INDIFFERENCE TO COMPORT. 
295 
the autlioritative way in which the pretty little boy, — 
the Chief’s favourite son, — ordered them about. 
Landing on another occasion we found the Chief 
lying on his bed very unwell, and begging most piteously 
for some of the white man’s medicine. We had a proof, 
however, how little the comforts of civilization, — accord- 
ing to our ideas, — are appreciated by the natives of a 
tropical climate. Although this Chief prided himself 
on his connexion with the white men, and the multi- 
tude of good things he possessed from their country, 
he was lying in the lower part of his house, without 
flooring, though he had excellent rooms above, wliich, 
with the numerous and valuable articles of European 
manufacture, he merely kept for show, or “to make 
him strong.” We had difficulty, in scrambling over 
lumber of different kinds, to reach the damp and dark 
corner where he was lying. He had, nevertheless, a 
decent bed and pillow. 
The laud near the town of Bimbia is tolerably well 
cultivated, but the dense underwood which spreads so 
rapidly and luxuriantly, makes it a difficult matter to 
keep any space properly cleared. Many fine timber 
trees grow a little distance off, and some blanched yet 
stalwart trunks, visible here and there, bore evidence 
to the destroying influence of the electric fluid, which 
is said to be more frequently dangerous here, than 
at almost any other part of the coast. 
There is one irregular street, kept tolerably clean. 
