Mádera has made great improvement in English, and his character is altogether more developed. He is quite at his ease in our company, and seems to take the most extraordinary interest in every thing belonging to us; but his ardent desire to inform himself on all subjects sometimes distresses him a good deal; he observes the facility with which we do some things, and his enterprising mind suggests to him the possibility of his imitating us; but when he is made sensible of the number of steps by which alone the knowledge he admires is to be attained, his despair is strongly marked. He sometimes asks us to read English aloud to him, to which he always listens with the deepest attention. One day, on shore, he saw me with a book in my hand: he begged me to sit down under a tree, and read: Jeeroo was the only chief present, but there were several of the peasants in attendance upon him; they all lay down on the grass, and listened with an attention and interest which are natural enough: every one expressed himself pleased and satisfied except Mádera, whose anxiety was to read in the same manner himself. From the earnest way in which he inquired into every subject, we were sometimes inclined to think that he must have been directed by the government to inform himself on these topics; and certainly a fitter person could not have been selected; for he adapted himself so readily to all ranks, that he became at once a favourite, and every person took pleasure in obliging him.
Jeeroo is esteemed in another way; he is uniformly good humoured and obliging, and not without curiosity; but he is not clever, and has none of the fire and enthusiasm of Mádera. We all think kindly of Jeeroo, and shake him cordially by the hand when we meet him; but Mádera is admired and respected, as well as esteemed, and his society is courted for his own sake.
Mádera is about twenty-eight years of age, of a slender figure, and very active; his upper teeth project in front over the lower ones, giving his face a remarkable, but not a disagreeable expression. He is always cheerful, and often lively and playful, but his good sense prevents his ever going beyond the line of strict propriety. When required by etiquette to be grave, no one is so immoveably serious as Mádera, and when mirth rules the hour, he is the gayest of the gay: such indeed is his taste on these occasions, that he not only catches the outward tone of his company, but really appears to think and feel as they do. His enterprising spirit and versatility of talent have led him to engage in a number of pursuits; his success, however, is the most remarkable in his acquisition of English. About a month after our arrival, he was asked what had become of his companion Anya; he replied, "Anya, him mother sick, he go him mother house;" and when asked if he would return, he said, "Two, three day time, him mother no sick, he come ship." With all these endowments and attainments he is unaffectedly modest, and never seems aware of his being superior to the rest of his countrymen. We were a long time in doubt what was his real rank; for at first he kept himself back, so that he was well known to the midshipmen, before the officers were at all acquainted with him: he gradually came forward, and though he always wore the dress of the ordinary respectable natives, his manners evidently belonged, to a higher rank, but he never associated with the chiefs, and disclaimed having any pretensions to an equality with them. Notwithstanding all this, there were occasional circumstances, which, by shewing his authority, almost betrayed his secret. One morning a difficulty arose about some supplies which the chiefs had engaged to procure, but which they had neglected to send; as soon as Mádera was told of the circumstance, he went to Captain Maxwell, and undertook to arrange it to his satisfaction, at the same time begging that if any difficulty occurred in future, he might be applied to. Whatever may be Mádera's rank in his own society, it is highly curious to discover in a country so circumstanced, the same politeness, self-denial, and gracefulness of behaviour which the experience of civilized nations has pointed out as constituting the most pleasing and advantageous form of intercourse.
The great interest which Mádera took in the English, and the curiosity he always expressed about our customs at home, suggested the idea of taking him with us to England, where he would have been an interesting specimen of a people so little known; and he also might have carried back knowledge of the greatest use to his country. When it was proposed to him, he paused for some minutes, and then, shaking his head, said, "I go Injeree,—father, mother, childs, wife, house, all cry! not go; no, no, all cry!"
In our absence a number of watch-houses had been erected on the heights round the anchorage; they are mere sheds of cane thatched over, in which three or four of the natives remain, day and night, in order to be ready to accompany any person who may happen to land, wherever it be. They have also erected a long shed, with a floor of split bamboo; in this place, which is on the top of the hill above the usual landing place, the chiefs generally assemble in the morning; they invite every one who passes to drink tea and smoke pipes, which is very convenient when the boats happen not to be ready to take us on board. Each of the chiefs is attended by a boy, generally his son, whose business it is to carry a little square box, in which there are several small drawers, divided into compartments, filled with rice, sliced eggs, small squares of smoked pork, cakes, and fish; and in one corner a small metal pot of sackee, besides cups and chopsticks. By having this always with them, they can dine when and where they choose. They frequently invite us to dine with them, and if we agree to the proposal, they generally ask any other of the chiefs whom they meet to be of the party and join dinners. The place selected for these pic-nics is commonly under the trees, in a cool spot, where a mat is spread on the grass; and every thing being laid out in great order, the party lies down in a circle, and seldom breaks up till the sackee pot is empty.
An artist of the island brought a drawing of the Alceste on board to-day for Captain Maxwell: it is about two feet by one and a half, and is altogether a most extraordinary production, in which perspective and proportion are curiously disregarded. The captain and officers are introduced in full uniform, and a number of the sailors on the rigging and masts. With all its extravagance, however, it has considerable merit; there is nothing slovenly about it, and there is enough of truth in it to shew that it was sketched on the spot.
A dispute has arisen between John the interpreter and the chiefs, who it seems had positively promised to get a horse for Captain Maxwell to ride; as they have not kept their word, John declares that he will have nothing to say to people who do not speak truth. They have again promised, however, that a horse will be got ready, and in the mean time, a fresh stock of beef and vegetables has been sent to both ships, which has pacified John a little. We have had much occasion to lament not having been accompanied by one of the gentlemen of the factory acquainted with the Chinese language, for although to have John is much better than to be without any interpreter, it is probable that he is not very delicate in his requests, and makes use of expressions and arguments unsuited to our character, and contrary to our wishes and instructions.
19th of October.—In the morning, before breakfast, Captain Maxwell was informed by one of the chiefs, that a horse was ready for him on the beach; he landed accordingly, and found a little pony saddled, and two of the chiefs mounted. They objected to his riding in the country, where the roads were uneven, so that for the present his ride was confined to the beach. The saddle is made of wood, and so uneven as to be very unpleasant: it is proposed to have one made of a blanket and mats in future. To the stirrup there is tied a box, large enough to receive the whole foot.
A dinner was given to-day by Captain Maxwell to the chiefs Ookooma, Shayoon, Issacha Sandoo, Jeema, and Issacha Hackeeboocoo; Jeeroo was also invited to it, but did not attend; being the junior, he had probably been left in charge of the beach and store-rooms. Mádera also made one of the party, though not originally included in the invitation. As he had never laid any claim to an equality in rank with the chiefs, it had not been thought right to invite him along with them: but Mádera, who probably knew that he would be very welcome, put himself in Captain Maxwell's way just before dinner, and was prevailed upon, after a little persuasion, to remain.
Dinner was served at five o'clock in as sumptuous a style as possible. Ookooma was placed on Captain Maxwell's right, and Shayoon on his left; I sat beside the former, and Mr. Clifford next the other; then the two chiefs next in rank, and beside them two of the officers of the ship: the first lieutenant, Mr. Hickman, sat at the foot of the table, with Hackeeboocoo on his right, and Mádera on his left. They were all in great spirits, and ate and drank freely, and though they complained of the size of the glasses, and of the strength of the wine, tasted every thing from punch to champagne: the briskness of the last indeed surprised them not a little, and effectually muddled two of them for some time. Cheese was the only thing they all objected to, probably on account of its being made of milk, which they never taste. The interpreter not being present, the conversation was carried on through Mr. Clifford and Mádera, and partly by signs. Whether intelligibly or not, every body was talking. Mádera has dined often on board the ship, and is quite perfect in our customs. On this occasion he took great charge of the chiefs at his end of the table, speaking sometimes in one language and sometimes in the other. Observing Jeema eating ham without mustard, he called to Captain Maxwell's servant, and pointing to Jeema, said, "Tom, take mustard to him." When the desert was put on table, and the wine decanters ranged in a line, they exclaimed in astonishment, "Moo eeyroo noo sackee," six kinds or colours of wine; but the sweetmeats and prepared confectionary pleased them most.