replaced it in his pocket, and the convoy resumed its route. After
half an hour's march, the procession halted near a clump of plantains,
in front of a structure more ambitious than any of those in the
neighborhood. A female, laden with rude ornaments, was standing at the
door. This lady, who rivalled the celebrated Daniel Lambert in
dimensions, would have created quite a _furore_ at Bartholomew Fair;
according to Jack, she was so amazingly fat, that it would have taken
full five minutes to walk round her. She took the Pilot respectfully
by the hand, and led him into the interior of the building, which was
crowded with images of various forms, and was evidently a temple.
Willis, at a sign from his conductress, seated himself in a chair,
raised on a dais, and surmounted by a terrific figure similar to the
one already described, but draped in white feathers instead of red.

The fat lady, or rather the high priestess--for she was the reigning
potentate in this magazine of idols--took a sucking pig that was held
by one of the priests. After muttering a prayer or homily of some
sort, she strangled the poor animal, and returned it to the priest. By
and by, the pig was brought in again cooked, and presented with great
ceremony to Willis. There were likewise sundry dishes of fruit, nuts,
and several small cups containing some kind of liquid. One of the
priests cut up the pig, and lifted pieces of it to Willis's mouth;
these, however, he refused to eat. The fat priestess, observing this,
chewed one or two mouthfuls, which she afterwards handed to the Pilot.
This was putting the sailor's gallantry to rather a rude test. He was
equal to the emergency, and did not refuse the offering. But he must
have felt at the time, that being a divinity was not entirely without
its attendant inconveniences.

Nor was this the only infliction of the kind he was doomed to
withstand. One of the priests took up a piece of kava-root, put it
into his mouth, chewed it, and then dropped a bit into each of the
cups already noticed. One of these, containing this nectar, was
presented to Willis by the fat Hebe who presided at the feast, and he
had the fortitude to taste it. Another of the cups was handed to Jack.

"No, I thank you," said he, shaking his head; "I breakfasted rather
late this morning."

Meantime, another personage had entered upon the scene. After having
performed an obeisance to Willis like the rest, this individual backed
himself to w