454 VISIT TO MARRIKLONAMI. — UMBRELLA. — HAIR. 22 July, 
umbrella gave us, that he wished me to make him a present of it. I 
replied, that it was indispensably necessary to me, as I could not 
draw without it, the whiteness of the paper, in the sunshine, com- 
pletely dazzling me and preventing my seeing either the objects 
before me, or my own drawing ; but I added, if he would wait till I 
had ended my journey, I would then gladly give it to him. He did 
not, he said, seriously mean, or expect, that I should part with it ; 
but only asked it in talk ; yet, if he were to ask for a piece of tobacco 
for himself and his wife, he then should mean what he said. That this 
ingenious mode of begging might not fail in its object, I promised 
that, as I had, to avoid being troubled by beggars, put none in my 
pocket before I came from home, I would send him some as soon as 
I returned to my waggons. 
Marriklonami desired her husband to let me know that she 
much wished to see my hair, and begged me to take off my hat. I 
did so ; and had it been a man with eyes in every part of his head, 
who had thus unexpectedly appeared before her, she could not have 
expressed greater astonishment. She lifted up both hands with 
amazement ; involuntarily drew herself back a pace, as though fear- 
ful of a strange animal ; and remained for a minute or two fixed in 
silent wonder. The greater part of the crowd also stood gazing with 
surprise at the extraordinary sight, and seemed scarcely to credit the 
testimony of their own senses, that there could exist on the earth a 
race of men whose heads produced a similar covering : yet none 
ventured now to approach and examine it more nearly. One man 
said, he thought long hair very beautiful ; but when I told him that 
I much doubted whether he admired it so much as the hair of his 
own countrywomen, he made no reply, and confessed by his silence, 
that black wool twisted into threads shining with grease and sibilo, 
was in his eyes much more charming. 
Having allowed the party time sufficient for satisfying their 
curiosity, I again put on my hat ; and all then began giving to each 
other their opinions respecting the white-man ; at least, such ap- 
peared, by their manner, to be the subject of their conversation. 
Serrakutu, with a view to give me some idea, as it appeared, of 
