embellishment, and met the strange gaze to which I had been
subjected the preceding night, I immediately, in spite of the
alteration in his appearance, recognized the noble Mehevi. On
addressing him, he advanced at once in the most cordial manner,
and greeting me warmly, seemed to enjoy not a little the effect
his barbaric costume had produced upon me.

I forthwith determined to secure, if possible, the good-will of
this individual, as I easily perceived he was a man of great
authority in his tribe, and one who might exert a powerful
influence upon our subsequent fate. In the endeavour I was not
repulsed; for nothing could surpass the friendliness he
manifested towards both my companion and myself. He extended his
sturdy limbs by our side, and endeavoured to make us comprehend
the full extent of the kindly feelings by which he was actuated.
The almost insuperable difficulty in communicating to one another
our ideas affected the chief with no little mortification. He
evinced a great desire to be enlightened with regard to the
customs and peculiarities of the far-off country we had left
behind us, and to which under the name of Maneeka he frequently
alluded.

But that which more than any other subject engaged his attention
was the late proceedings of the 'Frannee' as he called the
French, in the neighbouring bay of Nukuheva. This seemed a
never-ending theme with him, and one concerning which he was
never weary of interrogating us. All the information we
succeeded in imparting to him on this subject was little more
than that we had seen six men-of-war lying in the hostile bay at
the time we had left it. When he received this intelligence,