123 
As we travelled through this vale, I was 
occasionally diverted by the observations 
and good-natured contentions of my peo- 
ple. One said he would build a house on 
such a spot, when he had made a fortune 
and gave up the sea. Another would point 
to a different situation as the place of his 
residence, and that he would keep ten 
wives. A third, perceiving what he thought 
a more delightful place, would have that 
in preference to the others, and be content 
with less than ten wives : he would have 
only eight ; four of these should be black, 
and four white. A fourth declared he 
would have his mansion near a particular 
stream which he then had in view, and 
would not visit his old messmates, because 
they had often refused him a chew of to- 
bacco. The others denied this he asserted ; 
but after wrangling for some time, the 
man observed that if they behaved like 
good fellows, he would lend them a hand 
to raise a stock of children, provided they 
would do the same by him. The proposal 
was immediately acceded to, and they 
all shook hands in perfect good humour. 
Thus were these poor fellows amusing 
