1845.] VISIT OF A CHIEF. 5 



conveying the superior officer, who waited upon me with 

 an apology for their seeming remissness as well as to ascer- 

 tain my wishes. Matters went on very satisfactorily, and 

 before quitting the ship this chief had complied with every 

 desire which could be conceded without reference to the 

 Prime Minister, and arrangements were made for the 

 ceremonial visit on the morrow, at noon. Some of my 

 readers will, doubtless, be as much astonished as my 

 Officers were, when I inform them that one of the con- 

 cessions of these people, was, the granting permission to 

 land on the nearest island, where there were only a few 

 fishermens' huts, to obtain the necessary Astronomical 

 and Magnetic Observations, including my remaining on 

 shore during the night, to obtain the Latitude by the 

 stars ! a point obstinately refused on all former occasions ; 

 but as I informed him that this was indispensible, it was 

 on this occasion cheerfully conceded. My interpreter 

 was somewhat alarmed when he found that I only received 

 this chief in undress. Siding up to me, he observed, 

 " This man first chop Mandarin, sir, he got two sword." 

 However, I knew a little more on the subject of etiquette 

 than to imagine that any state visit would take place 

 without due notice, and that the game I had commenced 

 must be played out in the same spirit. This Officer, 

 although I admit his powers were extraordinary as an 

 aid-de-camp, was, nevertheless, deputed by his superior 

 officer, and it was to that superior alone, in his proper 

 style, I decided to advance on terms of equality. On 

 the day following, our landing was effected without diffi- 

 culty or confusion, and the Observations, up to noon, 

 satisfactorily conducted, when I returned to the ship, to 



