Thefemalesareverylittleembellishedinthisway,andFayaway,andalltheotheryounggirlsofherage,wereevenlesssothanthoseoftheirsexmoreadvancedinyears。Thereasonofthispeculiaritywillbealludedtohereafter。Allthetattooingthatthenymphinquestionexhibiteduponherpersonmaybeeasilydescribed。
Threeminutedots,nobiggerthanpinheads,decoratedeitherlip,andatalittledistancewerenotatalldiscernible。Justuponthefalloftheshoulderweredrawntwoparallellineshalfaninchapart,andperhapsthreeinchesinlength,theintervalbeingfilledwithdelicatelyexecutedfigures。Thesenarrowbandsoftattooing,thusplaced,alwaysremindedmeofthosestripesofgoldlacewornbyofficersinundress,andwhichareinlieuofepaulettestodenotetheirrank。
ThusmuchwasFayawaytattooed。Theaudacioushandwhichhadgonesofarinitsdesecratingworkstoppingshort,apparentlywantingthehearttoproceed。
ButIhaveomittedtodescribethedresswornbythisnymphofthevalley。
Fayaway-Imustavowthefact-forthemostpartclungtotheprimitiveandsummergarbofEden。Buthowbecomingthecostume!Itshowedherfinefiguretothebestpossibleadvantage;andnothingcouldhavebeenbetteradaptedtoherpeculiarstyleofbeauty。OnordinaryoccasionsshewashabitedpreciselyasIhavedescribedthetwoyouthfulsavageswhomwehadmetonfirstenteringthevalley。
Atothertimes,whenramblingamongthegroves,orvisitingatthehousesofheracquaintances,sheworeatunicofwhitetappa,reachingfromherwaisttoalittlebelowtheknees;andwhenexposedforanylengthoftimetothesun,sheinvariablyprotectedherselffromitsraysbyafloatingmantleofthesamematerial,looselygatheredabouttheperson。Hergaladresswillbedescribedhereafter。
Asthebeautiesofourownlanddelightinbedeckingthemselveswithfancifularticlesofjewelery,themfromtheirears,hangingthemabouttheirnecks,andclaspingthemaroundtheirwrists;soFayawayandhercompanionswereinthehabitofornamentingthemselveswithsimilarappendages。
Florawastheirjeweller。Sometimestheyworenecklacesofsmallcarnationflowers,strunglikerubiesuponafibreoftappa,ordisplayedintheirearsasinglewhitebud,thestemthrustbackwardthroughtheaperture,andshowinginfrontthedelicatepetalsfoldedtogetherinabeautifulsphere,andlookinglikeadropofthepurestpearl。Chaplets,too,resemblingintheirarrangementthestrawberrycoronalwornbyanEnglishpeeress,andcomposedofintertwinedleavesandblossoms,oftencrownedtheirtemples;andbraceletsandankletsofthesametastefulpatternwerefrequentlytobeseen。Indeed,themaidensoftheislandwerepassionatelyfondofflowers,andneverweariedofdecoratingtheirpersonswiththem;alovelytraitintheircharacter,andonethaterelongwillbemorefullyalludedto。
Thoughinmyeyes,atleast,FayawaywasindisputablytheloveliestfemaleIsawinTypee,yetthedescriptionIhavegivenofherwillinsomemeasureapplytonearlyalltheyouthfulportionofhersexinthevalley。Judgeyethen,reader,whatbeautifulcreaturestheymusthavebeen。
WHENMehevihaddepartedfromthehouse,asrelatedintheprecedingchapter,Kory-Korycommencedthefunctionsofthepostassignedhim。Hebroughtusvariouskindsoffood;and,asifIwereaninfant,insisteduponfeedingmewithhisownhands。TothisprocedureI,ofcourse,mostearnestlyobjected,butinvain;andhavinglaidacalabashofkokoobeforeme,hewashedhisfingersinavesselofwater,andthenputtinghishandintothedish,androllingthefoodintolittleballs,putthemoneafteranotherintomymouth。Allmyremonstrancesagainstthismeasureonlyprovokedsogreataclamouronhispart,thatIwasobligedtoacquiesce;andtheoperationoffeedingbeingthusfacilitated,themealwasquicklydespatched。AsforToby,hewasallowedtohelphimselfafterhisownfashion。
Therepastover,myattendantarrangedthematsforrepose,and,biddingmeliedown,coveredmewithalargerobeoftappa,atthesametimelookingapprovinglyuponme,andexclaiming“Ki-Ki,mueemuee,ah!moeemoeemortarkee,“eatplenty,ah!sleepverygood。ThephilosophyofthissentimentIdidnotpretendtoquestion;fordeprivedofsleepforseveralprecedingnights,andthepaininmylimbhavingmuchabated,Inowfeltinclinedtoavailmyselfoftheopportunityaffordedme。
Thenextmorning,onwaking,IfoundKory-Korystretchedoutononesideofme,whilemycompanionlayupontheother。Ifeltsensiblyrefreshedafteranightofsoundrepose,andimmediatelyagreedtothepropositionofmyvaletthatIshouldrepairtothewaterandwash,althoughdreadingthesufferingthattheexertionmightproduce。
Fromthisapprehension,however,Iwasquicklyrelieved;forKory-Kory,leapingfromthepi-pi,andthenbackinghimselfupagainstit,likeaporterinreadinesstoshoulderatrunk,withloudvociferations,andasuperabundanceofgestures,gavemetounderstandthatIwastomountuponhisback,andbethustransportedtothestream,whichflowedperhapstwohundredyardsfromthehouse。
Ourappearanceupontheverandahinfrontofthehabitationdrewtogetherquiteacrowd,whostoodlookingon,andconversingwithoneanotherinthemostanimatedmanner。Theyremindedoneofagroupofidlersgatheredaboutthedoorofavillagetavern,whentheequipageofsomedistinguishedtravellerisbroughtroundprevioustohisdeparture。AssoonasIclaspedmyarmsabouttheneckofthedevotedfellow,andhejoggedoffwithme,thecrowd-composedchieflyofyounggirlsandboys-followedafter,shoutingandcaperingwithinfiniteglee,andaccompaniedustothebanksofthestream。
Ongainingit,Kory-Kory,wadinguptohishipsinthewater,carriedmehalf-wayacross,anddepositedmeonasmoothblackstone,whichroseafewinchesabovethesurface。Theamphibiousrabbleatourheelsplungedinafterus;and,climbingtothesummitofthegrass-grownrocks,withwhichthebedofthebrookwashereandtherebroken,waitedcuriouslytowitnessourmorningablutions。I
feltsomewhatembarrassedbythepresenceofthefemaleportionofthecompany,but,nevertheless,removedmyfrock,andwashedmyselfdowntomywaistinthestream。AssoonasKory-Korycomprehendedfrommymotionsthatthiswastobetheextentofmyperformance,heappearedperfectlyaghastwithastonishment,andrushingtowardsme,pouredoutatorrentofwordsineagerdeprecationofsolimitedanoperation,enjoiningmebyunmistakablesignstoimmersemywholebody。TothisIwasforcedtoconsent;andthehonestfellowregardingmeasafroward,inexperiencedchild,whomitwashisdutytoserveattheriskofoffending,liftedmefromtherock,andtenderlybathedmylimbs。Thisover,andresumingmyseat,Icouldnotavoidburstingintoadmirationofthescenearoundme。
Fromtheverdantsurfacesofthelargestonesthatlayscatteredabout,thenativeswerenowslidingoffintothewater,divingandduckingbeneaththesurfaceinalldirections;theyounggirlsspringingbuoyantlyintotheair,withtheirlongtressesdancingabouttheirshoulders,theireyessparklinglikedropsofdewinthesun,andtheirgaylaughterpealingforthateveryfrolicsomeincident。
OntheafternoonofthedaythatItookmyfirstbathinthevalley,wereceivedanothervisitfromMehevi。Thenoblesavageseemedtobeinthesamepleasantmood,andwasquiteascordialinhismannerasbefore。Afterremainingaboutanhour,herosefromthemats,andmotioningtoleavethehouse,invitedTobyandmyselftoaccompanyhim。Ipointedtomyleg;butMeheviinhisturnpointedtoKory-Kory,andremovedthatobjection;so,mountinguponthefaithfulfellow’sshouldersagain-liketheoldmanoftheseaastrideofSinbad-Ifollowedafterthechief。
ThenatureoftheroutewenowpursuedstruckmemoreforciblythananythingIhadyetseen,asillustratingtheindolentdispositionoftheislanders。Thepathwasobviouslythemostbeatenoneinthevalley,severalothersleadingfromeithersideintoit,andperhapsforsuccessivegenerationsithadformedtheprincipalavenueoftheplace。Andyet,untilIgrewmorefamiliarwithitsimpediments,itseemedasdifficulttotravelastherecessesofawilderness。Partofitsweptaroundanabruptriseofground,thesurfaceofwhichwasbrokenbyfrequentinequalities,andthicklystrewnwithprojectingmassesofrocks,whosesummitswereoftenhiddenfromviewbythedroopingfoliageoftheluxuriousvegetation。Sometimesdirectlyover,sometimesevadingtheseobstacleswithawidecircuit,thepathwoundalong-onemomentclimbingoverasuddeneminence,smoothwithcontinuedwear,thendescendingontheotherside,intoasteepglen,andcrossingtheflintychannelofabrook。Hereitpursuedthedepthsofaglade,occasionallyobligingyoutostoopbeneathvasthorizontalbranches;andnowyousteppedoverhugetrunksandboughsthatlayrottingacrossthetrack。
SuchwasthegrandthoroughfareofTypee。Afterproceedingalittledistancealongit-Kory-Korypantingandblowingwiththeweightofhisburden-Idismountedfromhisback,andgraspingthelongspearofMeheviinmyhand,assistedmystepsoverthenumerousobstaclesoftheroad;preferringthismodeofadvancetoonewhich,fromthedifficultiesoftheway,wasequallypainfultomyselfandmyweariedservitor。
Ourjourneywassoonatanend;for,scalingasuddenheight,wecameabruptlyupontheplaceofourdestination。IwishthatitwerepossibletosketchinwordsthisspotasvividlyasIrecollectit。
HereweresituatedtheTaboogrovesofthevalley-thesceneofmanyaprolongedfeast,ofmanyahorridrite。Beneathdiedarkshadowsoftheconsecratedbread-fruittreestherereignedasolemntwilight-acathedral-likegloom。Thefrightfulgeniusofpaganworshipseemedtobroodinsilenceovertheplace,breathingitsspelluponeveryobjectaround。Hereandthere,inthedepthsoftheseawfulshades,halfscreenedfromsightbymassesofoverhangingfoliage,rosetheidolatrousaltarsofthesavages,builtofenormousblocksofblackandpolishedstone,placedoneuponanother,withoutcement,totheheightoftwelveorfifteenfeet,andsurmountedbyarusticopentemple,enclosedwithalowpicketofcanes,withinwhichmightbeseen,invariousstagesofdecay,offeringsofbread-fruitandcocoa-nuts,andtheputrefyingrelicsofsomerecentsacrifice。
Inthemidstofthewoodwasthehallowed“hoolahhoolah“
ground-setapartforthecelebrationofthefantasticalreligiousritualofthesepeople-comprisinganextensiveoblongpi-pi,terminatingateitherendinaloftyterracedaltar,guardedbyranksofhideouswoodenidols,andwiththetworemainingsidesflankedbyrangesofbamboosheds,openingtowardstheinteriorofthequadranglethusformed。Vasttrees,standinginthemiddleofthisspace,andthrowingoveritanumbrageousshade,hadtheirmassivetrunksbuiltroundwithslightstages,elevatedafewfeetabovetheground,andrailedinwithcanes,formingsomanyrusticpulpits,fromwhichthepriestsharanguedtheirdevotees。