Year: 1871

u


w next day in a large canoe with
about fifty natives, and late in the after
noon we arrived at q small island, and send
ing courier ashore by having him swim q
couple of miles, we were conducted i'll great
state to the council chamber of the,chief,
which was large hut similar to the one l
had first been carried to on Rava. Here, a
feast of pome, breadfruit and other produc-
tions of pomona awaited us, giving to our
arrival the same kind of reception that
awaits an executive body in civilization,
when on a friendly visit to a neighbor.


cat night we were conducted to a hut
much larger than any had yet seen, on en-
tering which found to be a very excellent
imitation of a theatre. There was stage
with regular footlights, and the hall and all
around was illuminated with lamps evident
ly trimmed with lard oil the curtain of
canvas was down so / could not see its ar
rangements, but almost expected when
heard a small bell ring, to see well-organ-
lied troupe appear and play Shakspeare's
'Midsummer's Night Dream


GAS the curtain arose, very beautiful
young lady of, as judged, about seven
teen, appeared to my view, with Zoroas-
ter's robe on, while near her were the vari-
GUS implements of art that one generally
sees in well-regulated necromancer's ap-
paratus.


"Had the sky fallen, or been carried
by some magic carpet to the Museum on
fremont Street, | would not have been
more astonished than was at the sight be-
fore me, and my bewilderment was in no
degree lessened to hear this beautiful maid
en- address her audience in pure Kanaka,
and perform the usual trick of eating the
established quantity of cotton, blowing fire
from her mouth, and winding UP with
drawing from its place the parti-colored
ribbon. Then followed the ring trick,
oranges put under cups and disappearing,
taking small pig from the nose of n ma
tive, drinking several calabashes of water
and drawing it again from her duslky as
sistant's elbow, in short all the usual sleight-
oEhand-tricks that conjurors usually dis
play.


When her performance was all over,
she 6owed to her audience, thanked them
for their kind attention, and retired from
the stage with due gravity.


"As she left at its conclusion, involun-
tarily cried out 'encOreP and drew many a
dark look on me for doing SO.


L. I ,la,, lao
turned, and saying to them in their
own language, Il have one more thing to
do; the one who cried "encore' will
please come here


"Utterly bewildered, | stepped on the
stage from the corner had been ensconced
in, and as / did so, ! was surprised to hear
her say ventriloquially, keep your head,
sir, or I'm lost And then producing
small percussion pistol, great novelty in
those parts where everything is flint-lock,
she requested chief to come up and load
it, and for him TO mark the ball, which he
did by biting it and Immediately dropping
it in the muzzle, and ramming it home.-
After he had done this, he passed it to her,
and while she was Gaping it, u voice said
in my ear, i have the ball in my hand ;
put ii in your teeth unnoticed, and when
he fires the pistol produce it,. AS she said
this, she passed the pistol back again to
the chief, and as she led me to the rear, !
put ball she handed me in my teeth.


"When ! was posed, she ordered the
chief to fire at me, which he Immediately
did, and ], in accordance with her direc-
tion, took the bullet from my teeth and re-
turned it TO him, and he with howl of fright