Ontheotherhand，astheclamoursofwarhadnotuptothisperioddisturbedtheserenityofthetribe，IbegantodistrustthetruthofthosereportswhichascribedsofierceandbelligerentacharactertotheTypeenation。Surely，thoughtI，alltheseterriblestoriesIhaveheardabouttheinveteracywithwhichtheycarriedonthefeud，theirdeadlyintensityofhatred，andthediabolicalmalicewithwhichtheygluttedtheirrevengeupontheinanimateformsoftheslain，arenothingmorethanfables，andImustconfessthatIexperiencedsomethinglikeasenseofregretathavingmyhideousanticipationsthusdisappointed。Ifeltinsomesortlikea’prenticeboywho，goingtotheplayintheexpectationofbeingdelightedwithacut-and-thrusttragedy，isalmostmovedtotearsofdisappointmentattheexhibitionofagenteelcomedy。
IcouldnotavoidthinkingthatIhadfalleninwithagreatlytraducedpeople，andImoralizednotalittleuponthedisadvantageofhavingabadname，whichinthisinstancehadgivenatribeofsavages，whowereaspacificassomanylambkins，thereputationofaconfederacyofgiant-killers。
ButsubsequenteventsprovedthatIhadbeenalittletooprematureincomingtothisconclusion。Oneday，aboutnoon，happeningtobeattheTi，Ihadlaindownonthematswithseveralofthechiefs，andhadgraduallysunkintoamostluxurioussiesta，whenI
wasawakenedbyatremendousoutcry，andstartingup，beheldthenativesseizingtheirspearsandhurryingout，whilethemostpuissantofthechiefs，graspingthesixmusketswhichwererangedagainstthebamboos，followedafter，andsoondisappearedinthegroves。Thesemovementswereaccompaniedbywildshouts，inwhich“Happar，Happar，“greatlypredominated。TheislanderswerenowtobeseenrunningpasttheTi，andstrikingacrossthevalleytotheHapparside。PresentlyIheardthesharpreportofamusketfromtheadjoininghills，andthenaburstofvoicesinthesamedirection。
Atthisthewomen，whohadcongregatedinthegroves，setupthemostviolentclamours，astheyinvariablydohereaselsewhereoneveryoccasionofexcitementandalarm，withaviewoftranquillizingtheirownmindsanddisturbingotherpeople。Onthisparticularoccasiontheymadesuchanoutrageousnoise，andcontinueditwithsuchperseverance，thatforawhile，hadentirevolleysofmusketrybeenfiredoffintheneighbouringmountains，I
shouldnothavebeenabletohaveheardthem。
WhenthisfemalecommotionhadalittlesubsidedIlistenedeagerlyforfurtherinformation。Atlastbangwentanothershot，andthenasecondvolleyofyellsfromthehills。Againallwasquiet，andcontinuedsoforsuchalengthoftimethatIbegantothinkthecontendingarmieshadagreeduponasuspensionofhostilities；whenpopwentathirdgun，followedasbeforewithayell。Afterthis，fornearlytwohoursnothingoccurredworthyofcomment，savesomestragglingshoutsfromthehillside，soundinglikethehalloosofaparceloftruantboyswhohadlostthemselvesinthewoods。
DuringthisintervalIhadremainedstandingonthepiazzaofthe“Ti，“whichdirectlyfrontedtheHapparmountain，andwithnoonenearmebutKory-KoryandtheoldsuperannuatedsavagesIhavebeforedescribed。Theselatterneverstirredfromtheirmats，andseemedaltogetherunconsciousthatanythingunusualwasgoingon。
AsforKory-Kory，heappearedtothinkthatwewereinthemidstofgreatevents，andsoughtmostzealouslytoimpressmewithaduesenseoftheirimportance。Everysoundthatreachedusconveyedsomemomentousitemofintelligencetohim。Atsuchtimes，asifheweregiftedwithsecondsight，hewouldgothroughavarietyofpantomimicillustrations，showingmetheprecisemannerinwhichtheredoubtableTypeeswereatthatverymomentchastisingtheinsolenceoftheenemy。“MehevihannapippeenueeHappar，“heexclaimedeveryfiveminutes，givingmetounderstandthatunderthatdistinguishedcaptainthewarriorsofhisnationwereperformingprodigiesofvalour。
Havingheardonlyfourreportsfromthemuskets，IwasledtobelievethattheywereworkedbytheislandersinthesamemannerastheSultanSolyman’sponderousartilleryatthesiegeofByzantium，oneofthemtakinganhourortwotoloadandtrain。Atlast，nosoundwhateverproceedingfromthemountains，Iconcludedthatthecontesthadbeendeterminedonewayortheother。Suchappeared，indeed，tobethecase，forinalittlewhileacourierarrivedatthe“Ti，“
almostbreathlesswithhisexertions，andcommunicatedthenewsofagreatvictoryhavingbeenachievedbyhiscountrymen:“Happarpooarva！-Happarpooarva！“(thecowardshadfled)。Kory-Korywasinecstasies，andcommencedavehementharangue，which，sofarasI
understoodit，impliedthattheresultexactlyagreedwithhisexpectations，andwhich，moreover，wasintendedtoconvincemethatitwouldbeaperfectlyuselessundertaking，evenforanarmyoffire-eaters，toofferbattletotheirresistibleheroesofourvalley。
InallthisIofcourseacquiesced，andlookedforwardwithnolittleinteresttothereturnoftheconquerors，whosevictoryI
fearedmightnothavebeenpurchasedwithoutcosttothemselves。
ButhereIwasagainmistaken；forMehevi，inconductinghiswarlikeoperations，ratherinclinedtotheFabianthantotheBuonaparteantactics，husbandinghisresourcesandexposinghistroopstonounnecessaryhazards。Thetotallossofthevictorsinthisobstinatelycontestedaffairwas，-inkilled，wounded，andmissing-
oneforefingerandpartofathumb-nail(whichthelateproprietorbroughtalongwithhiminhishand)，aseverelycontusedarm，andaconsiderableeffusionofbloodflowingfromthethighofachiefwhohadreceivedanuglythrustfromaHapparspear。WhattheenemyhadsufferedIcouldnotdiscover，butIpresumetheyhadsucceededintakingoffwiththemthebodiesoftheirslain。
Suchwastheissueofthebattle，asfarasitsresultscameundermyobservation；andasitappearedtobeconsideredaneventofprodigiousimportance，Ireasonablyconcludedthatthewarsofthenativesweremarkedbynoverysanguinarytraits。Iafterwardslearnedhowtheskirmishhadoriginated。AnumberoftheHapparshadbeendiscoveredprowlingfornogoodpurposeontheTypeesideofthemountain；thealarmsounded，andtheinvaders，afteraprotractedresistance，hadbeenchasedoverthefrontier。ButwhyhadnottheintrepidMehevicarriedthewarintoHappar？Whyhadnothemadeadescentintothehostilevale，andbroughtawaysometrophyofhisvictory-somematerialsforthecannibalentertainmentwhichIhadheardusuallyterminatedeveryengagement？Afterall，Iwasmuchinclinedtobelievethattheseshockingfestivalsmustoccurveryrarelyamongtheislanders，if，indeed，theyevertakeplace。
Fortwoorthreedaysthelateeventwasthethemeofgeneralcomment；afterwhichtheexcitementgraduallyworeaway，andthevalleyresumeditsaccustomedtranquility。
RETURNINGhealthandpeaceofmindgaveanewinteresttoeverythingaroundme。Isoughttodiversifymytimebyasmanyenjoymentsaslaywithinmyreach。Bathingincompanywithtroopsofgirls，formedoneofmychiefamusements。Wesometimesenjoyedtherecreationinthewatersofaminiaturelake，intowhichthecentralstreamofthevalleyexpanded。Thislovelysheetofwaterwasalmostcircularinfigure，andaboutthreehundredyardsacross。Itsbeautywasindescribable。Allarounditsbankswavedluxuriantmassesoftropicalfolliage，soaringhighabovewhichwereseen，hereandthere，thesymmetricalshaftofthecocoa-nuttree，surmountedbyitstuftofgracefulbranches，droopingintheairlikesomanywavingostrichplumes。
Theeaseandgracewithwhichthemaidensofthevalleypropelledthemselvesthroughthewater，andtheirfamiliaritywiththeelement，weretrulyastonishing。Sometimestheymightbeseenglidingalongjustunderthesurface，withoutapparentlymovinghandorfoot，thenthrowingthemselvesontheirsides，theydartedthroughthewater，revealingglimpsesoftheirforms，as，inthecourseoftheirrapidprogress，theyshotforaninstantpartlyintotheair；atonemomenttheydiveddeepdownintothewater，andthenexttheyroseboundingtothesurface。
Irememberupononeoccasionplunginginamongaparceloftheseriver-nymphs，andcountingvainlyonmysuperiorstrength，soughttodragsomeofthemunderthewater；butIquicklyrepentedmytemerity。
Theamphibiousyoungcreaturesswarmedaboutmelikeashoalofdolphins，andseizingholdofmydevotedlimbs，tumbledmeaboutandduckedmeunderthesurface，untilfromthestrangenoiseswhichranginmyears，andthesupernaturalvisionsdancingbeforemyeyes，IthoughtIwasinthelandofspirits。Istoodindeedaslittlechanceamongthemasacumbrouswhaleattackedonallsidesbyalegionofswordfish。Whenatlengththeyrelinquishedtheirholdofme，theyswamawayineverydirection，laughingatmyclumsyendeavourstoreachthem。
Therewasnoboatonthelake；butatmysolicitation，andformyspecialuse，someoftheyoungmenattachedtoMarheyo’shousehold，underthedirectionoftheindefatigableKory-Kory，broughtupalightandtastefullycarvedcanoefromthesea。Itwaslauncheduponthesheetofwater，andfloatedthereasgracefullyasaswan。But，melancholytorelate，itproducedaneffectIhadnotanticipated。Thesweetnymphs，whohadsportedwithmebeforeinthelake，nowallfleditsvicinity。Theprohibitedcraft，guardedbytheedictsofthe“taboo，“extendedtheprohibitiontothewatersinwhichitlay。
Forafewdays，Kory-Kory，withoneortwootheryouths，accompaniedmeinmyexcursionstothelake，andwhileIpaddledaboutinmylightcanoe，wouldswimaftermeshoutingandgambollinginpursuit。Butthiswasfarfromcontentingme。Indeed，Isoonbegantowearyofit，andlongedmorethaneverforthepleasantsocietyofthemermaids，inwhoseabsencetheamusementwasdullandinsipid。OnemorningIexpressedtomyfaithfulservitormydesireforthereturnofthenymphs。Thehonestfellowlookedatme，bewilderedforamoment，andthenshookhisheadsolemnly，andmurmured“taboo！
taboo！“givingmetounderstandthatunlessthecanoewasremoved，I
couldnotexpecttohavetheyoungladiesbackagain。ButtothisprocedureIwasaverse；Inotonlywantedthecanoetostaywhereitwas，butIwantedthebeauteousFayawaytogetintoit，andpaddlewithmeaboutthelake。ThislatterpropositioncompletelyhorrifiedKory-Kory’snotionsofpropriety。Heinveighedagainstit，assomethingtoomonstroustobethoughtof。Itnotonlyshockedtheirestablishednotionsofpropriety，butwasatvariancewithalltheirreligiousordinances。
However，althoughthe“taboo“wasaticklishthingtomeddlewith，Ideterminedtotestitscapabilitiesofresistinganattack。I
consultedthechiefMehevi，whoendeavouredtopersuademefrommyobject:butIwasnottoberepulsed；andaccordinglyincreasedthewarmthofmysolicitations。Atlastheenteredintoalong，andIhavenodoubtaverylearnedandeloquentexpositionofthehistoryandnatureofthe“taboo“asaffectingthisparticularcase；employingavarietyofmostextraordinarywords，which，fromtheiramazinglengthandsonorousness，Ihaveeveryreasontobelievewereofatheologicalnature。Butallthathesaidfailedtoconvinceme:partlyperhaps，becauseIcouldnotcomprehendawordthatheuttered；butchiefly，thatforthelifeofme，Icouldnotunderstandwhyawomanshouldnothaveasmuchrighttoenteracanoeasaman。Atlasthebecamealittlemorerational，andintimatedthat，outoftheabundantloveheboreme，hewouldconsultwiththepriestsandseewhatcouldbedone。
HowitwasthatthepriesthoodofTypeesatisfiedtheaffairwiththeirconsciences，Iknownot；butsoitwas，andFayaway’sdispensationfromthisportionofthetaboowasatlengthprocured。
Suchanevent，Ibelieve，neverbeforehadoccurredinthevalley；butitwashightimetheislandersshouldbetaughtalittlegallantry，andItrustthattheexampleIsetthemmayproducebeneficialeffects。Ridiculous，indeed，thatthelovelycreaturesshouldbeobligedtopaddleaboutinthewater，likesomanyducks，whileaparcelofgreatstrappingfellowsskimmedoveritssurfaceintheircanoes。
