trait in the islands. He possessed every accomplishment. He knew
sorcery, he was the best genealogist of his day, he was a poet, he could
dance and make canoes and armour; and the famous mast of Apemama, which
ran one joint higher than the mainmast of a full-rigged ship, was of his
conception and design. But these were avocations, and the man's trade
was war. "When my uncle go make wa', he laugh," said Tembinok'. He
forbade the use of field fortification, that protractor of native
hostilities; his men must fight in the open, and win or be beaten out of
hand; his own activity inspired his followers; and the swiftness of his
blows beat down, in one lifetime, the resistance of three islands. He
made his brother sovereign, he left his nephew absolute. "My uncle make
all smooth," said Tembinok'. "I mo' king than my patha: I got power," he
said, with formidable relish.

Such is the portrait of the uncle drawn by the nephew. I can set beside
it another by a different artist, who has often--I may say
always--delighted me with his romantic taste in narrative, but not
always--and I may say not often--persuaded me of his exactitude. I have
already denied myself the use of so much excellent matter from the same
source, that I begin to think it time to reward good resolution; and his
account of Tembinatake agrees so well with the king's, that it may very
well be (what I hope it is) the record of a fact, and not (what I
suspect) the pleasing exercise of an imagination more than sailorly. A.,
for so I had perhaps better call him, was walking up the island after
dusk, when he came on a lighted village of some size, was directed to
the chief's house, and asked leave to rest and smoke a pipe. "You will
sit down, and smoke a pipe, and wash, and eat, and sleep," replied the
chief, "and to-morrow you will go again." Food was brought, prayers
were held (for this was in the brief day of Christianity), and the chief
himself prayed with eloquence and seeming sincerity. All evening A. sat
and admired the man by the firelight. He was six feet high, lean, with
the appearance of many years, and an extraordinary air of breeding and
command. "He looked like a man who would kill you laughing," said A., in
singular echo of one of the king's expressions. And again: "I had been
reading the Musketeer books, and he reminded me of Aramis." Such is the
portrait of Tembinatake, drawn by an expert romancer.

We had heard many tales of "my patha"; never a word