One day, after we had been paddling about for some time, I disembarked
Kory-Kory, and paddled the canoe to the windward side of the lake. As I
turned the canoe, Fayaway, who was with me, seemed all at once to be
struck with some happy idea. With a wild exclamation of delight, she
disengaged from her person the ample robe of tappa which was knotted
over her shoulder (for the purpose of shielding her from the sun), and
spreading it out like a sail, stood erect with up-raised arms in the
head of the canoe. We American sailors pride ourselves upon our
straight clean spars, but a prettier little mast than Fayaway made was
never shipped aboard of any craft.
In a moment the tappa was distended by the breeze—the long brown
tresses of Fayaway streamed in the air—and the canoe glided rapidly
through the water, and shot towards the shore. Seated in the stern, I
directed its course with my paddle until it dashed up the soft sloping
bank, and Fayaway, with a light spring, alighted on the ground; whilst
Kory-Kory, who had watched our manœuvres with admiration, now clapped
his hands in transport, and shouted like a madman. Many a time
afterwards was this feat repeated.
If the reader has not observed ere this that I was the declared admirer
of Miss Fayaway, all I can say is, that he is little conversant with
affairs of the heart, and I certainly shall not trouble myself to
enlighten him any farther. Out of the calico I had brought from the
ship a dress was made for this lovely girl. In it she looked, I must
confess, something like an opera-dancer. The drapery of the latter
damsel generally commences a little above the elbows, but my island
beauty’s began at the waist, and terminated sufficiently far above the
ground to reveal the most bewitching ankle in the universe.
The day that Fayaway first wore this robe was rendered memorable by a
new acquaintance being introduced to me. In the afternoon I was lying
in the house, when I heard a great uproar outside; but being by this
time pretty well accustomed to the wild halloos which were almost
continually ringing through the valley, I paid little attention to it,
until old Marheyo, under the influence of some strange excitement,
rushed into my presence and communicated the astounding tidings,
“Marnoo pemi!” which being interpreted, implied that an individual by
the name of Marnoo was approaching. My worthy old friend evidently
expected that this intelligence would produce a great effect upon me,
and for a time he stood earnestly regarding me, as if curious to see
how I should conduct myself, but as I remained perfectly unmoved, the
old gentleman darted out of the house again, in as great a hurry as he
had entered it.
“Marnoo, Marnoo,” cogitated I, “I have never heard that name before.
Some distinguished character, I presume, from the prodigious riot the
natives are making”; the tumultuous noise drawing nearer and nearer
every moment, while “Marnoo!—Marnoo!” was shouted by every tongue.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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