After sitting about an hour and a half after dinner, and drinking with tolerable spirit, they rose to depart; but this they were not allowed to do, and they were informed that it was the English custom to sit a much longer time. They represented that the sun had set, and they would never be able to find their way on shore, but would all be drowned in attempting it. This alarming difficulty was easily overruled by a promise of the barge, and they sat down again. While the discussion was going on between Captain Maxwell and his guests, Mádera kept his seat, and looked about him in his keen observant way, to discover, if he could, what was likely to be the issue of this adventure. Having observed that in general we were anxious to keep our company at table as long as we could, he naturally enough thought that we would not let this opportunity pass of entertaining the chiefs according to our fashion. He appeared to have settled this question with himself just as the chiefs resumed their seats, for rising half off his chair, and with a mixture of archness and simplicity, as if he had made an amusing discovery, cried out in English, "When all drunk then go ashore!" Though Mádera, as will be seen, was not quite right in his guess, there was enough of truth in his remark to raise a hearty laugh among those who understood him; and as he joined in this laugh at his own joke, it was some time before he could explain what he had said to the chiefs, who, being in a merry humour themselves, took it in perfect good part, though their mirth was evidently dashed by a little apprehension of the fate which Mádera had anticipated for them.
The health of his Royal Highness the Prince Regent was then given, all the company standing in the most respectful manner. This was followed by the health of the King of Loo-choo, which was drank with similar observances. On sitting down after the latter toast, the chiefs conferred a few minutes across the table, and then all rose to propose Captain Maxwell's health; their wishes being explained by Mádera. When they sat down, Captain Maxwell proposed the health of Ookooma and the other chiefs, but as we in return stood up to drink to them, their modesty disclaimed this part of the compliment, and they rose likewise; nor was it till a good deal of persuasion had been used, that they consented to be seated while we were standing.
These four bumpers made the party very merry, and it now was intimated to them, that as all the usual formalities had been observed, they might drink just as much as they liked, or pass the bottle altogether; a permission of which few of them took advantage. They lighted their pipes, laughed, joked, and seemed so happy, that it was agreed on all hands, that conviviality is no where better understood than at Loo-choo. After a time, at our request, they played some games, of which we had heard them speak. The object of these games was drinking; a cup of wine being the invariable forfeit. That every thing might be in character during the games, some of their own little cups were put on table. One person holds the stalk of his tobacco-pipe between the palms of his hands, so that the pipe rolls round as he moves his hands, which he is to hold over his head, so as not to see them. After turning it round for a short time, he suddenly stops, and the person to whom the bowl is directed has to drink a cup of wine. Another is a Chinese game: one person holds his hand closed over his head, he then brings it quickly down before him with one or more fingers extended; the person he is playing with calls out the number of them, and if he guesses right, he has to drink the cup of wine. These and other games caused a good deal of noisy mirth, and at length it was proposed by them to go out, in order to look at the sailors who were dancing on deck. Before leaving the cabin, they shewed us a Loo-choo dance round the table: Mádera placed himself at the head before Ookooma, while the others ranged themselves in a line behind him; he began by a song, the air of which was very pretty, and nearly at the same time commenced the dance, which consisted principally in throwing the body into a variety of postures, and twisting the hands about. Sometimes the hands were placed flat together, at others separate, but generally the former; the movements both of the body and hands were regular and of a waving description. The head was made to incline slowly from side to side, so as almost to touch the shoulders; the feet were moved with a slight shuffling motion, with an occasional long sweeping step to one side and then back again; but the perfection of the dance appeared to be in the proper use of the hands and body. The words of the dance song were "Sasa sangcoomah, sangcoomee ah! sangcoomee ah! kadee yooshee daw;" when they came to the last word they all joined in the chorus and clapped their hands. Although Mádera was the leader both in the dance and song, he was occasionally joined in the latter by several of the others, the whole party repeating the last word several times over. In this way they went several times round the table. Mádera had a graceful carriage, and his dancing, though fantastic, was really elegant; his singing too was in good taste. The others danced clumsily, though in perfect good time, and joined with some spirit in the chorus.
The ship was illuminated, and the sailors were dancing on the upper deck. The chiefs were much pleased with this scene, which was lively enough. After watching the dance of the sailors for a few minutes, Mádera, who, to use a common phrase, "was up to every thing," ran among the sailors, and seizing one of them by the shoulders, put him out of the dance, took his place, and kept up the reel with the same spirit, and exactly in the same style and step as the sailors. The other dances were left off, and the whole ship's company assembling round Mádera, cheered and clapped him till the dance was done. The chiefs joined in the applause, seeming no less surprised than ourselves at Mádera's skill, for his imitation of the sailors' odd steps and gestures was as exact as if he had lived amongst seamen all his life. The officers then danced a country dance, after which the chiefs, unasked, and with a sort of intuitive politeness, which rendered every thing they did appropriate, instantly stepped forward and danced several times round the quarter-deck, to the infinite gratification of the sailors.
On returning to the cabin to tea, they were all in high spirits, and while amusing themselves with a sort of wrestling game, Ookooma, who had seen us placing ourselves in the boxer's sparring attitudes, threw himself suddenly into the boxer's position of defence, assuming at the same time a fierceness of look which we had never before seen in any of them. The gentleman to whom he addressed himself, thinking that Ookooma wished to spar, prepared to indulge him; but Mádera's quick eye saw what was going on, and by a word or two made him instantly resume his wonted sedateness. We tried in vain to make Mádera explain what were the magical words which he had used to Ookooma. He appeared anxious to turn our thoughts from the subject, by saying, "Loo-choo man no fight; Loo-choo man write—no fight, no good, no, no. Ingerish very good, yes, yes, yes; Loo-choo man no fight." Possibly he considered that Ookooma was taking too great a liberty; or, perhaps, he thought even the semblance of fighting unsuitable with the strict amity subsisting between us.
Before they went away, Captain Maxwell, who had remarked the satisfaction with which the chiefs received any attention shewn to their children, ordered a large cake to be brought him, which he divided into portions for the family of each. The chiefs were in a proper mood to feel this kindness, and they expressed themselves, as may be supposed, very warmly upon the occasion. When they put off for the shore they began singing, and never left off till they landed.
20th of October.—The forenoon was passed at the Observatory, and afterwards we walked in the country without being observed, for the chiefs had not yet recovered from the effects of last night's gaiety: but we had not gone a mile before Jeeroo overtook us. We were very anxious to gain the brow of a neighbouring hill, from which we imagined there would be a good view of the palace; but although Jeeroo was the most obliging creature in the world on every other occasion, he was resolute now in not letting us go far beyond our usual limits; we tried to overrule his objections by telling him that we should do no mischief, and would not go farther than the adjoining height. He would listen, however, to nothing; and as we still walked slowly on, he at last sent off a messenger for assistance, but before this reinforcement arrived we had turned back, to Jeeroo's great relief. Although the object proposed had not been accomplished, we got a better sight of the palace than we had yet obtained. It is so much enclosed by trees that parts only can be seen, but it is undoubtedly a very large building. On returning we met Hackeeboócoo, the fat chief, coming puffing and blowing up the hill; he had set out to overtake us on being told by Jeeroo's messenger what we were proposing to do. He had drank a good deal of wine yesterday on board, and said he had been "weetee" (drunk), and that his head ached very much. After he joined us we passed near a village, where we met two women at the turning of a road: they did not see us till within a few yards, and their alarm was great; they threw down the baskets, which they were carrying on their heads, and fled into the wood. Our two companions were very uneasy at this rencontre, and would not listen to our reasoning upon the absurdity of their apprehensions, looking quite miserable till the subject, which seems to be an interdicted one, was changed. We went afterwards to the high ground behind the hospital, in order to fill up by eye the edges of the reefs in our charts, for which regular triangles could not be taken in the survey. While I was thus engaged, Mr. Clifford endeavoured to learn from Jeeroo whether or not the King lived in the large house spoken of before; Jeeroo as usual denied any knowledge of the King, and could not be prevailed upon to say what the house was, or who resided there; a peasant, however, who happened to be along with us was more communicative, and was giving all the information desired, when Jeeroo, observing what he was about, reprimanded him sharply. On coming down from the height we found all the chiefs seated in a long room erected on the outside of the garden gate: they were very merry on the subject of last night's adventure.
21st of October.—While Mrs. Loy was employed at the well to-day washing clothes, at a moment when every body else was out of the way, she was visited by a Loo-choo lady, accompanied by a numerous guard of men. She describes her as being about eighteen years of age, well dressed, fair in complexion, with small dark eyes, and not without beauty; her hair was of a glossy jet black, made up into a knot on one side of the head. She wore a girdle tied at the side, and had on sandals like the men. Mrs. Loy wished to touch her, but she shrunk back in alarm. Whether these details be quite correct or not, the circumstance of a lady of rank having visited Mrs. Loy is so far interesting as it denotes a considerable degree of curiosity on the lady's part, together with the power of gratifying it, which, in a country where the women are strictly secluded, perhaps would not be allowed.
22d of October.—Ookooma and Jeeroo came to the Observatory to-day, together with a number of the most respectable of the natives; they were desirous of seeing the reflected images of the sun in the artificial horizon through the telescope of the sextant. As this was placed on a stand there was no difficulty in satisfying their curiosity, for they had only to place their eye to the tube, the angle having been previously arranged. Many of them were amused by the changes of colour in the reflected images by means of the different shades; others were more struck with the apparent motion of the two suns, which is very perceptible when a high magnifying power is used; a few endeavoured to understand the meaning of what they saw, but with the exception of Jeeroo, I think they had no conception of its cause. Jeeroo appeared to have some notion of astronomy; his idea of eclipses was more accurate than could have been expected. From him Mr. Clifford got the names of the days and months, and the various points of information respecting Time, which will be found in the Vocabulary. Whenever we were actually taking observations, the natives invariably remained at a considerable distance. They had been told that the least motion disturbed the surface of the quicksilver, and prevented our taking observations. They had much patience, and sometimes sat quite still and silent for several hours, till invited to come forward to look at the instruments. When Ookooma and Jeeroo came to us, we observed that they were in great distress, and upon our asking the cause, the former explained that Captain Maxwell during his ride this morning had fallen down, or rather that his horse, which was too weak for his weight, had fallen with him, and that his finger was broken: "Tayin ma tawrittee, Tayin no eebee ootee" (the Tayin's horse fell, Tayin's finger broke). A Loo-choo doctor, he said, had gone on board, who would soon cure it.
On going to the Alceste we found that the Loo-choo surgeon had placed Captain Maxwell's broken finger in a thick paste made of eggs, flour, and some other substance which he brought along with him. He then wrapped the whole in the skin of a newly-killed fowl. This skin dried in a short time and held the paste firm, by which the broken finger was kept steady. The doctor went through a number of ceremonies, such as feeling the pulse, looking at the tongue, and so on. He had a box along with him, containing upwards of a hundred medicines.