did so for the purpose of showing
our superior power, in case the natives should harbour any evil designs
against us. Romata had never seen this gun before, as it had not been
uncovered on previous visits, and the astonishment with which he viewed
it was very amusing. Being desirous of knowing its power, he begged that
the captain would fire it. So a shot was put into it. The chiefs were
then directed to look at a rock about two miles out at sea, and the gun
was fired. In a second the top of the rock was seen to burst asunder,
and to fall in fragments into the sea.

Romata was so delighted with the success of this shot, that he pointed to
a man who was walking on the shore, and begged the captain to fire at
him, evidently supposing that his permission was quite sufficient to
justify the captain in such an act. He was therefore surprised, and not
a little annoyed, when the captain refused to fire at the native, and
ordered the gun to be housed.

Of all the things, however, that afforded matter of amusement to these
savages, that which pleased Romata's visitor most was the ship's pump. He
never tired of examining it, and pumping up the water. Indeed, so much
was he taken up with this pump, that he could not be prevailed on to
return on shore, but sent a canoe to fetch his favourite stool, on which
he seated himself, and spent the remainder of the day in pumping the
bilge-water out of the ship!

Next day the crew went ashore to cut sandal-wood, while the captain, with
one or two men, remained on board, in order to be ready, if need be, with
the brass gun, which was unhoused and conspicuously elevated, with its
capacious muzzle directed point blank at the chief's house. The men were
fully armed as usual; and the captain ordered me to go with them, to
assist in the work. I was much pleased with this order, for it freed me
from the captain's company, which I could not now endure, and it gave me
an opportunity of seeing the natives.

As we wound along in single file through the rich fragrant groves of
banana, cocoa-nut, bread-fruit, and other trees, I observed that there
were many of the plum and banian trees, with which I had become familiar
on the Coral Island. I noticed also large quantities of taro-roots,
yams, and sweet potatoes, growing in enclosures. On turning into an open
glade of the woods, we came abruptly upon a cluster of native houses.
They were built chiefly of bamboos, and were thatched with the