d, by accident,
struck his axe into the deck, making a gash of considerable depth.
The chief immediately ran up, and pushing the cook on one side rather
roughly, commenced a half whine, half howl, strongly indicative of
sympathy in what he considered the sufferings of the schooner, patting
and smoothing the gash with his hand, and washing it from a bucket of
seawater which stood by. This was a degree of ignorance for which we
were not prepared, and for my part I could not help thinking some of it
affected.

When the visitors had satisfied, as well as they could, their curiosity
in regard to our upper works, they were admitted below, when their
amazement exceeded all bounds. Their astonishment now appeared to be far
too deep for words, for they roamed about in silence, broken only by low
ejaculations. The arms afforded them much food for speculation, and they
were suffered to handle and examine them at leisure. I do not believe
that they had the least suspicion of their actual use, but rather took
them for idols, seeing the care we had of them, and the attention with
which we watched their movements while handling them. At the great guns
their wonder was redoubled. They approached them with every mark of the
profoundest reverence and awe, but forbore to examine them minutely.
There were two large mirrors in the cabin, and here was the acme of
their amazement. Too-wit was the first to approach them, and he had got
in the middle of the cabin, with his face to one and his back to the
other, before he fairly perceived them. Upon raising his eyes and seeing
his reflected self in the glass, I thought the savage would go mad;
but, upon turning short round to make a retreat, and beholding himself a
second time in the opposite direction, I was afraid he would expire upon
the spot. No persuasion could prevail upon him to take another look;
throwing himself upon the floor, with his face buried in his hands, he
remained thus until we were obliged to drag him upon deck.

The whole of the savages were admitted on board in this manner, twenty
at a time, Too-wit being suffered to remain during the entire period.
We saw no disposition to thievery among them, nor did we miss a single
article after their departure. Throughout the whole of their visit they
evinced the most friendly manner. There were, however, some points in
their demeanour which we found it impossible to understand; for example,
we could not get them to approach several v