ACROSS THE KOCKY MOUNTAINS, ETC. 287 



country, in a half wild state, and fattening to obesity on the ripe 

 and luscious fruit which every where strews the ground. 



lOth. — I strolled, during the whole of this day, through the 

 woods, and procured a number of very pretty birds, all new to 

 me. In this expedition I was accompanied by a stout boy, a 

 Sandwich Islander, whom I have engaged as my servant while I 

 remain. This is a convenience, inasmuch as I am not acquainted 

 with the language of the Tahitians, but am sufficiently familiar 

 with that of the Sandwich Islanders, to ask for whatever I want, 

 and understand ordinary conversation. In my ramble through 

 the forest to-day, I was surprised to hear a stave of the old 

 familiar song, Jim Crorc, sung by a little puling voice, but 

 with singular fidelity of tone and time, and after a short search, 

 I perceived a little naked native girl, of not more than four years 

 of age, washing her only calico garment in a creek which flowed 

 by, and amusing herself at her work, by singing " wheel about, 

 and turn about, and do just so." The child attempted to escape 

 when she found she was observed, but I caught her, and by dint 

 of persuasion, and the offer of a rial, induced her to sing several 

 verses to me. 



12th. — I went, with the consul, to the palace of the queen, 

 Pomare Wahine, (or the woman Pomare.) The house did not 

 differ, except in being somewhat larger, from the ordinary native 

 habitations, and her majesty could not have been distinguished, 

 by her appearance, from the poorest woman in her dominions. 

 Her complexion is somewhat faii'er than that of the generality, 

 and the expression of her countenance is pleasing. She was 

 dressed, like the maids of honor who surrounded her, in a loose 

 wrapper of calico, but without any kind of ornament about her 

 person, and her feet were bare. I was informed ' that she dis- 

 liked all show and ostentation, and that she never donned her 

 queenly garments except upon occasions of state or high ceremo- 

 nial. Her husband is a young man of prepossessing appearance, 



