e boat a
sheer toward the canoe, which being adroitly done, brought the bow,
where I stood, still nearer to the Islanders. I then dropped the silk
among them; and the Islander, who caught it, at once handed it to the
warlike old man with the sling; who, on seating himself, spread it
before him; while the rest crowding round, glanced rapidly from the
wonderful gift, to the more wonderful donors.

This old man was the superior of the party. And Samoa asserted, that
he must be a priest of the country to which the Islanders belonged;
that the craft could be no other than one of their sacred canoes,
bound on some priestly voyage. All this he inferred from the altar-
like prow, and there being no women on board.

Bent upon conciliating the old priest, I dropped into the canoe
another silk handkerchief; while Samoa loudly exclaimed, that we were
only three men, and were peaceably inclined. Meantime, old
Aaron, fastening the two silks crosswise over his shoulders, like a
brace of Highland plaids, crosslegged sat, and eyed us.

It was a curious sight. The old priest, like a scroll of old
parchment, covered all over with hieroglyphical devices, harder to
interpret, I'll warrant, than any old Sanscrit manuscript. And upon
his broad brow, deep-graven in wrinkles, were characters still more
mysterious, which no Champollion nor gipsy could have deciphered. He
looked old as the elderly hills; eyes sunken, though bright; and head
white as the summit of Mont Blanc.

The rest were a youthful and comely set: their complexion that of
Gold Sherry, and all tattooed after this pattern: two broad cross-
stripes on the chest and back; reaching down to the waist, like a
foot-soldier's harness. Their faces were full of expression; and
their mouths were full of fine teeth; so that the parting of their
lips, was as the opening of pearl oysters. Marked, here and there,
after the style of Tahiti, with little round figures in blue, dotted
in the middle with a spot of vermilion, their brawny brown thighs
looked not unlike the gallant hams of Westphalia, spotted with the
red dust of Cayenne.

But what a marvelous resemblance in the features of all. Were they
born at one birth? This resemblance was heightened by their uniform
marks. But it was subsequently ascertained, that they were the
children of one sire; and that sire, old Aaron; who, no doubt,
reposed upon his sons, as an old general upon the trophies of his
youth.

They were the children