“For top.”
“How?” He pointed to the zenith.
“And suppose you could, why would you kill him?”
“Because he makes men to die.”
“Why, my friend,” in a conciliatory manner, “you would not wish to live for ever, would you?”
“Yes, I want to stand” (remain for ever).
“But you will be old by and by, and if you live long enough, will become very infirm, like that old man,” pointing to a man very old for an African and thin, and lame, and almost blind, who had come into the court during the foregoing conversation, to ask for some favour (I wonder he had not been destroyed),—“and like him you will become lame, and deaf, and blind, and will be able to take no pleasure; would it not be better, then, for you to die when this takes place, and you are in pain and trouble, and so make room for your son, as your father did for you?”
“No, it would not; I want to stand all same I stand now.”
“But supposing you should go to a place of happiness after death and——”
“I no savvy nothing about that, I know that I now live, and have too many wives, and niggers (slaves), and canoes,” (he did not mean what he said, in saying he had too many wives, &c., it is their way of expressing a great number,) “and that I am king, and plenty of ships come to my country. I know no other ting, and I want to stand.”