

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

GENERAL INFORMATION GATHERED AT THE FESTIVAL--PERSONAL BEAUTY OFTHE TYPEES--THEIR SUPERIORITY OVER THE INHABITANTS OF THE OTHERISLANDS--DIVERSITY OF COMPLEXION--A VEGETABLE COSMETIC ANDOINTMENT--TESTIMONY OF VOYAGERS TO THE UNCOMMON BEAUTY OFTHE MARQUESANS--FEW EVIDENCES OF INTERCOURSE WITH CIVILIZEDBEINGS--DILAPIDATED MUSKET--PRIMITIVE SIMPLICITY OF GOVERNMENT--REGALDIGNITY OF MEHEVI

ALTHOUGH I had been unable during the late festival to obtaininformation on many interesting subjects which had much excited mycuriosity, still that important event had not passed by without addingmaterially to my general knowledge of the islanders. 

I was especially struck by the physical strength and beauty whichthey displayed, by their great superiority in these respects over theinhabitants of the neighbouring bay of Nukuheva, and by the singularcontrasts they presented among themselves in their various shades ofcomplexion. 

In beauty of form they surpassed anything I had ever seen. Not a singleinstance of natural deformity was observable in all the throng attendingthe revels. Occasionally I noticed among the men the scars of woundsthey had received in battle; and sometimes, though very seldom, the lossof a finger, an eye, or an arm, attributable to the same cause. Withthese exceptions, every individual appeared free from those blemisheswhich sometimes mar the effect of an otherwise perfect form. But theirphysical excellence did not merely consist in an exemption from theseevils; nearly every individual of their number might have been taken fora sculptor's model. 

When I remembered that these islanders derived no advantage from dress, but appeared in all the naked simplicity of nature, I could not avoidcomparing them with the fine gentlemen and dandies who promenade suchunexceptionable figures in our frequented thoroughfares. Stripped ofthe cunning artifices of the tailor, and standing forth in the garbof Eden--what a sorry, set of round-shouldered, spindle-shanked, crane-necked varlets would civilized men appear! Stuffed calves, padded breasts, and scientifically cut pantaloons would then avail themnothing, and the effect would be truly deplorable. 

Nothing in the appearance of the islanders struck me more forciblythan the whiteness of their teeth. The novelist always compares themasticators of his heroine to ivory; but I boldly pronounce the teethof the Typee to be far more beautiful than ivory itself. The jaws of theoldest graybeards among them were much better garnished than those ofmost of the youths of civilized countries; while the teeth of the youngand middle-aged, in their purity and whiteness, were actually dazzlingto the eye. Their marvellous whiteness of the teeth is to be ascribedto the pure vegetable diet of these people, and the uninterruptedhealthfulness of their natural mode of life. 

The men, in almost every instance, are of lofty stature, scarcelyever less than six feet in height, while the other sex are uncommonlydiminutive. The early period of life at which the human form arrivesat maturity in this generous tropical climate, likewise deserves to bementioned. A little creature, not more than thirteen years of age, andwho in other particulars might be regarded as a mere child, is oftenseen nursing her own baby, whilst lads who, under less ripening skies, would be still at school, are here responsible fathers of families. 

On first entering the Typee Valley, I had been struck with the markedcontrast presented by its inhabitants with those of the bay I hadpreviously left. In the latter place, I had not been favourablyimpressed with the personal appearance of the male portion of thepopulation; although with the females, excepting in some trulymelancholy instances, I had been wonderfully pleased. I had observedthat even the little intercourse Europeans had carried on with theNukuheva natives had not failed to leave its traces amongst them. One ofthe most dreadful curses under which humanity labours had commenced itshavocks, and betrayed, as it ever does among the South Sea islanders, the most aggravated symptoms. From this, as from all other foreigninflictions, the yet uncontaminated tenants of the Typee Valley werewholly exempt; and long may they continue so. Better will it be for themfor ever to remain the happy and innocent heathens and barbariansthat they now are, than, like the wretched inhabitants of the SandwichIslands, to enjoy the mere name of Christians without experiencing anyof the vital operations of true religion, whilst, at the same time, theyare made the victims of the worst vices and evils of civilized life. 

Apart, however, from these considerations, I am inclined to believe thatthere exists a radical difference between the two tribes, if indeedthey are not distinct races of men. To those who have merely touched atNukuheva Bay, without visiting other portions of the island, it wouldhardly appear credible the diversities presented between the varioussmall clans inhabiting so diminutive a spot. But the hereditaryhostility which has existed between them for ages, fully accounts forthis. 

Not so easy, however, is it to assign an adequate cause for the endlessvariety of complexions to be seen in the Typee Valley. During thefestival, I had noticed several young females whose skins were almost aswhite as any Saxon damsel's; a slight dash of the mantling brown beingall that marked the difference. This comparative fairness of complexion, though in a great degree perfectly natural, is partly the result of anartificial process, and of an entire exclusion from the sun. The juiceof the 'papa' root found in great abundance at the head of the valley, is held in great esteem as a cosmetic, with which many of the femalesdaily anoint their whole person. The habitual use of it whitens andbeautifies the skin. Those of the young girls who resort to this methodof heightening their charms, never expose themselves selves to therays of the sun; an observance, however, that produces little or noinconvenience, since there are but few of the inhabited portions of thevale which are not shaded over with a spreading canopy of boughs, sothat one may journey from house to house, scarcely deviating from thedirect course, and yet never once see his shadow cast upon the ground. 

The 'papa', when used, is suffered to remain upon the skin for severalhours; being of a light green colour, it consequently imparts forthe time a similar hue to the complexion. Nothing, therefore, can beimagined more singular than the appearance of these nearly naked damselsimmediately after the application of the cosmetic. To look at one ofthem you would almost suppose she was some vegetable in an unripe state;and that, instead of living in the shade for ever, she ought to beplaced out in the sun to ripen. 

All the islanders are more or less in the habit of anointing themselves;the women preferring the 'aker' to 'papa', and the men using the oilof the cocoanut. Mehevi was remarkable fond of mollifying his entirecuticle with this ointment. Sometimes he might be seen, with his wholebody fairly reeking with the perfumed oil of the nut, looking as if hehad just emerged from a soap-boiler's vat, or had undergone the processof dipping in a tallow-chandlery. To this cause perhaps, united to theirfrequent bathing and extreme cleanliness, is ascribable, in a greatmeasure, the marvellous purity and smoothness of skin exhibited by thenatives in general. 

The prevailing tint among the women of the valley was a light olive, andof this style of complexion Fayaway afforded the most beautiful example. Others were still darker; while not a few were of a genuine goldencolour, and some of a swarthy hue. 

As agreeing with much previously mentioned in this narrative I mayhere observe that Mendanna, their discoverer, in his account of theMarquesas, described the natives as wondrously beautiful to behold, andas nearly resembling the people of southern Europe. The first of theseislands seen by Mendanna was La Madelena, which is not far distant fromNukuheva; and its inhabitants in every respect resemble those dwellingon that and the other islands of the group. Figueroa, the chronicler ofMendanna's voyage, says, that on the morning the land was descried, when the Spaniards drew near the shore, there sallied forth, in rudeprogression, about seventy canoes, and at the same time many of theinhabitants (females I presume) made towards the ships by swimming. Headds, that 'in complexion they were nearly white; of good stature, and finely formed; and on their faces and bodies were delineatedrepresentations of fishes and other devices'. The old Don then goes onto say, 'There came, among others, two lads paddling their canoe, whoseeyes were fixed on the ship; they had beautiful faces and the mostpromising animation of countenance; and were in all things so becoming, that the pilot-mayor Quiros affirmed, nothing in his life ever causedhim so much regret as the leaving such fine creatures to be lost in thatcountry. '* More than two hundred years have gone by since the passage ofwhich the above is a translation was written; and it appears to menow, as I read it, as fresh and true as if written but yesterday. Theislanders are still the same; and I have seen boys in the Typee Valleyof whose 'beautiful faces' and promising 'animation of countenance' noone who has not beheld them can form any adequate idea. Cook, in theaccount of his voyage, pronounces the Marquesans as by far the mostsplendid islanders in the South Seas. Stewart, the chaplain of the U. S. Ship Vincennes, in his 'Scenes in the South Seas', expresses, in morethan one place, his amazement at the surpassing loveliness of the women;and says that many of the Nukuheva damsels reminded him forcibly of themost celebrated beauties in his own land. Fanning, a Yankee mariner ofsome reputation, likewise records his lively impressions of the physicalappearance of these people; and Commodore David Porter of the U. S. Frigate Essex, is said to have been vastly smitten by the beauty of theladies. Their great superiority over all other Polynesians cannot failto attract the notice of those who visit the principal groups in thePacific. The voluptuous Tahitians are the only people who at all deserveto be compared with them; while the dark-haired Hawaiians andthe woolly-headed Feejees are immeasurably inferior to them. Thedistinguishing characteristic of the Marquesan islanders, and thatwhich at once strikes you, is the European cast of their features--apeculiarity seldom observable among other uncivilized people. Many oftheir faces present profiles classically beautiful, and in the valley ofTypee I saw several who, like the stranger Marnoo, were in every respectmodels of beauty. 

* This passage, which is cited as an almost literal translation from theoriginal, I found in a small volume entitled 'Circumnavigation of theGlobe, in which volume are several extracts from 'Dalrymple's HistoricalCollections'. The last-mentioned work I have never seen, but it is saidto contain a very correct English version of great part of the learnedDoctor Christoval Suaverde da Figueroa's History of Mendanna's Voyage, published at Madrid, A. D. 1613. 

Some of the natives present at the Feast of Calabashes had displayed afew articles of European dress; disposed however, about their personsafter their own peculiar fashion. Among these I perceived two pieces ofcotton-cloth which poor Toby and myself had bestowed upon our youthfulguides the afternoon we entered the valley. They were evidently reservedfor gala days; and during those of the festival they rendered the youngislanders who wore them very distinguished characters. The small numberwho were similarly adorned, and the great value they appeared to placeupon the most common and most trivial articles, furnished ample evidenceof the very restricted intercourse they held with vessels touching atthe island. A few cotton handkerchiefs, of a gay pattern, tied about theneck, and suffered to fall over the shoulder; strips of fanciful calico, swathed about the loins, were nearly all I saw. 

Indeed, throughout the valley, there were few things of any kind tobe seen of European origin. All I ever saw, besides the articles justalluded to, were the six muskets preserved in the Ti, and three or foursimilar implements of warfare hung up in other houses; some smallcanvas bags, partly filled with bullets and powder, and half a dozen oldhatchet-heads, with the edges blunted and battered to such a degreeas to render them utterly useless. These last seemed to be regarded asnearly worthless by the natives; and several times they held up, oneof them before me, and throwing it aside with a gesture of disgust, manifested their contempt for anything that could so soon becomeunserviceable. 

But the muskets, the powder, and the bullets were held in mostextravagant esteem. The former, from their great age and thepeculiarities they exhibited, were well worthy a place in anyantiquarian's armoury. I remember in particular one that hung in theTi, and which Mehevi--supposing as a matter of course that I was able torepair it--had put into my hands for that purpose. It was one of thoseclumsy, old-fashioned, English pieces known generally as Tower Hillmuskets, and, for aught I know, might have been left on the island byWallace, Carteret, Cook, or Vancouver. The stock was half rotten andworm-eaten; the lock was as rusty and about as well adapted to itsostensible purpose as an old door-hinge; the threading of the screwsabout the trigger was completely worn away; while the barrel shook inthe wood. Such was the weapon the chief desired me to restore to itsoriginal condition. As I did not possess the accomplishments of agunsmith, and was likewise destitute of the necessary tools, I wasreluctantly obliged to signify my inability to perform the task. At thisunexpected communication Mehevi regarded me, for a moment, as if he halfsuspected I was some inferior sort of white man, who after all did notknow much more than a Typee. However, after a most laboured explanationof the matter, I succeeded in making him understand the extremedifficulty of the task. Scarcely satisfied with my apologies, however, he marched off with the superannuated musket in something of a huff, asif he would no longer expose it to the indignity of being manipulated bysuch unskilful fingers. 

During the festival I had not failed to remark the simplicity of manner, the freedom from all restraint, and, to certain degree, the equalityof condition manifested by the natives in general. No one appeared toassume any arrogant pretensions. There was little more than a slightdifference in costume to distinguish the chiefs from the other natives. All appeared to mix together freely, and without any reserve; althoughI noticed that the wishes of a chief, even when delivered in the mildesttone, received the same immediate obedience which elsewhere would havebeen only accorded to a peremptory command. What may be the extentof the authority of the chiefs over the rest of the tribe, I will notventure to assert; but from all I saw during my stay in the valley, Iwas induced to believe that in matters concerning the general welfareit was very limited. The required degree of deference towards them, however, was willingly and cheerfully yielded; and as all authority istransmitted from father to son, I have no doubt that one of the effectshere, as elsewhere, of high birth, is to induce respect and obedience. 

The civil institutions of the Marquesas Islands appear to be in this, as in other respects, directly the reverse of those of the Tahitian andHawaiian groups, where the original power of the king and chiefs was farmore despotic than that of any tyrant in civilized countries. At Tahitiit used to be death for one of the inferior orders to approach, withoutpermission, under the shadow, of the king's house; or to fail in payingthe customary reverence when food destined for the king was borne pastthem by his messengers. At the Sandwich Islands, Kaahumanu, the giganticold dowager queen--a woman of nearly four hundred pounds weight, andwho is said to be still living at Mowee--was accustomed, in some of herterrific gusts of temper, to snatch up an ordinary sized man who hadoffended her, and snap his spine across her knee. Incredible as thismay seem, it is a fact. While at Lahainaluna--the residence of thismonstrous Jezebel--a humpbacked wretch was pointed out to me, who, sometwenty-five years previously, had had the vertebrae of his backbone veryseriously discomposed by his gentle mistress. 

The particular grades of rank existing among the chiefs of Typee, Icould not in all cases determine. Previous to the Feast of CalabashesI had been puzzled what particular station to assign to Mehevi. But theimportant part he took upon that occasion convinced me that he had nosuperior among the inhabitants of the valley. I had invariably noticed acertain degree of deference paid to him by all with whom I had ever seenhim brought in contact; but when I remembered that my wanderings hadbeen confined to a limited portion of the valley, and that towardsthe sea a number of distinguished chiefs resided, some of whom hadseparately visited me at Marheyo's house, and whom, until the Festival, I had never seen in the company of Mehevi, I felt disposed to believethat his rank after all might not be particularly elevated. 

The revels, however, had brought together all the warriors whom I hadseen individually and in groups at different times and places. Amongthem Mehevi moved with an easy air of superiority which was not to bemistaken; and he whom I had only looked at as the hospitable host of theTi, and one of the military leaders of the tribe, now assumed in my eyesthe dignity of royal station. His striking costume, no less than hisnaturally commanding figure, seemed indeed to give him pre-eminence overthe rest. The towering helmet of feathers that he wore raised himin height above all who surrounded him; and though some others weresimilarly adorned, the length and luxuriance of their plumes wereinferior to his. 

Mehevi was in fact the greatest of the chiefs--the head of his clan--thesovereign of the valley; and the simplicity of the social institutionsof the people could not have been more completely proved than by thefact, that after having been several weeks in the valley, and almost indaily intercourse with Mehevi, I should have remained until the time ofthe festival ignorant of his regal character. But a new light had nowbroken in upon me. The Ti was the palace--and Mehevi the king. Both theone and the other of a most simple and patriarchal nature: it must beallowed, and wholly unattended by the ceremonious pomp which usuallysurrounds the purple. 

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

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

KING MEHEVI--ALLUSION TO HIS HAWAIIAN MAJESTY--CONDUCT OF MARHEYO ANDMEHEVI IN CERTAIN DELICATE MATTERS--PECULIAR SYSTEM OF MARRIAGE--NUMBEROF POPULATION--UNIFORMITY--EMBALMING--PLACES OF SEPULTURE--FUNERALOBSEQUIES AT NUKUHEVA-NUMBER OF INHABITANTS IN TYPEE--LOCATION OF THEDWELLINGS--HAPPINESS ENJOYED IN THE VALLEY--A WARNING--SOME IDEAS WITHREGARD TO THE PRESENT STATE OF THE HAWAIIANS--STORY OF A MISSIONARY'SWIFE--FASHIONABLE EQUIPAGES AT OAHU--REFLECTIONS

KING MEHEVI!--A goodly sounding title--and why should I not bestowit upon the foremost man in the valley of Typee? The republicanmissionaries of Oahu cause to be gazetted in the Court Journal, published at Honolulu, the most trivial movement of 'his graciousmajesty' King Kammehammaha III, and 'their highnesses the princes of theblood royal'. * And who is his 'gracious majesty', and what thequality of this blood royal'?--His 'gracious majesty' is a fat, lazy, negro-looking blockhead, with as little character as power. He haslost the noble traits of the barbarian, without acquiring the redeeminggraces of a civilized being; and, although a member of the HawiianTemperance Society, is a most inveterate dram-drinker. 

*Accounts like these are sometimes copied into English and Americanjournals. They lead the reader to infer that the arts and customs ofcivilized life are rapidly refining the natives of the Sandwich Islands. But let no one be deceived by these accounts. The chiefs swagger aboutin gold lace and broadcloth, while the great mass of the common peopleare nearly as primitive in their appearance as in the days of Cook. Inthe progress of events at these islands, the two classes are recedingfrom each other; the chiefs are daily becoming more luxurious andextravagant in their style of living, and the common people more andmore destitute of the necessaries and decencies of life. But the endto which both will arrive at last will be the same: the one are fastdestroying themselves by sensual indulgences, and the other arefast being destroyed by a complication of disorders, and the want ofwholesome food. The resources of the domineering chiefs are wrung fromthe starving serfs, and every additional bauble with which they bedeckthemselves is purchased by the sufferings of their bondsmen; so that themeasure of gew-gaw refinement attained by the chiefs is only an indexto the actual state in which the greater portion of the population liegrovelling. 

The 'blood royal' is an extremely thick, depraved fluid; formedprincipally of raw fish, bad brandy, and European sweetmeats, and ischarged with a variety of eruptive humours, which are developed insundry blotches and pimples upon the august face of 'majesty itself', and the angelic countenances of the 'princes and princesses of the bloodroyal'!

Now, if the farcical puppet of a chief magistrate in the SandwichIslands be allowed the title of King, why should it be withheld fromthe noble savage Mehevi, who is a thousand times more worthy of theappellation? All hail, therefore, Mehevi, King of the Cannibal Valley, and long life and prosperity to his Typeean majesty! May Heaven for manya year preserve him, the uncompromising foe of Nukuheva and the French, if a hostile attitude will secure his lovely domain from the remorselessinflictions of South Sea civilization. 

Previously to seeing the Dancing Widows I had little idea that therewere any matrimonial relations subsisting in Typee, and I should as soonhave thought of a Platonic affection being cultivated between the sexes, as of the solemn connection of man and wife. To be sure, there were oldMarheyo and Tinor, who seemed to have a sort of nuptial understandingwith one another; but for all that, I had sometimes observed acomical-looking old gentleman dressed in a suit of shabby tattooing, whohad the audacity to take various liberties with the lady, and that tooin the very presence of the old warrior her husband, who looked onas good-naturedly as if nothing was happening. This behaviour, untilsubsequent discoveries enlightened me, puzzled me more than anythingelse I witnessed in Typee. 

As for Mehevi, I had supposed him a confirmed bachelor, as well as mostof the principal chiefs. At any rate, if they had wives and families, they ought to have been ashamed of themselves; for sure I am, they nevertroubled themselves about any domestic affairs. In truth, Mehevi seemedto be the president of a club of hearty fellows, who kept 'Bachelor'sHall' in fine style at the Ti. I had no doubt but that they regardedchildren as odious incumbrances; and their ideas of domestic felicitywere sufficiently shown in the fact, that they allowed no meddlesomehousekeepers to turn topsy-turvy those snug little arrangements they hadmade in their comfortable dwelling. I strongly suspected however, thatsome of these jolly bachelors were carrying on love intrigues withthe maidens of the tribe; although they did not appear publicly toacknowledge them. I happened to pop upon Mehevi three or four times whenhe was romping--in a most undignified manner for a warrior king--withone of the prettiest little witches in the valley. She lived with anold woman and a young man, in a house near Marheyo's; and although inappearance a mere child herself, had a noble boy about a year old, whobore a marvellous resemblance to Mehevi, whom I should certainly havebelieved to have been the father, were it not that the little fellowhad no triangle on his face--but on second thoughts, tattooing is nothereditary. Mehevi, however, was not the only person upon whom thedamsel Moonoony smiled--the young fellow of fifteen, who permanentlyresided in the home with her, was decidedly in her good graces. Isometimes beheld both him and the chief making love at the same time. Isit possible, thought I, that the valiant warrior can consent to giveup a corner in the thing he loves? This too was a mystery which, withothers of the same kind, was afterwards satisfactorily explained. 

During the second day of the Feast of Calabashes, Kory-Kory--beingdetermined that I should have some understanding on these matters--had, in the course of his explanations, directed my attention toa peculiarity I had frequently remarked among many of thefemales;--principally those of a mature age and rather matronlyappearance. This consisted in having the right hand and the left footmost elaborately tattooed; whilst the rest of the body was wholly freefrom the operation of the art, with the exception of the minutely dottedlips and slight marks on the shoulders, to which I have previouslyreferred as comprising the sole tattooing exhibited by Fayaway, incommon with other young girls of her age. The hand and foot thusembellished were, according to Kory-Kory, the distinguishing badge ofwedlock, so far as that social and highly commendable institution isknown among those people. It answers, indeed, the same purpose as theplain gold ring worn by our fairer spouses. 

After Kory-Kory's explanation of the subject, I was for some timestudiously respectful in the presence of all females thus distinguished, and never ventured to indulge in the slightest approach to flirtationwith any of their number. Married women, to be sure!--I knew better thanto offend them. 

A further insight, however, into the peculiar domestic customs of theinmates of the valley did away in a measure with the severity of myscruples, and convinced me that I was deceived in some at least of myconclusions. A regular system of polygamy exists among the islanders;but of a most extraordinary nature, --a plurality of husbands, instead ofwives! and this solitary fact speaks volumes for the gentle dispositionof the male population. 

Where else, indeed, could such a practice exist, even for a singleday?--Imagine a revolution brought about in a Turkish seraglio, andthe harem rendered the abode of bearded men; or conceive some beautifulwoman in our own country running distracted at the sight of her numerouslovers murdering one another before her eyes, out of jealousy for theunequal distribution of her favours!--Heaven defend us from such a stateof things!--We are scarcely amiable and forbearing enough to submit toit. 

I was not able to learn what particular ceremony was observed in formingthe marriage contract, but am inclined to think that it must have beenof a very simple nature. Perhaps the mere 'popping the question', asit is termed with us, might have been followed by an immediate nuptialalliance. At any rate, I have more than one reason to believe thattedious courtships are unknown in the valley of Typee. 

The males considerably outnumber the females. This holds true of manyof the islands of Polynesia, although the reverse of what is the case inmost civilized countries. The girls are first wooed and won, at a verytender age, by some stripling in the household in which they reside. This, however, is a mere frolic of the affections, and no formalengagement is contracted. By the time this first love has a littlesubsided, a second suitor presents himself, of graver years, and carriesboth boy and girl away to his own habitation. This disinterested andgenerous-hearted fellow now weds the young couple--marrying damseland lover at the same time--and all three thenceforth live togetheras harmoniously as so many turtles. I have heard of some men who incivilized countries rashly marry large families with their wives, buthad no idea that there was any place where people married supplementaryhusbands with them. Infidelity on either side is very rare. No manhas more than one wife, and no wife of mature years has less than twohusbands, --sometimes she has three, but such instances are notfrequent. The marriage tie, whatever it may be, does not appear to beindissoluble; for separations occasionally happen. These, however, when they do take place, produce no unhappiness, and are preceded by nobickerings; for the simple reason, that an ill-used wife or a henpeckedhusband is not obliged to file a bill in Chancery to obtain a divorce. As nothing stands in the way of a separation, the matrimonial yoke sitseasily and lightly, and a Typee wife lives on very pleasant and sociableterms with her husband. On the whole, wedlock, as known among theseTypees, seems to be of a more distinct and enduring nature thanis usually the case with barbarous people. A baneful promiscuousintercourse of the sexes is hereby avoided, and virtue, without beingclamorously invoked, is, as it were, unconsciously practised. 

The contrast exhibited between the Marquesas and other islands of thePacific in this respect, is worthy of being noticed. At Tahiti themarriage tie was altogether unknown; and the relation of husbandand wife, father and son, could hardly be said to exist. The ArreorySociety--one of the most singular institutions that ever existed in anypart of the world--spread universal licentiousness over the island. Itwas the voluptuous character of these people which rendered the diseaseintroduced among them by De Bougainville's ships, in 1768, doublydestructive. It visited them like a plague, sweeping them off byhundreds. 

Notwithstanding the existence of wedlock among the Typees, theScriptural injunction to increase and multiply seems to be butindifferently attended to. I never saw any of those large families inarithmetical or step-ladder progression which one often meets with athome. I never knew of more than two youngsters living together in thesame home, and but seldom even that number. As for the women, it wasvery plain that the anxieties of the nursery but seldom disturbed theserenity of their souls; and they were never seen going about the valleywith half a score of little ones tagging at their apron-strings, orrather at the bread-fruit-leaf they usually wore in the rear. 

The ratio of increase among all the Polynesian nations is very small;and in some places as yet uncorrupted by intercourse with Europeans, the births would appear not very little to outnumber the deaths; thepopulation in such instances remaining nearly the same for severalsuccessive generations, even upon those islands seldom or neverdesolated by wars, and among people with whom the crime of infanticideis altogether unknown. This would seem expressively ordained byProvidence to prevent the overstocking of the islands with a race tooindolent to cultivate the ground, and who, for that reason alone, would, by any considerable increase in their numbers, be exposed to the mostdeplorable misery. During the entire period of my stay in the valley ofTypee, I never saw more than ten or twelve children under the age of sixmonths, and only became aware of two births. 

It is to the absence of the marriage tie that the late rapid decreaseof the population of the Sandwich Islands and of Tahiti is in part to beascribed. The vices and diseases introduced among these unhappy peopleannually swell the ordinary mortality of the islands, while, from thesame cause, the originally small number of births is proportionallydecreased. Thus the progress of the Hawaiians and Tahitians to utterextinction is accelerated in a sort of compound ratio. 

I have before had occasion to remark, that I never saw any of theordinary signs of a pace of sepulture in the valley, a circumstancewhich I attributed, at the time, to my living in a particular partof it, and being forbidden to extend my rambles to any considerabledistance towards the sea. I have since thought it probable, however, that the Typees, either desirous of removing from their sight theevidences of mortality, or prompted by a taste for rural beauty, mayhave some charming cemetery situation in the shadowy recesses alongthe base of the mountains. At Nukuheva, two or three large quadrangular'pi-pis', heavily flagged, enclosed with regular stone walls, and shadedover and almost hidden from view by the interlacing branches ofenormous trees, were pointed out to me as burial-places. The bodies, Iunderstood, were deposited in rude vaults beneath the flagging, and weresuffered to remain there without being disinterred. Although nothingcould be more strange and gloomy than the aspect of these places, wherethe lofty trees threw their dark shadows over rude blocks of stone, a stranger looking at them would have discerned none of the ordinaryevidences of a place of sepulture. 

During my stay in the valley, as none of its inmates were soaccommodating as to die and be buried in order to gratify my curiositywith regard to their funeral rites, I was reluctantly obliged toremain in ignorance of them. As I have reason to believe, however, theobservances of the Typees in these matters are the same with those ofall the other tribes in the island, I will here relate a scene I chancedto witness at Nukuheva. 

A young man had died, about daybreak, in a house near the beach. I hadbeen sent ashore that morning, and saw a good deal of the preparationsthey were making for his obsequies. The body, neatly wrapped in a newwhite tappa, was laid out in an open shed of cocoanut boughs, upon abier constructed of elastic bamboos ingeniously twisted together. Thiswas supported about two feet from the ground, by large canes planteduprightly in the earth. Two females, of a dejected appearance, watchedby its side, plaintively chanting and beating the air with large grassfans whitened with pipe-clay. In the dwelling-house adjoining a numerouscompany we assembled, and various articles of food were being preparedfor consumption. Two or three individuals, distinguished by head-dressesof beautiful tappa, and wearing a great number of ornaments, appearedto officiate as masters of the ceremonies. By noon the entertainment hadfairly begun and we were told that it would last during the whole ofthe two following days. With the exception of those who mourned bythe corpse, every one seemed disposed to drown the sense of the latebereavement in convivial indulgence. The girls, decked out in theirsavage finery, danced; the old men chanted; the warriors smoked andchatted; and the young and lusty, of both sexes, feasted plentifully, and seemed to enjoy themselves as pleasantly as they could have done hadit been a wedding. 

The islanders understand the art of embalming, and practise it with suchsuccess that the bodies of their great chiefs are frequently preservedfor many years in the very houses where they died. I saw three of thesein my visit to the Bay of Tior. One was enveloped in immense folds oftappa, with only the face exposed, and hung erect against the side ofthe dwelling. The others were stretched out upon biers of bamboo, inopen, elevated temples, which seemed consecrated to their memory. Theheads of enemies killed in battle are invariably preserved and hung upas trophies in the house of the conqueror. I am not acquainted with theprocess which is in use, but believe that fumigation is the principalagency employed. All the remains which I saw presented the appearance ofa ham after being suspended for some time in a smoky chimney. 

But to return from the dead to the living. The late festival had drawntogether, as I had every reason to believe, the whole population of thevale, and consequently I was enabled to make some estimate with regardto its numbers. I should imagine that there were about two thousandinhabitants in Typee; and no number could have been better adapted tothe extent of the valley. The valley is some nine miles in length, and may average one in breadth; the houses being distributed at wideintervals throughout its whole extent, principally, however, towards thehead of the vale. There are no villages; the houses stand here and therein the shadow of the groves, or are scattered along the banks of thewinding stream; their golden-hued bamboo sides and gleaming white thatchforming a beautiful contrast to the perpetual verdure in which they areembowered. There are no roads of any kind in the valley. Nothing but alabyrinth of footpaths twisting and turning among the thickets withoutend. 

The penalty of the Fall presses very lightly upon the valley of Typee;for, with the one solitary exception of striking a light, I scarcely sawany piece of work performed there which caused the sweat to stand upona single brow. As for digging and delving for a livelihood, the thing isaltogether unknown. Nature has planted the bread-fruit and the banana, and in her own good time she brings them to maturity, when the idlesavage stretches forth his hand, and satisfies his appetite. 

Ill-fated people! I shudder when I think of the change a few yearswill produce in their paradisaical abode; and probably when the mostdestructive vices, and the worst attendances on civilization, shall havedriven all peace and happiness from the valley, the magnanimousFrench will proclaim to the world that the Marquesas Islands have beenconverted to Christianity! and this the Catholic world will doubtlessconsider as a glorious event. Heaven help the 'Isles of the Sea'!--Thesympathy which Christendom feels for them, has, alas! in too manyinstances proved their bane. 

How little do some of these poor islanders comprehend when they lookaround them, that no inconsiderable part of their disasters originatein certain tea-party excitements, under the influence of whichbenevolent-looking gentlemen in white cravats solicit alms, and oldladies in spectacles, and young ladies in sober russet gowns, contributesixpences towards the creation of a fund, the object of which is toameliorate the spiritual condition of the Polynesians, but whose end hasalmost invariably been to accomplish their temporal destruction!

Let the savages be civilized, but civilize them with benefits, and notwith evils; and let heathenism be destroyed, but not by destroying theheathen. The Anglo-Saxon hive have extirpated Paganism from the greaterpart of the North American continent; but with it they have likewiseextirpated the greater portion of the Red race. Civilization isgradually sweeping from the earth the lingering vestiges of Paganism, and at the same time the shrinking forms of its unhappy worshippers. 

Among the islands of Polynesia, no sooner are the images overturned, thetemples demolished, and the idolators converted into NOMINAL Christians, that disease, vice, and premature death make their appearance. Thedepopulated land is then recruited from the rapacious, hordes ofenlightened individuals who settle themselves within its borders, and clamorously announce the progress of the Truth. Neat villas, trimgardens, shaven lawns, spires, and cupolas arise, while the poor savagesoon finds himself an interloper in the country of his fathers, andthat too on the very site of the hut where he was born. The spontaneousfruits of the earth, which God in his wisdom had ordained for thesupport of the indolent natives, remorselessly seized upon andappropriated by the stranger, are devoured before the eyes of thestarving inhabitants, or sent on board the numerous vessels which nowtouch at their shores. 

When the famished wretches are cut off in this manner from their naturalsupplies, they are told by their benefactors to work and earn theirsupport by the sweat of their brows! But to no fine gentleman born tohereditary opulence, does this manual labour come more unkindly thanto the luxurious Indian when thus robbed of the bounty of heaven. Habituated to a life of indolence, he cannot and will not exert himself;and want, disease, and vice, all evils of foreign growth, soon terminatehis miserable existence. 

But what matters all this? Behold the glorious result!--The abominationsof Paganism have given way to the pure rites of the Christianworship, --the ignorant savage has been supplanted by the refinedEuropean! Look at Honolulu, the metropolis of the Sandwich Islands!--Acommunity of disinterested merchants, and devoted self-exiled heralds ofthe Cross, located on the very spot that twenty years ago was defiled bythe presence of idolatry. What a subject for an eloquent Bible-meetingorator! Nor has such an opportunity for a display of missionary rhetoricbeen allowed to pass by unimproved!--But when these philanthropists sendus such glowing accounts of one half of their labours, why does theirmodesty restrain them from publishing the other half of the good theyhave wrought?--Not until I visited Honolulu was I aware of the fact thatthe small remnant of the natives had been civilized into draught-horses;and evangelized into beasts of burden. But so it is. They have beenliterally broken into the traces, and are harnessed to the vehicles oftheir spiritual instructors like so many dumb brutes!

 . . . . . . . 

Lest the slightest misconception should arise from anything thrown outin this chapter, or indeed in any other part of the volume, let me hereobserve that against the cause of missions in, the abstract no Christiancan possibly be opposed: it is in truth a just and holy cause. Butif the great end proposed by it be spiritual, the agency employed toaccomplish that end is purely earthly; and, although the object inview be the achievement of much good, that agency may nevertheless beproductive of evil. In short, missionary undertaking, however it mayblessed of heaven, is in itself but human; and subject, like everythingelse, to errors and abuses. And have not errors and abuses crept intothe most sacred places, and may there not be unworthy or incapablemissionaries abroad, as well as ecclesiastics of similar characterat home? May not the unworthiness or incapacity of those who assumeapostolic functions upon the remote islands of the sea more easilyescape detection by the world at large than if it were displayed inthe heart of a city? An unwarranted confidence in the sanctity of itsapostles--a proneness to regard them as incapable of guile--andan impatience of the least suspicion to their rectitude as men orChristians, have ever been prevailing faults in the Church. Nor is thisto be wondered at: for subject as Christianity is to the assaults ofunprincipled foes, we are naturally disposed to regard everything likean exposure of ecclesiastical misconduct as the offspring of malevolenceor irreligious feeling. Not even this last consideration, however shalldeter me from the honest expression of my sentiments. 

There is something apparently wrong in the practical operations ofthe Sandwich Islands Mission. Those who from pure religious motivescontribute to the support of this enterprise should take care toascertain that their donations, flowing through many devious channels, at last effect their legitimate object, the conversion of the Hawaiians. I urge this not because I doubt the moral probity of those who disbursethe funds, but because I know that they are not rightly applied. To readpathetic accounts of missionary hardships, and glowing descriptions ofconversion, and baptisms, taking place beneath palm-trees, is one thing;and to go to the Sandwich Islands and see the missionaries dwellingin picturesque and prettily furnished coral-rock villas, whilst themiserable natives are committing all sorts of immorality around them, isquite another. 

In justice to the missionaries, however, I will willingly admit, thatwhere-ever evils may have resulted from their collective mismanagementof the business of the mission, and from the want of vital piety evincedby some of their number, still the present deplorable condition of theSandwich Islands is by no means wholly chargeable against them. Thedemoralizing influence of a dissolute foreign population, and thefrequent visits of all descriptions of vessels, have tended not a littleto increase the evils alluded to. In a word, here, as in every casewhere civilization has in any way been introduced among those whom wecall savages, she has scattered her vices, and withheld her blessings. 

As wise a man as Shakespeare has said, that the bearer of evil tidingshath but a losing office; and so I suppose will it prove with me, incommunicating to the trusting friends of the Hawiian Mission what hasbeen disclosed in various portions of this narrative. I am persuaded, however, that as these disclosures will by their very nature attractattention, so they will lead to something which will not be withoutultimate benefit to the cause of Christianity in the Sandwich Islands. 

I have but one more thing to add in connection with this subject--thosethings which I have stated as facts will remain facts, in spite ofwhatever the bigoted or incredulous may say or write against them. Myreflections, however, on those facts may not be free from error. If suchbe the case, I claim no further indulgence than should be conceded toevery man whose object is to do good. 

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

THE SOCIAL CONDITION AND GENERAL CHARACTER OF THE TYPEES

I HAVE already mentioned that the influence exerted over the peopleof the valley by their chiefs was mild in the extreme; and as to anygeneral rule or standard of conduct by which the commonality weregoverned in their intercourse with each other, so far as my observationextended, I should be almost tempted to say, that none existed on theisland, except, indeed, the mysterious 'Taboo' be considered as such. During the time I lived among the Typees, no one was ever put upon histrial for any offence against the public. To all appearance therewere no courts of law or equity. There was no municipal police for thepurpose of apprehending vagrants and disorderly characters. Inshort, there were no legal provisions whatever for the well-being andconservation of society, the enlightened end of civilized legislation. And yet everything went on in the valley with a harmony and smoothnessunparalleled, I will venture to assert, in the most select, refined, andpious associations of mortals in Christendom. How are we to explain thisenigma? These islanders were heathens! savages! ay, cannibals! and howcame they without the aid of established law, to exhibit, in so eminenta degree, that social order which is the greatest blessing and highestpride of the social state?

It may reasonably be inquired, how were these people governed? how weretheir passions controlled in their everyday transactions? It must havebeen by an inherent principle of honesty and charity towards each other. They seemed to be governed by that sort of tacit common-sense law which, say what they will of the inborn lawlessness of the human race, hasits precepts graven on every breast. The grand principles of virtue andhonour, however they may be distorted by arbitrary codes, are the sameall the world over: and where these principles are concerned, the rightor wrong of any action appears the same to the uncultivated as to theenlightened mind. It is to this indwelling, this universally diffusedperception of what is just and noble, that the integrity of theMarquesans in their intercourse with each other, is to be attributed. In the darkest nights they slept securely, with all their worldly wealtharound them, in houses the doors of which were never fastened. Thedisquieting ideas of theft or assassination never disturbed them. 

Each islander reposed beneath his own palmetto thatching, or sat underhis own bread-fruit trees, with none to molest or alarm him. There wasnot a padlock in the valley, nor anything that answered the purposeof one: still there was no community of goods. This long spear, soelegantly carved, and highly polished, belongs to Wormoonoo: it is farhandsomer than the one which old Marheyo so greatly prizes; it is themost valuable article belonging to its owner. And yet I have seen itleaning against a cocoanut tree in the grove, and there it was foundwhen sought for. Here is a sperm-whale tooth, graven all over withcunning devices: it is the property of Karluna; it is the most preciousof the damsel's ornaments. In her estimation its price is far aboverubies--and yet there hangs the dental jewel by its cord of braidedbark, in the girl's house, which is far back in the valley; the door isleft open, and all the inmates have gone off to bathe in the stream. *

*The strict honesty which the inhabitants of nearly all the PolynesianIslands manifest toward each other, is in striking contrast with thethieving propensities some of them evince in their intercourse withforeigners. It would almost seem that, according to their peculiar codeof morals, the pilfering of a hatchet or a wrought nail from a European, is looked upon as a praiseworthy action. Or rather, it may be presumed, that bearing in mind the wholesale forays made upon them by theirnautical visitors, they consider the property of the latter as a fairobject of reprisal. This consideration, while it serves to reconcile anapparent contradiction in the moral character of the islanders, shouldin some measure alter that low opinion of it which the reader of SouthSea voyages is too apt to form. 

So much for the respect in which 'personal property' is held in Typee;how secure an investment of 'real property' may be, I cannot take uponme to say. Whether the land of the valley was the joint property of itsinhabitants, or whether it was parcelled out among a certain number oflanded proprietors who allowed everybody to 'squat' and 'poach' asmuch as he or she pleased, I never could ascertain. At any rate, mustyparchments and title-deeds there were none on the island; and I am halfinclined to believe that its inhabitants hold their broad valleys in feesimple from Nature herself; to have and to hold, so long as grass growsand water runs; or until their French visitors, by a summary mode ofconveyancing, shall appropriate them to their own benefit and behoof. 

Yesterday I saw Kory-Kory hie him away, armed with a long pole, withwhich, standing on the ground, he knocked down the fruit from thetopmost boughs of the trees, and brought them home in his basket ofcocoanut leaves. Today I see an islander, whom I know to reside in adistant part of the valley, doing the self-same thing. On the slopingbank of the stream are a number of banana-trees I have often seen ascore or two of young people making a merry foray on the great goldenclusters, and bearing them off, one after another, to different partsof the vale, shouting and trampling as they went. No churlish oldcurmudgeon could have been the owner of that grove of bread-fruit trees, or of these gloriously yellow bunches of bananas. 

From what I have said it will be perceived that there is a vastdifference between 'personal property' and 'real estate' in the valleyof Typee. Some individuals, of course, are more wealthy than others. For example, the ridge-pole of Marheyo's house bends under the weight ofmany a huge packet of tappa; his long couch is laid with mats placed oneupon the other seven deep. Outside, Tinor has ranged along in herbamboo cupboard--or whatever the place may be called--a goodly array ofcalabashes and wooden trenchers. Now, the house just beyond the grove, and next to Marheyo's, occupied by Ruaruga, is not quite so wellfurnished. There are only three moderate-sized packages swingingoverhead: there are only two layers of mats beneath; and the calabashesand trenchers are not so numerous, nor so tastefully stained and carved. But then, Ruaruga has a house--not so pretty a one, to be sure--but justas commodious as Marheyo's; and, I suppose, if he wished to vie withhis neighbour's establishment, he could do so with very little trouble. These, in short, constituted the chief differences perceivable in therelative wealth of the people in Typee. 

Civilization does not engross all the virtues of humanity: she has noteven her full share of them. They flourish in greater abundance andattain greater strength among many barbarous people. The hospitalityof the wild Arab, the courage of the North American Indian, and thefaithful friendship of some of the Polynesian nations, far surpassanything of a similar kind among the polished communities of Europe. Iftruth and justice, and the better principles of our nature, cannotexist unless enforced by the statute-book, how are we to account for thesocial condition of the Typees? So pure and upright were they in all therelations of life, that entering their valley, as I did, under the mosterroneous impressions of their character, I was soon led to exclaim inamazement: 'Are these the ferocious savages, the blood-thirsty cannibalsof whom I have heard such frightful tales! They deal more kindly witheach other, and are more humane than many who study essays on virtue andbenevolence, and who repeat every night that beautiful prayer breathedfirst by the lips of the divine and gentle Jesus. ' I will franklydeclare that after passing a few weeks in this valley of the Marquesas, I formed a higher estimate of human nature than I had ever beforeentertained. But alas! since then I have been one of the crew of aman-of-war, and the pent-up wickedness of five hundred men has nearlyoverturned all my previous theories. 

There was one admirable trait in the general character of the Typeeswhich, more than anything else, secured my admiration: it was theunanimity of feeling they displayed on every occasion. With themthere hardly appeared to be any difference of opinion upon any subjectwhatever. They all thought and acted alike. I do not conceive that theycould support a debating society for a single night: there would benothing to dispute about; and were they to call a convention to takeinto consideration the state of the tribe, its session would be aremarkably short one. They showed this spirit of unanimity in everyaction of life; everything was done in concert and good fellowship. Iwill give an instance of this fraternal feeling. 

One day, in returning with Kory-Kory from my accustomed visit to theTi, we passed by a little opening in the grove; on one side of which, my attendant informed me, was that afternoon to be built a dwelling ofbamboo. At least a hundred of the natives were bringing materials to theground, some carrying in their hands one or two of the canes which wereto form the sides, others slender rods of the habiscus, strung withpalmetto leaves, for the roof. Every one contributed something to thework; and by the united, but easy, and even indolent, labours of all, the entire work was completed before sunset. The islanders, whileemployed in erecting this tenement, reminded me of a colony of beaversat work. To be sure, they were hardly as silent and demure as thosewonderful creatures, nor were they by any means as diligent. To tell thetruth they were somewhat inclined to be lazy, but a perfect tumult ofhilarity prevailed; and they worked together so unitedly, and seemedactuated by such an instinct of friendliness, that it was trulybeautiful to behold. 

Not a single female took part in this employment: and if the degree ofconsideration in which the ever-adorable sex is held by the men be--asthe philosophers affirm--a just criterion of the degree of refinementamong a people, then I may truly pronounce the Typees to be as polisheda community as ever the sun shone upon. The religious restrictions ofthe taboo alone excepted, the women of the valley were allowed everypossible indulgence. Nowhere are the ladies more assiduously courted;nowhere are they better appreciated as the contributors to our highestenjoyments; and nowhere are they more sensible of their power. Fardifferent from their condition among many rude nations, where the womenare made to perform all the work while their ungallant lords and masterslie buried in sloth, the gentle sex in the valley of Typee were exemptfrom toil, if toil it might be called that, even in the tropicalclimate, never distilled one drop of perspiration. Their light householdoccupations, together with the manufacture of tappa, the platting ofmats, and the polishing of drinking-vessels, were the only employmentspertaining to the women. And even these resembled those pleasantavocations which fill up the elegant morning leisure of our fashionableladies at home. But in these occupations, slight and agreeable thoughthey were, the giddy young girls very seldom engaged. Indeed thesewilful care-killing damsels were averse to all useful employment. 

Like so many spoiled beauties, they ranged through the groves--bathedin the stream--danced--flirted--played all manner of mischievous pranks, and passed their days in one merry round of thoughtless happiness. 

During my whole stay on the island I never witnessed a single quarrel, nor anything that in the slightest degree approached even to a dispute. The natives appeared to form one household, whose members were boundtogether by the ties of strong affection. The love of kindred I did notso much perceive, for it seemed blended in the general love; and whereall were treated as brothers and sisters, it was hard to tell who wereactually related to each other by blood. 

Let it not be supposed that I have overdrawn this picture. I havenot done so. Nor let it be urged, that the hostility of this tribeto foreigners, and the hereditary feuds they carry on against theirfellow-islanders beyond the mountains, are facts which contradict me. Not so; these apparent discrepancies are easily reconciled. By many alegendary tale of violence and wrong, as well as by events which havepassed before their eyes, these people have been taught to look uponwhite men with abhorrence. The cruel invasion of their country by Porterhas alone furnished them with ample provocation; and I can sympathizein the spirit which prompts the Typee warrior to guard all the passes tohis valley with the point of his levelled spear, and, standing uponthe beach, with his back turned upon his green home, to hold at bay theintruding European. 

As to the origin of the enmity of this particular clan towards theneighbouring tribes, I cannot so confidently speak. I will not say thattheir foes are the aggressors, nor will I endeavour to palliate theirconduct. But surely, if our evil passions must find vent, it is farbetter to expend them on strangers and aliens, than in the bosom ofthe community in which we dwell. In many polished countries civilcontentions, as well as domestic enmities, are prevalent, and the sametime that the most atrocious foreign wars are waged. How much lessguilty, then, are our islanders, who of these three sins are onlychargeable with one, and that the least criminal!

The reader will ere long have reason to suspect that the Typees are notfree from the guilt of cannibalism; and he will then, perhaps, charge mewith admiring a people against whom so odious a crime is chargeable. Butthis only enormity in their character is not half so horrible as itis usually described. According to the popular fictions, the crews ofvessels, shipwrecked on some barbarous coast, are eaten alive like somany dainty joints by the uncivil inhabitants; and unfortunate voyagersare lured into smiling and treacherous bays; knocked on the head withoutlandish war-clubs; and served up without any prelimary dressing. Intruth, so horrific and improbable are these accounts, that many sensibleand well-informed people will not believe that any cannibals exist; andplace every book of voyages which purports to give any account of them, on the same shelf with Blue Beard and Jack the Giant-Killer. Whileothers, implicitly crediting the most extravagant fictions, firmlybelieve that there are people in the world with tastes so depraved thatthey would infinitely prefer a single mouthful of material humanity toa good dinner of roast beef and plum pudding. But here, Truth, who lovesto be centrally located, is again found between the two extremes; forcannibalism to a certain moderate extent is practised among several ofthe primitive tribes in the Pacific, but it is upon the bodies of slainenemies alone, and horrible and fearful as the custom is, immeasurablyas it is to be abhorred and condemned, still I assert that those whoindulge in it are in other respects humane and virtuous. 

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

FISHING PARTIES--MODE OF DISTRIBUTING THE FISH--MIDNIGHTBANQUET--TIME-KEEPING TAPERS--UNCEREMONIOUS STYLE OF EATING THE FISH

THERE was no instance in which the social and kindly dispositions of theTypees were more forcibly evinced than in the manner the conducted theirgreat fishing parties. Four times during my stay in the valley the youngmen assembled near the full of the moon, and went together on theseexcursions. As they were generally absent about forty-eight hours, I wasled to believe that they went out towards the open sea, some distancefrom the bay. The Polynesians seldom use a hook and line, almost alwaysemploying large well-made nets, most ingeniously fabricated from thetwisted fibres of a certain bark. I examined several of them which hadbeen spread to dry upon the beach at Nukuheva. They resemble very muchour own seines, and I should think they were nearly as durable. 

All the South Sea Islanders are passionately fond of fish; but noneof them can be more so than the inhabitants of Typee. I could notcomprehend, therefore, why they so seldom sought it in their waters, forit was only at stated times that the fishing parties were formed, andthese occasions were always looked forward to with no small degree ofinterest. 

During their absence the whole population of the place were in aferment, and nothing was talked of but 'pehee, pehee' (fish, fish). Towards the time when they were expected to return the vocal telegraphwas put into operation--the inhabitants, who were scattered throughoutthe length of the valley, leaped upon rocks and into trees, shoutingwith delight at the thoughts of the anticipated treat. As soon as theapproach of the party was announced, there was a general rush of themen towards the beach; some of them remaining, however, about the Ti inorder to get matters in readiness for the reception of the fish, whichwere brought to the Taboo Groves in immense packages of leaves, each oneof them being suspended from a pole carried on the shoulders of two men. 

I was present at the Ti on one of these occasions, and the sight wasmost interesting. After all the packages had arrived, they were laid ina row under the verandah of the building and opened. 

The fish were all quite small, generally about the size of a herring, and of every variety. About one-eighth of the whole being reservedfor the use of the Ti itself, the remainder was divided into numeroussmaller packages, which were immediately dispatched in every directionto the remotest parts of the valley. Arrived at their destination, thesewere in turn portioned out, and equally distributed among the varioushouses of each particular district. The fish were under a strict Taboo, until the distribution was completed, which seemed to be effected in themost impartial manner. By the operation of this system every man, woman, and child in the vale, were at one and the same time partaking of thisfavourite article of food. 

Once I remember the party arrived at midnight; but the unseasonablenessof the tour did not repress the impatience of the islanders. Thecarriers dispatched from the Ti were to be seen hurrying in alldirections through the deep groves; each individual preceded by a boybearing a flaming torch of dried cocoanut boughs, which from time totime was replenished from the materials scattered along the path. Thewild glare of these enormous flambeaux, lighting up with a startlingbrilliancy the innermost recesses of the vale, and seen moving rapidlyalong beneath the canopy of leaves, the savage shout of the excitedmessengers sounding the news of their approach, which was answeredon all sides, and the strange appearance of their naked bodies, seenagainst the gloomy background, produced altogether an effect upon mymind that I shall long remember. 

It was on this same occasion that Kory-Kory awakened me at the deadhour of night, and in a sort of transport communicated the intelligencecontained in the words 'pehee perni' (fish come). As I happened to havebeen in a remarkably sound and refreshing slumber, I could not imaginewhy the information had not been deferred until morning, indeed, I feltvery much inclined to fly into a passion and box my valet's ears; but onsecond thoughts I got quietly up, and on going outside the house was nota little interested by the moving illumination which I beheld. 

When old Marheyo received his share of the spoils, immediatepreparations were made for a midnight banquet; calabashes of poee-poeewere filled to the brim; green bread-fruit were roasted; and a huge cakeof 'amar' was cut up with a sliver of bamboo and laid out on an immensebanana-leaf. 

At this supper we were lighted by several of the native tapers, held inthe hands of young girls. These tapers are most ingeniously made. Thereis a nut abounding in the valley, called by the Typees 'armor', closelyresembling our common horse-chestnut. The shell is broken, and thecontents extracted whole. Any number of these are strung at pleasureupon the long elastic fibre that traverses the branches of the cocoanuttree. Some of these tapers are eight or ten feet in length; but beingperfectly flexible, one end is held in a coil, while the other islighted. The nut burns with a fitful bluish flame, and the oil that itcontains is exhausted in about ten minutes. As one burns down, the nextbecomes ignited, and the ashes of the former are knocked into a cocoanutshell kept for the purpose. This primitive candle requires continualattention, and must be constantly held in the hand. The person soemployed marks the lapse of time by the number of nuts consumed, whichis easily learned by counting the bits of tappa distributed at regularintervals along the string. 

I grieve to state so distressing a fact, but the inhabitants ofTypee were in the habit of devouring fish much in the same way thata civilized being would eat a radish, and without any more previouspreparation. They eat it raw; scales, bones, gills, and all the inside. The fish is held by the tail, and the head being introduced into themouth, the animal disappears with a rapidity that would at first nearlylead one to imagine it had been launched bodily down the throat. 

Raw fish! Shall I ever forget my sensations when I first saw my islandbeauty devour one. Oh, heavens! Fayaway, how could you ever havecontracted so vile a habit? However, after the first shock had subsided, the custom grew less odious in my eyes, and I soon accustomed myself tothe sight. Let no one imagine, however, that the lovely Fayaway was inthe habit of swallowing great vulgar-looking fishes: oh, no; with herbeautiful small hand she would clasp a delicate, little, golden-huedlove of a fish and eat it as elegantly and as innocently as though itwere a Naples biscuit. But alas! it was after all a raw fish; and all Ican say is, that Fayaway ate it in a more ladylike manner than any othergirl of the valley. 

When at Rome do as the Romans do, I held to be so good a proverb, thatbeing in Typee I made a point of doing as the Typees did. Thus Iate poee-poee as they did; I walked about in a garb striking for itssimplicity; and I reposed on a community of couches; besides doing manyother things in conformity with their peculiar habits; but the farthestI ever went in the way of conformity, was on several occasions to regalemyself with raw fish. These being remarkably tender, and quite small, the undertaking was not so disagreeable in the main, and after a fewtrials I positively began to relish them; however, I subjected them to aslight operation with a knife previously to making my repast. 

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

NATURAL HISTORY OF THE VALLEY--GOLDEN LIZARDS--TAMENESS OF THEBIRDS--MOSQUITOES--FLIES--DOGS--A SOLITARY CAT--THE CLIMATE--THECOCOANUT TREE--SINGULAR MODES OF CLIMBING IT--AN AGILE YOUNGCHIEF--FEARLESSNESS OF THE CHILDREN--TOO-TOO AND THE COCOANUT TREE--THEBIRDS OF THE VALLEY

I THINK I must enlighten the reader a little about the natural historyof the valley. 

Whence, in the name of Count Buffon and Baron Cuvier, came those dogsthat I saw in Typee? Dogs!--Big hairless rats rather; all with smooth, shining speckled hides--fat sides, and very disagreeable faces. Whencecould they have come? That they were not the indigenous production ofthe region, I am firmly convinced. Indeed they seemed aware of theirbeing interlopers, looking fairly ashamed, and always trying to hidethemselves in some dark corner. It was plain enough they did not feel athome in the vale--that they wished themselves well out of it, and backto the ugly country from which they must have come. 

Scurvy curs! they were my abhorrence; I should have liked nothingbetter than to have been the death of every one of them. In fact, on oneoccasion, I intimated the propriety of a canine crusade to Mehevi; butthe benevolent king would not consent to it. He heard me very patiently;but when I had finished, shook his head, and told me in confidence thatthey were 'taboo'. 

As for the animal that made the fortune of the ex-lord-mayorWhittington, I shall never forget the day that I was lying in the houseabout noon, everybody else being fast asleep; and happening to raisemy eyes, met those of a big black spectral cat, which sat erect in thedoorway, looking at me with its frightful goggling green orbs, like oneof those monstrous imps that torment some of Teniers' saints! I am oneof those unfortunate persons to whom the sight of these animals are, atany time an insufferable annoyance. 

Thus constitutionally averse to cats in general, the unexpectedapparition of this one in particular utterly confounded me. When I hada little recovered from the fascination of its glance, I started up; thecat fled, and emboldened by this, I rushed out of the house in pursuit;but it had disappeared. It was the only time I ever saw one in thevalley, and how it got there I cannot imagine. It is just possible thatit might have escaped from one of the ships at Nukuheva. It was in vainto seek information on the subject from the natives, since none of themhad seen the animal, the appearance of which remains a mystery to me tothis day. 

Among the few animals which are to be met with in Typee, there was nonewhich I looked upon with more interest than a beautiful golden-huedspecies of lizard. It measured perhaps five inches from head to tail, and was most gracefully proportioned. Numbers of those creatures wereto be seen basking in the sunshine upon the thatching of the houses, andmultitudes at all hours of the day showed their glittering sides as theyran frolicking between the spears of grass or raced in troops up anddown the tall shafts of the cocoanut trees. But the remarkable beautyof these little animals and their lively ways were not their only claimsupon my admiration. They were perfectly tame and insensible to fear. Frequently, after seating myself upon the ground in some shady placeduring the heat of the day, I would be completely overrun with them. If I brushed one off my arm, it would leap perhaps into my hair: when Itried to frighten it away by gently pinching its leg, it would turn forprotection to the very hand that attacked it. 

The birds are also remarkably tame. If you happened to see one perchedupon a branch within reach of your arm, and advanced towards it, it didnot fly away immediately, but waited quietly looking at you, until youcould almost touch it, and then took wing slowly, less alarmed at yourpresence, it would seem, than desirous of removing itself from yourpath. Had salt been less scarce in the valley than it was, this was thevery place to have gone birding with it. I remember that once, on anuninhabited island of the Gallipagos, a bird alighted on my outstretchedarm, while its mate chirped from an adjoining tree. Its tameness, farfrom shocking me, as a similar occurrence did Selkirk, imparted tome the most exquisite thrill of delight I ever experienced, and withsomewhat of the same pleasure did I afterwards behold the birds andlizards of the valley show their confidence in the kindliness of man. 

Among the numerous afflictions which the Europeans have entailed uponsome of the natives of the South Seas, is the accidental introductionamong them of that enemy of all repose and ruffler of even tempers--theMosquito. At the Sandwich Islands and at two or three of the Societygroup, there are now thriving colonies of these insects, who promise erelong to supplant altogether the aboriginal sand-flies. They sting, buzz, and torment, from one end of the year to the other, and by incessantlyexasperating the natives materially obstruct the benevolent labours ofthe missionaries. 

From this grievous visitation, however the Typees are as yet whollyexempt; but its place is unfortunately in some degree supplied by theoccasional presence of a minute species of fly, which, without stinging, is nevertheless productive of no little annoyance. The tameness of thebirds and lizards is as nothing when compared to the fearless confidenceof this insect. He will perch upon one of your eye-lashes, and go toroost there if you do not disturb him, or force his way through yourhair, or along the cavity of the nostril, till you almost fancy he isresolved to explore the very brain itself. On one occasion I was soinconsiderate as to yawn while a number of them were hovering aroundme. I never repeated the act. Some half-dozen darted into the openapartment, and began walking about its ceiling; the sensation wasdreadful. I involuntarily closed my mouth, and the poor creatures beingenveloped in inner darkness, must in their consternation have stumbledover my palate, and been precipitated into the gulf beneath. At anyrate, though I afterwards charitably held my mouth open for at leastfive minutes, with a view of affording egress to the stragglers, none ofthem ever availed themselves of the opportunity. 

There are no wild animals of any kind on the island unless it be decidedthat the natives themselves are such. The mountains and the interiorpresent to the eye nothing but silent solitudes, unbroken by the roarof beasts of prey, and enlivened by few tokens even of minute animatedexistence. There are no venomous reptiles, and no snakes of anydescription to be found in any of the valleys. 

In a company of Marquesan natives the weather affords no topic ofconversation. It can hardly be said to have any vicissitudes. The rainyseason, it is true, brings frequent showers, but they are intermittingand refreshing. When an islander bound on some expedition rises from hiscouch in the morning, he is never solicitous to peep out and see how thesky looks, or ascertain from what quarter the wind blows. He is alwayssure of a 'fine day', and the promise of a few genial showers he hailswith pleasure. There is never any of that 'remarkable weather' on theislands which from time immemorial has been experienced in America, andstill continues to call forth the wondering conversational exclamationsof its elderly citizens. Nor do there even occur any of those eccentricmeteorological changes which elsewhere surprise us. In the valley ofTypee ice-creams would never be rendered less acceptable by suddenfrosts, nor would picnic parties be deferred on account of inauspicioussnowstorms: for there day follows day in one unvarying round of summerand sunshine, and the whole year is one long tropical month of June justmelting into July. 

It is this genial climate which causes the cocoanuts to flourish as theydo. This invaluable fruit, brought to perfection by the rich soil of theMarquesas, and home aloft on a stately column more than a hundred feetfrom the ground, would seem at first almost inaccessible to the simplenatives. Indeed the slender, smooth, and soaring shaft, without a singlelimb or protuberance of any kind to assist one in mounting it, presentsan obstacle only to be overcome by the surprising agility and ingenuityof the islanders. It might be supposed that their indolence would leadthem patiently to await the period when the ripened nuts, slowly partingfrom their stems, fall one by one to the ground. This certainly wouldbe the case, were it not that the young fruit, encased in a soft greenhusk, with the incipient meat adhering in a jelly-like pellicle to itssides, and containing a bumper of the most delicious nectar, is whatthey chiefly prize. They have at least twenty different terms to expressas many progressive stages in the growth of the nut. Many of them rejectthe fruit altogether except at a particular period of its growth, which, incredible as it may appear, they seemed to me to be able to ascertainwithin an hour or two. Others are still more capricious in theirtastes; and after gathering together a heap of the nuts of all ages, andingeniously tapping them, will first sip from one and then from another, as fastidiously as some delicate wine-bibber experimenting glass in handamong his dusty demi-johns of different vintages. 

Some of the young men, with more flexible frames than their comrades, and perhaps with more courageous souls, had a way of walking upthe trunk of the cocoanut trees which to me seemed little less thanmiraculous; and when looking at them in the act, I experienced thatcurious perplexity a child feels when he beholds a fly moving feetuppermost along a ceiling. 

I will endeavour to describe the way in which Narnee, a noble youngchief, sometimes performed this feat for my peculiar gratification; buthis preliminary performances must also be recorded. Upon my signifyingmy desire that he should pluck me the young fruit of some particulartree, the handsome savage, throwing himself into a sudden attitude ofsurprise, feigns astonishment at the apparent absurdity of the request. Maintaining this position for a moment, the strange emotions depicted onhis countenance soften down into one of humorous resignation to my will, and then looking wistfully up to the tufted top of the tree, hestands on tip-toe, straining his neck and elevating his arm, as thoughendeavouring to reach the fruit from the ground where he stands. Asif defeated in this childish attempt, he now sinks to the earthdespondingly, beating his breast in well-acted despair; and then, starting to his feet all at once, and throwing back his head, raisesboth hands, like a school-boy about to catch a falling ball. Aftercontinuing this for a moment or two, as if in expectation that the fruitwas going to be tossed down to him by some good spirit in the tree-top, he turns wildly round in another fit of despair, and scampers off to thedistance of thirty or forty yards. Here he remains awhile, eyeing thetree, the very picture of misery; but the next moment, receiving, as itwere, a flash of inspiration, he rushes again towards it, and claspingboth arms about the trunk, with one elevated a little above the other, he presses the soles of his feet close together against the tree, extending his legs from it until they are nearly horizontal, and hisbody becomes doubled into an arch; then, hand over hand and foot overfoot, he rises from the earth with steady rapidity, and almost beforeyou are aware of it, has gained the cradled and embowered nest of nuts, and with boisterous glee flings the fruit to the ground. 

This mode of walking the tree is only practicable where the trunkdeclines considerably from the perpendicular. This, however, is almostalways the case; some of the perfectly straight shafts of the treesleaning at an angle of thirty degrees. 

The less active among the men, and many of the children of the valleyhave another method of climbing. They take a broad and stout piece ofbark, and secure each end of it to their ankles, so that when the feetthus confined are extended apart, a space of little more than twelveinches is left between them. This contrivance greatly facilitatesthe act of climbing. The band pressed against the tree, and closelyembracing it, yields a pretty firm support; while with the arms claspedabout the trunk, and at regular intervals sustaining the body, the feetare drawn up nearly a yard at a time, and a corresponding elevation ofthe hands immediately succeeds. In this way I have seen little children, scarcely five years of age, fearlessly climbing the slender pole ofa young cocoanut tree, and while hanging perhaps fifty feet from theground, receiving the plaudits of their parents beneath, who clappedtheir hands, and encouraged them to mount still higher. 

What, thought I, on first witnessing one of these exhibitions, wouldthe nervous mothers of America and England say to a similar display ofhardihood in any of their children? The Lacedemonian nation might haveapproved of it, but most modern dames would have gone into hysterics atthe sight. 

At the top of the cocoanut tree the numerous branches, radiating onall sides from a common centre, form a sort of green and wavingbasket, between the leaflets of which you just discern the nuts thicklyclustering together, and on the loftier trees looking no bigger fromthe ground than bunches of grapes. I remember one adventurous littlefellow--Too-Too was the rascal's name--who had built himself a sort ofaerial baby-house in the picturesque tuft of a tree adjoining Marheyo'shabitation. He used to spend hours there, --rustling among the branches, and shouting with delight every time the strong gusts of wind rushingdown from the mountain side, swayed to and fro the tall and flexiblecolumn on which he was perched. Whenever I heard Too-Too's musical voicesounding strangely to the ear from so great a height, and beheld himpeeping down upon me from out his leafy covert, he always recalled to mymind Dibdin's lines--

 'There's a sweet little cherub that sits up aloft, To look out for the life of poor Jack. '

Birds--bright and beautiful birds--fly over the valley of Typee. Yousee them perched aloft among the immovable boughs of the majesticbread-fruit trees, or gently swaying on the elastic branches of theOmoo; skimming over the palmetto thatching of the bamboo huts; passinglike spirits on the wing through the shadows of the grove, and sometimesdescending into the bosom of the valley in gleaming flights from themountains. Their plumage is purple and azure, crimson and white, blackand gold; with bills of every tint: bright bloody red, jet black, andivory white, and their eyes are bright and sparkling; they go sailingthrough the air in starry throngs; but, alas! the spell of dumbness isupon them all--there is not a single warbler in the valley!

I know not why it was, but the sight of these birds, generally theministers of gladness, always oppressed me with melancholy. As in theirdumb beauty they hovered by me whilst I was walking, or looked down uponme with steady curious eyes from out the foliage, I was almost inclinedto fancy that they knew they were gazing upon a stranger, and that theycommiserated his fate. 

CHAPTER THIRTY

A PROFESSOR OF THE FINE ARTS--HIS PERSECUTIONS--SOMETHING ABOUTTATTOOING AND TABOOING--TWO ANECDOTES IN ILLUSTRATION OF THE LATTER--AFEW THOUGHTS ON THE TYPEE DIALECT

IN one of my strolls with Kory-Kory, in passing along the border of athick growth of bushes, my attention was arrested by a singular noise. On entering the thicket I witnessed for the first time the operation oftattooing as performed by these islanders. 

I beheld a man extended flat upon his back on the ground, and, despitethe forced composure of his countenance, it was evident that he wassuffering agony. His tormentor bent over him, working away for all theworld like a stone-cutter with mallet and chisel. In one hand he held ashort slender stick, pointed with a shark's tooth, on the upright end ofwhich he tapped with a small hammer-like piece of wood, thus puncturingthe skin, and charging it with the colouring matter in which theinstrument was dipped. A cocoanut shell containing this fluid was placedupon the ground. It is prepared by mixing with a vegetable juice theashes of the 'armor', or candle-nut, always preserved for the purpose. Beside the savage, and spread out upon a piece of soiled tappa, werea great number of curious black-looking little implements of bone andwood, used in the various divisions of his art. A few terminated in asingle fine point, and, like very delicate pencils, were employed ingiving the finishing touches, or in operating upon the more sensitiveportions of the body, as was the case in the present instance. Otherspresented several points distributed in a line, somewhat resembling theteeth of a saw. These were employed in the coarser parts of the work, and particularly in pricking in straight marks. Some presented theirpoints disposed in small figures, and being placed upon the body, were, by a single blow of the hammer, made to leave their indelibleimpression. I observed a few the handles of which were mysteriouslycurved, as if intended to be introduced into the orifice of the ear, with a view perhaps of beating the tattoo upon the tympanum. Altogetherthe sight of these strange instruments recalled to mind that displayof cruel-looking mother-of-pearl-handled things which one sees in theirvelvet-lined cases at the elbow of a dentist. 

The artist was not at this time engaged on an original sketch, hissubject being a venerable savage, whose tattooing had become somewhatfaded with age and needed a few repairs, and accordingly he was merelyemployed in touching up the works of some of the old masters of theTypee school, as delineated upon the human canvas before him. The partsoperated upon were the eyelids, where a longitudinal streak, like theone which adorned Kory-Kory, crossed the countenance of the victim. 

In spite of all the efforts of the poor old man, sundry twitchings andscrewings of the muscles of the face denoted the exquisite sensibilityof these shutters to the windows of his soul, which he was now havingrepainted. But the artist, with a heart as callous as that of an armysurgeon, continued his performance, enlivening his labours with a wildchant, tapping away the while as merrily as a woodpecker. 

So deeply engaged was he in his work, that he had not observed ourapproach, until, after having, enjoyed an unmolested view of theoperation, I chose to attract his attention. As soon as he perceived me, supposing that I sought him in his professional capacity, he seized holdof me in a paroxysm of delight, and was an eagerness to begin the work. When, however, I gave him to understand that he had altogether mistakenmy views, nothing could exceed his grief and disappointment. Butrecovering from this, he seemed determined not to credit my assertion, and grasping his implements, he flourished them about in fearfulvicinity to my face, going through an imaginary performance of his art, and every moment bursting into some admiring exclamation at the beautyof his designs. 

Horrified at the bare thought of being rendered hideous for life if thewretch were to execute his purpose upon me, I struggled to get awayfrom him, while Kory-Kory, turning traitor, stood by, and besought meto comply with the outrageous request. On my reiterated refusals theexcited artist got half beside himself, and was overwhelmed with sorrowat losing so noble an opportunity of distinguishing himself in hisprofession. 

The idea of engrafting his tattooing upon my white skin filled himwith all a painter's enthusiasm; again and again he gazed into mycountenance, and every fresh glimpse seemed to add to the vehemenceof his ambition. Not knowing to what extremities he might proceed, and shuddering at the ruin he might inflict upon my figure-head, I nowendeavoured to draw off his attention from it, and holding out my armin a fit of desperation, signed to him to commence operations. But herejected the compromise indignantly, and still continued his attack onmy face, as though nothing short of that would satisfy him. When hisforefinger swept across my features, in laying out the borders of thoseparallel bands which were to encircle my countenance, the flesh fairlycrawled upon my bones. At last, half wild with terror and indignation, Isucceeded in breaking away from the three savages, and fled towards oldMarheyo's house, pursued by the indomitable artist, who ran after me, implements in hand. Kory-Kory, however, at last interfered and drew himoff from the chase. 

This incident opened my eyes to a new danger; and I now felt convincedthat in some luckless hour I should be disfigured in such a manner asnever more to have the FACE to return to my countrymen, even should anopportunity offer. 

These apprehensions were greatly increased by the desire which KingMehevi and several of the inferior chiefs now manifested that I shouldbe tattooed. The pleasure of the king was first signified to me somethree days after my casual encounter with Karky the artist. Heavens!what imprecations I showered upon that Karky. Doubtless he had plotted aconspiracy against me and my countenance, and would never rest until hisdiabolical purpose was accomplished. Several times I met him in variousparts of the valley, and, invariably, whenever he descried me, he camerunning after me with his mallet and chisel, flourishing them about myface as if he longed to begin. What an object he would have made of me!

When the king first expressed his wish to me, I made known to him myutter abhorrence of the measure, and worked myself into such a state ofexcitement, that he absolutely stared at me in amazement. It evidentlysurpassed his majesty's comprehension how any sober-minded andsensible individual could entertain the least possible objection to sobeautifying an operation. 

Soon afterwards he repeated his suggestion, and meeting with a littlerepulse, showed some symptoms of displeasure at my obduracy. On his athird time renewing his request, I plainly perceived that something mustbe done, or my visage was ruined for ever; I therefore screwed up mycourage to the sticking point, and declared my willingness to have botharms tattooed from just above the wrist to the shoulder. His majesty wasgreatly pleased at the proposition, and I was congratulating myself withhaving thus compromised the matter, when he intimated that as a thing ofcourse my face was first to undergo the operation. I was fairly drivento despair; nothing but the utter ruin of my 'face divine', as thepoets call it, would, I perceived, satisfy the inexorable Mehevi and hischiefs, or rather, that infernal Karky, for he was at the bottom of itall. 

The only consolation afforded me was a choice of patterns: I was atperfect liberty to have my face spanned by three horizontal bars, afterthe fashion of my serving-man's; or to have as many oblique stripesslanting across it; or if, like a true courtier, I chose to model mystyle on that of royalty, I might wear a sort of freemason badge uponmy countenance in the shape of a mystic triangle. However, I would havenone of these, though the king most earnestly impressed upon my mindthat my choice was wholly unrestricted. At last, seeing my unconquerablerepugnance, he ceased to importune me. 

But not so some other of the savages. Hardly a day passed but I wassubjected to their annoying requests, until at last my existencebecame a burden to me; the pleasures I had previously enjoyed no longerafforded me delight, and all my former desire to escape from the valleynow revived with additional force. 

A fact which I soon afterwards learned augmented my apprehension. Thewhole system of tattooing was, I found, connected with their religion;and it was evident, therefore, that they were resolved to make a convertof me. 

In the decoration of the chiefs it seems to be necessary to exercise themost elaborate pencilling; while some of the inferior natives lookedas if they had been daubed over indiscriminately with a house-painter'sbrush. I remember one fellow who prided himself hugely upon a greatoblong patch, placed high upon his back, and who always reminded me ofa man with a blister of Spanish flies, stuck between his shoulders. Another whom I frequently met had the hollow of his eyes tattooed in tworegular squares and his visual organs being remarkably brilliant, theygleamed forth from out this setting like a couple of diamonds insertedin ebony. 

Although convinced that tattooing was a religious observance, still thenature of the connection between it and the superstitious idolatry ofthe people was a point upon which I could never obtain any information. Like the still more important system of the 'Taboo', it always appearedinexplicable to me. 

There is a marked similarity, almost an identity, between the religiousinstitutions of most of the Polynesian islands, and in all exists themysterious 'Taboo', restricted in its uses to a greater or less extent. So strange and complex in its arrangements is this remarkable system, that I have in several cases met with individuals who, after residingfor years among the islands in the Pacific, and acquiring a considerableknowledge of the language, have nevertheless been altogether unable togive any satisfactory account of its operations. Situated as I wasin the Typee valley, I perceived every hour the effects of thisall-controlling power, without in the least comprehending it. Thoseeffects were, indeed, wide-spread and universal, pervading the mostimportant as well as the minutest transactions of life. The savage, inshort, lives in the continual observance of its dictates, which guideand control every action of his being. 

For several days after entering the valley I had been saluted at leastfifty times in the twenty-four hours with the talismanic word 'Taboo'shrieked in my ears, at some gross violation of its provisions, of whichI had unconsciously been guilty. The day after our arrival I happened tohand some tobacco to Toby over the head of a native who sat betweenus. He started up, as if stung by an adder; while the whole company, manifesting an equal degree of horror, simultaneously screamed out'Taboo!' I never again perpetrated a similar piece of ill-manners, which, indeed, was forbidden by the canons of good breeding, as well asby the mandates of the taboo. But it was not always so easy to perceivewherein you had contravened the spirit of this institution. I was manytimes called to order, if I may use the phrase, when I could not for thelife of me conjecture what particular offence I had committed. 

One day I was strolling through a secluded portion of the valley, andhearing the musical sound of the cloth-mallet at a little distance, Iturned down a path that conducted me in a few moments to a house wherethere were some half-dozen girls employed in making tappa. This was anoperation I had frequently witnessed, and had handled the bark in allthe various stages of its preparation. On the present occasion thefemales were intent upon their occupation, and after looking up andtalking gaily to me for a few moments, they resumed their employment. Iregarded them for a while in silence, and then carelessly picking up ahandful of the material that lay around, proceeded unconsciously to pickit apart. While thus engaged, I was suddenly startled by a scream, likethat of a whole boarding-school of young ladies just on the point ofgoing into hysterics. Leaping up with the idea of seeing a score ofHappar warriors about to perform anew the Sabine atrocity, I foundmyself confronted by the company of girls, who, having dropped theirwork, stood before me with starting eyes, swelling bosoms, and fingerspointed in horror towards me. 

Thinking that some venomous reptile must be concealed in the bark whichI held in my hand, I began cautiously to separate and examine it. WhilstI did so the horrified girls re-doubled their shrieks. Their wild criesand frightened motions actually alarmed me, and throwing down the tappa, I was about to rush from the house, when in the same instant theirclamours ceased, and one of them, seizing me by the arm, pointed to thebroken fibres that had just fallen from my grasp, and screamed in myears the fatal word Taboo!

I subsequently found out that the fabric they were engaged in making wasof a peculiar kind, destined to be worn on the heads of the females, andthrough every stage of its manufacture was guarded by a rigorous taboo, which interdicted the whole masculine gender from even so much astouching it. 

Frequently in walking through the groves I observed bread-fruit andcocoanut trees, with a wreath of leaves twined in a peculiar fashionabout their trunks. This was the mark of the taboo. The treesthemselves, their fruit, and even the shadows they cast upon the ground, were consecrated by its presence. In the same way a pipe, which the kinghad bestowed upon me, was rendered sacred in the eyes of the natives, none of whom could I ever prevail upon to smoke from it. The bowl wasencircled by a woven band of grass, somewhat resembling those Turks'heads occasionally worked in the handles of our whip-stalks. 

A similar badge was once braided about my wrist by the royal handof Mehevi himself, who, as soon as he had concluded the operation, pronounced me 'Taboo'. This occurred shortly after Toby's disappearance;and, were it not that from the first moment I had entered the valleythe natives had treated me with uniform kindness, I should have supposedthat their conduct afterwards was to be ascribed to the fact that I hadreceived this sacred investiture. 

The capricious operations of the taboo are not its least remarkablefeature: to enumerate them all would be impossible. Black hogs--infantsto a certain age--women in an interesting situation--young men while theoperation of tattooing their faces is going on--and certain parts of thevalley during the continuance of a shower--are alike fenced about by theoperation of the taboo. 

I witnessed a striking instance of its effects in the bay of Tior, my visit to which place has been alluded to in a former part of thisnarrative. On that occasion our worthy captain formed one of the party. He was a most insatiable sportsman. Outward bound, and off the pitch ofCape Horn, he used to sit on the taffrail, and keep the steward loadingthree or four old fowling pieces, with which he would bring downalbatrosses, Cape pigeons, jays, petrels, and divers other marine fowl, who followed chattering in our wake. The sailors were struck aghast athis impiety, and one and all attributed our forty days' beating aboutthat horrid headland to his sacrilegious slaughter of these inoffensivebirds. 

At Tior he evinced the same disregard for the religious prejudices ofthe islanders, as he had previously shown for the superstitions of thesailors. Having heard that there were a considerable number of fowls inthe valley the progeny of some cocks and hens accidentally left there byan English vessel, and which, being strictly tabooed, flew about almostin a wild state--he determined to break through all restraints, andbe the death of them. Accordingly, he provided himself with a mostformidable looking gun, and announced his landing on the beach byshooting down a noble cock that was crowing what proved to be his ownfuneral dirge, on the limb of an adjoining tree. 'Taboo', shrieked theaffrighted savages. 'Oh, hang your taboo, ' says the nautical sportsman;'talk taboo to the marines'; and bang went the piece again, and downcame another victim. At this the natives ran scampering through thegroves, horror-struck at the enormity of the act. 

All that afternoon the rocky sides of the valley rang with successivereports, and the superb plumage of many a beautiful fowl was ruffled bythe fatal bullet. Had it not been that the French admiral, with a largeparty, was then in the glen, I have no doubt that the natives, althoughtheir tribe was small and dispirited, would have inflicted summaryvengeance upon the man who thus outraged their most sacred institutions;as it was, they contrived to annoy him not a little. 

Thirsting with his exertions, the skipper directed his steps toa stream; but the savages, who had followed at a little distance, perceiving his object, rushed towards him and forced him away from itsbank--his lips would have polluted it. Wearied at last, he sought toenter a house that he might rest for a while on the mats; its inmatesgathered tumultuously about the door and denied him admittance. Hecoaxed and blustered by turns, but in vain; the natives were neitherto be intimidated nor appeased, and as a final resort he was obligedto call together his boat's crew, and pull away from what he termed themost infernal place he ever stepped upon. 

Lucky was it for him and for us that we were not honoured on ourdeparture by a salute of stones from the hands of the exasperated Tiors. In this way, on the neighbouring island of Ropo, were killed, but a fewweeks previously, and for a nearly similar offence, the master and threeof the crew of the K---. 

I cannot determine with anything approaching to certainty, what powerit is that imposes the taboo. When I consider the slight disparityof condition among the islanders--the very limited and inconsiderableprerogatives of the king and chiefs--and the loose and indefinitefunctions of the priesthood, most of whom were hardly to bedistinguished from the rest of their countrymen, I am wholly at a losswhere to look for the authority which regulates this potent institution. It is imposed upon something today, and withdrawn tomorrow; while itsoperations in other cases are perpetual. Sometimes its restrictions onlyaffect a single individual--sometimes a particular family--sometimesa whole tribe; and in a few instances they extend not merely over thevarious clans on a single island, but over all the inhabitants of anentire group. In illustration of this latter peculiarity, I may citethe law which forbids a female to enter a canoe--a prohibition whichprevails upon all the northern Marquesas Islands. 

The word itself (taboo) is used in more than one signification. Itis sometimes used by a parent to his child, when in the exerciseof parental authority he forbids it to perform a particular action. Anything opposed to the ordinary customs of the islanders, although notexpressly prohibited, is said to be 'taboo'. 

The Typee language is one very difficult to be acquired; it bears aclose resemblance to the other Polynesian dialects, all of which show acommon origin. The duplication of words, as 'lumee lumee', 'poee poee', 'muee muee', is one of their peculiar features. But another, and a moreannoying one, is the different senses in which one and the same word isemployed; its various meanings all have a certain connection, whichonly makes the matter more puzzling. So one brisk, lively little wordis obliged, like a servant in a poor family, to perform all sorts ofduties; for instance, one particular combination of syllables expressesthe ideas of sleep, rest, reclining, sitting, leaning, and all otherthings anywise analogous thereto, the particular meaning being shownchiefly by a variety of gestures and the eloquent expression of thecountenance. 

The intricacy of these dialects is another peculiarity. In theMissionary College at Lahainaluna, on Mowee, one of the SandwichIslands, I saw a tabular exhibition of a Hawiian verb, conjugatedthrough all its moods and tenses. It covered the side of a considerableapartment, and I doubt whether Sir William Jones himself would not havedespaired of mastering it. 

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

STRANGE CUSTOM OF THE ISLANDERS--THEIR CHANTING, AND THE PECULIARITY OFTHEIR VOICE--RAPTURE OF THE KING AT FIRST HEARING A SONG--A NEW DIGNITYCONFERRED ON THE AUTHOR--MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS IN THE VALLEY--ADMIRATIONOF THE SAVAGES AT BEHOLDING A PUGILISTIC PERFORMANCE--SWIMMINGINFANT--BEAUTIFUL TRESSES OF THE GIRLS--OINTMENT FOR THE HAIR

SADLY discursive as I have already been, I must still further entreatthe reader's patience, as I am about to string together, without anyattempt at order, a few odds and ends of things not hitherto mentioned, but which are either curious in themselves or peculiar to the Typees. 

There was one singular custom observed in old Marheyo's domesticestablishment, which often excited my surprise. Every night, beforeretiring, the inmates of the house gathered together on the mats, andso squatting upon their haunches, after the universal practice ofthese islanders, would commence a low, dismal and monotonous chant, accompanying the voice with the instrumental melody produced by twosmall half-rotten sticks tapped slowly together, a pair of whichwere held in the hands of each person present. Thus would they employthemselves for an hour or two, sometimes longer. Lying in the gloomwhich wrapped the further end of the house, I could not avoid lookingat them, although the spectacle suggested nothing but unpleasantreflection. The flickering rays of the 'armor' nut just served to revealtheir savage lineaments, without dispelling the darkness that hoveredabout them. 

Sometimes when, after falling into a kind of doze, and awaking suddenlyin the midst of these doleful chantings, my eye would fall upon thewild-looking group engaged in their strange occupation, with their nakedtattooed limbs, and shaven heads disposed in a circle, I was almosttempted to believe that I gazed upon a set of evil beings in the act ofworking at a frightful incantation. 

What was the meaning or purpose of this custom, whether it was practicedmerely as a diversion, or whether it was a religious exercise, a sort offamily prayers, I never could discover. 

The sounds produced by the natives on these occasions were of a mostsingular description; and had I not actually been present, I never wouldhave believed that such curious noises could have been produced by humanbeings. 

To savages generally is imputed a guttural articulation. This however, is not always the case, especially among the inhabitants of thePolynesian Archipelago. The labial melody with which the Typee girlscarry on an ordinary conversation, giving a musical prolongation to thefinal syllable of every sentence, and chirping out some of the wordswith a liquid, bird-like accent, was singularly pleasing. 

The men however, are not quite so harmonious in their utterance, andwhen excited upon any subject, would work themselves up into a sort ofwordy paroxysm, during which all descriptions of rough-sided soundswere projected from their mouths, with a force and rapidity which wasabsolutely astonishing. 

 . . . . . . . . 

Although these savages are remarkably fond of chanting, still theyappear to have no idea whatever of singing, at least as the art ispractised in other nations. 

I shall never forget the first time I happened to roar out a stavein the presence of noble Mehevi. It was a stanza from the 'Bavarianbroom-seller'. His Typeean majesty, with all his court, gazed upon me inamazement, as if I had displayed some preternatural faculty which Heavenhad denied to them. The King was delighted with the verse; but thechorus fairly transported him. At his solicitation I sang it again andagain, and nothing could be more ludicrous than his vain attempts tocatch the air and the words. The royal savage seemed to think that byscrewing all the features of his face into the end of his nose hemight possibly succeed in the undertaking, but it failed to answer thepurpose; and in the end he gave it up, and consoled himself by listeningto my repetition of the sounds fifty times over. 

Previous to Mehevi's making the discovery, I had never been aware thatthere was anything of the nightingale about me; but I was now promotedto the place of court-minstrel, in which capacity I was afterwardsperpetually called upon to officiate. 

 . . . . . . . . 

Besides the sticks and the drums, there are no other musical instrumentsamong the Typees, except one which might appropriately be denominated anasal flute. It is somewhat longer than an ordinary fife; is made ofa beautiful scarlet-coloured reed; and has four or five stops, witha large hole near one end, which latter is held just beneath the leftnostril. The other nostril being closed by a peculiar movement of themuscles about the nose, the breath is forced into the tube, and producesa soft dulcet sound which is varied by the fingers running at randomover the stops. This is a favourite recreation with the females and onein which Fayaway greatly excelled. Awkward as such an instrument mayappear, it was, in Fayaway's delicate little hands, one of the mostgraceful I have ever seen. A young lady, in the act of tormenting aguitar strung about her neck by a couple of yards of blue ribbon, is nothalf so engaging. 

 . . . . . . . . 

Singing was not the only means I possessed of diverting the royal Meheviand his easy-going subject. Nothing afforded them more pleasure than tosee me go through the attitude of pugilistic encounter. As not one ofthe natives had soul enough in him to stand up like a man, and allow meto hammer away at him, for my own personal gratification and that ofthe king, I was necessitated to fight with an imaginary enemy, whom Iinvariably made to knock under to my superior prowess. Sometimes whenthis sorely battered shadow retreated precipitately towards a group ofthe savages, and, following him up, I rushed among them dealing myblows right and left, they would disperse in all directions much to theenjoyment of Mehevi, the chiefs, and themselves. 

The noble art of self-defence appeared to be regarded by them as thepeculiar gift of the white man; and I make little doubt that theysupposed armies of Europeans were drawn up provided with nothing elsebut bony fists and stout hearts, with which they set to in column, andpummelled one another at the word of command. 

 . . . . . . . . 

One day, in company with Kory-Kory, I had repaired to the stream for thepurpose of bathing, when I observed a woman sitting upon a rock inthe midst of the current, and watching with the liveliest interest thegambols of something, which at first I took to be an uncommonly largespecies of frog that was sporting in the water near her. Attracted bythe novelty of the sight, I waded towards the spot where she sat, andcould hardly credit the evidence of my senses when I beheld a littleinfant, the period of whose birth could not have extended back manydays, paddling about as if it had just risen to the surface, after beinghatched into existence at the bottom. Occasionally, the delighted parentreached out her hand towards it, when the little thing, uttering a faintcry, and striking out its tiny limbs, would sidle for the rock, and thenext moment be clasped to its mother's bosom. This was repeated againand again, the baby remaining in the stream about a minute at a time. Once or twice it made wry faces at swallowing a mouthful of water, andchoked a spluttered as if on the point of strangling. At such timeshowever, the mother snatched it up and by a process scarcely to bementioned obliged it to eject the fluid. For several weeks afterwardsI observed this woman bringing her child down to the stream regularlyevery day, in the cool of the morning and evening and treating it to abath. No wonder that the South Sea Islanders are so amphibious a race, when they are thus launched into the water as soon as they see thelight. I am convinced that it is as natural for a human being to swim asit is for a duck. And yet in civilized communities how many able-bodiedindividuals die, like so many drowning kittens, from the occurrence ofthe most trivial accidents!

 . . . . . . . . 

The long luxuriant and glossy tresses of the Typee damsels oftenattracted my admiration. A fine head of hair is the pride and joy ofevery woman's heart. Whether against the express will of Providence, itis twisted upon the crown of the head and there coiled away like a ropeon a ship's deck; whether it be stuck behind the ears and hangs downlike the swag of a small window-curtain; or whether it be permitted toflow over the shoulders in natural ringlets, it is always the pride ofthe owner, and the glory of the toilette. 

The Typee girls devote much of their time to the dressing of their fairand redundant locks. After bathing, as they sometimes do five or sixtimes every day, the hair is carefully dried, and if they have been inthe sea, invariably washed in fresh water, and anointed with a highlyscented oil extracted from the meat of the cocoanut. This oil isobtained in great abundance by the following very simple process:

A large vessel of wood, with holes perforated in the bottom, is filledwith the pounded meat, and exposed to the rays of the sun. As theoleaginous matter exudes, it falls in drops through the apertures into awide-mouthed calabash placed underneath. After a sufficient quantity hasthus been collected, the oil undergoes a purifying process, and is thenpoured into the small spherical shells of the nuts of the moo-tree, which are hollowed out to receive it. These nuts are then hermeticallysealed with a resinous gum, and the vegetable fragrance of their greenrind soon imparts to the oil a delightful odour. After the lapse of afew weeks the exterior shell of the nuts becomes quite dry and hard, andassumes a beautiful carnation tint; and when opened they are found tobe about two-thirds full of an ointment of a light yellow colour anddiffusing the sweetest perfume. This elegant little odorous globe wouldnot be out of place even upon the toilette of a queen. Its merits as apreparation for the hair are undeniable--it imparts to it a superb glossand a silky fineness. 

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

APPREHENSIONS OF EVIL--FRIGHTFUL DISCOVERY--SOME REMARKSON CANNIBALISM--SECOND BATTLE WITH THE HAPPARS--SAVAGESPECTACLE--MYSTERIOUS FEAST--SUBSEQUENT DISCLOSURES

FROM the time of my casual encounter with Karky the artist, my life wasone of absolute wretchedness. Not a day passed but I was persecuted bythe solicitations of some of the natives to subject myself to the odiousoperation of tattooing. Their importunities drove me half wild, for Ifelt how easily they might work their will upon me regarding this oranything else which they took into their heads. Still, however, thebehaviour of the islanders towards me was as kind as ever. Fayaway wasquite as engaging; Kory-Kory as devoted; and Mehevi the king just asgracious and condescending as before. But I had now been three months intheir valley, as nearly as I could estimate; I had grown familiar withthe narrow limits to which my wandering had been confined; and I beganbitterly to feel the state of captivity in which I was held. Therewas no one with whom I could freely converse; no one to whom I couldcommunicate my thoughts; no one who could sympathize with my sufferings. A thousand times I thought how much more endurable would have been mylot had Toby still been with me. But I was left alone, and the thoughtwas terrible to me. Still, despite my griefs, I did all in my powerto appear composed and cheerful, well knowing that by manifesting anyuneasiness, or any desire to escape, I should only frustrate my object. 

It was during the period I was in this unhappy frame of mind that thepainful malady under which I had been labouring--after having almostcompletely subsided--began again to show itself, and with symptoms asviolent as ever. This added calamity nearly unmanned me; the recurrenceof the complaint proved that without powerful remedial applicationsall hope of cure was futile; and when I reflected that just beyond theelevations, which bound me in, was the medical relief I needed, and thatalthough so near, it was impossible for me to avail myself of it, thethought was misery. 

In this wretched situation, every circumstance which evinced thesavage nature of the beings at whose mercy I was, augmented the fearfulapprehensions that consumed me. An occurrence which happened about thistime affected me most powerfully. 

I have already mentioned that from the ridge-pole of Marheyo's housewere suspended a number of packages enveloped in tappa. Many of these Ihad often seen in the hands of the natives, and their contents had beenexamined in my presence. But there were three packages hangingvery nearly over the place where I lay, which from their remarkableappearance had often excited my curiosity. Several times I had askedKory-Kory to show me their contents, but my servitor, who, in almostevery other particular had acceded to my wishes, refused to gratify mein this. 

One day, returning unexpectedly from the 'Ti', my arrival seemed tothrow the inmates of the house into the greatest confusion. They wereseated together on the mats, and by the lines which extended from theroof to the floor I immediately perceived that the mysterious packageswere for some purpose or another under inspection. The evident alarmthe savages betrayed filled me with forebodings of evil, and with anuncontrollable desire to penetrate the secret so jealously guarded. Despite the efforts of Marheyo and Kory-Kory to restrain me, I forcedmy way into the midst of the circle, and just caught a glimpse of threehuman heads, which others of the party were hurriedly enveloping in thecoverings from which they had been taken. 

One of the three I distinctly saw. It was in a state of perfectpreservation, and from the slight glimpse I had of it, seemed to havebeen subjected to some smoking operation which had reduced it to thedry, hard, and mummy-like appearance it presented. The two long scalplocks were twisted up into balls upon the crown of the head in the sameway that the individual had worn them during life. The sunken cheekswere rendered yet more ghastly by the rows of glistening teeth whichprotruded from between the lips, while the sockets of the eyes--filledwith oval bits of mother-of-pearl shell, with a black spot in thecentre--heightened the hideousness of its aspect. 

Two of the three were heads of the islanders; but the third, to myhorror, was that of a white man. Although it had been quickly removedfrom my sight, still the glimpse I had of it was enough to convince methat I could not be mistaken. 

Gracious God! what dreadful thoughts entered my head; in solving thismystery perhaps I had solved another, and the fate of my lost companionmight be revealed in the shocking spectacle I had just witnessed. Ilonged to have torn off the folds of cloth and satisfied the awfuldoubts under which I laboured. But before I had recovered from theconsternation into which I had been thrown, the fatal packages werehoisted aloft, and once more swung over my head. The natives nowgathered round me tumultuously, and laboured to convince me that whatI had just seen were the heads of three Happar warriors, who had beenslain in battle. This glaring falsehood added to my alarm, and it wasnot until I reflected that I had observed the packages swinging fromtheir elevation before Toby's disappearance, that I could at all recovermy composure. 

But although this horrible apprehension had been dispelled, I haddiscovered enough to fill me, in my present state of mind, with the mostbitter reflections. It was plain that I had seen the last relic of someunfortunate wretch, who must have been massacred on the beach by thesavages, in one of those perilous trading adventures which I have beforedescribed. 

It was not, however, alone the murder of the stranger that overcame mewith gloom. I shuddered at the idea of the subsequent fate his inanimatebody might have met with. Was the same doom reserved for me? Was Idestined to perish like him--like him perhaps, to be devoured and myhead to be preserved as a fearful memento of the events? My imaginationran riot in these horrid speculations, and I felt certain that theworst possible evils would befall me. But whatever were my misgivings, Istudiously concealed them from the islanders, as well as the full extentof the discovery I had made. 

Although the assurances which the Typees had often given me, that theynever eat human flesh, had not convinced me that such was the case, yet, having been so long a time in the valley without witnessing anythingwhich indicated the existence of the practice, I began to hope that itwas an event of very rare occurrence, and that I should be spared thehorror of witnessing it during my stay among them: but, alas, thesehopes were soon destroyed. 

It is a singular fact, that in all our accounts of cannibal tribes wehave seldom received the testimony of an eye-witness account to thisrevolting practice. The horrible conclusion has almost always beenderived from the second-hand evidence of Europeans, or else from theadmissions of the savages themselves, after they have in some degreebecome civilized. The Polynesians are aware of the detestation in whichEuropeans hold this custom, and therefore invariably deny its existence, and with the craft peculiar to savages, endeavour to conceal every traceof it. 

The excessive unwillingness betrayed by the Sandwich Islanders, even atthe present day, to allude to the unhappy fate of Cook, has often beenremarked. And so well have they succeeded in covering the event withmystery, that to this very hour, despite all that has been said andwritten on the subject, it still remains doubtful whether they wreakedupon his murdered body the vengeance they sometimes inflicted upon theirenemies. 

At Kealakekau, the scene of that tragedy, a strip of ship's coppernailed against an upright post in the ground used to informthe traveller that beneath reposed the 'remains' of the greatcircumnavigator. But I am strongly inclined to believe not only thecorpse was refused Christian burial, but that the heart which wasbrought to Vancouver some time after the event, and which the Hawaiiansstoutly maintained was that of Captain Cook, was no such thing; and thatthe whole affair was a piece of imposture which was sought to be palmedoff upon the credulous Englishman. 

A few years since there was living on the island of Maui (one of theSandwich group) an old chief, who, actuated by a morbid desire fornotoriety, gave himself out among the foreign residents of the placeas the living tomb of Captain Cook's big toe!--affirming that at thecannibal entertainment which ensued after the lamented Briton's death, that particular portion of his body had fallen to his share. Hisindignant countrymen actually caused him to be prosecuted in the nativecourts, on a charge nearly equivalent to what we term defamation ofcharacter; but the old fellow persisting in his assertion, and noinvalidating proof being adduced, the plaintiffs were cast in the suit, and the cannibal reputation of the defendant firmly established. Thisresult was the making of his fortune; ever afterwards he was in thehabit of giving very profitable audiences to all curious travellers whowere desirous of beholding the man who had eaten the great navigator'sgreat toe. 

About a week after my discovery of the contents of the mysteriouspackages, I happened to be at the Ti, when another war-alarm wassounded, and the natives rushing to their arms, sallied out to resista second incursion of the Happar invaders. The same scene was againrepeated, only that on this occasion I heard at least fifteen reports ofmuskets from the mountains during the time that the skirmish lasted. An hour or two after its termination, loud paeans chanted through thevalley announced the approach of the victors. I stood with Kory-Koryleaning against the railing of the pi-pi awaiting their advance, whena tumultuous crowd of islanders emerged with wild clamours fromthe neighbouring groves. In the midst of them marched four men, onepreceding the other at regular intervals of eight or ten feet, withpoles of a corresponding length, extending from shoulder to shoulder, to which were lashed with thongs of bark three long narrow bundles, carefully wrapped in ample coverings of freshly plucked palm-leaves, tacked together with slivers of bamboo. Here and there upon these greenwinding-sheets might be seen the stains of blood, while the warriors whocarried the frightful burdens displayed upon their naked limbs similarsanguinary marks. The shaven head of the foremost had a deep gash uponit, and the clotted gore which had flowed from the wound remained in drypatches around it. The savage seemed to be sinking under the weighthe bore. The bright tattooing upon his body was covered with bloodand dust; his inflamed eyes rolled in their sockets, and his wholeappearance denoted extraordinary suffering and exertion; yet sustainedby some powerful impulse, he continued to advance, while the throngaround him with wild cheers sought to encourage him. The other three menwere marked about the arms and breasts with several slight wounds, whichthey somewhat ostentatiously displayed. 

These four individuals, having been the most active in the lateencounter, claimed the honour of bearing the bodies of their slainenemies to the Ti. Such was the conclusion I drew from my ownobservations, and, as far as I could understand, from the explanationwhich Kory-Kory gave me. 

The royal Mehevi walked by the side of these heroes. He carried in onehand a musket, from the barrel of which was suspended a small canvaspouch of powder, and in the other he grasped a short javelin, which heheld before him and regarded with fierce exultation. This javelin he hadwrested from a celebrated champion of the Happars, who had ignominiouslyfled, and was pursued by his foes beyond the summit of the mountain. 

When within a short distance of the Ti, the warrior with the woundedhead, who proved to be Narmonee, tottered forward two or three steps, and fell helplessly to the ground; but not before another had caught theend of the pole from his shoulder, and placed it upon his own. 

The excited throng of islanders, who surrounded the person of the kingand the dead bodies of the enemy, approached the spot where I stood, brandishing their rude implements of warfare, many of which were bruisedand broken, and uttering continual shouts of triumph. When the crowddrew up opposite the Ti, I set myself to watch their proceedings mostattentively; but scarcely had they halted when my servitor, who had leftmy side for an instant, touched my arm and proposed our returning toMarheyo's house. To this I objected; but, to my surprise, Kory-Koryreiterated his request, and with an unusual vehemence of manner. Still, however, I refused to comply, and was retreating before him, as in hisimportunity he pressed upon me, when I felt a heavy hand laid upon myshoulder, and turning round, encountered the bulky form of Mow-Mow, aone-eyed chief, who had just detached himself from the crowd below, andhad mounted the rear of the pi-pi upon which we stood. His cheek hadbeen pierced by the point of a spear, and the wound imparted a stillmore frightful expression to his hideously tattooed face, alreadydeformed by the loss of an eye. The warrior, without uttering asyllable, pointed fiercely in the direction of Marheyo's house, whileKory-Kory, at the same time presenting his back, desired me to mount. 

I declined this offer, but intimated my willingness to withdraw, andmoved slowly along the piazza, wondering what could be the cause of thisunusual treatment. A few minutes' consideration convinced me that thesavages were about to celebrate some hideous rite in connection withtheir peculiar customs, and at which they were determined I should notbe present. I descended from the pi-pi, and attended by Kory-Kory, whoon this occasion did not show his usual commiseration for my lameness, but seemed only anxious to hurry me on, walked away from the place. As Ipassed through the noisy throng, which by this time completely environedthe Ti, I looked with fearful curiosity at the three packages, which nowwere deposited upon the ground; but although I had no doubt as to theircontents, still their thick coverings prevented my actually detectingthe form of a human body. 

The next morning, shortly after sunrise, the same thundering soundswhich had awakened me from sleep on the second day of the Feast ofCalabashes, assured me that the savages were on the eve of celebratinganother, and, as I fully believed, a horrible solemnity. 

All the inmates of the house, with the exception of Marheyo, his son, and Tinor, after assuming their gala dresses, departed in the directionof the Taboo Groves. 

Although I did not anticipate a compliance with my request, still, witha view of testing the truth of my suspicions, I proposed to Kory-Korythat, according to our usual custom in the morning, we should take astroll to the Ti: he positively refused; and when I renewed the request, he evinced his determination to prevent my going there; and, to divertmy mind from the subject, he offered to accompany me to the stream. Weaccordingly went, and bathed. On our coming back to the house, I wassurprised to find that all its inmates had returned, and were loungingupon the mats as usual, although the drums still sounded from thegroves. 

The rest of the day I spent with Kory-Kory and Fayaway, wandering abouta part of the valley situated in an opposite direction from the Ti, and whenever I so much as looked towards that building, although it washidden from view by intervening trees, and at the distance of more thana mile, my attendant would exclaim, 'Taboo, taboo!'

At the various houses where we stopped, I found many of the inhabitantsreclining at their ease, or pursuing some light occupation, as ifnothing unusual were going forward; but amongst them all I did notperceive a single chief or warrior. When I asked several of the peoplewhy they were not at the 'Hoolah Hoolah' (the feast), their uniformlyanswered the question in a manner which implied that it was not intendedfor them, but for Mehevi, Narmonee, Mow-Mow, Kolor, Womonoo, Kalow, running over, in their desire to make me comprehend their meaning, thenames of all the principal chiefs. 

Everything, in short, strengthened my suspicions with regard to thenature of the festival they were now celebrating; and which amountedalmost to a certainty. While in Nukuheva I had frequently been informedthat the whole tribe were never present at these cannibal banquets, butthe chiefs and priests only; and everything I now observed agreed withthe account. 

The sound of the drums continued without intermission the whole day, andfalling continually upon my ear, caused me a sensation of horror which Iam unable to describe. On the following day, hearing none of thosenoisy indications of revelry, I concluded that the inhuman feast wasterminated; and feeling a kind of morbid curiosity to discover whetherthe Ti might furnish any evidence of what had taken place there, Iproposed to Kory-Kory to walk there. To this proposition he repliedby pointing with his finger to the newly risen sun, and then up to thezenith, intimating that our visit must be deferred until noon. Shortlyafter that hour we accordingly proceeded to the Taboo Groves, and assoon as we entered their precincts, I looked fearfully round in, questof some memorial of the scene which had so lately been acted there; buteverything appeared as usual. On reaching the Ti, we found Mehevi and afew chiefs reclining on the mats, who gave me as friendly a reception asever. No allusions of any kind were made by them to the recent events;and I refrained, for obvious reasons, from referring to them myself. 

After staying a short time I took my leave. In passing along the piazza, previously to descending from the pi-pi, I observed a curiously carvedvessel of wood, of considerable size, with a cover placed over it, ofthe same material, and which resembled in shape a small canoe. It wassurrounded by a low railing of bamboos, the top of which was scarcelya foot from the ground. As the vessel had been placed in its presentposition since my last visit, I at once concluded that it must havesome connection with the recent festival, and, prompted by a curiosityI could not repress, in passing it I raised one end of the cover; at thesame moment the chiefs, perceiving my design, loudly ejaculated, 'Taboo!taboo!'

But the slight glimpse sufficed; my eyes fell upon the disorderedmembers of a human skeleton, the bones still fresh with moisture, andwith particles of flesh clinging to them here and there!

Kory-Kory, who had been a little in advance of me, attracted bythe exclamations of the chiefs, turned round in time to witness theexpression of horror on my countenance. He now hurried towards me, pointing at the same time to the canoe, and exclaiming rapidly, 'Puarkee! puarkee!' (Pig, pig). I pretended to yield to the deception, and repeated the words after him several times, as though acquiescingin what he said. The other savages, either deceived by my conductor unwilling to manifest their displeasure at what could not now beremedied, took no further notice of the occurrence, and I immediatelyleft the Ti. 

All that night I lay awake, revolving in my mind the fearful situationin which I was placed. The last horrid revelation had now been made, andthe full sense of my condition rushed upon my mind with a force I hadnever before experienced. 

Where, thought I, desponding, is there the slightest prospect of escape?The only person who seemed to possess the ability to assist me was thestranger Marnoo; but would he ever return to the valley? and if he did, should I be permitted to hold any communication with him? It seemed asif I were cut off from every source of hope, and that nothing remainedbut passively to await whatever fate was in store for me. A thousandtimes I endeavoured to account for the mysterious conduct of thenatives. 

For what conceivable purpose did they thus retain me a captive? Whatcould be their object in treating me with such apparent kindness, anddid it not cover some treacherous scheme? Or, if they had no otherdesign than to hold me a prisoner, how should I be able to pass away mydays in this narrow valley, deprived of all intercourse with civilizedbeings, and for ever separated from friends and home?

One only hope remained to me. The French could not long defer a visitto the bay, and if they should permanently locate any of their troopsin the valley, the savages could not for any length of time conceal myexistence from them. But what reason had I to suppose that I should bespared until such an event occurred, an event which might be postponedby a hundred different contingencies?

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

THE STRANGER AGAIN ARRIVES IN THE VALLEY--SINGULAR INTERVIEW WITHHIM--ATTEMPT TO ESCAPE--FAILURE--MELANCHOLY SITUATION--SYMPATHY OFMARHEYO

'MARNOO, Marnoo pemi!' Such were the welcome sounds which fell upon myear some ten days after the events related in the preceding chapter. Once more the approach of the stranger was heralded, and theintelligence operated upon me like magic. Again I should be able toconverse with him in my own language; and I resolve at all hazards toconcert with him some scheme, however desperate, to rescue me from acondition that had now become insupportable. 

As he drew near, I remembered with many misgivings the inauspicioustermination of our former interview, and when he entered the house, Iwatched with intense anxiety the reception he met with from its inmates. To my joy, his appearance was hailed with the liveliest pleasure; andaccosting me kindly, he seated himself by my side, and entered intoconversation with the natives around him. It soon appeared however, that on this occasion he had not any intelligence of importance tocommunicate. I inquired of him from whence he had just come? He repliedfrom Pueearka, his native valley, and that he intended to return to itthe same day. 

At once it struck me that, could I but reach that valley under hisprotection, I might easily from thence reach Nukuheva by water; andanimated by the prospect which this plan held, out I disclosed it ina few brief words to the stranger, and asked him how it could be bestaccomplished. My heart sunk within me, when in his broken English heanswered me that it could never be effected. 'Kanaka no let you gonowhere, ' he said; 'you taboo. Why you no like to stay? Plenty moee-moee(sleep)--plenty ki-ki (eat)--plenty wahenee (young girls)--Oh, very goodplace Typee! Suppose you no like this bay, why you come? You no hearabout Typee? All white men afraid Typee, so no white men come. '

These words distressed me beyond belief; and when I had again related tohim the circumstances under which I had descended into the valley, andsought to enlist his sympathies in my behalf by appealing to the bodilymisery I had endure, he listened with impatience, and cut me short byexclaiming passionately, 'Me no hear you talk any more; by by Kanakaget mad, kill you and me too. No you see he no want you to speak atall?--you see--ah! by by you no mind--you get well, he kill you, eatyou, hang you head up there, like Happar Kanaka. --Now you listen--but notalk any more. By by I go;--you see way I go--Ah! then some night Kanakaall moee-moee (sleep)--you run away, you come Pueearka. I speak PueearkaKanaka--he no harm you--ah! then I take you my canoe Nukuheva--and yourun away ship no more. ' With these words, enforced by a vehemence ofgesture I cannot describe, Marnoo started from my side, and immediatelyengaged in conversation with some of the chiefs who had entered thehouse. 

It would have been idle for me to have attempted resuming the interviewso peremptorily terminated by Marnoo, who was evidently little disposedto compromise his own safety by any rash endeavour to ensure mine. But the plan he had suggested struck me as one which might possibly beaccomplished, and I resolved to act upon it as speedily as possible. 

Accordingly, when he arose to depart, I accompanied him with the nativesoutside of the house, with a view of carefully noting the path hewould take in leaving the valley. Just before leaping from the pi-pi heclasped my hand, and looking significantly at me, exclaimed, 'Now yousee--you do what I tell you--ah! then you do good;--you no do so--ah!then you die. ' The next moment he waved his spear to the islanders, andfollowing the route that conducted to a defile in the mountains lyingopposite the Happar side, was soon out of sight. 

A mode of escape was now presented to me, but how was I to avail myselfof it? I was continually surrounded by the savages; I could not stirfrom one house to another without being attended by some of them; andeven during the hours devoted to slumber, the slightest movement which Imade seemed to attract the notice of those who shared the mats with me. In spite of these obstacles, however, I determined forthwith to make theattempt. To do so with any prospect of success, it was necessary thatI should have at least two hours start before the islanders shoulddiscover my absence; for with such facility was any alarm spread throughthe valley, and so familiar, of course, were the inhabitants with theintricacies of the groves, that I could not hope, lame and feeble as Iwas, and ignorant of the route, to secure my escape unless I had thisadvantage. It was also by night alone that I could hope to accomplish myobject, and then only by adopting the utmost precaution. 

The entrance to Marheyo's habitation was through a low narrow openingin its wicker-work front. This passage, for no conceivable reason that Icould devise, was always closed after the household had retired to rest, by drawing a heavy slide across it, composed of a dozen or more bits ofwood, ingeniously fastened together by seizings of sinnate. When any ofthe inmates chose to go outside, the noise occasioned by the removing ofthis rude door awakened every body else; and on more than one occasionI had remarked that the islanders were nearly as irritable as morecivilized beings under similar circumstances. 

The difficulty thus placed in my way I, determined to obviate in thefollowing manner. I would get up boldly in the course of the night, anddrawing the slide, issue from the house, and pretend that my object wasmerely to procure a drink from the calabash, which always stoodwithout the dwelling on the corner of the pi-pi. On re-entering I wouldpurposely omit closing the passage after me, and trusting that theindolence of the savages would prevent them from repairing my neglect, would return to my mat, and waiting patiently until all were againasleep, I would then steal forth, and at once take the route toPueearka. 

The very night which followed Marnoo's departure, I proceeded to putthis project into execution. About midnight, as I imagined, I arose anddrew the slide. The natives, just as I had expected, started up, whilesome of them asked, 'Arware poo awa, Tommo?' (where are you going, Tommo?) 'Wai' (water) I laconically answered, grasping the calabash. Onhearing my reply they sank back again, and in a minute or two I returnedto my mat, anxiously awaiting the result of the experiment. 

One after another the savages, turning restlessly, appeared to resumetheir slumbers, and rejoicing at the stillness which prevailed, I wasabout to rise again from my couch, when I heard a slight rustling--adark form was intercepted between me and the doorway--the slide wasdrawn across it, and the individual, whoever he was, returned tohis mat. This was a sad blow to me; but as it might have aroused thesuspicions of the islanders to have made another attempt that night, Iwas reluctantly obliged to defer it until the next. Several times afterI repeated the same manoeuvre, but with as little success as before. As my pretence for withdrawing from the house was to allay my thirst, Kory-Kory either suspecting some design on my part, or else promptedby a desire to please me, regularly every evening placed a calabash ofwater by my side. 

Even, under these inauspicious circumstances I again and again renewedthe attempt, but when I did so, my valet always rose with me, as ifdetermined I should not remove myself from his observation. Forthe present, therefore, I was obliged to abandon the attempt; but Iendeavoured to console myself with the idea that by this mode I mightyet effect my escape. 

Shortly after Marnoo's visit I was reduced to such a state that it waswith extreme difficulty I could walk, even with the assistance of aspear, and Kory-Kory, as formerly, was obliged to carry me daily to thestream. 

For hours and hours during the warmest part of the day I lay upon mymat, and while those around me were nearly all dozing away in carelessease, I remained awake, gloomily pondering over the fate which itappeared now idle for me to resist, when I thought of the loved friendswho were thousands and thousands of miles from the savage island inwhich I was held a captive, when I reflected that my dreadful fate wouldfor ever be concealed from them, and that with hope deferred they mightcontinue to await my return long after my inanimate form had blendedwith the dust of the valley--I could not repress a shudder of anguish. 

How vividly is impressed upon my mind every minute feature of the scenewhich met my view during those long days of suffering and sorrow. At myrequest my mats were always spread directly facing the door, oppositewhich, and at a little distance, was the hut of boughs that Marheyo wasbuilding. 

Whenever my gentle Fayaway and Kory-Kory, laying themselves down besideme, would leave me awhile to uninterrupted repose, I took a strangeinterest in the slightest movements of the eccentric old warrior. Allalone during the stillness of the tropical mid-day, he would pursue hisquiet work, sitting in the shade and weaving together the leaflets ofhis cocoanut branches, or rolling upon his knee the twisted fibres ofbark to form the cords with which he tied together the thatching ofhis tiny house. Frequently suspending his employment, and noticing mymelancholy eye fixed upon him, he would raise his hand with a gestureexpressive of deep commiseration, and then moving towards me slowly, would enter on tip-toes, fearful of disturbing the slumbering natives, and, taking the fan from my hand, would sit before me, swaying it gentlyto and fro, and gazing earnestly into my face. 

Just beyond the pi-pi, and disposed in a triangle before the entranceof the house, were three magnificent bread-fruit trees. At this moment Ican recap to my mind their slender shafts, and the graceful inequalitiesof their bark, on which my eye was accustomed to dwell day after day inthe midst of my solitary musings. It is strange how inanimate objectswill twine themselves into our affections, especially in the hour ofaffliction. Even now, amidst all the bustle and stir of the proud andbusy city in which I am dwelling, the image of those three trees seemsto come as vividly before my eyes as if they were actually present, andI still feel the soothing quiet pleasure which I then had in watchinghour after hour their topmost boughs waving gracefully in the breeze. 

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

THE ESCAPE

NEARLY three weeks had elapsed since the second visit of Marnoo, and itmust have been more than four months since I entered the valley, whenone day about noon, and whilst everything was in profound silence, Mow-Mow, the one-eyed chief, suddenly appeared at the door, and leaningtowards me as I lay directly facing him, said in a low tone, 'Toby pemiena' (Toby has arrived here). Gracious heaven! What a tumult of emotionsrushed upon me at this startling intelligence! Insensible to the painthat had before distracted me, I leaped to my feet, and called wildlyto Kory-Kory who was reposing by my side. The startled islanders sprangfrom their mats; the news was quickly communicated to them; and thenext moment I was making my way to the Ti on the back of Kory-Kory; andsurrounded by the excited savages. 

All that I could comprehend of the particulars which Mow-Mow rehearsedto his audience as we proceeded, was that my long-lost companion hadarrived in a boat which had just entered the bay. These tidings mademe most anxious to be carried at once to the sea, lest some untowardcircumstance should prevent our meeting; but to this they would notconsent, and continued their course towards the royal abode. As weapproached it, Mehevi and several chiefs showed themselves from thepiazza, and called upon us loudly to come to them. 

As soon as we had approached, I endeavoured to make them understand thatI was going down to the sea to meet Toby. To this the king objected, andmotioned Kory-Kory to bring me into the house. It was in vain to resist;and in a few moments I found myself within the Ti, surrounded by a noisygroup engaged in discussing the recent intelligence. Toby's name wasfrequently repeated, coupled with violent exclamations of astonishment. It seemed as if they yet remained in doubt with regard to the fact ofhis arrival, at at every fresh report that was brought from the shorethey betrayed the liveliest emotions. 

Almost frenzied at being held in this state of suspense, I passionatelybesought Mehevi to permit me to proceed. Whether my companion hadarrived or not, I felt a presentiment that my own fate was about to bedecided. Again and again I renewed my petition to Mehevi. He regarded mewith a fixed and serious eye, but at length yielding to my importunity, reluctantly granted my request. 

Accompanied by some fifty of the natives, I now rapidly continued myjourney; every few moments being transferred from the back of oneto another, and urging my bearer forward all the while with earnestentreaties. As I thus hurried forward, no doubt as to the truth of theinformation I had received ever crossed my mind. 

I was alive only to the one overwhelming idea, that a chance ofdeliverance was now afforded me, if the jealous opposition of thesavages could be overcome. 

Having been prohibited from approaching the sea during the whole of mystay in the valley, I had always associated with it the idea of escape. Toby too--if indeed he had ever voluntarily deserted me--must haveeffected this flight by the sea; and now that I was drawing near toit myself, I indulged in hopes which I had never felt before. It wasevident that a boat had entered the bay, and I saw little reason todoubt the truth of the report that it had brought my companion. Everytime therefore that we gained an elevation, I looked eagerly around, hoping to behold him. In the midst of an excited throng, who by theirviolent gestures and wild cries appeared to be under the influence ofsome excitement as strong as my own, I was now borne along at a rapidtrot, frequently stooping my head to avoid the branches which crossedthe path, and never ceasing to implore those who carried me toaccelerate their already swift pace. 

In this manner we had proceeded about four or five miles, when we weremet by a party of some twenty islanders, between whom and those whoaccompanied me ensued an animated conference. Impatient of the delayoccasioned by this interruption, I was beseeching the man who carried meto proceed without his loitering companions, when Kory-Kory, runningto my side, informed me, in three fatal words, that the news had allproved, false--that Toby had not arrived--'Toby owlee pemi'. Heaven onlyknows how, in the state of mind and body I then was, I ever sustainedthe agony which this intelligence caused me; not that the news wasaltogether unexpected; but I had trusted that the fact might not havebeen made known until we should have arrived upon the beach. As it was, I at once foresaw the course the savages would pursue. They had onlyyielded thus far to my entreaties, that I might give a joyful welcome tomy long-lost comrade; but now that it was known he had not arrived theywould at once oblige me to turn back. 

My anticipations were but too correct. In spite of the resistance Imade, they carried me into a house which was near the spot, and left meupon the mats. Shortly afterwards several of those who had accompaniedme from the Ti, detaching themselves from the others, proceeded inthe direction of the sea. Those who remained--among whom were Marheyo, Mow-Mow, Kory-Kory, and Tinor--gathered about the dwelling, and appearedto be awaiting their return. 

This convinced me that strangers--perhaps some of my own countrymen--hadfor some cause or other entered the bay. Distracted at the idea of theirvicinity, and reckless of the pain which I suffered, I heeded not theassurances of the islanders, that there were no boats at the beach, butstarting to my feet endeavoured to gain the door. Instantly the passagewas blocked up by several men, who commanded me to resume my seat. Thefierce looks of the irritated savages admonished me that I could gainnothing by force, and that it was by entreaty alone that I could hope tocompass my object. 

Guided by this consideration, I turned to Mow-Mow, the only chiefpresent whom I had been much in the habit of seeing, and carefullyconcealing, my real design, tried to make him comprehend that I stillbelieved Toby to have arrived on the shore, and besought him to allow meto go forward to welcome him. 

To all his repeated assertions, that my companion had not been seen, I pretended to turn a deaf ear, while I urged my solicitations with aneloquence of gesture which the one-eyed chief appeared unable to resist. He seemed indeed to regard me as a forward child, to whose wishes he hadnot the heart to oppose force, and whom he must consequently humour. Hespoke a few words to the natives, who at once retreated from the door, and I immediately passed out of the house. 

Here I looked earnestly round for Kory-Kory; but that hitherto faithfulservitor was nowhere to be seen. Unwilling to linger even for a singleinstant when every moment might be so important, I motioned to amuscular fellow near me to take me upon his back; to my surprise heangrily refused. I turned to another, but with a like result. A thirdattempt was as unsuccessful, and I immediately perceived what hadinduced Mow-Mow to grant my request, and why the other natives conductedthemselves in so strange a manner. It was evident that the chief hadonly given me liberty to continue my progress towards the sea, becausehe supposed that I was deprived of the means of reaching it. 

Convinced by this of their determination to retain me a captive, Ibecame desperate; and almost insensible to the pain which I suffered, I seized a spear which was leaning against the projecting eaves of thehouse, and supporting myself with it, resumed the path that swept bythe dwelling. To my surprise, I was suffered to proceed alone; allthe natives remaining in front of the house, and engaging in earnestconversation, which every moment became more loud and vehement; and tomy unspeakable delight, I perceived that some difference of opinionhad arisen between them; that two parties, in short, were formed, andconsequently that in their divided counsels there was some chance of mydeliverance. 

Before I had proceeded a hundred yards I was again surrounded by thesavages, who were still in all the heat of argument, and appeared everymoment as if they would come to blows. In the midst of this tumultold Marheyo came to my side, and I shall never forget the benevolentexpression of his countenance. He placed his arm upon my shoulder, andemphatically pronounced the only two English words I had taught him'Home' and 'Mother'. I at once understood what he meant, and eagerlyexpressed my thanks to him. Fayaway and Kory-Kory were by his side, bothweeping violently; and it was not until the old man had twice repeatedthe command that his son could bring himself to obey him, and take meagain upon his back. The one-eyed chief opposed his doing so, but he wasoverruled, and, as it seemed to me, by some of his own party. 

We proceeded onwards, and never shall I forget the ecstasy I felt when Ifirst heard the roar of the surf breaking upon the beach. Before longI saw the flashing billows themselves through the opening between thetrees. Oh glorious sight and sound of ocean! with what rapture did Ihail you as familiar friends! By this time the shouts of the crowdupon the beach were distinctly audible, and in the blended confusionof sounds I almost fancied I could distinguish the voices of my owncountrymen. 

When we reached the open space which lay between the groves and the sea, the first object that met my view was an English whale-boat, lying withher bow pointed from the shore, and only a few fathoms distant from it. It was manned by five islanders, dressed in shirt tunics of calico. Myfirst impression was that they were in the very act of pulling out fromthe bay; and that, after all my exertions, I had come too late. My soulsunk within me: but a second glance convinced me that the boat was onlyhanging off to keep out of the surf; and the next moment I heard my ownname shouted out by a voice from the midst of the crowd. 

Looking in the direction of the sound, I perceived, to my indescribablejoy, the tall figure of Karakoee, an Oahu Kanaka, who had often beenaboard the 'Dolly', while she lay in Nukuheva. He wore the greenshooting-jacket with gilt buttons, which had been given to him by anofficer of the Reine Blanche--the French flag-ship--and in which I hadalways seen him dressed. I now remembered the Kanaka had frequently toldme that his person was tabooed in all the valleys of the island, and thesight of him at such a moment as this filled my heart with a tumult ofdelight. 

Karakoee stood near the edge of the water with a large roll ofcotton-cloth thrown over one arm, and holding two or three canvas bagsof powder, while with the other hand he grasped a musket, which heappeared to be proffering to several of the chiefs around him. But theyturned with disgust from his offers and seemed to be impatient athis presence, with vehement gestures waving him off to his boat, andcommanding him to depart. 

The Kanaka, however, still maintained his ground, and I at onceperceived that he was seeking to purchase my freedom. Animated by theidea, I called upon him loudly to come to me; but he replied, in brokenEnglish, that the islanders had threatened to pierce him with theirspears, if he stirred a foot towards me. At this time I was stilladvancing, surrounded by a dense throng of the natives, several of whomhad their hands upon me, and more than one javelin was threateninglypointed at me. Still I perceived clearly that many of those leastfriendly towards me looked irresolute and anxious. I was still somethirty yards from Karakoee when my farther progress was prevented by thenatives, who compelled me to sit down upon the ground, while they stillretained their hold upon my arms. The din and tumult now became tenfold, and I perceived that several of the priests were on the spot, all ofwhom were evidently urging Mow-Mow and the other chiefs to prevent mydeparture; and the detestable word 'Roo-ne! Roo-ne!' which I had heardrepeated a thousand times during the day, was now shouted out on everyside of me. Still I saw that the Kanaka continued his exertions in myfavour--that he was boldly debating the matter with the savages, and wasstriving to entice them by displaying his cloth and powder, and snappingthe lock of his musket. But all he said or did appeared only to augmentthe clamours of those around him, who seemed bent upon driving him intothe sea. 

When I remembered the extravagant value placed by these people upon thearticles which were offered to them in exchange for me, and whichwere so indignantly rejected, I saw a new proof of the same fixeddetermination of purpose they had all along manifested with regardto me, and in despair, and reckless of consequences, I exerted all mystrength, and shaking myself free from the grasp of those who held me, Isprang upon my feet and rushed towards Karakoee. 

The rash attempt nearly decided my fate; for, fearful that I might slipfrom them, several of the islanders now raised a simultaneous shout, and pressing upon Karakoee, they menaced him with furious gestures, andactually forced him into the sea. Appalled at their violence, the poorfellow, standing nearly to the waist in the surf, endeavoured to pacifythem; but at length fearful that they would do him some fatal violence, he beckoned to his comrades to pull in at once, and take him into theboat. 

It was at this agonizing moment, when I thought all hope was ended, thata new contest arose between the two parties who had accompanied me tothe shore; blows were struck, wounds were given, and blood flowed. Inthe interest excited by the fray, every one had left me except Marheyo, Kory-Kory and poor dear Fayaway, who clung to me, sobbing indignantly. I saw that now or never was the moment. Clasping my hands together, Ilooked imploringly at Marheyo, and move towards the now almost desertedbeach. The tears were in the old man's eyes, but neither he norKory-Kory attempted to hold me, and I soon reached the Kanaka, who hadanxiously watched my movements; the rowers pulled in as near as theydared to the edge of the surf; I gave one parting embrace to Fayaway, who seemed speechless with sorrow, and the next instant I found myselfsafe in the boat, and Karakoee by my side, who told the rowers at onceto give way. Marheyo and Kory-Kory, and a great many of the women, followed me into the water, and I was determined, as the only mark ofgratitude I could show, to give them the articles which had been broughtas my ransom. I handed the musket to Kory-Kory, with a rapid gesturewhich was equivalent to a 'Deed of Gift'; threw the roll of cotton toold Marheyo, pointing as I did so to poor Fayaway, who had retired fromthe edge of the water and was sitting down disconsolate on the shingles;and tumbled the powder-bags out to the nearest young ladies, all of whomwere vastly willing to take them. This distribution did not occupy tenseconds, and before it was over the boat was under full way; the Kanakaall the while exclaiming loudly against what he considered a uselessthrowing away of valuable property. 

Although it was clear that my movements had been noticed by several ofthe natives, still they had not suspended the conflict in which theywere engaged, and it was not until the boat was above fifty yards fromthe shore that Mow-Mow and some six or seven other warriors rushed intothe sea and hurled their javelins at us. Some of the weapons passedquite as close to us as was desirable, but no one was wounded, and themen pulled away gallantly. But although soon out of the reach of thespears, our progress was extremely slow; it blew strong upon the shore, and the tide was against us; and I saw Karakoee, who was steering theboat, give many a look towards a jutting point of the bay round which wehad to pass. 

For a minute or two after our departure, the savages, who had formedinto different groups, remained perfectly motionless and silent. Allat-once the enraged chief showed by his gestures that he had resolvedwhat course he would take. Shouting loudly to his companions, andpointing with his tomahawk towards the headland, he set off at fullspeed in that direction, and was followed by about thirty of thenatives, among whom were several of the priests, all yelling out'Roo-ne! Roo-ne!' at the very top of their voices. Their intention wasevidently to swim off from the headland and intercept us in our course. The wind was freshening every minute, and was right in our teeth, and itwas one of those chopping angry seas in which it is so difficult torow. Still the chances seemed in our favour, but when we came within ahundred yards of the point, the active savages were already dashing intothe water, and we all feared that within five minutes' time we shouldhave a score of the infuriated wretches around us. If so our doomwas sealed, for these savages, unlike the feeble swimmer of civilizedcountries, are, if anything, more formidable antagonists in the waterthan when on the land. It was all a trial of strength; our nativespulled till their oars bent again, and the crowd of swimmers shotthrough the water despite its roughness, with fearful rapidity. 

By the time we had reached the headland, the savages were spread rightacross our course. Our rowers got out their knives and held them readybetween their teeth, and I seized the boat-hook. We were all aware thatif they succeeded in intercepting us they would practise upon us themanoeuvre which has proved so fatal to many a boat's crew in these seas. They would grapple the oars, and seizing hold of the gunwhale, capsizethe boat, and then we should be entirely at their mercy. 

After a few breathless moments discerned Mow-Mow. The athletic islander, with his tomahawk between his teeth, was dashing the water before himtill it foamed again. He was the nearest to us, and in another instanthe would have seized one of the oars. Even at the moment I felt horrorat the act I was about to commit; but it was no time for pity orcompunction, and with a true aim, and exerting all my strength, I dashedthe boat-hook at him. It struck him just below the throat, and forcedhim downwards. I had no time to repeat the blow, but I saw him riseto the surface in the wake of the boat, and never shall I forget theferocious expression of his countenance. 

Only one other of the savages reached the boat. He seized the gunwhale, but the knives of our rowers so mauled his wrists, that he was forced toquit his hold, and the next minute we were past them all, and in safety. The strong excitement which had thus far kept me up, now left me, and Ifell back fainting into the arms of Karakoee. 

 . . . . . . . . 

The circumstances connected with my most unexpected escape may be verybriefly stated. The captain of an Australian vessel, being in distressfor men in these remote seas, had put into Nukuheva in order to recruithis ship's company; but not a single man was to be obtained; and thebarque was about to get under weigh, when she was boarded by Karakoee, who informed the disappointed Englishman that an American sailorwas detained by the savages in the neighbouring bay of Typee; and heoffered, if supplied with suitable articles of traffic, to undertake hisrelease. The Kanaka had gained his intelligence from Marnoo, to whom, after all, I was indebted for my escape. The proposition was acceded to;and Karakoee, taking with him five tabooed natives of Nukuheva, againrepaired aboard the barque, which in a few hours sailed to that part ofthe island, and threw her main-top-sail aback right off the entranceto the Typee bay. The whale-boat, manned by the tabooed crew, pulledtowards the head of the inlet, while the ship lay 'off and on' awaitingits return. 

The events which ensued have already been detailed, and little moreremains to be related. On reaching the 'Julia' I was lifted over theside, and my strange appearance and remarkable adventure occasioned theliveliest interest. Every attention was bestowed upon me that humanitycould suggest. But to such a state was I reduced, that three monthselapsed before I recovered my health. 

The mystery which hung over the fate of my friend and companion Toby hasnever been cleared up. I still remain ignorant whether he succeeded inleaving the valley, or perished at the hands of the islanders. 

THE STORY OF TOBY

THE morning my comrade left me, as related in the narrative, he wasaccompanied by a large party of the natives, some of them carrying fruitand hogs for the purposes of traffic, as the report had spread thatboats had touched at the bay. 

As they proceeded through the settled parts of the valley, numbersjoined them from every side, running with animated cries from everypathway. So excited were the whole party, that eager as Toby was to gainthe beach, it was almost as much as he could do to keep up with them. Making the valley ring with their shouts, they hurried along on a swifttrot, those in advance pausing now and then, and flourishing theirweapons to urge the rest forward. 

Presently they came to a place where the paths crossed a bend of themain stream of the valley. Here a strange sound came through the grovebeyond, and the Islanders halted. It was Mow-Mow, the one-eyed chief, who had gone on before; he was striking his heavy lance against thehollow bough of a tree. 

This was a signal of alarm;--for nothing was now heard but shoutsof 'Happar! Happar!'--the warriors tilting with their spears andbrandishing them in the air, and the women and boys shouting to eachother, and picking up the stones in the bed of the stream. In a momentor two Mow-Mow and two or three other chiefs ran out from the grove, andthe din increased ten fold. 

Now, thought Toby, for a fray; and being unarmed, he besought one of theyoung men domiciled with Marheyo for the loan of his spear. But he wasrefused; the youth roguishly telling him that the weapon was very goodfor him (the Typee), but that a white man could fight much better withhis fists. 

The merry humour of this young wag seemed to be shared by the rest, forin spite of their warlike cries and gestures, everybody was caperingand laughing, as if it was one of the funniest things in the world to beawaiting the flight of a score or two of Happar javelins from an ambushin the thickets. 

While my comrade was in vain trying to make out the meaning of all this, a good number of the natives separated themselves from the rest and ranoff into the grove on one side, the others now keeping perfectly still, as if awaiting the result. After a little while, however, Mow-Mow, whostood in advance, motioned them to come on stealthily, which they did, scarcely rustling a leaf. Thus they crept along for ten or fifteenminutes, every now and then pausing to listen. 

Toby by no means relished this sort of skulking; if there was going tobe a fight, he wanted it to begin at once. But all in good time, --forjust then, as they went prowling into the thickest of the wood, terrifichowls burst upon them on all sides, and volleys of darts and stones flewacross the path. Not an enemy was to be seen, and what was still moresurprising, not a single man dropped, though the pebbles fell among theleaves like hail. 

There was a moment's pause, when the Typees, with wild shrieks, flungthemselves into the covert, spear in hand; nor was Toby behindhand. Coming so near getting his skull broken by the stones, and animated byan old grudge he bore the Happars, he was among the first to dash atthem. As he broke his way through the underbush, trying, as he didso, to wrest a spear from a young chief, the shouts of battle all of asudden ceased, and the wood was as still as death. The next moment, theparty who had left them so mysteriously rushed out from behind everybush and tree, and united with the rest in long and merry peals oflaughter. 

It was all a sham, and Toby, who was quite out of breath withexcitement, was much incensed at being made a fool of. 

It afterwards turned out that the whole affair had been concerted forhis particular benefit, though with what precise view it would be hardto tell. My comrade was the more enraged at this boys' play, since ithad consumed so much time, every moment of which might be precious. Perhaps, however, it was partly intended for this very purpose; and hewas led to think so, because when the natives started again, he observedthat they did not seem to be in so great a hurry as before. At last, after they had gone some distance, Toby, thinking all the while thatthey never would get to the sea, two men came running towards them, and a regular halt ensued, followed by a noisy discussion, during whichToby's name was often repeated. All this made him more and more anxiousto learn what was going on at the beach; but it was in vain that he nowtried to push forward; the natives held him back. 

In a few moments the conference ended, and many of them ran down thepath in the direction of the water, the rest surrounding Toby, andentreating him to 'Moee', or sit down and rest himself. As an additionalinducement, several calabashes of food, which had been brought along, were now placed on the ground, and opened, and pipes also were lighted. Toby bridled his impatience a while, but at last sprang to his feetand dashed forward again. He was soon overtaken nevertheless, and againsurrounded, but without further detention was then permitted to go downto the sea. 

They came out upon a bright green space between the groves and thewater, and close under the shadow of the Happar mountain, where a pathwas seen winding out of sight through a gorge. 

No sign of a boat, however, was beheld, nothing but a tumultuous crowdof men and women, and some one in their midst, earnestly talking tothem. As my comrade advanced, this person came forward and proved tobe no stranger. He was an old grizzled sailor, whom Toby and myself hadfrequently seen in Nukuheva, where he lived an easy devil-may-care lifein the household of Mowanna the king, going by the name of 'Jimmy'. In fact he was the royal favourite, and had a good deal to say in hismaster's councils. He wore a Manilla hat and a sort of tappa morninggown, sufficiently loose and negligent to show the verse of a songtattooed upon his chest, and a variety of spirited cuts by nativeartists in other parts of his body. He sported a fishing rod in hishand, and carried a sooty old pipe slung about his neck. 

This old rover having retired from active life, had resided in Nukuhevasome time--could speak the language, and for that reason was frequentlyemployed by the French as an interpreter. He was an arrant old gossiptoo; for ever coming off in his canoe to the ships in the bay, andregaling their crews with choice little morsels of court scandal--such, for instance, as a shameful intrigue of his majesty with a Happardamsel, a public dancer at the feasts--and otherwise relating someincredible tales about the Marquesas generally. I remember in particularhis telling the Dolly's crew what proved to be literally a cock-and-bullstory, about two natural prodigies which he said were then on theisland. One was an old monster of a hermit, having a marvellousreputation for sanctity, and reputed a famous sorcerer, who lived awayoff in a den among the mountains, where he hid from the world agreat pair of horns that grew out of his temples. Notwithstanding hisreputation for piety, this horrid old fellow was the terror of all theisland round, being reported to come out from his retreat, and go aman-hunting every dark night. Some anonymous Paul Pry, too, coming downthe mountain, once got a peep at his den, and found it full of bones. Inshort, he was a most unheard-of monster. 

The other prodigy Jimmy told us about was the younger son of a chief, who, although but just turned of ten, had entered upon holy orders, because his superstitious countrymen thought him especially intendedfor the priesthood from the fact of his having a comb on his head likea rooster. But this was not all; for still more wonderful to relate, theboy prided himself upon his strange crest, being actually endowed with acock's voice, and frequently crowing over his peculiarity. 

But to return to Toby. The moment he saw the old rover on the beach, heran up to him, the natives following after, and forming a circle roundthem. 

After welcoming him to the shore, Jimmy went on to tell him how that heknew all about our having run away from the ship, and being among theTypees. Indeed, he had been urged by Mowanna to come over to the valley, and after visiting his friends there, to bring us back with him, hisroyal master being exceedingly anxious to share with him the rewardwhich had been held out for our capture. He, however, assured Toby thathe had indignantly spurned the offer. 

All this astonished my comrade not a little, as neither of us hadentertained the least idea that any white man ever visited the Typeessociably. But Jimmy told him that such was the case nevertheless, although he seldom came into the bay, and scarcely ever went backfrom the beach. One of the priests of the valley, in some way or otherconnected with an old tattooed divine in Nukuheva, was a friend of his, and through him he was 'taboo'. 

He said, moreover, that he was sometimes employed to come round to thebay, and engage fruit for ships lying in Nukuheva. In fact, he was nowon that very errand, according to his own account, having just comeacross the mountains by the way of Happar. By noon of the next day thefruit would be heaped up in stacks on the beach, in readiness for theboats which he then intended to bring into the bay. 

Jimmy now asked Toby whether he wished to leave the island--if he did, there was a ship in want of men lying in the other harbour, and he wouldbe glad to take him over, and see him on board that very day. 

'No, ' said Toby, 'I cannot leave the island unless my comrade goes withme. I left him up the valley because they would not let him come down. Let us go now and fetch him. '

'But how is he to cross the mountain with us, ' replied Jimmy, 'even ifwe get him down to the beach? Better let him stay till tomorrow, and Iwill bring him round to Nukuheva in the boats. '

'That will never do, ' said Toby, 'but come along with me now, and letus get him down here at any rate, ' and yielding to the impulse of themoment, he started to hurry back into the valley. But hardly was hisback turned, when a dozen hands were laid on him, and he learned that hecould not go a step further. 

It was in vain that he fought with them; they would not hear of hisstirring from the beach. Cut to the heart at this unexpected repulse, Toby now conjured the sailor to go after me alone. But Jimmy replied, that in the mood the Typees then were they would not permit him so todo, though at the same time he was not afraid of their offering him anyharm. 

Little did Toby then think, as he afterwards had good reason to suspect, that this very Jimmy was a heartless villain, who, by his arts, had justincited the natives to restrain him as he was in the act of going afterme. Well must the old sailor have known, too, that the natives wouldnever consent to our leaving together, and he therefore wanted to getToby off alone, for a purpose which he afterwards made plain. Of allthis, however, my comrade now knew nothing. 

He was still struggling with the islanders when Jimmy again came up tohim, and warned him against irritating them, saying that he was onlymaking matters worse for both of us, and if they became enraged, therewas no telling what might happen. At last he made Toby sit down on abroken canoe by a pile of stones, upon which was a ruinous little shrinesupported by four upright poles, and in front partly screened by a net. The fishing parties met there, when they came in from the sea, for theirofferings were laid before an image, upon a smooth black stone within. This spot Jimmy said was strictly 'taboo', and no one would molest orcome near him while he stayed by its shadow. The old sailor then wentoff, and began speaking very earnestly to Mow-Mow and some other chiefs, while all the rest formed a circle round the taboo place, lookingintently at Toby, and talking to each other without ceasing. 

Now, notwithstanding what Jimmy had just told him, there presently cameup to my comrade an old woman, who seated herself beside him on thecanoe. 

'Typee motarkee?' said she. 'Motarkee nuee, ' said Toby. 

She then asked him whether he was going to Nukuheva; he nodded yes; andwith a plaintive wail and her eyes filling with tears she rose and lefthim. 

This old woman, the sailor afterwards said, was the wife of an aged kingof a small island valley, communicating by a deep pass with the countryof the Typees. The inmates of the two valleys were related to each otherby blood, and were known by the same name. The old woman had gone downinto the Typee valley the day before, and was now with three chiefs, hersons, on a visit to her kinsmen. 

As the old king's wife left him, Jimmy again came up to Toby, and toldhim that he had just talked the whole matter over with the natives, andthere was only one course for him to follow. They would not allow him togo back into the valley, and harm would certainly come to both him andme, if he remained much longer on the beach. 'So, ' said he, 'you and Ihad better go to Nukuheva now overland, and tomorrow I will bring Tommo, as they call him, by water; they have promised to carry him down to thesea for me early in the morning, so that there will be no delay. '

'No, no, ' said Toby desperately, 'I will not leave him that way; we mustescape together. '

'Then there is no hope for you, ' exclaimed the sailor, 'for if I leaveyou here on the beach, as soon as I am gone you will be carried backinto the valley, and then neither of you will ever look upon thesea again. ' And with many oaths he swore that if he would only go toNukuheva with him that day, he would be sure to have me there the verynext morning. 

'But how do you know they will bring him down to the beach tomorrow, when they will not do so today?' said Toby. But the sailor had manyreasons, all of which were so mixed up with the mysterious customsof the islanders, that he was none the wiser. Indeed, their conduct, especially in preventing him from returning into the valley, wasabsolutely unaccountable to him; and added to everything else, was thebitter reflection, that the old sailor, after all, might possibly bedeceiving him. And then again he had to think of me, left alone with thenatives, and by no means well. If he went with Jimmy, he might at leasthope to procure some relief for me. But might not the savages who hadacted so strangely, hurry me off somewhere before his return? Then, evenif he remained, perhaps they would not let him go back into the valleywhere I was. 

Thus perplexed was my poor comrade; he knew not what to do, and hiscourageous spirit was of no use to him now. There he was, all byhimself, seated upon the broken canoe--the natives grouped around him ata distance, and eyeing him more and more fixedly. 'It is getting late:said Jimmy, who was standing behind the rest. 'Nukuheva is far off, andI cannot cross the Happar country by night. You see how it is;--if youcome along with me, all will be well; if you do not, depend upon it, neither of you will ever escape. '

'There is no help for it, ' said Toby, at last, with a heavy heart, 'Iwill have to trust you, ' and he came out from the shadow of the littleshrine, and cast a long look up the valley. 

'Now keep close to my side, ' said the sailor, 'and let us be movingquickly. ' Tinor and Fayaway here appeared; the kindhearted old womanembracing Toby's knees, and giving way to a flood of tears; whileFayaway, hardly less moved, spoke some few words of English she hadlearned, and held up three fingers before him--in so many days he wouldreturn. 

At last Jimmy pulled Toby out of the crowd, and after calling to ayoung Typee who was standing by with a young pig in his arms, all threestarted for the mountains. 

'I have told them that you are coming back again, ' said the old fellow, laughing, as they began the ascent, 'but they'll have to wait a longtime. ' Toby turned, and saw the natives all in motion--the girls wavingtheir tappas in adieu, and the men their spears. As the last figureentered the grove with one arm raised, and the three fingers spread, hisheart smote him. 

As the natives had at last consented to his going, it might have been, that some of them, at least, really counted upon his speedy return;probably supposing, as indeed he had told them when they were comingdown the valley, that his only object in leaving them was to procure themedicines I needed. This, Jimmy also must have told them. And as theyhad done before, when my comrade, to oblige me, started on his perilousjourney to Nukuheva, they looked upon me, in his absence, as one of twoinseparable friends who was a sure guaranty for the other's return. This is only my own supposition, however, for as to all their strangeconduct, it is still a mystery. 

'You see what sort of a taboo man I am, ' said the sailor, after for sometime silently following the path which led up the mountain. 'Mow-Mowmade me a present of this pig here, and the man who carries it willgo right through Happar, and down into Nukuheva with us. So long as hestays by me he is safe, and just so it will be with you, and tomorrowwith Tommo. Cheer up, then, and rely upon me, you will see him in themorning. '

The ascent of the mountain was not very difficult, owing to its beingnear to the sea, where the island ridges are comparatively low; thepath, too, was a fine one, so that in a short time all three werestanding on the summit with the two valleys at their feet. The whitecascade marking the green head of the Typee valley first caught Toby'seye; Marheyo's house could easily be traced by them. 

As Jimmy led the way along the ridge, Toby observed that the valley ofthe Happars did not extend near so far inland as that of the Typees. This accounted for our mistake in entering the latter valley as we had. 

A path leading down from the mountain was soon seen, and, following it, the party were in a short time fairly in the Happar valley. 

'Now, ' said Jimmy, as they hurried on, 'we taboo men have wives in allthe bays, and I am going to show you the two I have here. '

So, when they came to the house where he said they lived, --which wasclose by the base of the mountain in a shady nook among the groves--hewent in, and was quite furious at finding it empty--the ladies, had goneout. However, they soon made their appearance, and to tell the truth, welcomed Jimmy quite cordially, as well as Toby, about whom they werevery inquisitive. Nevertheless, as the report of their arrival spread, and the Happars began to assemble, it became evident that the appearanceof a white stranger among them was not by any means deemed so wonderfulan event as in the neighbouring valley. 

The old sailor now bade his wives prepare something to eat, as he mustbe in Nukuheva before dark. A meal of fish, bread-fruit, and bananas, was accordingly served up, the party regaling themselves on the mats, inthe midst of a numerous company. 

The Happars put many questions to Jimmy about Toby; and Toby himselflooked sharply at them, anxious to recognize the fellow who gave him thewound from which he was still suffering. But this fiery gentleman, sohandy with his spear, had the delicacy, it seemed, to keep out of view. Certainly the sight of him would not have been any added inducement tomaking a stay in the valley, --some of the afternoon loungers in Happarhaving politely urged Toby to spend a few days with them, --there was afeast coming on. He, however, declined. 

All this while the young Typee stuck to Jimmy like his shadow, andthough as lively a dog as any of his tribe, he was now as meek asa lamb, never opening his mouth except to eat. Although some of theHappars looked queerly at him, others were more civil, and seemeddesirous of taking him abroad and showing him the valley. But the Typeewas not to be cajoled in that way. How many yards he would have toremove from Jimmy before the taboo would be powerless, it would be hardto tell, but probably he himself knew to a fraction. 

On the promise of a red cotton handkerchief, and something else which hekept secret, this poor fellow had undertaken a rather ticklish journey, though, as far as Toby could ascertain, it was something that had neverhappened before. 

The island-punch--arva--was brought in at the conclusion of the repast, and passed round in a shallow calabash. 

Now my comrade, while seated in the Happar house, began to feel moretroubled than ever at leaving me; indeed, so sad did he feel that hetalked about going back to the valley, and wanted Jimmy to escort himas far as the mountains. But the sailor would not listen to him, and, byway of diverting his thoughts, pressed him to drink of the arva. Knowingits narcotic nature, he refused; but Jimmy said he would have somethingmixed with it, which would convert it into an innocent beverage thatwould inspirit them for the rest of their journey. So at last he wasinduced to drink of it, and its effects were just as the sailor hadpredicted; his spirits rose at once, and all his gloomy thoughts lefthim. 

The old rover now began to reveal his true character, though he washardly suspected at the time. 'If I get you off to a ship, ' said he, 'you will surely give a poor fellow something for saving you. ' In short, before they left the house, he made Toby promise that he would give himfive Spanish dollars if he succeeded in getting any part of his wagesadvanced from the vessel, aboard of which they were going; Toby, moreover, engaging to reward him still further, as soon as mydeliverance was accomplished. 

A little while after this they started again, accompanied by many of thenatives, and going up the valley, took a steep path near its head, which led to Nukuheva. Here the Happars paused and watched them as theyascended the mountain, one group of bandit-looking fellows, shakingtheir spears and casting threatening glances at the poor Typee, whoseheart as well as heels seemed much the lighter when he came to look downupon them. 

On gaining the heights once more, their way led for a time along severalridges covered with enormous ferns. At last they entered upon a woodedtract, and here they overtook a party of Nukuheva natives, well armed, and carrying bundles of long poles. Jimmy seemed to know them all verywell, and stopped for a while, and had a talk about the 'Wee-Wees', asthe people of Nukuheva call the Monsieurs. 

The party with the poles were King Mowanna's men, and by his orders theyhad been gathering them in the ravines for his allies the French. 

Leaving these fellows to trudge on with their loads, Toby and hiscompanions now pushed forward again, as the sun was already low in thewest. They came upon the valleys of Nukuheva on one side of the bay, where the highlands slope off into the sea. The men-of-war were stilllying in the harbour, and as Toby looked down upon them, the strangeevents which had happened so recently, seemed all a dream. 

They soon descended towards the beach, and found themselves in Jimmy'shouse before it was well dark. Here he received another welcome fromhis Nukuheva wives, and after some refreshments in the shape of cocoanutmilk and poee-poee, they entered a canoe (the Typee of course goingalong) and paddled off to a whaleship which was anchored near the shore. This was the vessel in want of men. Our own had sailed some time before. The captain professed great pleasure at seeing Toby, but thought fromhis exhausted appearance that he must be unfit for duty. However, heagreed to ship him, as well as his comrade, as soon as he should arrive. Toby begged hard for an armed boat, in which to go round to Typee andrescue me, notwithstanding the promises of Jimmy. But this the captainwould not hear of, and told him to have patience, for the sailor wouldbe faithful to his word. When, too, he demanded the five silver dollarsfor Jimmy, the captain was unwilling to give them. But Toby insistedupon it, as he now began to think that Jimmy might be a mere mercenary, who would be sure to prove faithless if not well paid. Accordingly henot only gave him the money, but took care to assure him, over and overagain, that as soon as he brought me aboard he would receive a stilllarger sum. 

Before sun-rise the next day, Jimmy and the Typee started in two of theship's boats, which were manned by tabooed natives. Toby, of course, wasall eagerness to go along, but the sailor told him that if he did, itwould spoil all; so, hard as it was, he was obliged to remain. 

Towards evening he was on the watch, and descried the boats turning theheadland and entering the bay. He strained his eyes, and thought he sawme; but I was not there. Descending from the mast almost distracted, hegrappled Jimmy as he struck the deck, shouting in a voice that startledhim, 'Where is Tommo?' The old fellow faltered, but soon recovering, did all he could to soothe him, assuring him that it had proved to beimpossible to get me down to the shore that morning; assigning manyplausible reasons, and adding that early on the morrow he was going tovisit the bay again in a French boat, when, if he did not find me on thebeach--as this time he certainly expected to--he would march right backinto the valley, and carry me away at all hazards. He, however, againrefused to allow Toby to accompany him. Now, situated as Toby was, hissole dependence for the present was upon this Jimmy, and therefore hewas fain to comfort himself as well as he could with what the old sailortold him. The next morning, however, he had the satisfaction of seeingthe French boat start with Jimmy in it. Tonight, then, I will see him, thought Toby; but many a long day passed before he ever saw Tommo again. Hardly was the boat out of sight, when the captain came forward andordered the anchor weighed; he was going to sea. 

Vain were all Toby's ravings--they were disregarded; and when he came tohimself, the sails were set, and the ship fast leaving the land. 

... 'Oh!' said he to me at our meeting, 'what sleepless nights weremine. Often I started from my hammock, dreaming you were before me, andupbraiding me for leaving you on the island. '

 . . . . . . . 

There is little more to be related. Toby left this vessel at NewZealand, and after some further adventures, arrived home in less thantwo years after leaving the Marquesas. He always thought of me asdead--and I had every reason to suppose that he too was no more; but astrange meeting was in store for us, one which made Toby's heart all thelighter. 

NOTE. 

The author was more than two years in the South Seas, after escapingfrom the valley, as recounted in the last chapter. Some time afterreturning home the foregoing narrative was published, though it waslittle thought at the time that this would be the means of revealingthe existence of Toby, who had long been given up for lost. But so itproved. 

The story of his escape supplies a natural sequel to the adventure, andas such it is now added to the volume. It was related to the author byToby himself, not ten days since. 

New York, July, 1846.