jackson’s story. 
375 
by narrow roads, they came to a village. He was taken to 
a large court surrounded with cocoa-nut trees, and placed by 
the side of a Chief, whose wife was sitting on the other side 
of him. 
They then offered him a raw taro, which he refused, and 
afterwards beat up a taro with the scrapings of some red 
root, which they wrapped up in a leaf and placed on the fire, 
and when cooked gave it to him; he fancied it was poison, 
and privately conveyed it into his bosom, pretending he had 
eaten it. He gave his cap to one of the Chiefs, who had 
before asked for it, and several other things also, which they 
fancied. They then ate a cocoa nut, and gave him the shell, 
filled with urine. 
Afterwards, about twenty natives came, each bringing a 
load of wood, all cut of equal length, which they piled up 
like a chimney, and made a sign for him to sit on a stone- 
flag in front of the fire, and then applied a light to the pile, 
which flamed up almost instantaneously, and most beautifully, 
blazing out on all sides; his seat became very hot, but he 
maintained his post on the stone until the whole was consumed. 
Afterwards about fifty girls came and were ranged around 
him, and signs were made for him to select one of them. This 
he also declined doing. 
A Chief, having three tail feathers of the cock stuck in his 
hair, came and turned himself parderriere to Jackson’s face. 
This act terminated their curious ceremonies. Suddenly all 
disappeared, and the Chief beckoned him to enter his house. 
On one side there was a neat bed, made of soft mats; the 
Chief laid himself upon it, and pointed to the damp sand, 
intimating that was to be his resting place. 
Two natives came in, one laid on either side of him, placing 
his spear by Jackson’s side, two others laid down with their 
heads touching his, and two more by his feet, whilst another 
two threw themselves down near the door. 
When the cock crew, they arose, one by one, and went out. 
He felt extremely hungry, and determined to obtain, if possible, 
some of the cocoa nuts from the trees which grew in the Chief’s 
court-yard. He, therefore, gently got up, and went out, and 
