AstonishedasIwasatthisexhibition，Icouldnotavoidsmilingatitsgrotesqueappearance，andtheassociationsitnaturallycalledup。Mehevi，itseemed，wasbentonreplenishingoldMarheyo’slarder，fearful，perhaps，thatwithoutthisprecautionhisguestsmightnotfareaswellastheycoulddesire。
AssoonasIdescendedfromthepi-pi，theprocessionformedanew，enclosingusinitscentre；whereIremainedpartofthetime，carriedbyKory-Kory，andoccasionallyrelievinghimfromhisburdenbylimpingalongwithaspear。Whenwemovedoffinthisorder，thenativesstruckupamusicalrecitative，which，withvariousalternations，theycontinueduntilwearrivedattheplaceofourdestination。
Asweproceededonourway，bandsofyounggirls，dartingfromthesurroundinggroves，hunguponourskirts，andaccompanieduswithshoutsofmerrimentanddelight，whichalmostdrownedthedeepnotesoftherecitative。OnapproachingoldMarheyo’sdomicile，itsinmatesrushedouttoreceiveus；andwhilethegiftsofMeheviwerebeingdisposedof，thesuperannuatedwarriordidthehonoursofhismansionwithallthewarmthofhospitalityevincedbyanEnglishsquire，whenheregaleshisfriendsatsomefineoldpatrimonialmansion。
AMIDSTthesenovelscenesaweekpassedawayalmostimperceptibly。
Thenatives，actuatedbysomemysteriousimpulse，dayafterdayredoubledtheirattentionstous。Theirmannertowardsuswasunaccountable。Surely，thoughtI，theywouldnotactthusiftheymeantusanyharm。Butwhythisexcessofdeferentialkindness，orwhatequivalentcantheyimagineuscapableofrenderingthemforit？