>769- the fame matt, clofe by him. Tomio was not in the firft
—---- 1 bloom of her youth, nor did file appear to have been ever
day 1+' remarkable for her beauty: he did not therefore, I believe,
pay her the mod flattering attention: it happened too, as a
farther mortification to this lady, that feeing a very pretty
girl among the crowd, he, not adverting to. the dignity of
his companion, beckoned her to come to him : the girl, after
fome entreaty, complied, and fat down on the other fide of
him ; he loaded her with beads, and every fhowy trifle that
would pleafe her: his Princefs, though fhe was fomewhat
mortified at the preference that was given to her rival, did
not difcontinue her civilities, but ftill afliduoufly fupplied
him with the milk of the cocoa-nut, and fuch other dainties,
as were in her reach. This fcene might poflibly have become
more curious and interefting, i f it had not been fud-
denly interrupted by an interlude of a more ferious kind.
Juft at this time, Dr. Solander and Mr. Monkhoufe complained
that their pockets had been picked. Dr. Solander
had loft an opera glafs in a fhagreen cafe, and Mr. Monkhoufe
his fnuff box. This incident unfortunately put an end'
to the good-humour o f the company. Complaint of the injury
was made to the C h ie f; and, to give it weight, Mr.
Banks ftarted up, and hafiily {truck the but end of his firelock
upon the ground: this adtion, and the noife that accompanied
it, ftruck the whole afiembly with a panic, and
every one of the natives ran out of the houfe with the ut-
moft precipitation, except the Chief, three women, and two
or three others, who appeared by their drefs to be o f a fupe-
rior rank.
The Chief, with a mixture of confufion and concern, took
Mr. Banks by the hand, and led him to a large quantity of
cloth, which lay at the other end of the houfe : this he offered
fered to him piece by piece, intimating by figns, that if that
would atone for the wrong which had been done, he might
take any part of.it, or, if he pleafed,- the whole. Mr. Banks
put it by, and gave him to underftand, that he wanted nothing
but what had been diflioneftly taken- away. Toubou-
176^:
April.
Friday-1+.-
raiTamaide then went haftily out, leaving Mr. Banks with
his wife Tomio, who during the whole fcene of terror and-
confufion had kept conftantly at his fide, and intimating his-
defire that he Ihould wait there till his return. Mr. Banks
accordingly fat down, and converfed with her, as well as he
could b y figns, about half an hour. The chief then came-
hack with the fnufF-box and the cafe of the opera glafs in
his. hand, and, with a joy in his countenance that was painted-
with a ftrength of expreflion which diftinguiihes thefe people
from all others, delivered them to the owners. The cafe of
the opera glafs, however, upon being opened, was found to
be empty ; upon this difcovery, his countenance changed in.
a moment;. and catching Mr. Banks again by the hand, he
rufhed out of the houfe, without uttering any found, and
led him along the ftiore, walking with great rapidity: when:
they had got about a mile from the houfe, a woman met.
him and gave him a piece of cloth, which he haftily took
from, her, and continued to prefs forward with it in his
hand. Dr. Solander and Mr. Monkhoufe had followed them,,
and they came at length to a houfe where they were received,
by a woman, to whom he gave the cloth, and intimated to*
the gentlemen that they fhould give her fome beads. They
immediately complied ;. and the beads and cloth being depo-
fited upon the floor, the woman went out, and in about half
an hour returned with the opera glafs, exprefling the fame
joy upon the occafion that had before been exprefled by the:
Chief. The beads were now returned, with an inflexible:
refolutions