WHALING VOYAGE. 
377 
mother, and when the little fellow found I had given 
him the preference over all the rest, he bounded before 
me like a deer, shewing me the ’Way to his mother’s 
house. As we went, all the rest of the people followed 
us, and as I walked along the beach against a strong 
wind, at a quick pace, with my light-coloured flowing 
clothes flying back, with my broad-brimmed Peruvian 
hat bent back over my head, leading a crowd of dingy - 
looking natives, the sailors on board wondered what T was 
about, viewing me with their telescope ; they imagined 
some disturbance had broken out, with their doctor at 
its head. When we arrived at the house of the boy’s 
mother, I found the unfortunate woman suffering from 
the effects of disease, which had reached a most de- 
plorable height. I did all that was in my power to 
relieve her sufferings, and I continued to act in the 
same manner to all that I saw during the day who 
required my aid, and they were not a few. One young 
man who was suffering from violent inflammation, I 
found it necessary to bleed, which excited a good deal of 
curiosity among his neighbours, who filled the house on 
the occasion, and who became quite troublesome with 
their ofliciousness. 
On the afternoon of the same day, 1 had the pleasure 
of meeting with Mr. Platt, the English missionary, who 
was residing here, with Mrs. Platt and his family of two 
sons, and I have much pleasure in bearing testimony a 
second time in this sketch to the excellent character 
which he bore among the people with whom he was 
sojourning. Far from his own country and friends, he 
