teacher's remarks,
and put to him many earnest questions. Meanwhile the natives who
composed our crew, having nothing particular to do, had squatted down on
the deck and taken out their little books containing the translated
portions of the New Testament, along with hymns and spelling-books, and
were now busily engaged--some vociferating the alphabet, others learning
prayers off by heart, while a few sang hymns--all of them being utterly
unmindful of our presence. The teacher soon joined them, and soon
afterwards they all engaged in a prayer, which was afterwards translated
to us, and proved to be a petition for the success of our undertaking
and for the conversion of the heathen.

While we were thus engaged a canoe put off from shore, and several
savages leaped on deck, one of whom advanced to the teacher and informed
him that Tararo could not come on board that day, being busy with some
religious ceremonies before the gods, which could on no account be
postponed. He was also engaged with a friendly chief, who was about to
take his departure from the island, and therefore begged that the
teacher and his friends would land and pay a visit to him. To this the
teacher returned answer that we would land immediately.

"Now, lads," said Jack as we were about to step into our little boat,
"I'm not going to take any weapons with me, and I recommend you to take
none either. We are altogether in the power of these savages; and the
utmost we could do, if they were to attack us, would be to kill a few of
them before we were ourselves overpowered. I think that our only chance
of success lies in mild measures. Don't you think so?"

To this I assented gladly; and Peterkin replied by laying down a huge
bell-mouthed blunderbuss, and divesting himself of a pair of enormous
horse-pistols, with which he had purposed to overawe the natives! We
then jumped into our boat and rowed ashore.

On reaching the beach we were received by a crowd of naked savages, who
shouted a rude welcome, and conducted us to a house or shed where a
baked pig and a variety of vegetables were prepared for us. Having
partaken of these, the teacher begged to be conducted to the chief; but
there seemed some hesitation, and after some consultation among
themselves, one of the men stood forward and spoke to the teacher.

"What says he?" inquired Jack when the savage had concluded.

"He says that the chief is just going to the temple of his god, and
canno