“Let me see the white men's presents,” the king said.
A box was opened, a bright scarlet shirt and a smoking cap of the same color, worked with beads, a blue silk handkerchief and twenty yards of bright calico, were taken out. To these were added twelve stair rods, five pounds of powder, and two pounds of shot.
The king's eye sparkled greedily as he looked at the treasures.
“The white men must be very rich,” he said, pointing to the pile of baggage.
“Most of the boxes are empty,” Mr. Goodenough said. “We have brought them to take home the things of the country and show them to the white men beyond the sea;” and to prove the truth of his words, Mr. Goodenough had two of the empty cases opened, as also one already half filled with bird skins, and another with trays of butterflies and beetles.
The king looked at them with surprise.
“And the others?” he asked, pointing to them.
“The others,” Mr. Goodenough said, “contain, some of them, food such as white men are accustomed to eat in their own country, the others, presents for the other kings and chiefs I shall meet when we have passed on.
“The fellow is not satisfied,” he said to Ostik, “give him two of the trade guns and a bottle of brandy.”
The king appeared mollified by these additional presents, and saying that he would talk to the white men in the morning, he retired into the village.