TO UADACK. S3 



for a surprise ; but which did not appear dangerous 

 to me, as I had two pistols about me, and had my 

 armed men at hand ; but when they approached 

 me, I saw that they were without any arms, and 

 that- all three appeared afraid of me. They kept 

 at a distance of twenty paces from me ; an elderly 

 man held something white in his hand, on leaves, 

 which he seemed to design for me, but w^ould not 

 venture to come nearer ^ meantime he broke off the 

 bough of a tree, probably as an emblem of peace : 

 I immediately did the same, and went up to him. 

 The man at first timidly drew back, but he at last 

 offered his present, ahvays repeating the word 

 Aidara. 1 received his present ; and, though I did 

 not know the meaning of it, I also said after him, 

 Aidara. I have learnt, in the sequel, that Aidara 

 means Friend. Upon this, the woman who was 

 with him, and who was probably his wife, gave 

 me a pandanus branch ; and the third person, a 

 young man of about twenty years of age, who 

 had no present ready for me, presented me with 

 his own necklace, with which I adorned my hat ; 

 the old man then took a wreath of flowers from 

 his head, which I directly put on mine. This, it 

 seems, gave them courage, and we went together 

 to the huts, where ^ve were joined by our naturalist, 

 whom they in the same manner presented with a 

 necklace and wreath. I had now the iron brought, 

 with which I returned their presents ; the rest from 

 the woods now came up, and also received iron ; 



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