CHAP. X. TREPARING PACKAGES TOR THE JOURNEY. 263 



whole to the queen ; but that her majesty had declined the 

 proflfered gift, observing that messages by relays of runners, be- 

 tween the capital and the coast, were quite quick enough for 

 her, and much more sure than the proposed telegraphic wares 

 would be, which would most likely soon get out of order and 

 become useless. 



The whole apparatus of the electric telegraph had been 

 packed in one large case, and other articles had been brought 

 in the same way. I had therefore to open and repack them 

 in smaller boxes for the convenience of transit, as all had to 

 be carried on men's shoulders. Happening to mention to the 

 aide-de-camp of the prince that an article which I was placing 

 in one of the boxes was a present for the queen, I was sur- 

 prised a day or two afterwards by noticing the same aide-de- 

 camp request a young officer, who was sitting on the box, to 

 change his seat immediately, assigning as a reason that the 

 box contained something belonging to the sovereign. He was 

 instantly obeyed, and the native servant w^ho attended me was 

 charged to inform every one who might come to the Louse 

 not to sit on that box, as it was a great offence to sit 

 upon, or even to sit above, anything intended for the sove- 

 reign. 



\\^hen the alteration in my boxes was finished, a number of 

 natives came and covered all the packages with the long leaves 

 of a species of pandanus, which they tied on with the stalks 

 of a tough creeper, abundant in the forest. All articles are 

 conveyed on men's shoulders to the capital, and are uniformly 

 covered with these leaves, which when carefully put in are so 

 impervious to rain, that not only piece goods, but even sugar 

 or salt, are carried two or three hundred miles, and exposed to 

 frequent rains without inj ury. 



In reducing the size of my packages, nails and iron fasten- 

 ings for the corners were required, and these when not found 

 in the market were furnished by the native smiths. An axe 



s 4 



