VILLAGE OF TASSAI. 



261 



same time^ as if in honour of our arrival. Each of 

 us joined in the merriment as he came up^ and in a 

 short time the whole of Tassai was in an uproar. 

 Among' the natives every one seemed pleased^ 

 bustlino- about, watchino- our motions, examinino- 

 our dress^ and laug-hing- and shouting- immoderately 

 as each new object was presented to his view. 

 Meanwhile I w^andered about the villa g"e^ accom- 

 panied by some women and children^ picking* up at 

 the same time materials for my vocabulary. One 

 old dame brouo'ht me a cocoa-nut shell full of 

 water w hich I returned after drinking* some^ but 

 she pressed me in a very motherly way to put it 

 into my bag*^ having* doubtless imagined from our 

 inquiries after water^ that even a little constituted 

 a valuable present. We had seen neither stream 

 nor well upon the island^ and besides^ it is probable 

 that the gTeat abundance of cocoa-nuts enables 

 them to subsist with very little water. We dis- 

 tributed among' them some iron-hoop, knives, 



