lying athwart it, we conjectured that during heavy rains it must be a
mighty flood. A long straggling collection of huts composed the village:
a great deal of land in its vicinity was cleared and planted, which
doubtless was the ostensible object of Patuone's people being here. As
the village lay upon the opposite shore from that on which we arrived, we
sat some time under the shelter of a large tree, to contemplate its
appearance, and to give time to arrange our party for passing the stream,
and also for my making a sketch. The red glare of the setting sun, just
touching the top of every object, beautifully illuminated the landscape;
and its rays bursting through the black woods in the background, gave the
woods an appearance of being on fire; while a beautiful rainbow, thrown
across the sky, tinged the scene with a fairy-land effect.

As soon as they perceived us from the opposite shore, a loud shout of
welcome was raised, and all the inhabitants came out to meet us. They
carried us over the stream, conducted us to their huts, and then sat down
to gaze at and admire us.

As we were very hungry after our fatiguing walk, we soon unpacked our
baggage, and in so doing made an unavoidable display of many valuable and
glittering objects, which roused the attention of our savage spectators,
and caused them, on the unfolding of every fresh object, to make loud and
long exclamations of wonder and amazement. As I was then "a stranger in
their land," and unaccustomed to their peculiarities, I felt a little
alarmed at their shouts; but, on a longer acquaintance with them, I found
my fears had been groundless.

Here we saw the son of Patuone, accompanied by thirty or forty young
savages, sitting or lying all round us. All were exceedingly handsome,
notwithstanding the wildness of their appearance and the ferocity of
their looks. Let the reader picture to himself this savage group,
handling everything they saw, each one armed with a musket, loaded with
ball, a cartouch-box buckled round his waist, and a stone patoo-patoo, or
hatchet, in his hand, while human bones were hung round each neck by way
of ornament; let the scene and situation be taken into consideration, and
he will acknowledge it was calculated to make the young traveller wish
himself safe at home; but, when I suspected, I wronged them; for after
admiring everything we had brought with us (more especially our
fowling-pieces, which were very beautiful ones), they begg