bywhichtimeIhavenodoubtthatthegreaterpartoftheinhabitantsofthevalleyhadbathedthemselvesinthelightofourbenignantcountenances。
Atlast,whentheirnumbersbegantodiminish,asuperb-lookingwarriorstoopedthetoweringplumesofhishead-dressbeneaththelowportal,andenteredthehouse。Isawatoncethathewassomedistinguishedpersonage,thenativesregardinghimwiththeutmostdeference,andmakingroomforhimasheapproached。Hisaspectwasimposing。Thesplendidlongdroopingtail-feathersofthetropicalbird,thicklyinterspersedwiththegaudyplumageofthecock,weredisposedinanimmenseuprightsemicircleuponhishead,theirlowerextremitiesbeingfixedinacrescentofguinea-beadswhichspannedtheforehead。Aroundhisneckwereseveralenormousnecklacesofboar’stusks,polishedlikeivory,anddisposedinsuchamannerasthatthelongestandlargestwereuponhiscapaciouschest。Thrustforwardthroughthelargeaperturesinhisearsweretwosmallandfinelyshapedsperm-whaleteeth,presentingtheircavitiesinfront,stuffedwithfreshly-pluckedleaves,andcuriouslywroughtattheotherendintostrangelittleimagesanddevices。Thesebarbarictrinkets,garnishedinthismannerattheiropenextremities,andtaperingandcurvingroundtoapointbehindtheear,resemblednotalittleapairofcornucopias。
Theloinsofthewarriorweregirtaboutwithheavyfoldsofadark-colouredtappa,hangingbeforeandbehindinclustersofbraidedtassels,whileankletsandbraceletsofcurlinghumanhaircompletedhisuniquecostume。Inhisrighthandhegraspedabeautifully-carvedpaddle-spear,nearlyfifteenfeetinlength,madeofthebrightkoar-wood,oneendsharplypointed,andtheotherflattenedlikeanoar-blade。Hangingobliquelyfromhisgirdlebyaloopofsinnate,wasarichly-decoratedpipe;theslenderreedformingitsstemwascolouredwitharedpigment,androundit,aswellastheidol-bowl,flutteredlittlestreamersofthethinnesttappa。
Butthatwhichwasmostremarkableintheappearanceofthissplendidislander,wastheelaboratetattooingdisplayedoneverynoblelimb。Allimaginablelinesandcurvesandfiguresweredelineatedoverhiswholebody,andintheirgrotesquevarietyandinfiniteprofusion,Icouldonlycomparethemtothecrowdedgroupingsofquaintpatternswesometimesseeincostlypiecesoflace-work。Themostsimpleandremarkableofalltheseornamentswasthatwhichdecoratedthecountenanceofthechief。Twobroadstripesoftattooing,divergingfromthecentreofhisshavencrown,obliquelycrossedbotheyes-stainingthelids-toalittlebeloweitherear,wheretheyunitedwithanotherstripe,whichsweptinastraightlinealongthelips,andformedthebaseofthetriangle。Thewarrior,fromtheexcellenceofhisphysicalproportions,mightcertainlyhavebeenregardedasoneofnature’snoblemen,andthelinesdrawnuponhisfacemaypossiblyhavedenotedhisexaltedrank。
Thiswarlikepersonage,uponenteringthehouse,seatedhimselfatsomedistancefromthespotwhereTobyandmyselfreposed,whiletherestofthesavageslookedalternatelyfromustohim,asifinexpectationofsomethingtheyweredisappointedinnotperceiving。
Regardingthechiefattentively,Ithoughthislineamentsappearedfamiliartome。Assoonashisfullfacewasturneduponme,andI
againbehelditsextraordinaryembellishment,andmetthestrangegazetowhichIhadbeensubjectedtheprecedingnight,Iimmediately,inspiteofthealterationinhisappearance,recognisedthenobleMehevi。Onaddressinghim,headvancedatonceinthemostcordialmanner,andgreetingmewarmly,seemedtoenjoynotalittletheeffecthisbarbariccostumehadproduceduponme。
Iforthwithdeterminedtosecure,ifpossible,thegoodwillofthisindividual,asIeasilyperceivedhewasamanofgreatauthorityinhistribe,andonewhomightexertapowerfulinfluenceuponoursubsequentfate。IntheendeavourIwasnotrepulsed;fornothingcouldsurpassthefriendlinesshemanifestedtowardsbothmycompanionandmyself。Heextendedhissturdylimbsbyourside,andendeavouredtomakeuscomprehendthefullextentofthekindlyfeelingsbywhichhewasactuated。Thealmostinsuperabledifficultyincommunicatingtooneanotherourideas,affectedthechiefwithnolittlemortification。Heevincedagreatdesiretobeenlightenedwithregardtothecustomsandpeculiaritiesofthefar-offcountrywehadleftbehindus,andtowhich,underthenameofManeeka,hefrequentlyalluded。
Butthatwhichmorethananyothersubjectengagedhisattention,wasthelateproceedingsofthe“Franee,“ashecalledtheFrench,intheneighbouringbayofNukuheva。Thisseemedanever-endingthemewithhim,andoneconcerningwhichhewasneverwearyofinterrogatingus。Alltheinformationwesucceededinimpartingtohimonthissubjectwaslittlemorethanthatwehadseensixmen-of-warlyinginthehostilebayatthetimewehadleftit。
Whenhereceivedthisintelligence,Mehevi,bytheaidofhisfingers,wentthroughalongnumericalcalculation,asifestimatingthenumberofFrenchmenthesquadronmightcontain。
Itwasjustafteremployinghisfacultiesinthiswaythathehappenedtonoticetheswellinginmylimb。Heimmediatelyexamineditwiththeutmostattention,andafterdoingso,despatchedaboy,whohappenedtobestandingby,withsomemessage。
Afterthelapseofafewmomentsthestriplingre-enteredthehousewithanagedislander,whomighthavebeentakenforoldHippocrateshimself。Hisheadwasasbaldasthepolishedsurfaceofacocoa-nutshell,whicharticleitpreciselyresembledinsmoothnessandcolour,whilealongsilverybeardsweptalmosttohisgirdleofbark。EncirclinghistempleswasabandeauofthetwistedleavesoftheOmootree,pressedcloselyoverthebrowstoshieldhisfeeblevisionfromtheglareofthesun。Histotteringstepsweresupportedbyalongslimstaff,resemblingthewandwithwhichatheatricalmagicianappearsonthestage,andinonehandhecarriedafreshly-plaitedfanofthegreenleafletsofthecocoa-nuttree。A
flowingrobeoftappa,knottedovertheshoulder,hunglooselyroundhisstoopingform,andheightenedthevenerablenessofhisaspect。
Mehevi,salutingthisoldgentleman,motionedhimtoaseatbetweenus,andthenuncoveringmylimb,desiredhimtoexamineit。
TheleechgazedintentlyfrommetoToby,andthenproceededtobusiness。Afterdiligentlyobservingtheailingmember,hecommencedmanipulatingit;andonthesuppositionprobablythatthecomplainthaddeprivedthelegofallsensation,begantopinchandhammeritinsuchamannerthatIabsolutelyroaredwiththepain。ThinkingthatIwasascapableofmakinganapplicationofthumpsandpinchestothepartasanyoneelse,Iendeavouredtoresistthisspeciesofmedicaltreatment。Butitwasnotsoeasyamattertogetoutoftheclutchesoftheoldwizard;hefastenedontheunfortunatelimbasifitweresomethingforwhichhehadbeenlongseeking,andmutteringsomekindofincantationcontinuedhisdiscipline,poundingitafterafashionthatsetmewell-nighcrazy;whileMehevi,uponthesameprinciplewhichpromptsanaffectionatemothertoholdastrugglingchildinadentist’schair,restrainedmeinhispowerfulgrasp,andactuallyencouragedthewretchinthisinflictionoftorture。
Almostfranticwithrageandpain,Iyelledlikeabedlamite;
whileToby,throwinghimselfintoalltheattitudesofaposture-master,vainlyendeavouredtoexpostulatewiththenativesbysignsandgestures。Tohavelookedatmycompanion,as,sympathizingwithmysufferings,hestrovetoputanendtothem,onewouldhavethoughtthathewasthedeafanddumbalphabetincarnated。WhethermytormentoryieldedtoToby’sentreaties,orpausedfromsheerexhaustion,Idonotknow;butallatonceheceasedhisoperations,andatthesametimethechiefrelinquishinghisholduponme,Ifellback,faintandbreathlesswiththeagonyIhadendured。
Myunfortunatelimbwasnowleftmuchinthesameconditionasarump-steakafterundergoingthecastigatingprocesswhichprecedescooking。Myphysician,havingrecoveredfromthefatiguesofhisexertions,asifanxioustomakeamendsforthepaintowhichhehadsubjectedme,nowtooksomeherbsoutofalittlewalletthatwassuspendedfromhiswaist,andmoisteningtheminwater,appliedthemtotheinflamedpart,stoopingoveritatthesametime,andeitherwhisperingaspellorhavingalittleconfidentialchatwithsomeimaginarydemonlocatedinthecalfofmyleg。Mylimbwasnowswathedinleafybandages,andgratefultoProvidenceforthecessationofhostilities,Iwassufferedtorest。
Mehevishortlyafterrosetodepart;butbeforehewenthespokeauthoritativelytooneofthenatives,whomheaddressedasKory-Kory;
andfromthelittleIcouldunderstandofwhattookplace,pointedhimouttomeasamanwhosepeculiarbusinessthenceforthwouldbetoattenduponmyperson。IamnotcertainthatIcomprehendedasmuchasthisatthetime,butthesubsequentconductofmytrustybody-servantfullyassuredmethatsuchmusthavebeenthecase。
Icouldnotbutbeamusedatthemannerinwhichthechiefaddressedmeuponthisoccasion,talkingtomeforatleastfifteenortwentyminutesascalmlyasifIcouldunderstandeverywordthathesaid。Iremarkedthispeculiarityveryoftenafterwardsinmanyotheroftheislanders。
Mehevihavingnowdeparted,andthefamilyphysicianhavinglikewisemadehisexit,wewereleftaboutsunsetwiththetenortwelvenatives,whobythistimeIhadascertainedcomposedthehouseholdofwhichTobyandIweremembers。AsthedwellingtowhichwehadbeenfirstintroducedwastheplaceofmypermanentabodewhileIremainedinthevalley,andasIwasnecessarilyplaceduponthemostintimatefootingwithitsoccupants,Imayaswellhereenterintoalittledescriptionofitanditsinhabitants。Thisdescriptionwillapplyalsotonearlyalltheotherdwelling-placesinthevale,andwillfurnishsomeideaofthegeneralityofthenatives。
Nearonesideofthevalley,andaboutmidwayuptheascentofaratherabruptriseofgroundwavingwiththerichestverdure,anumberoflargestoneswerelaidinsuccessivecourses,totheheightofnearlyeightfeet,anddisposedinsuchamannerthattheirlevelsurfacecorrespondedinshapewiththehabitationwhichwaspercheduponit。Anarrowspace,however,wasreservedinfrontofthedwelling,uponthesummitofthispileofstonescalledbythenativesa“pi-pi“,which,beingenclosedbyalittlepicketofcanes,gaveitsomewhattheappearanceofaverandah。Theframeofthehousewasconstructedoflargebamboosplanteduprightly,andsecuredtogetheratintervalsbytransversestalksofthelightwoodoftheHabiscus,lashedwiththongsofbark。Therearofthetenement-
builtupwithsuccessiverangesofcocoa-nutboughsboundoneuponanother,withtheirleafletscunninglywoventogether-inclinedalittlefromthevertical,andextendedfromtheextremeedgeofthe“pi-pi“toabouttwentyfeetfromitssurface;whencetheshelvingroof-thatchedwiththelongtaperingleavesofthepalmetto-slopedsteeplyofftowithinaboutfivefeetofthefloor;leavingtheeavesdroopingwithtassel-likeappendagesoverthefrontofthehabitation。Thiswasconstructedoflightandelegantcanes,inakindofopenscreen-work,tastefullyadornedwithbindingsofvariegatedsinnate,whichservedtoholdtogetheritsvariousparts。Thesidesofthehouseweresimilarlybuilt;thuspresentingthree-quartersforthecirculationoftheair,whilethewholewasimpervioustotherain。