the young one, with the people who accompanied him,
had a great deal of conversation about us, I found--the old one
remarking that we had both of us "salt water in our eye," and must
submit to the law. Now, by the law, or rather custom, of the Feejees,
every person cast on shore on their coasts is killed and eaten! I had
numberless proofs of the truth of this.

The result of the conversation about me was, that I was tabooed--to be
held sacred, as it were--and that my life was to be spared. They tried
to make me understand this at the time, and I partly comprehended their
meaning. To prove their sincerity, the old chief had a number of dishes
of various sorts of vegetables and fruit brought in, with a young pig
baked whole, of which he made me partake. This I did very willingly,
for I was very hungry, and the viands looked very tempting. When I had
eaten a good meal, I jumped up and shook the old chief and his son very
heartily by the hand; and then sitting down on a mat, I threw myself
back, and began singing away at the top of my voice, as if I had been
perfectly contented with my lot. When, however, I got up to leave the
house, signs were made to me that I was to stay where I was. This, I
concluded, was that notice might be given to the people that I was
tabooed, and that they were not to interfere with me, or I should in all
probability have been clubbed by the first native I met, who might have
suspected that I had been cast upon their shore by the late gale.

I felt very anxious to ascertain what had become of Brian. He had not
been allowed to enter the chief's house with me, but, as we approached
the village, had been led off in a different direction. Suspecting the
horrible practice of the savages, and hearing nothing of him as the day
grew on, I became very much alarmed for his safety.

At night a mat was pointed out to me on which I was to sleep; but it was
long before I could close my eyes, and every instant I expected to find
myself seized and carried off by the savages. I did sleep, however, at
last, and the next morning I found myself at liberty to wander out where
I pleased. Food was first brought to me, and then, having performed
various curious antics to keep up the belief of my insanity, I left the
house and took the way up a neighbouring hill.

I had not gone far before I came to what was evidently a native temple,
shaded by tall and graceful trees. It was a high-pointed building,
forme