cloth. I took half the quantity of Captain Maxwell's other
presents, and a table cloth in place of the broad cloth.
Smaller presents were also made up for each of the chiefs.
A t one o'clock we set out in the barge, with a large union
jack flying, and as it blew fresh, we soon reached the
harbour. As we rowed past the shore, the people, were
seen running along all the roads leading to the town, so
that by the.time we reached the harbour, the crowd on both
sides was immense: the trees, walls, and house .tops, and
in short every spot from which we could be seen, was
literally covered with people, forming a sight .as striking
and animated as can well be conceived. As we entered the
harbour several of the chiefs were observed to come down
to a point, and wave for us to go round the end of a pier or
mole, forming the inner harbour, where there was a good
landing-place.
The.chiefs helped-us out.,,and then led us along,. Ookooma
taking Captain Maxwell’s hand, Shayoon mine, and Jeema
Mr. Clifford’s ; the others, according, to.their rank, conducted
Mr. M'Leod of the Alceste, Mr. Maxwell, and another
midshipman, Mr. Browne. They held our hands nearly as
high as the shoulder, while, a lane was formed for us through
the crowd of people, who were perfectly- silent. The
children were placed in front, and the next rank sat down,
so that thosei behind could see us in passing. At about a
hundred and fifty yards from the landing-place,: we came
to the gate of a temple, where we were met by the Chief,
who stood just on the outside of the threshold,: on a small
raised pavement: he took Ookooma’s place? and conducted
Captain Maxwell up a few steps into the temple, which was
partly open on two sides,-with deep verandahs, which made
the interior shady and cool.* A large table, finely japanned,
was spread* and two ornamented; chairs were placed
for us. The Chief seated himself at one end o f'th e tabled
and placed Captain Maxwell on his left.
He expressed himself much gratified and honoured by the
visit, asked our ages, and ifwe were married'. He was greatly
pleased with Captain Maxwell’s account of his family, which
n e a r l y corresponded with his own. He guessed Mr. Max well’s
age to be twenty-seven, and was with difficulty persuaded
to believe that a person six feet high could be only sixteen.
The samemistake was made by all the natives, who invariably
judged o f the age of our young men by their height alone.
An entertainment was now served, beginning with a light kind
of wine, called sackee, which was handed round in very diminutive
cups, filled by Issacha, from a small high pot in which
the sackee was kept hot. They insisted on our emptying
the cup every time, shewing us a fair example themselves: