The King Of The Dark Water Was Rather Alarmed At This, And Demanded Whether They Were Going To Make War

On him, but he was soon relieved from his fear, by being told that it was an honour that they

Had been in the habit of paying to all the princes, whom they had met in their travels; which he no sooner understood, than he expressed himself much gratified by their attention.

The king himself went in quest of a dwelling house, and conducted them to one of the best which the island afforded; it was, however, miserably bad, for as the town was built on a marsh, every hut in it had the disadvantage, during the whole of the rainy season, of soft damp floors, and uncomfortable roofs. Their own hut had positively pools of water springing up out of the ground. The walls of the hut were built of mud from the river, strengthened and supported by wooden pillars, and ribs of the same materials; however, these do not prevent them from cracking in a hundred different places, and large chinks, admitting wind and rain, may be observed in the walls of every hut. They have all a very dirty and wretched appearance, although their inmates, generally speaking, were understood to be clean, opulent, and respectable. Having conducted them to the hut, the chief of the island shook hands with them very heartily, and assured them they should want for nothing. He soon provided them with doors of bamboo for their hut, and a number of mats to spread on the floor, which made it tolerably comfortable.

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