Of tree-fern), with a sheet over it, and a gay quilt of orange and
red cotton. There was a thin printed muslin curtain to divide off
one half of the room, a usual arrangement in native houses. He then
helped to unsaddle the horses, and the confusion of the room was
increased by a heap of our wet saddles, blankets, and gear. All
this time the women lay on the floor and stared at us.
Rheumatism seemed impending, for the air up there was chilly, and I
said to Deborah that I must make some change in my dress, and she
signed to Kaluna, who sprang at my soaked boots and pulled them off,
and my stockings too, with a savage alacrity which left it doubtful
for a moment whether he had not also pulled off my feet! I had no
means of making any further change except putting on a wrapper over
my wet clothes.
Meanwhile the man killed and boiled a fowl, and boiled some sweet
potato, and when these untempting viands, and a calabash of poi were
put before us, we sat round them and eat; I with my knife, the
others with their fingers. There was some coffee in a dirty bowl.
The females had arranged a row of pillows on their mat, and all lay
face downwards, with their chins resting upon them, staring at us
with their great brown eyes, and talking and laughing incessantly.
They had low sensual faces, like some low order of animal.
