land, and
commanded his attendants to lay at my feet the presents he had brought
for me, consisting of three fine fat pigs, which he called _boaka_, and
some fruits. I presented him in return with a large hatchet, two strings
of blue beads, and a coloured silk handkerchief, which I bound for him
myself over his turban. The _Eigeh_ appeared excessively happy in the
possession of these treasures, and tried to express his thankfulness by
various gesticulations, and the repetition of the words "Very good." He
also seemed to hold the blue beads in great estimation, and could not
feel convinced that all those riches actually belonged to him. He
inquired in pantomime if he might really keep both necklaces; and on my
assuring him that he might, the old man forgot his dignity, and jumped
about like a boy with the beads in his hand, calling out, "Very good!
very good!" A fat treasurer shared the joy of his lord, and
punctiliously imitated its expression, though not without some
difficulty. When this tumult of pleasure had a little subsided, the
latter produced a small basket very prettily plaited, and provided with
a lid, and placed in it the costly acquisitions of the _Eigeh_; who
himself took from it a Spanish dollar, and endeavoured to make me
comprehend the question, whether this would purchase more blue beads.

To judge if he had any idea of the value of money, I offered him a
single bead for his dollar; he immediately closed with the bargain, and,
fearing that I might repent of mine, snatched up the bead and thrust the
money into my hand. I returned it to him; but, to his delight and
astonishment, left him in possession of the bead. I now tried to learn
from him how he came by this coin. He soon comprehended my meaning,
pointed to the south, named Tongatabu, one of the Friendly Islands,
which are some days' voyage from his own, and gave us to understand that
he had sailed thither in his own vessel, and had there met with a ship
from whose _Eigeh_ he had obtained the dollar as well as the parasol.
The boldness and skill these islanders display in the management of
their fragile canoes, guiding them on long voyages merely by the sun and
stars, in a region where the trade-wind is seldom constant, is most
surprising.

I also made some little presents to the suite of the _Eigeh_, and the
good people were lost in amazement at their costliness, till their
attention was withdrawn from them to the ship itself. Their inquisitive
ey