onstantly applied, in
the course of three days I felt no further inconvenience.

I now considered myself settled for the remainder of my life. I was
passionately attached to Naka-poop, for such was the name of my young
wife, and notwithstanding my French education, could not but acknowledge
that her natural and unsophisticated manners were more graceful and more
fascinating, than is all the studied address of my own countrywomen.
She was of high rank in her own country, being nearly allied to the
king; and for two years my life slipped away, in uninterrupted happiness
and peace. But, alas!--and the renegade covered up his face.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Come, Huckaback, you surely have been too much accustomed to lose your
wives by this time, to make a fuss about it. These Franks are strange
people," observed the pacha to the vizier; "they've a tear for every
woman."

"Your highness must excuse me; I shall not offend again, for I never
married afterwards. My charming Naka-poop died in child-bed, and the
island became so hateful to me, that I determined to quit it. An
opportunity occurred by an American vessel, which arrived with some
missionaries."

"What are missionaries?" inquired the pacha.

"People who came to inform the islanders, that Bo-gee was not a goddess,
and to persuade them to embrace the true faith."

"Very right," replied the pacha, "there is but one God, and Mahomet is
his prophet. Well--"

------------------------------------------------------------------------

As I understood both languages, I was employed as an interpreter, but it
was impossible to explain what the missionaries intended to convey, as
the language of the islanders had not words that were analogous. A
council was held; and the answer which the missionaries received was as
follows:--

"You tell us that your God rewards the good and punishes the wicked--so
does Bo-gee. We speak one language, you speak another. Perhaps the
name of your God means Bo-gee in ours. Then we both worship the same
God, under different names. No use to talk any more; take plenty of
pigs and yams, and go home."

The missionaries took their advice, their pigs and their yams, and I
went home with them. We arrived at New York, where I claimed and
received from the Bible Society my pay as interpreter to the
missionaries from the time that they landed up to the day of our return.
I never should