bywhichtimeIhavenodoubtthatthegreaterpartoftheinhabitantsofthevalleyhadbathedthemselvesinthelightofourbenignantcountenances。
Atlast，whentheirnumbersbegantodiminish，asuperb-lookingwarriorstoopedthetoweringplumesofhishead-dressbeneaththelowportal，andenteredthehouse。Isawatoncethathewassomedistinguishedpersonage，thenativesregardinghimwiththeutmostdeference，andmakingroomforhimasheapproached。Hisaspectwasimposing。Thesplendidlongdroopingtail-feathersofthetropicalbird，thicklyinterspersedwiththegaudyplumageofthecock，weredisposedinanimmenseuprightsemicircleuponhishead，theirlowerextremitiesbeingfixedinacrescentofguinea-beadswhichspannedtheforehead。Aroundhisneckwereseveralenormousnecklacesofboar’stusks，polishedlikeivory，anddisposedinsuchamannerasthatthelongestandlargestwereuponhiscapaciouschest。Thrustforwardthroughthelargeaperturesinhisearsweretwosmallandfinelyshapedsperm-whaleteeth，presentingtheircavitiesinfront，stuffedwithfreshly-pluckedleaves，andcuriouslywroughtattheotherendintostrangelittleimagesanddevices。Thesebarbarictrinkets，garnishedinthismannerattheiropenextremities，andtaperingandcurvingroundtoapointbehindtheear，resemblednotalittleapairofcornucopias。
Theloinsofthewarriorweregirtaboutwithheavyfoldsofadark-colouredtappa，hangingbeforeandbehindinclustersofbraidedtassels，whileankletsandbraceletsofcurlinghumanhaircompletedhisuniquecostume。Inhisrighthandhegraspedabeautifully-carvedpaddle-spear，nearlyfifteenfeetinlength，madeofthebrightkoar-wood，oneendsharplypointed，andtheotherflattenedlikeanoar-blade。Hangingobliquelyfromhisgirdlebyaloopofsinnate，wasarichly-decoratedpipe；theslenderreedformingitsstemwascolouredwitharedpigment，androundit，aswellastheidol-bowl，flutteredlittlestreamersofthethinnesttappa。
Butthatwhichwasmostremarkableintheappearanceofthissplendidislander，wastheelaboratetattooingdisplayedoneverynoblelimb。Allimaginablelinesandcurvesandfiguresweredelineatedoverhiswholebody，andintheirgrotesquevarietyandinfiniteprofusion，Icouldonlycomparethemtothecrowdedgroupingsofquaintpatternswesometimesseeincostlypiecesoflace-work。Themostsimpleandremarkableofalltheseornamentswasthatwhichdecoratedthecountenanceofthechief。Twobroadstripesoftattooing，divergingfromthecentreofhisshavencrown，obliquelycrossedbotheyes-stainingthelids-toalittlebeloweitherear，wheretheyunitedwithanotherstripe，whichsweptinastraightlinealongthelips，andformedthebaseofthetriangle。Thewarrior，fromtheexcellenceofhisphysicalproportions，mightcertainlyhavebeenregardedasoneofnature’snoblemen，andthelinesdrawnuponhisfacemaypossiblyhavedenotedhisexaltedrank。
Thiswarlikepersonage，uponenteringthehouse，seatedhimselfatsomedistancefromthespotwhereTobyandmyselfreposed，whiletherestofthesavageslookedalternatelyfromustohim，asifinexpectationofsomethingtheyweredisappointedinnotperceiving。