ume.

From a number of unmistakable signs and expressions, I presumed the
_Franees_ were not entirely beloved, even by the women, although the men
deigned ludicrous attempts in mode of beard, moustache, shrug of
shoulders, and other little grimace, to copy French dress and manner.

After bathing, we reclined on the thwarts of an immense war-canoe that
was hauled upon the beach, capable of holding, at least, fifty paddles,
and amused ourselves watching a score of young girls swimming in the
bay: they swam like fishes, but, as there were no surf or rocks, I had
no means of determining what novel or extraordinary feats they were able
to perform: they were quite skilful little fisherwomen, and procured for
us a cocoanut-shell full of delicious oysters--no bigger than shilling
pieces--which served to pass the time until we adjourned to the king's
house.

It was rather a modern structure--of roughly-laid stones and
boards--built by the French, though falling to decay. There was but a
single apartment of tolerable size--floor and walls were strewn with
mats, stools, a couple of bedsteads, spyglasses, fowling-pieces covered
with rust, spears, nets, calibashes, rolls of _tappa_, war conches,
whales' teeth, circular crowns of cocks' feathers, besides an infinite
variety of serviceable and useless trumpery, scattered indiscriminately
around.

Coiled up on a low, beastly collection of mats and _tappa_, was a
repulsive object, half dead with some loathsome disease, and drunk with
_arva_--he was the chief's brother, and was expected to die shortly, or
be killed on the return of his sovereign--a custom strictly observed
with invalids and old, decrepid persons.

Within a stone's throw of this habitation, was another nearly completed,
in native design. The foundation was raised two feet by a platform of
large, round, smooth stones. The building itself was in shape of an
irregular inverted acute angle, or trapezoid, at the ends, with the legs
slightly inclined outwardly, and resting on the foundation. Large
upright shafts of polished red wood supported roof and sides, which were
nicely formed of frames of white poles, lashed securely and neatly
together by braids of parti-colored sennit, and thatched evenly and
tastefully over by the spear-shaped leaves of the pandannus, leaving the
front of the dwelling open for light and air. It presented a deal of
ingenuity and nice mechanism in the design and construction.

The French allow th