WE DINE ON ISK-FIRH, 



173 



sionSf and my servants purcliased diickeus, fish, and 

 -\vliatever else waa to be procured ; in short, I bought 

 all tlie food, and the rajah lielped me eat it, so that I 

 fiilfilled to the letter the order of the governor-gen- 

 eral that I should prove " no burden to the native 

 people ; " but, on the contrary, as I spent many guil- 

 ders for shells in each lillage, mj visits, in their eyes, 

 were special blessings. Again and again motliers 

 would come with their children and complain most 

 bitterly that they had so little food and clothing, 

 and beg me to take the shells they had brought^ and 

 name my own pnce. The rajah at first eould hardly 

 believe I should collect many shells in his village, 

 but I asked liim to beat the Ufa for his capalas, liter- 

 ally "head men," but really a higher class of ser- 

 vants, whose duty it is to convey to the people the 

 rajah's commands, and see them duly enforced. The 

 capalas were ordered to summon all those who prob- 

 ably had shells in their houses, that I might invite 

 them to trade. Meantime supper was prepared. The 

 first object on the table that attracted my attention 

 was an Octopus, or " iukfish," an animal much like the 

 squid of our own shores, which fishermen sometimes 

 use for bait, and which whalers know is a favorite 

 morsel for blackfish ; but I never heard of men feast- 

 ing on it before. After this questionable dish and a 

 chicken were disposed of, the fried fruit of the Arto- 

 ewrpm meimy or " bread-fruit tree," was placed ou 

 the table. After supper I walked through all the 

 principal streets of the village, supported on either 

 side by a capala, who persistently drove all the na- 

 tives out of the street before us, and forced them to 



