CHAP. VII.] AND CHARACTER. 109 



which, would do honour to a more civilized people. 

 When they meet one another, or a European, after 

 the first salutation, by touching noses, they do not 

 remain standing upright, but squat down on their 

 heels ; and in entering the house of a European this 

 is immediately done in profound silence, and it ap- 

 pears to me that by this peculiar posture they intend 

 to show their respect to others, as is common with 

 some Oriental nations. They dislike to converse 

 standing, and if we do so they think we are not 

 paying the necessary attention either to themselves 

 or to the subject. But their temper often changes 

 very quickly ; and a fickleness of character appears, 

 a change from good to bad humour, often without 

 any imaginable cause, which, especially when tra- 

 velling, is very disagreeable. But if this irritability 

 of temper is met with firmness, they suppress it ; 

 and, indeed, it is often put on to see how the 

 European will bear it. If they are treated with 

 honesty, and with that respect which is due to 

 them as men, I have always found them to re- 

 ciprocate such treatment ; and I have travelled 

 amongst them with as much pleasure and security 

 as I have in European countries. 



A prominent feature of their character is to re- 

 taliate and revenge any wrong they have suffered. 

 The wrong is often imaginary, and quarrels arise 

 without any cause, especially if a tribe possesses the 

 right of the stronger. I know an instance where 

 the remembrance of a murder had been carried 



