armies never came near enough to be really engaged. The leaders
remained in front loudly blowing their horns, and sometimes giving
commands. At length, by accident or design, one of Lagediak's men fell;
the battle was now over, the victory decided, and the signal given for
drawing off the forces. Both armies were so exhausted, that they threw
themselves on the grass, and amidst laughing and merriment, gave
themselves up to repose.

A large sailing-boat now put ashore, and an old man with white hair and
beard was lifted from it; his shrivelled skin hung loosely over his
emaciated form, and his weakness was so extreme, that he could only
approach us by crawling on his hands and feet: Rarik and Lagediak went
to meet and welcome him. It was my old acquaintance, Langediu, Tamon of
Ormed. When our frigate lay at anchor before his island, he had not
ventured, he said, to visit us, not knowing whether we were friends or
foes; but when he heard that Totabu was arrived, he determined to make
an effort to see me once more before his death. The old man crawled up
to me and embraced me, shedding tears of joy; he talked a great deal,
and spoke of Kadu being with Lamari in Aur.

On my former visit, the traces of old age were scarcely perceptible in
Langediu; but in the intervening eight years they had increased rapidly;
still, although his body was so weak that he could only crawl on
all-fours, he retained all the faculties of his mind, all his original
vivacity and good-humour, and his facetious remarks excited the
merriment of the whole assembly. I have in many instances observed that
at Radack, old age brings with it no particular disease, and that the
mind remains unimpaired till its mortal covering sinks into the grave. A
fine climate, moderate labour, and a vegetable diet, probably all
contribute to produce this effect.

Langediu having intimated his wish to see the Oa ellip, I immediately
rowed in my boat to the ship, followed by him in his Oa warro, or war
canoe: he was much pleased with the vessel, and all that he saw, and not
less so with the little presents he received; but a circumstance
occurred that caused the honourable old man some chagrin: one of his
attendants having concluded a friendship with the cook, took advantage
of it to secrete a knife in his canoe; the cook missed the knife, and
his suspicions immediately fell on his friend. His person and canoe were
searched, and on the discovery of the stolen treasure th