"I guide you, I guide! Be delight,—plenty mooch delight!"
So, high up into the mountains marched the sailor-band, with the chief and twenty savages as guides.
It was getting late now, but before sunset they arrived at a mountain village, the huts of which seemed to be perched upon the shelves of the rock, like eagles' eyries.
They found the village clean and sweet.
The chief took the officers into the largest hut, which he had caused to be rebedded with withered ferns, while the couches all round were made of beautiful heaths, intermingled with wild flowers.
Then Creggan and the gunner went out to see to the men's supper, and found them all contented and jolly.
When he returned, lo! a banquet of fried fish, sweet potatoes, roast yams, capsicums, and fruit of many kinds, was spread on boards or pieces of bark before his shipmates.
"Take seat, take seat!" cried the chief, "and eatee plenty mooch foh true!"
"Why," said Creggan, as he squatted on the ferns, "this is indeed a land flowing with milk and honey."
It was, and behind each officer kneeled a little girl with a palm-leaf fan to keep the guests cool.