PORTER’S JOURNAL. 
6.8 
pressed on my part, when there was no longer expected to be « 
use for it. I had felt indifferent about the gun, as we had an abun¬ 
dance of them, and if I had any wish on the subject, it was that it 
should remain on the mountains as a monument of their great ex- 
ertions. 
As I before remarked, they have no chiefs who appear to as* 
sume any authority over them, they have only patriarchs who pos¬ 
sess solely, the mild and gentle influence of a kind and indulgent 
father among his children. Gattanewa owns much land, his te¬ 
nants pay him in kind; when presents are to be made he calls upon 
them for his due in hogs, cocoa-nuts, bananas, or bread-fruit; other 
land-holders follow his example, the contributors assemble before 
his house one with two or more cocoa-nuts, a bunch of bananas? 
one or two bread-fruit, a hog, a stalk of sugar-cane, or a root of 
tarra. When all are assembled Gattanewa, his son, or grand-son 
takes the lead, and they march in one line for the camp, to the 
number of two or three hundred. In the same manner we re¬ 
ceived the contributions of all the other tribes, with this difference 
only, that all the tribes except those of the valley of Tieuhoy, 
were always preceded by a person bearing a white flag. When I 
asked Gattanewa why this practice was not adopted by the people 
of his valley, his reply was, every body knew we were friends. 
Although no external marks of respect were shown to Gatta ¬ 
newa, although he mixed unnoticed in the crowd, although he 
steered and sometimes paddled his own canoe, caught fish for his 
family, assisted in the construction of canoes, in the formation of 
household and other utensils, and bore the reputation of being one 
of the most ingenious and industrious mechanics on the island, 
still Gattanewa had his rank, and that rank was known and re¬ 
spected. To touch the top of his head, or any thing which had 
been on his head was sacrilege. To pass over his head was an 
indignity never to be forgotten. Gattanewa, nay, ail his family, 
scorn to pass a gate-way which is ever closed, or a house with a 
door; all must be as open and as free as the unrestrained manners 
of their lives; he will pass under nothing which has been raised by 
the hand of man, if there be a possibility of getting round or over 
it; often have I seen him walk the whole length of our barrier, 
in preference to passing between our water casks; and at the risk 
