VALUE OF A BEAUTY 255 



among the number, and was anxious to hear what the 

 chief would say of her. She still wore the string of 

 beads I had given her, and looked as pretty and modest 

 as a violet. When he came to her, he said, 



"Here is Lucena : is she not lovely ? Her arms are 

 round as bamboo ; her form is supple as the climbing 

 vine ; her skin is smooth as a young banana leaf ; her 

 hair is soft as spider's webs ; her eyes are bright as dew 

 in the morning. She can sing like a bird, and run fast 

 as a kangaroo; she is a good housekeeper, an affec- 

 tionate daughter, and comes from a good family, for 

 her father was a great warrior, who was killed in a 

 fight with an adjoining tribe." 



The value set on this fair piece of humanity was an 

 axe, a knife, a piece of calico, arid a string of beads. 



We both stood admiring her, and the old chief 

 thought he had made a bargain. The girls evidently 

 thought the same ; and I could see them casting envi- 

 ous glances at their fair companion. 



Speaking to the chief and the whole company, I said: 

 " My brother and I have homes a long way off, which 

 will take us many, many days to reach, and we are only 

 making a short stay among you, to shoot birds and learn 

 all we can about you, to tell our countrymen how you 

 live. The description of this scene will please them. 

 We will tell them about your lovely country; your 

 rich and productive gardens; and, above all, about 

 your handsome women, so many of whom we have 



