and they accordingly placed themselves at the head of the
procession, and preserved throughout the ceremony the
most profound silence. They were all dressed in white
robes, which we have reason to believe is their mourning.
On the next day the natives requested leave to raise a
tomb over the grave; this was of course agreed to, and
when it was completed, they performed their own funeral service
over it, by sacrificing a large hog, and burning a quantity
of spirits. Jeeroo officiated on this occasion, and when
he had done, he carried the hog to the sick in the hospital.
The-chiefs also gave directions for a small square stone
tb be smoothed and prepared for an epitaph; which being
traced upon the stone by Mr. Taylor, the clergyman of the
Alceste, was carved very neatly by the natives. The
epitaph, after mentioning the name and age of the deceased,
stated briefly, tha t he and his companions in his Britannic
majesty’s ships Alceste and Lyra, had been kindly treated
by the inhabitants of this island. When the purport of the
writing was interpreted to the chiefs, they appeared very
much gratified at our acknowledging their attentions.
18th of October—Our friends expressed much pleasure
on meeting us again, particularly Jeeroo, who seems to take
great interest in our concerns : he carried us up to the
sailor’s tomb, where we were joined by Ookooma, Jeema?
and some of the others, who unaffectedly expressed their
sorrow for this man’s untimely fate. I found my people
who had been landed previous to our sailing on the survey,
much recovered, and very grateful for the kindness of the
natives. Milk, eggs, meat, and vegetables, had been brought
to them every day, and whenever they felt disposed to walk
they were accompanied by one or two of the natives, who
took their arms on coming to rough ground, and often
helped them up the steep side of the hill behind the hospital,-
to a pleasant grassy spot on the summit, where the natives
lighted pipes for them; in short, I suppose sailors were
never so caressed before.
The chiefs were anxious to know what we had been doing
during the week in which we had been absent. From an
apprehension that they might be displeased at our having
instituted a regular examination of the whole island, we
said we had been looking at the harbour they had spoken
of; they immediately mentioned the village of Oonting,
and asked how we liked it. But they guessed that we had
been round the island, from seeing tha t we returned by the
south, though we had sailed to the north; they said
repeatedly, that the island was very small, appearing to be
anxious to depreciate i t ; our reply of course was, that it
was very large and beautiful.