ACROSS THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS, ETC. 267 



to the ground, and with the greatest good humor, held out their 

 hands to receive a rial for their trouble. 



The milk of the young cocoanut, when fresh from the tree, is 

 peculiarly delicious and refreshing ; no idea can be formed of its 

 excellence by those who have only tasted the stale fruit at 

 home. 



6th. — Yesterday the princess Harieta died. Scarcely was 

 the circumstance known in the town, when it was announced 

 to all by the most terrific and distressing crying and wailing 

 amonrffet all ranks and classes of people. The natives, parti- 

 cularly the women, walked the streets, weeping bitterly and 

 loudly, and real' briny tears were falling from their eyes in plen- 

 teous showers. This most lugubrious exhibition is common on 

 the occasion of the death of any of the high chiefs ; but in the 

 present instance there is evidently evinced much real feeling. In 

 the afternoon, Mr. Deppe, (a Prussian gentleman,) and myself, 

 walked to the king's palace to see the mourners vvho were col- 

 lected there. We found the large enclosed space surrounding 

 the house, filled with natives of both sexes, to the number of per- 

 haps a thousand, all of whom were weeping in their loudest key. 

 Young, active men and women, and the old and decrepid, who 

 had just strength enough to crawl to the scene of action, chiefs 

 and common people, public functionaries and beggars ; all were 

 mingled in one common herd, bewailing in chorus their common 

 loss. 



I observed several women of the higher class standing in a 

 group somewhat apart from the great concourse, who appeared 

 affected in a peculiar manner. Tossing their arms over their 

 heads, and behind their necks, beating their breasts violently and 

 frantically, and raging with their voices during the whole time, 

 as though they were suffering the most acute agony. In a few 

 minutes, this violent paroxysm would subside, and then the poor 

 creatures would fall to the ground exhausted and breathless. 



