Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1859-09-28
NO. s..


Romance In the Life Of Lieut.. Maury.
The following bit of romance IN the life
OF Lieut. Maury, is related by Mr.. willisip
last weeks Home Journal:
1ln the earlier DAYS of his professional
career, the present Commander was a
mldshipuan on board of one Of the sloop-
Oliver sent to cruise in the Pacific. Tho
duty being mainly to give authoritative
coun5enance TO the merchant vessels iu
those seas much Of their time, of courser
was passed in the anchorage of the differ
ent islands; and Maury, having aIuays.a
taste for languages had employed his Many
s2an-idic houff : coz.swaia Of the golashore
boat in masteringthe dialects of the natives
So successful had he been inthis volunteer
study that he became, at last, the regular
interpreter, and was main channel Of com,
munication between the Commodore and
the petty sovereigns of the island,
@The thing he most struggled with, .in
those days, was constitutional bashful-
ness, and he was not little flabbergasted,.
therefore, when he was summoned to the
quarter deck one bright morning, to inter-
pret between the Commander and a young
Owbyhee princess, the favorite daughter Of
the Chief of the island where they were
anchored. She had swum off to the ship,
and climbed up the side, and now stood in
all her tropical forescence an exquisitely
developed young woman of sixteen, -draped
mainly in her flowing tresses and her un~
conscious modesty. and gesticulating in the
most lively manner, to the very great adj
mration of the officers and crew. She had
evidently message of Importance tocom-'
municate.
"Obedient to the summons of course
the gold-laced cap of the young interpreter
MILDLY made its appearance !, and he pro.
ceeded to. open communication with the
fair Undine- getting side intimation from
the officers audicnced about on the gun
carriages and portfolios, that the dialogue
of inquiry should be prolonged as far as
possible.
"He WAS not long in learning her errand
but how, with his bashfulness to translate
it to the Commodore and those groups of
listening Leutenants? 1t was no less than
authoritative expression of the Islands ad--
miration of his superior knowledge, as.
shown In the mastery of their language, and
| a proposal for the honor of hishand.- The
| girl had swum of, as her fathers emSassa-
dor, to make the offer of hersclf-the an.
swer being awaited on shore inrfuH coan.
Gil of warriOr-chiefsl
| "The difficulty of maintaining the proper
quarterback gravity, or of so repressing the
mirth of the surrounding epautsttes as not
to give o6ense to the native pride of the
auto-question-popping Princess, was con-
siderable. Maury has no recollection, at
present, whether he himself stood on his.
head or his heels during the interview
The Commodore was discreet, however :
and it was soon understood that the legate.
of a foreign power was TO be treated with,
respect, whether the diplomatic drapery
were more or less entire, and the proposal
was to be respectfully received, The ward
room boat was meantime ordered to te-
manned, and the ships newest flag spread
in the seats to envelop the royal unclad on
her less water-draped return. Maury was
to 60 as coxswain, and restore the lady to-
her parents, but his orders were discre-
tionary. He was to make every assurance
of amity between the United States and
the Pacific, and get clear, if he practically
could-but, on no account, to make any
such rejection of the proposed. honor as
4 WOulu ledQ 10 q NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
at was a pull of mile or two, 1.-The sea
smooth and the tars willing for once to sit
with their backs to the bow. The officer
and his fag-enveloped passenger had the
conversation all to themselves, and he was
busily cogitating, in the bashful back-parlor
of his mind, how he should behave ander
the probable circumstarces-phase' fst, I'd
or Sd-when the young lady unexpectedly
jumped overheard and SWAN the restof the
way to the beach, taking to her heels, on
arriving at the sand, with celerity for
which he could in no way account. Was
she angryl Was there probability oi
his being disembowcled and burnt, If be
should try to overtake and explain He
concluded that it was best, on the whole,
to carry out the commodore's policy; and,
by following up the fugitive, to get chance
, perhaps, to pacify the papa. So, leaving
the boat drawn up on the beach, he took
his way alone to the chiefs bungalow.
at was some little distance inland, and,
on arriving, he found he was considerably
expected. There was every appearance Of
preparation for festivity, the blesspread
for royal banquet, and the fruits and
: drinks in abundant prodigality. The cEief:
II
were already in state of excitement which
precluded all explanation or modification
of plans. There was nothing to do but te
yield to circumstances. He must marry
Ia la Owhyhee and she,) to keep the peac'
:, and protect the commerce of the nasien.
"The delays were apparently inccnsider
0 able. In a very short time, the ranaway
G bride appeared, dressed in all manner o
Pacific ornaments, and attended by be
d mother and bevy of sister islandresses.-
d The Commodore was either not expected
is or not missed; the ceremony was perform
v ed, (what there was of it,) with only nativ
witnesses, and things proceeded as usual
"For the remaining winter months, tb
sloop was anchored at the same island, an,
e I, Prince Maury, of course, had nice oppor
!. tunity to become acquainted with the man
,e ners and customs. His copper coloret
D papa proved very gentlemanly, and, as lon,