138 CREW MISTAKEN FOR MONKEYS. 



place, induced our captain to visit Bunburj as an 

 experiment, which proved successful in the highest 

 degree. We were eagerly welcomed on going ashore, 

 and cordialh' invited into the settlers' liouses. The 

 schools were allowed a holiday, that the children 

 might visit the ship. These youngsters, on seeing us, 

 from the shore, engaged aloft (all the ship's crew 

 being at work in the rigging), tarring down, &c., 

 deemed us monkeys, and could not be convinced to 

 the contrary until they came aboard and had a survey 

 of us. This was rather disparaging to some thirt}'" 

 young men, belonging to the smartest nation in the 

 world, to be compared to brutes ; but our occupation 

 originated the impression, and one of the little fellows 

 observed, on coming aboard, " If they aint monkeys, 

 they climb about just like them ;" and being con- 

 vinced that he had gained a point, strutted off in 

 triumph. 



The country, hereabouts, presents a fertile appear- 

 ance, contrasting favorably with the sandy soil in other 

 portions of the colony that we have visited. Pro- 

 visions were very plentiful here, too, and we were 

 enabled to procure a sufficiency of excellent onions, 

 potatoes, cabbages, and turnips. Part of the onions 

 and cabbages were pickled and stowed away until our 

 fresh supply should be exhausted. Excellent fruit 

 was to be had ashore, comprising apples, peaches, 

 melons, and pears ; some of the peaches were deli- 

 cious, and could be purchased at a moderate price. 



Many of the natives here presented a better ap- 

 pearance than any I had before seen, being clothed 

 with European garments, and clean, they lost half 

 of their hideousness, and appeared immeasurably 



