Never，certainly，hadIbeheldsopowerfulanexhibitionofnaturaleloquenceasMarnoodisplayedduringthecourseofhisoration。Thegraceoftheattitudesintowhichhethrewhisflexiblefigure，thestrikinggesturesofhisnakedarms，andaboveall，thefirewhichshotfromhisbrillianteyes，impartedaneffecttothecontinually-changingaccentsofhisvoice，ofwhichthemostaccomplishedoratormighthavebeenproud。Atonemomentrecliningsidewaysuponthemat，andleaningcalmlyuponhisbendedarm，herelatedcircumstantiallytheaggressionsoftheFrench-theirhostilevisitstothesurroundingbays，enumeratingeachoneinsuccession-Happar，Puerka，Nukuheva，Tior，-andthenstartingtohisfeet，andprecipitatinghimselfforwardwithclenchedhandsandacountenancedistortedwithpassion，hepouredoutatideofinvectives。Fallingbackintoanattitudeofloftycommand，heexhortedtheTypeestoresisttheseencroachments；remindingthem，withafierceglanceofexultation，thatasyettheterroroftheirnamehadpreservedthemfromattack；andwithascornfulsneer，hesketchedinironicaltermsthewondrousintrepidityoftheFrench，who，withfivewar-canoesandhundredsofmen，hadnotdaredtoassailthenakedwarriorsoftheirvalley。
Theeffectheproduceduponhisaudiencewaselectric；oneandalltheystoodregardinghimwithsparklingeyesandtremblinglimbs，asthoughtheywerelisteningtotheinspiredvoiceofaprophet。
ButitsoonappearedthatMarnoo’spowerswereasversatileastheywereextraordinary。Assoonashehadfinishedhisvehementharangue，hethrewhimselfagainuponthemats，and，singlingoutindividualsinthecrowd，addressedthembyname，inasortofbanteringstyle，thehumourofwhich，thoughnearlyhiddenfromme，filledthewholeassemblywithuproariousdelight。
Hehadawordforeverybody；and，turningrapidlyfromonetoanother，gaveutterancetosomehastywitticism，whichwassuretobefollowedbypealsoflaughter。Tothefemales，aswellastothemen，headdressedhisdiscourse。Heavenonlyknowswhathesaidtothem，buthecausedsmilesandblushestomantletheiringenuousfaces。Iam，indeed，verymuchinclinedtobelievethatMarnoo，withhishandsomepersonandcaptivatingmanners，wasasaddeceiveramongthesimplemaidensoftheisland。
Duringallthistime，hehadneverforonemomentdeignedtoregardme。Heappeared，indeed，tobealtogetherunconsciousofmypresence。Iwasutterlyatalosshowtoaccountforthisextraordinaryconduct。Ieasilyperceivedthathewasamanofnolittleconsequenceamongtheislanders；thathepossesseduncommontalents；andwasgiftedwithahigherdegreeofknowledgethantheinmatesgiofthevalley。Forthesereasons，Ithereforegreatlyfearedlest，having，fromsomecauseorother，unfriendlyfeelingstowardsme，hemightexerthispowerfulinfluencetodomemischief。
Itseemedevidentthathewasnotapermanentresidentofthevale，andyet，whencecouldhehavecome？OnallsidestheTypeesweregirtinbyhostiletribes，andhowcouldhepossibly，ifbelongingtoanyofthese，bereceivedwithsomuchcordiality？
Thepersonalappearanceoftheenigmaticalstrangersuggestedadditionalperplexities。Theface，freefromtattooing，andtheunshavencrown，werepeculiaritiesIhadneverbeforeremarkedinanypartoftheisland，andIhadalwaysheardthatthecontrarywereconsideredtheindispensabledistinctionsofaMarquesanwarrior。
Altogetherthematterwasperfectlyincomprehensibletome，andI
awaiteditssolutionwithnosmalldegreeofanxiety。
Atlength，fromcertainindications，Isuspectedthathewasmakingmethesubjectofhisremarks，althoughheappearedcautiouslytoavoideitherpronouncingmyname，orlookinginthedirectionwhereIlay。Allatonceherosefromthematswherehehadbeenreclining，and，stillconversing，movedtowardsme，hiseyepurposelyevadingmine，andseatedhimselfwithinlessthanayardofme。Ihadhardlyrecoveredfrommysurprise，whenhesuddenlyturnedround，and，withamostbenignantcountenance，extendedhisrighthandgracefullytowardsme。OfcourseIacceptedthecourteouschallenge，and，assoonasourpalmsmet，hebenttowardsme，andmurmuredinmusicalaccents，-“Howyoudo？““Howlonghaveyoubeeninthisbay？““Youlikethisbay？“
HadIbeenpiercedsimultaneouslybythreeHapparspears，I
couldnothavestartedmorethanIdidathearingthesesimplequestions。ForamomentIwasoverwhelmedwithastonishment，andthenansweredsomethingIknownotwhat；butassoonasIregainedmyself-possession，thethoughtdartedthroughmymindthatfromthisindividualImightobtainthatinformationregardingTobywhichI
suspectedthenativeshadpurposelywithheldfromme。Accordingly，I
questionedhimconcerningthedisappearanceofmycompanion，buthedeniedallknowledgeofthematter。Itheninquiredfromwhencehehadcome？Hereplied，fromNukuheva。WhenIexpressedmysurprise，helookedatmeforamoment，asifenjoyingmyperplexity，andthen，withhisstrangevivacity，exclaimed，-“Ah！metaboo，-megoNukuheva，-megoTior，-megoTypee，megoeverywhere，-nobodyharmme，-metaboo。“
Thisexplanationwouldhavebeenaltogetherunintelligibletome，haditnotrecalledtomymindsomethingIhadpreviouslyheardconcerningasingularcustomamongtheseislanders。Thoughthecountryispossessedbyvarioustribes，whosemutualhostilitiesalmostwhollyprecludeanytriintercoursebetweenthem，yetthereareinstanceswhereapersonhavingratifiedfriendlyrelationswithsomeindividualbelongingtothevalley，whoseinmatesareatwarwithhisown，may，underparticularrestrictions，venturewithimpunityintothecountryofhisfriend，where，underothercircumstances，hewouldhavebeentreatedasanenemy。Inthislightarepersonalfriendshipsregardedamongthem，andtheindividualsoprotectedissaidtobe“taboo，“andhisperson，toacertainextent，isheldassacred。
Thusthestrangerinformedmehehadaccesstoallthevalleysintheisland。
CurioustoknowhowhehadacquiredhisknowledgeofEnglish，I
questionedhimonthesubject。Atfirst，forsomereasonorother，heevadedtheinquiry，butafterwardstoldmethat，whenaboy，hehadbeencarriedtoseabythecaptainofatradingvessel，withwhomhehadstayedthreeyears，livingpartofthetimewithhimatSidney，inAustralia，andthat，atasubsequentvisittotheisland，thecaptainhad，athisownrequest，permittedhimtoremainamonghiscountrymen。Thenaturalquicknessofthesavagehadbeenwonderfullyimprovedbyhisintercoursewiththewhitemen，andhispartialknowledgeofaforeignlanguagegavehimagreatascendancyoverhislessaccomplishedcountrymen。
WhenIaskedthenowaffableMarnoowhyitwasthathehadnotpreviouslyspokentome，heeagerlyinquiredwhatIhadbeenledtothinkofhimfromhisconductinthatrespect。Ireplied，thatIhadsupposedhimtobesomegreatchieforwarrior，whohadseenplentyofwhitemenbefore，anddidnotthinkitworthwhiletonoticeapoorsailor。AtthisdeclarationoftheexaltedopinionIhadformedofhim，heappearedvastlygratified，andgavemetounderstandthathehadpurposelybehavedinthatmanner，inordertoincreasemyastonishment，assoonasheshouldseepropertoaddressme。
MarnoonowsoughttolearnmyversionofthestoryastohowI
cametobeaninmateoftheTypeevalley。WhenIrelatedtohimthecircumstancesunderwhichTobyandIhadenteredit，helistenedwithevidentinterest；butassoonasIalludedtotheabsence，yetunaccountedfor，ofmycomrade，heendeavouredtochangethesubject，asifitweresomethinghedesirednottoagitate。Itseemed，indeed，asifeverythingconnectedwithTobywasdestinedtobegetdistrustandanxietyinmybosom。NotwithstandingMarnoo’sdenialofanyknowledgeofhisfate，Icouldnotavoidsuspectingthathewasdeceivingme；andthissuspicionrevivedthosefrightfulapprehensionswithregardtomyownfate，which，forashorttimepast，hadsubsidedinmybreast。
Influencedbythesefeelings，Inowfeltastrongdesiretoavailmyselfoftheprotection，andunderhissafeguardtoreturntoNukuheva。ButassoonasIhintedatthis，heunhesitatinglypronouncedittobeentirelyimpracticable；assuringmethattheTypeeswouldneverconsenttomyleavingthevalley。AlthoughwhathesaidmerelyconfirmedtheimpressionwhichIhadbeforeentertained，stillitincreasedmyanxietytoescapefromacaptivity，which，howeverendurable，nay，delightfulitmightbeinsomerespects，involvedinitsissuesafatemarkedbythemostfrightfulcontingencies。
IcouldnotconcealfrommymindthatTobyhadbeentreatedinthesamefriendlymannerasIhadbeen，andyetalltheirkindnessterminatedwithhismysteriousdisappearance。Mightnotthesamefateawaitme？-afatetoodreadfultothinkof。Stimulatedbytheseconsiderations，IurgedanewmyrequesttoMarnoo；butheonlysetforthinstrongercolourstheimpossibilityofmyescape，andrepeatedhispreviousdeclaration，thattheTypeeswouldneverbebroughttoconsenttomydeparture。
WhenIendeavouredtolearnfromhimthemotiveswhichpromptedthemtoholdmeaprisoner，MarnooagainassumedthatmysterioustonewhichhadtormentedmewithapprehensionswhenIhadquestionedhimwithregardtothefateofmycompanion。
Thusrepulsed，inamannerwhichonlyserved，byarousingthemostdreadfulforebodings，toexcitemetorenewedattempts，Iconjuredhimtointercedeformewiththenatives，andendeavourtoprocuretheirconsenttomyleavingthem。Tothisheappearedstronglyaverse；
but，yieldingatlasttomyimportunities，headdressedseveralofthechiefs，whowiththeresthadbeeneyeingusintentlyduringthewholeofourconversation。Hispetition，however，wasatoncemetwiththemostviolentdisapprobation，manifestingitselfinangryglancesandgestures，andaperfecttorrentofpassionatewords，directedtobothhimandmyself。Marnoo，evidentlyrepentingthestephehadtaken，earnestlydeprecatedtheresentmentofthecrowd，andinafewmomentssucceededinpacifying，tosomeextent，theclamourswhichhadbrokenoutassoonashispropositionhadbeenunderstood。
WiththemostintenseinteresthadIwatchedthereceptionhisintercessionmightreceive；andabitterpangshotthroughmyheartattheadditionalevidence，nowfurnished，oftheunchangeabledeterminationoftheislanders。Marnootoldme，withevidentalarminhiscountenance，thatalthoughadmittedintothebayonafriendlyfootingwithitsinhabitants，hecouldnotpresumetomeddlewiththeirconcerns，assuchaprocedure，ifpersistedin，wouldatonceabsolvetheTypeesfromtherestraintsofthe“taboo，“
althoughsolongasherefrainedfromanysuchconduct，itscreenedhimeffectuallyfromtheconsequencesoftheenmitytheyborehistribe。
Atthismoment，Mehevi，whowaspresent，angrilyinterruptedhim；andthewordswhichheuttered，inacommandingtone，evidentlymeantthathemustatonceceasetalkingtome，andwithdrawtotheotherpartofthehouse。Marnooimmediatelystartedup，hurriedlyenjoiningmenottoaddresshimagain，and，asIvaluedmysafety，torefrainfromallfurtherallusiontothesubjectofmydeparture；