3*28 
SOUTH SEA 
another of those men, but much less than himself, swam 
out after us, and while swimming by our side implored 
us to take him on board also; and finding that our first 
passenger was anxious that he should accompany us, we 
again consented, but in consequence of our boat being 
so deeply loaded, we were obliged to set our sail, and 
with a fine breeze we ran along at a quick rate. But 
before we had got far a sudden squall came on, accom- 
panied with rain, so that we were obliged to take in 
part of our sail from fear of being upset. When the 
native who had first entered our boat saw our anxiety, 
he began in a low murmur an invocation to the wind. 
At times he was scarcely audible, but then muttering 
gradually louder, he at last broke out into a frantic 
wildness, almost choking himself with his violence— his 
countenance being suffused, his lips covered with froth, 
and his face directed upwards and towards the quarter 
from whence the wind came, the rain all the time bespat- 
tering his dark visage without mercy. 
At times he hissed with considerable force, and then 
soon after he commenced a kind of chattering, alternat- 
ing with the hissing, which was followed by a jabbering 
of his native tongue, with such amazing velocity and 
passion that his conduct became at last fearfully impres- 
sive. He appeared at times like an infuriated maniac — 
while at others the wild energy and extraordinary pas- 
sion into which he worked himself gave him a truly 
awful appearance. Suddenly he would cease this wild- 
ness, and then gently and smilingly implore his deity to 
relieve us from the violence of the wind, which still 
