After a few days spent among them, in which we most scrutinizingly watched their every movement, we were taken around to the other valleys or tribes.
The island is composed of high bluffs, running from the water inland. Between each mountain or bluff is a low fertile valley through which a small rivulet courses itself. The banks are lined with orange groves, bread fruit trees and plantains, &c., which grow in the greatest luxuriance. These valleys are occupied by different tribes, each bearing a mark peculiar to themselves. Some bear it upon the hands, others upon the face, breast, &c. The tribe with which I was connected bore it upon the hands, wrists and ancles. This was the largest tribe on the island, called the Teheda.
Each tribe which we visited were exceedingly joyous at our approach, gathering around and examining us minutely, and almost deafening us with their confounded gibbering.
At night the huts in which we stayed were filled to overflowing, so eager were they to see the "Tehoary" or white man, as they called us.
We went on day after day. On the seventh day Dawson was taken sick through the influence of the sun upon his head, or correctly speaking, was sun struck. At mid-day he would be raving, so much so, as to render it extremely difficult to take care of him. Destitute as we were of medicine and medical skill, we could do but little for him. As the day advanced and the sun declined, he would be more quiet, and remain so until its approach the next day, when he was again delirious. On the fourth day he expired in the most excruciating agony.
We had seen death seize upon his victims in almost every form, but never before had he approached seemingly so near.
As a last sad office to be performed to our departed friend, we set about digging a grave, as best we could with our rude implements of digging.
This was not allowed by the natives, who wished to take charge of it according to their own notions, which was to wind the body closely with the fine or inner bark of the Tappa, a tree much resembling the paper mulberry, this to be wound ten or fifteen times around.
The body was then taken to a small uninhabited hut and placed upon a bench, or table, made by driving sticks of bamboo into the ground, across the top of which others are fastened, and interlaid, thus forming a table about two feet high. On this the body was placed, where it was to remain until it should moulder and crumble away.
The bodies of friends are many times thus wound, and hung by a loop worked ingeniously in the covering on the top of the head, to the ridge of the house in which they live, where it remains a considerable time, when it is taken down, divested of its covering, and placed in the sun, when the outer surface, or skin, parches, and is easily rubbed off, which is done with the hand. The entrails are then removed, the body cleanly washed out, and again wound as before, and hung in its former place, where it remains until it literally falls in pieces. I have in one or two instances seen several hanging in one house, completely filling the house in and around, with the most offensive odor, yet they live unmindful of it.