AmongthenumerousafflictionswhichtheEuropeanshaveentaileduponsomeofthenativesoftheSouthSeas，istheaccidentalintroductionamongthemofthatenemyofallreposeandrufflerofeventempers-themosquito。AttheSandwichIslands，andattwoorthreeoftheSocietygroup，therearenowthrivingcoloniesoftheseinsects，whopromiseerelongtosupplantaltogethertheaboriginalsand-flies。Theysting，buzz，andtorment，fromoneendoftheyeartotheother，andbyincessantlyexasperatingthenatives，materiallyobstructthebenevolentlaboursofthemissionaries。
Fromthisgrievousvisitation，however，theTypeesareasyetwhollyexempt；butitsplaceisunfortunatelyinsomedegreesuppliedbytheoccasionalpresenceofaminutespeciesoffly，which，withoutstinging，isneverthelessproductiveofnolittleannoyance。
Thetamenessofthebirdsandlizardsisasnothingwhencomparedtothefearlessconfidenceofthisinsect。Hewillperchupononeofyoureye-lashes，andgotoroostthere，ifyoudonotdisturbhim，orforcehiswaythroughyourhair，oralongthecavityofthenostril，tillyoualmostfancyheisresolvedtoexploretheverybrainitself。OnoneoccasionIwassoinconsiderateastoyawnwhileanumberofthemwerehoveringaroundme。Ineverrepeatedtheact。Somehalf-dozendartedintotheopenapartment，andbeganwalkingaboutitsceiling；thesensationwasdreadful。Iinvoluntarilyclosedmymouth，andthepoorcreatures，beingenvelopedininnerdarkness，mustintheirconsternationhavestumbledovermypalate，andbeenprecipitatedintothegulfbeneath。Atanyrate，thoughIafterwardscharitablyheldmymouthopenforatleastfiveminutes，withaviewofaffordingegresstothestragglers，ofthemeveravailedthemselvesoftheopportunity。
Therearenowildanimalsofanykindontheisland，unlessitbedecidedthatthenativesthemselvesaresuch。Themountainsandtheinteriorpresenttotheeyenothingbutsilentsolitudes，unbrokenbytheroarofbeastsofprey，andenlivenedbyfewtokensevenofminuteanimatedexistence。Therearenovenomousreptiles，andnosnakesofanydescriptiontobefoundinanyofthevalleys。
InacompanyofMarquesannativestheweatheraffordsnotopicofconversation。Itcanhardlybesaidtohaveanyvicissitudes。Therainyseason，itistrue，bringsfrequentshowers，buttheyareintermittingandrefreshing。Whenanislander，boundonsomeexpedition，risesfromhiscouchinthemorning，heisneversolicitoustopeepoutandseehowtheskylooks，orascertainfromwhatquarterthewindblows。Heisalwayssureofa“fineday，“andthepromiseofafewgenialshowershehailswithpleasure。Thereisneveranyofthat“remarkableweather“ontheislandswhichfromtimeimmemorialhasbeenexperiencedinAmerica，andstillcontinuestocallforththewonderingconversationalexclamationsofitselderlycitizens。Nordothereevenoccuranyofthoseeccentricmeteorologicalchangeswhichelsewheresurpriseus。InthevalleyofTypeeice-creamswouldneverberenderedlessacceptablebysuddenfrosts，norwouldpicnicpartiesbedeferredonaccountofinauspicioussnowstorms:fortheredayfollowsdayinoneunvaryingroundofsummerandsunshine，andthewholeyearisonelongtropicalmonthofJunejustmeltingintoJuly。
Itisthisgenialclimatewhichcausesthecocoa-nutstoflourishastheydo。Thisinvaluablefruit，broughttoperfectionbytherichsoiloftheMarquesas，andbornealoftonastatelycolumnmorethanahundredfeetfromtheground，wouldseematfirstalmostinaccessibletothesimpleIndeed，theslender，smooth，andsoaringshaft，withoutasinglelimborprotuberanceofanykindtoassistoneinmountingit，presentsanobstacleonlytobeovercomebythesurprisingagilityandingenuityoftheislanders。Itmightbesupposedthattheirindolencewouldleadthempatientlytoawaittheperiodwhentheripenednuts，slowlypartingfromtheirstems，fallonebyonetotheground。Thiscertainlywouldbethecase，wereitnotthattheyoungfruit，encasedinasoftgreenhusk，withtheincipientmeatadheringinajelly-likepellicletoitssides，andcontainingabumperofthemostdeliciousnectar，iswhattheychieflyprize。Theyhaveatleasttwentydifferenttermstoexpressasmanyprogressivestagesinthegrowthofthenut。Manyofthemrejectthefruitaltogetherexceptataparticularperiodofitsgrowth，which，incredibleasitmayappear，theyseemedtometobeabletoascertainwithinanhourortwo。Othersarestillmorecapriciousintheirtastes；andaftergatheringtogetheraheapofthenutsofallages，andingeniouslytappingthem，willfirstsipfromoneandthenfromanother，asfastidiouslyassomedelicatewine-bibberexperimenting，glassinhand，amonghisdustydemijohnsofdifferentvintages。
Someoftheyoungmen，withmoreflexibleframesthantheircomrades，andperhapswithmorecourageoussouls，hadawayofwalkingupthetrunkofthecocoa-nuttreeswhichtomeseemedlittlelessthanmiraculous；andwhenlookingatthemintheact，Iexperiencedthatcuriousperplexityachildfeelswhenhebeholdsaflymovingfeetuppermostalongaceiling。
IwillendeavourtodescribethewayinwhichNarnee，anobleyoungchief，sometimesperformedthisfeatformyparticulargratification；buthispreliminaryperformancesmustalsoberecorded。
Uponmysignifyingmydesirethatheshouldpluckmetheyoungfruitofsomeparticulartree，thehandsomesavage，throwinghimselfintoasuddenattitudeofsurprise，feignsastonishmentattheapparentabsurdityoftherequest。Maintainingthispositionforamoment，thestrangeemotionsdepictedonhiscountenancesoftendownintooneofhumorousresignationtomywill，andthen，lookingwistfullyuptothetuftedtopofthetree，hestandsontip-toe，straininghisneckandelevatinghisarms，asthoughendeavouringtoreachthefruitfromthegroundwherehestands。Asifdefeatedinthischildishattempt，henowsinkstotheearthdespondingly，beatinghisbreastinwell-acteddespair；andthen，startingtohisfeetallatonce，andthrowingbackhishead，raisesbothhands，likeaschool-boyabouttocatchafallingball。Aftercontinuingthisforamomentortwo，asifinexpectationthatthefruitwasgoingtobetosseddowntohimbysomegoodspiritinthetree-top，heturnswildlyroundinanotherfitofdespair，andscampersofftothedistanceofthirtyorfortyyards。
Hereheremainsawhile，eyeingthetree，theverypictureofmisery；
butthenextmoment，receiving，asitwere，aflashofinspiration，herushesagaintowardsit，andclaspingbotharmsaboutthetrunk，withoneelevatedalittleabovetheother，hepressesthesolesofhisfeetclosetogetheragainstthetree，extendinghislegsfromituntiltheyarenearlyhorizontal，andhisbodybecomesdoubledintoanarch；then，handoverhandandfootafterfoot，herisesfromtheearthwithsteadyrapidity，andalmostbeforeyouareawareofit，hasgainedthecradledandembowerednestofnuts，andwithboisterousgleeflingsthefruittotheground。
Thismodeofwalkingthetreeisonlypracticablewherethetrunkdeclinesconsiderablyfromtheperpendicular。This，however，isalmostalwaysthecase；someoftheperfectlystraightshaftsofthetreesleaningatanangleofthirtydegrees。
Thelessactiveamongthemen，andmanyofthechildrenofthevalley，haveanothermethodofclimbing。Theytakeabroadandstoutpieceofbark，andsecureeitherendofittotheirankles:sothatwhenthefeetthusconfinedareextendedapart，aspaceoflittlemorethantwelveinchesisleftbetweenthem。Thiscontrivancegreatlyfacilitatestheactofclimbing。Thebandpressedagainstthetree，andcloselyembracingit，yieldsaprettyfirmsupport；whilewiththearmsclaspedaboutthetrunk，andatregularintervalssustainingthebody，thefeetaredrawnupnearlyayardatatime，andacorrespondingelevationofthehandsimmediatelysucceeds。InthiswayIhaveseenlittlechildren，scarcelyfiveyearsofage，fearlesslyclimbingtheslenderpoleofayoungcocoa-nuttree，andwhilehangingperhapsfiftyfeetfromtheground，receivingtheplauditsoftheirparentsbeneath，whoclappedtheirhands，andencouragedthemtomountstillhigher。
What，thoughtI，onfirstwitnessingoneoftheseexhibitionswouldthenervousmothersofAmericaandEnglandsaytoasimilardisplayofhardihoodinanyoftheirchildren？TheLacedemoniannationmighthaveapprovedofit，butmostmoderndameswouldhavegoneintohystericsatthesight。
Atthetopofthecocoa-nuttreethenumerousbranches，radiatingonallsidesfromacommoncentre，formasortofgreenandwavingbasket，betweentheleafletsofwhichyoujustdiscernthenutsthicklyclusteringtogether，andontheloftiertreeslookingnobiggerfromthegroundthanbunchesofgrapes。Irememberoneadventurouslittlefellow-Too-Toowastherascal’sname-whohadbuilthimselfasortofaerialbaby-houseinthepicturesquetuftofatreeadjoiningMarheyo’shabitation。Heusedtospendhoursthere，-
rustlingamongthebranches，andshoutingwithdelighteverytimethestronggustsofwind，rushingdownfromthemountainside，swayedtoandfrothetallandflexiblecolumnonwhichhewasperched。WheneverIheardToo-Too’smusicalvoicesoundingstrangelytotheearfromsogreataheight，andbeheldhimpeepingdownuponmefromouthisleafycovert，healwaysrecalledtomymindDibdin’slines-
There’sasweetlittlecherubthatsitsupaloft，TolookoutforthelifeofpoorJack。
Birds-brightandbeautifulbirds-flyoverthevalleyofTypee。
Youseethemperchedaloftamongtheimmovableboughsofthemajesticbread-fruittrees，orgentlyswayingontheelasticbranchesoftheOmoo；skimmingoverthepalmetto-thatchingofthebamboohuts；passinglikespiritsonthewingthroughtheshadowsofthegrove，andsometimesdescendingintothebosomofthevalleyingleamingflightsfromthemountains。Theirplumageispurpleandazure，crimsonandwhite，blackandgold；withbillsofeverytint；-
brightbloody-red，jetblack，andivorywhite；andtheireyesarebrightandsparkling；theygosailingthroughtheairinstarrythrongs；but，alas！thespellofdumbnessisuponthemall-thereisnotasinglewarblerinthevalley！
Iknownotwhyitwas，butthesightofthesebirds，generallytheministersofgladness，alwaysoppressedmewithmelancholy。AsintheirdumbbeautytheyhoveredbymewhilstIwaswalking，orlookeddownuponmewithsteadycuriouseyesfromoutthefoliage，Iwasalmostinclinedtofancythattheyknewtheyweregazinguponastranger，andthattheycommiseratedhisfate。