We
      were on the ground, twelve in number, with the savages, as many
      as forty, sitting on their hams so closely around us that, if any
      disturbance had arisen, we should have found it impossible to
      make use of our arms, or indeed to have risen to our feet. The
      pressure was not only inside the tent, but outside, where
      probably was every individual on the whole island, the crowd
      being prevented from trampling us to death only by the incessant
      exertions and vociferations of Too-wit. Our chief security lay,
      however, in the presence of Too-wit himself among us, and we
      resolved to stick by him closely, as the best chance of
      extricating ourselves from the dilemma, sacrificing him
      immediately upon the first appearance of hostile design. After some trouble a certain degree of quiet was restored, when
      the chief addressed us in a speech of great length, and very
      nearly resembling the one delivered in the canoes, with the
      exception that the Anamoo-moos! were now somewhat more
      strenuously insisted upon than the Lama-Lamas! We listened in
      profound silence until the conclusion of this harangue, when
      Captain Guy replied by assuring the chief of his eternal
      friendship and goodwill, concluding what he had to say by a
      present of several strings of blue beads and a knife. At the
      former the monarch, much to our surprise, turned up his nose with
      some expression of contempt, but the knife gave him the most
      unlimited satisfaction, and he immediately ordered dinner. This
      was handed into the tent over the heads of the attendants, and
      consisted of the palpitating entrails of a specialis of unknown
      animal, probably one of the slim-legged hogs which we had
      observed in our approach to the village. Seeing us at a loss how
      to proceed, he began, by way of setting us an example, to devour
      yard after yard of the enticing food, until we could positively
      stand it no longer, and evinced such manifest symptoms of
      rebellion of stomach as inspired his majesty with a degree of
      astonishment only inferior to that brought about by the
      looking-glasses. We declined, however, partaking of the
      delicacies before us, and endeavoured to make him understand that
      we had no appetite whatever, having just finished a hearty
      dejeuner. When the monarch had made an end of his meal, we commenced a
      series of cross-questioning in every ingenious manner we could
      devise, with a view of discovering what were the chief
      productions of the country, and whether any of them might be
      turned to profit. At length he seemed to have some idea of our
      meaning, and offered to accompany us to a part of coast where he
      assured us the biche de mer (pointing to a specimen of that
      animal) was to be found in great abundance. We were glad of this
      early opportunity of escaping from the oppression of the crowd,
      and signified our eagerness to proceed. We now left the tent,
      and, accompanied by the whole population of the village, followed
      the chief to the southeastern extremity of the island, nor far
      from the bay where our vessel lay at anchor. We waited here for
      about an hour, until the four canoes were brought around by some
      of the savages to our station. The whole of our party then
      getting into one of them, we were paddled along the edge of the
      reef before mentioned, and of another still farther out, where we
      saw a far greater quantity of biche de mer than the oldest seamen
      among us had ever seen in those groups of the lower latitudes
      most celebrated for this article of commerce. We stayed near
      these reefs only long enough to satisfy ourselves that we could
      easily load a dozen vessels with the animal if necessary, when we
      were taken alongside the schooner, and parted with Too-wit, after
      obtaining from him a promise that he would bring us, in the
      course of twenty-four hours, as many of the canvass-back ducks
      and Gallipago tortoises as his canoes would hold. In the whole of
      this adventure we saw nothing in the demeanour of the natives
      calculated to create suspicion, with the single exception of the
      systematic manner in which their party was strengthened during
      our route from the schooner to the village. CHAPTER 20


      The chief was as good as his word, and we were soon plentifully
      supplied with fresh provisions. We found the tortoises as fine as
      we had ever seen, and the ducks surpassed our best species of
      wild fowl, being exceedingly tender, juicy, and well-flavoured. Besides these, the savages brought us, upon our making them
      comprehend our wishes, a vast quantity of brown celery and scurvy
      grass, with a canoe-load of fresh fish and some dried. The celery
      was a treat indeed, and the scurvy grass proved of incalculable
      benefit in restoring those of our men who had shown symptoms of
      disease. In a very short time we had not a single person on the
      sick-list. We had also plenty of other kinds of fresh provisions,
      among which may be mentioned a species of shellfish resembling
      the mussel in shape, but with the taste of an oyster. Shrimps,
      too, and prawns were abundant, and albatross and other birds’
      eggs with dark shells. We took in, too, a plentiful stock of the
      flesh of the hog which I have mentioned before. Most of the men
      found it a palatable food, but I thought it fishy and otherwise
      disagreeable. In return for these good things we presented the
      natives with blue beads, brass trinkets, nails, knives, and
      pieces of red cloth, they being fully delighted in the exchange. We established a regular market on shore, just under the guns of
      the schooner, where our barterings were carried on with every
      appearance of good faith, and a degree of order which their
      conduct at the village of _Klock-klock_ had not led us to expect
      from the savages. Matters went on thus very amicably for several days, during which
      parties of the natives were frequently on board the schooner, and
      parties of our men frequently on shore, making long excursions
      into the interior, and receiving no molestation whatever. Finding
      the ease with which the vessel might be loaded with _biche de
      mer_, owing to the friendly disposition of the islanders, and the
      readiness with which they would render us assistance in
      collecting it, Captain Guy resolved to enter into negotiations
      with Too-wit for the erection of suitable houses in which to cure
      the article, and for the services of himself and tribe in
      gathering as much as possible, while he himself took advantage of
      the fine weather to prosecute his voyage to the southward.