20 NATIVE MUSIC. 



difficulty in fully satisfying, for eacli person took such 

 an enormous draught, that ice, which we were now 

 using, could not be melted sufficiently fast. We 

 had so large a number of visitants on board that it 

 woidd have been inconvenient, as well as imprudent, 

 to have permitted them to remain below during the 

 night, which, moreover, was not necessary to people 

 of such hardy habits ; the greater number enwrapped 

 themselves in the spare sails brought on deck for that 

 purpose, and a few stowed themselves in the hammock- 

 nettings, which were capacious, and protected by cloths 

 of tarpaulin, making a very snug resting-place. Our 

 arms were of course kept in readiness, and the pistols 

 loaded ; but these precautions, with unfailing vigilance 

 on the part of the watch, were all that w^as considered 

 necessary. 



Ere our guests disposed themselves to rest, 

 much bartering was carried on, besides mutual 

 endeavours at amusement : the fiddle, again put 

 in requisition, was a prolific source of delight; one 

 or two of the strangers evinced some slight prac- 

 tical knowledge of its use, but uniformly produced 

 only a monotonous succession of sounds. Vocal 

 displays of a similar description were also offered ; these 

 were given in a low crooning tone, the compass being 

 generally very limited, though occasional notes showed 



