Till He Was Both Pursued And Fired At By Them, He Would Not Part With
It; Nor Would He Have Done It Then, Had Not His Landing Been Intercepted By
Some Of Us Who Were On Shore.
The rest of the natives, who were very
numerous, took very little notice of the whole transaction; nor were they
the least alarmed when the man was fired at.
My friend Attago having visited me again next morning, as usual, brought
with him a hog, and assisted me in purchasing several more. Afterwards we
went ashore; visited the old king, with whom we staid till noon, then
returned on board to dinner, with Attago, who never once left me. Intending
to sail next morning, I made up a present for the old king, and carried it
on shore in the evening. As soon as I landed, I was told by the officers
who were on shore, that a far greater man than any we had yet seen was come
to pay us a visit. Mr Pickersgill informed me that he had seen him in the
country, and found that he was a man of some consequence, by the
extraordinary respect paid him by the people. Some, when they approached
him, fell on their faces, and put their head between their feet; and no one
durst pass him without permission. Mr Pickersgill, and another of the
gentlemen, took hold of his arms, and conducted him down to the landing-
place, where I found him seated with so much sullen and stupid gravity,
that notwithstanding what had been told me, I really took him for an idiot,
whom the people, from some superstitious notions, were ready to worship. I
saluted and spoke to him; but he neither answered, nor took the least
notice of me; nor did he alter a single feature in his countenance. This
confirmed me in my opinion, and I was just going to leave him, when one of
the natives, an intelligent youth, undertook to undeceive me; which he did
in such a manner as left me no room to doubt that he was the king, or
principal man on the island. Accordingly I made him the present I intended
for the old chief, which consisted of a shirt, an axe, a piece of red
cloth, a looking-glass, some nails, medals, and beads. He received these
things, or rather suffered them to be put upon him, and laid down by him,
without losing a bit of his gravity, speaking one word, or turning his head
either to the right or left; sitting the whole time like a statue; in which
situation I left him to return on board, and he soon after retired. I had
not been long on board before word was brought me, that a quantity of
provisions had come from this chief. A boat was sent to bring it from the
shore; and it consisted of about twenty baskets of roasted bananoes, sour
bread, and yams, and a roasted pig of about twenty pounds weight.
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