in the same way that a silk
mercer would handle a remarkably fine piece of satin; and some of them
went so far in their investigation as to apply the olfactory organ.

Their singular behaviour almost led me to imagine that they never before
had beheld a white man; but a few moments' reflection convinced me that
this could not have been the case; and a more satisfactory reason for
their conduct has since suggested itself to my mind.

Deterred by the frightful stories related of its inhabitants, ships never
enter this bay, while their hostile relations with the tribes in the
adjoining valleys prevent the Typees from visiting that section of the
island where vessels occasionally lie. At long intervals, however, some
intrepid captain will touch on the skirts of the bay, with two or three
armed boats' crews, and accompanied by an interpreter. The natives who
live near the sea descry the strangers long before they reach their
waters, and aware of the purpose for which they come, proclaim loudly the
news of their approach. By a species of vocal telegraph the intelligence
reaches the inmost recesses of the vale in an inconceivably short space of
time, drawing nearly its whole population down to the beach laden with
every variety of fruit. The interpreter, who is invariably a "tabooed
Kannaka,"(1) leaps ashore with the goods intended for barter, while the
boats, with their oars shipped, and every man on his thwart, lie just
outside the surf, heading off from the shore, in readiness at the first
untoward event to escape to the open sea. As soon as the traffic is
concluded, one of the boats pulls in under cover of the muskets of the
others, the fruit is quickly thrown into her, and the transient visitors
precipitately retire from what they justly consider so dangerous a
vicinity.

The intercourse occurring with Europeans being so restricted, no wonder
that the inhabitants of the valley manifested so much curiosity with
regard to us, appearing as we did among them under such singular
circumstances. I have no doubt that we were the first white men who ever
penetrated thus far back into their territories, or at least the first who
had ever descended from the head of the vale. What had brought us thither
must have appeared a complete mystery to them, and from our ignorance of
the language it was impossible for us to enlighten them. In answer to
inquiries which the eloquence of their gestures enabled us to comprehend,
all that we cou