20 



porter's journal. 



who had Wcindcred away in different directions, niy atten- 

 tion was drawn to an object, which at the moment had 

 presented itself. A handsome young woman, of about 

 eighteen years of age, her complexion fairer than common, 

 her carnage majestic, and her dress better and somewhat 

 different from the other females, approached. Her glossy 

 black hair and her skin were highly anointed with the 

 cocoa-nut oil, and her whole person and appearance neat 

 and comely. On inquiry who this dignified personage 

 might be. I was informed that her name was Piteenee, a 

 grandaughter to the chief, or greatest man iri the valley, 

 whose name was Gattanewa. This lady, on whose coun- 

 tenance was not to be perceived any of those playful 

 smiles which enlivened the countenances of the others, I 

 was informed was held in great estimation, on account 

 of her rank and beauty, and 1 felt that it would be neces- 

 sary, from motives of policy, to pay some attentions to a 

 personage so exalted. She received my advances with a 

 coldness and hauteur which would have suited a princess, 

 and repelled every thing hke familiarity with a sternness 

 that astonished me. Yet this lady, like the rest of the 

 women of the island, soon followed the dictates of her 

 own interest, and formed a connexion with one of the 

 officers, which lasted with but little fidelity on her part as 

 long as wc remained, showing herself on the whole a 

 most notorious jilt. Gattanewa, 1 was informed at the 

 time of my landing, was at a fortified village, which was 

 pointed out to me, on the top of one of the highest moun- 

 tains. They have two of these strong places, one on 

 the top of the aforesaid mountain, the other lower down 

 the valley, and guarding one of the principal passes. The 

 manner of fortifying those places, is to plant closely on 

 end, the bodies of large trees, of forty feet in length, se- 

 curing them together by pieces of timber, strongly lashed 

 across, presenting on the brow of a hill, difficult of access, 

 a breastwork of considerable extent, which would require 

 European artillery to destroy. At the back of this a scaf- 

 folding is raised, on which is placed a platform for the 

 warriors, who ascend by the means of ladders, and thence 

 shower down on their assailants spears and stones. The 

 one at which Gattanewa now was, is situated near a re- 

 markable gap, €:ut through the mountain by the natives, 



