Inlengththispicturesquebuildingwasperhapstwelveyards,whileinbreadthitcouldnothaveexceededasmanyfeet。Somuchfortheexterior;which,withitswire-likereed-twistedsides,notalittleremindedmeofanimmenseaviary。
Stoopingalittle,youpassedthroughanarrowapertureinitsfront;andfacingyou,onentering,laytwolong,perfectlystraight,andwell-polishedtrunksofthecocoa-nuttree,extendingthefulllengthofthedwelling;oneofthemplacedcloselyagainsttherear,andtheotherlyingparallelwithitsometwoyardsdistant,theintervalbetweenthembeingspreadwithamultitudeofgaily-workedmats,nearlyallofadifferentpattern。Thisspaceformedthecommoncouchandlounging-placeofthenatives,answeringthepurposeofadivaninOrientalcountries。Herewouldtheyslumberthroughthehoursofthenight,andreclineluxuriouslyduringthegreaterpartoftheday。Theremainderofthefloorpresentedonlythecoolshiningsurfacesofthelargestonesofwhichthe“pi-pi“wascomposed。
Fromtheridge-poleofthehousehungsuspendedanumberoflargepackagesenvelopedincoarsetappa;someofwhichcontainedfestivaldresses,andvariousothermattersofthewardrobe,heldinhighestimation。Thesewereeasilyaccessiblebymeansofaline,which,passingovertheridge-pole,hadoneendattachedtoabundle,whilewiththeother,ledtothesideofthedwellingandwastheresecured,thepackagecouldbeloweredorelevatedatpleasure。
Againstthefartherwallofthehousewerearrangedintastefulfiguresavarietyofspearsandjavelins,andotherimplementsofsavagewarfare。Outsideofthehabitation,andbuiltuponthepiazza-likeareainitsfront,wasalittleshedusedasasortoflarderorpantry,andinwhichwerestoredvariousarticlesofdomesticuseandconvenience。Afewyardsfromthepi-piwasalargeshedbuiltofcocoa-nutboughs,wheretheprocessofpreparingthe“poee-poee“wascarriedon,andallculinaryoperationsattendedto。
Thusmuchforthehouse,anditsappurtenances;anditwillbereadilyacknowledgedthatamorecommodiousandappropriatedwellingfortheclimateandthepeoplecouldnotpossiblybedevised。Itwascool,freetoadmittheair,scrupulouslyclean,andelevatedabovethedampnessandimpuritiesoftheground。
Butnowtosketchtheinmates;andhereIclaimformytriedservitorandfaithfulvaletKory-Korytheprecedenceofafirstdescription。Ashischaracterwillbegraduallyunfoldedinthecourseofmynarrative,Ishallforthepresentcontentmyselfwithdelineatinghispersonalappearance。Kory-Kory,thoughthemostdevotedandbest-naturedserving-manintheworld,was,alas!ahideousobjecttolookupon。Hewassometwenty-fiveyearsofage,andaboutsixfeetinheight,robustandwellmade,andofthemostextraordinaryaspect。Hisheadwascarefullyshaven,withtheexceptionoftwocircularspots,aboutthesizeofadollar,nearthetopofthecranium,wherethehair,permittedtogrowofanamazinglength,wastwistedupintwoprominentknots,thatgavehimtheappearanceofbeingdecoratedwithapairofhorns。Hisbeard,pluckedoutbytherootfromeveryotherpartofhisface,wassufferedtodroopinhairypendants,twoofwhichgarnishedhisupperlip,andanequalnumberhungfromtheextremityofhischin。
Kory-Kory,withtheviewofimprovingthehandiworkofnature,andperhapspromptedbyadesiretoaddtotheengagingexpressionofhiscountenance,hadseenfittoembellishhisfacewiththreebroadlongitudinalstripesoftattooing,which,likethosecountryroadsthatgostraightforwardindefianceofallobstacles,crossedhisnasalorgan,descendedintothehollowofhiseyes,andevenskirtedthebordersofhismouth。Eachcompletelyspannedhisphysiognomy;oneextendinginalinewithhiseyes,anothercrossingthefaceinthevicinityofthenose,andthethirdsweepingalonghislipsfromeartoear。Hiscountenancethustriplyhooped,asitwere,withtattooing,alwaysremindedmeofthoseunhappywretcheswhomIhavesometimesobservedgazingoutsentimentallyfrombehindthegratedbarsofaprisonwindow;whilsttheentirebodyofmysavagevalet,coveredalloverwithrepresentationsofbirdsandfishes,andavarietyofmostunaccountable-lookingcreatures,suggestedtometheideaofapictorialmuseumofnaturalhistory,oranillustratedcopyofGoldsmith’sAnimatedNature。
Butitseemsreallyheartlessinmetowritethusofthepoorislander,whenIoweperhapstohisunremittingattentionstheveryexistenceInowenjoy。Kory-Kory,ImeantheenoharminwhatIsayinregardtothyoutwardadornings;buttheywerealittlecurioustomyunaccustomedsight,andthereforeIdilateuponthem。ButtounderrateorforgetthyfaithfulservicesissomethingIcouldneverbeguiltyof,eveninthegiddiestmomentofmylife。
Thefatherofmyattachedfollowerwasanativeofgiganticframe,andhadoncepossessedprodigiousphysicalpowers;buttheloftyformwasnowyieldingtotheinroadsoftime,thoughthehandofdiseaseseemednevertohavebeenlaidupontheagedwarrior。Marheyo-
forsuchwashisname-appearedtohaveretiredfromallactiveparticipationintheaffairsofthevalley,seldomorneveraccompanyingthenativesintheirvariousexpeditions;andemployingthegreaterpartofhistimeinthrowingupalittleshedjustoutsidethehouse,uponwhichhewasengagedtomycertainknowledgeforfourmonths,withoutappearingtomakeanysensibleadvance。Isupposetheoldgentlemanwasinhisdotage,forhemanifestedinvariouswaysthecharacteristicswhichmarkthisparticularstageoflife。
Irememberinparticularhishavingachoicepairofear-ornaments,fabricatedfromtheteethofsomesea-monster。Thesehewouldalternatelywearandtakeoffatleastfiftytimesinthecourseoftheday,goingandcomingfromhislittlehutoneachoccasionwithallthetranquilityimaginable。Sometimesslippingthemthroughtheslitsinhisears,hewouldseizehisspear-whichinlengthandslightnessresembledafishingpole-andgostalkingbeneaththeshadowsoftheneighbouringgroves,asifabouttogiveahostilemeetingtosomecannibalknight。Buthewouldsoonreturnagain,andhidinghisweaponundertheprojectingeavesofthehouse,androllinghisclumsytrinketscarefullyinapieceoftappa,wouldresumehismorepacificoperationsasquietlyasifhehadneverinterruptedthem。
Butdespitehiseccentricities,Marheyowasamostpaternalandwarm-heartedoldfellow,andinthisparticularnotalittleresembledhissonKory-Kory。Themotherofthelatterwasthemistressofthefamily,andanotablehousewife,andamostindustriousoldladyshewas。Ifshedidnotunderstandtheartofmakingjellies,jams,custards,tea-cakes,andsuchliketrashyaffairs,shewasprofoundlyskilledinthemysteriesofpreparing“amar,“
“poee-poee,“and“kokoo,“withothersubstantialmatters。Shewasagenuinebusy-body;bustlingaboutthehouselikeacountrylandladyatanunexpectedarrival;forevergivingtheyounggirlstaskstoperform,whichthelittlehussiesasoftenneglected;pokingintoeverycorner,andrummagingoverbundlesofoldtappa,ormakingaprodigiousclatteramongthecalabashes。Sometimesshemighthavebeenseensquattinguponherhaunchesinfrontofahugewoodenbasin,andkneadingpoee-poeewithterrificvehemence,dashingthestonepestleaboutasifshewouldshiverthevesselintofragments:onotheroccasions,gallopingaboutthevalleyinsearchofaparticularkindofleaf,usedinsomeofherreconditeoperations,andreturninghome,toilingandsweating,withabundle,underwhichmostwomenwouldhavesunk。
Totellthetruth,Kory-Kory’smotherwastheonlyindustriouspersoninallthevalleyofTypee;andshecouldnothaveemployedherselfmoreactivelyhadshebeenleftanexceedinglymuscularanddestitutewidow,withaninordinatesupplyofyoungchildren,inthebleakestpartofthecivilizedworld。Therewasnottheslightestnecessityforthegreaterportionofthelabourperformedbytheoldlady:butsheseemedtoworkfromsomeirresistibleimpulse;herlimbscontinuallyswayingtoandfro,asifthereweresomeindefatigableengineconcealedwithinherbodywhichkeptherinperpetualmotion。
Neversupposethatshewasatermagantorashrewforallthis:
shehadthekindliestheartintheworld,andactedtowardsmeinparticularinatrulymaternalmanner,occasionallyputtingsomelittlemorselofchoicefoodintomyhand,someoutlandishkindofsavagesweetmeatorpastry,likeadotingmotherpettingasicklyurchinwithtartsandsugar-plums。Warmindeedaremyremembrancesofthedear,good,affectionateoldTinor!
BesidestheindividualsIhavementioned,therebelongedtothehouseholdthreeyoungmen,dissipated,good-for-nothing,roysteringbladesofsavages,whowereeitheremployedinprosecutingloveaffairswiththemaidensofthetribe,orgrewboozyon“arva“andtobaccointhecompanyofcongenialspirits,thescapegracesofthevalley。
Amongthepermanentinmatesofthehousewerelikewiseseverallovelydamsels,whoinsteadofthrummingpianosandreadingnovels,likemoreenlightenedyoungladies,substitutedfortheseemploymentsthemanufactureoffinespeciesoftappa;butforthegreaterportionofthetimewereskippingfromhousetohouse,gaddingandgossipingwiththeiracquaintances。
Fromtherestofthese,however,ImustexceptthebeauteousnymphFayaway,whowasmypeculiarfavourite。Herfreepliantfigurewastheveryperfectionoffemalegraceandbeauty。Hercomplexionwasarichandmantlingolive,andwhenwatchingtheglowuponhercheeksIcouldalmostswearthatbeneaththetransparentmediumtherelurkedtheblushesofafaintvermilion。Thefaceofthisgirlwasaroundedoval,andeachfeatureasperfectlyformedastheheartorimaginationofmancoulddesire。Herfulllips,whenpartedwithasmile,disclosedteethofadazzlingwhiteness;andwhenherrosymouthopenedwithaburstofmerriment,theylookedlikethemilk-whiteseedsofthe“arta,“afruitofthevalley,which,whencleftintwain,showsthemreposinginrowsoneitherside,embeddedintheredandjuicypulp。Herhairofthedeepestbrown,partedirregularlyinthemiddle,flowedinnaturalringletsoverhershoulders,andwhenevershechancedtostoop,felloverandhidfromviewherlovelybosom。Gazingintothedepthsofherstrangeblueeyes,whenshewasinacontemplativemood,theyseemedmostplacidyetunfathomable;butwhenilluminatedbysomelivelyemotion,theybeameduponthebeholderlikestars。ThehandsofFayawaywereassoftanddelicateasthoseofanycountess;foranentireexemptionfromrudelabourmarksthegirlhoodandevenprimeofaTypeewoman’slife。
Herfeet,thoughwhollyexposed,wereasdiminutiveandfairlyshapedasthosewhichpeepfrombeneaththeskirtsofaLimalady’sdress。Theskinofthisyoungcreature,fromcontinualablutionsandtheuseofmollifyingointments,wasinconceivablysmoothandsoft。
Imaysucceed,perhaps,inparticularizingsomeoftheindividualfeaturesofFayaway’sbeauty,butthatgenerallovelinessofappearancewhichtheyallcontributedtoproduceIwillnotattempttodescribe。Theeasyunstudiedgracesofachildofnaturelikethis,breathingfrominfancyanatmosphereofperpetualsummer,andnurturedbythesimplefruitsoftheearth;enjoyingaperfectfreedomfromcareandanxiety,andremovedeffectuallyfromallinjurioustendencies,striketheeyeinamannerwhichcannotbeportrayed。Thispictureisnofancysketch;itisdrawnfromthemostvividrecollectionsofthepersondelineated。
WereIaskedifthebeauteousformofFayawaywasaltogetherfreefromthehideousblemishoftattooing,Ishouldbeconstrainedtoanswerthatitwasnot。Butthepractitionersofthisbarbarousart,soremorselessintheirinflictionsuponthebrawnylimbsofthewarriorsofthetribe,seemtobeconsciousthatitneedsnottheresourcesoftheirprofessiontoaugmentthecharmsofthemaidensofthevale。