There Was Not An Inch Of Waste Ground; The Roads Occupied
No More Space Than Was Absolutely Necessary; The Fences Did Not Take Up
Above Four Inches Each; And Even This Was Not Wholly Lost, For In Many Were
Planted Some Useful Trees Or Plants.
It was everywhere the same; change of
place altered not the scene.
Nature, assisted by a little art, no where
appears in more splendour than at this isle. In these delightful walks we
met numbers of people; some travelling down to the ships with their burdens
of fruit; others returning back empty. They all gave us the road, by
turning either to the right or left, and sitting down or standing, with
their backs to the fences, till we had passed.
At several of the cross-roads, or at the meeting of two or more roads, were
generally Afiatoucas, such as already described; with this
difference, the mounts were pallisadoed round, instead of a stone wall. At
length, after walking several miles, we came to one larger than common;
near to which was a large house belonging to an old chief, in our company.
At this house we were desired to stop, which we accordingly did, and were
treated with fruit, &c.
We were no sooner seated in the house, than the eldest of the priests began
a speech or prayer, which was first directed to the Afiatouca, and
then to me, and alternately. When he addressed me, he paused at every
sentence, till I gave a nod of approbation. I, however, did not understand
one single word he said. At times, the old gentleman seemed to be at a loss
what to say, or perhaps his memory failed him; for, every now and then, he
was prompted by one of the other priests who sat by him. Both during this
prayer and the former one, the people were silent, but not attentive. At
this last place we made but a short stay. Our guides conducted us down to
our boat, and we returned with Attago to our ship to dinner. We had no
sooner got on board, than an old gentleman came alongside, who, I
understood from Attago, was some king or great man. He was, accordingly,
ushered on board; when I presented him with such things as he most valued
(being the only method to make him my friend,) and seated him at table to
dinner. We now saw that he was a man of consequence; for Attago would not
sit down and eat before him, but got to the other end of the table; and, as
the old chief was almost blind, he sat there, and eat with his back towards
him. After the old man had eaten a bit of fish, and drank two glasses of
wine, he returned ashore. As soon as Attago had seen him out of the ship,
he came and took his place at table, finished his dinner, and drank two
glasses of wine. When dinner was over, we all went ashore, where we found
the old chief, who presented me with a hog; and he and some others took a
walk with us into the country.
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