How glad I was when I landed and rested myself under the shade of the forest which grew to the very water’s edge. I quenched my thirst in a little brook which rose in the interior of the Island, and oh! how much better I felt afterward. I had to drink out of a large leaf which I folded in the form of a cornucopia. I saw on the sands what I knew to be the foot-prints of men; we followed them and at last came to the very small village of which I have spoken to you. The men with me were Mpongwes, and belonged to the same tribe as the people of the Island. The King and his people at first stared at me, but a word or two from my men made every thing right. The luggage was landed from our canoe, the canoe was then hauled on to the main-land and put under the shade of the trees, and we were ready to rest, for we were all very tired and I felt rather feverish. The wives of the King cooked food for us, and in the mean time huts had been given to us by his sable Majesty. I hardly tasted the food that was presented to me. After my sham meal I fell asleep, and when I awoke the sun had set, and all was dark and silent. I felt better, however, and came out of my hut; the King was quietly smoking his pipe, and we had a chat together; the Queen came forth also; then a few old men of the place, whom we may call the gray-beards, made their appearance. These people of course knew what the sea was, knew that the vessels sailed upon it to come to their country; but they asked me many questions about the white man’s country. For instance:— Had we men with only one eye in the middle of the forehead? Did our babies feed on milk? They had heard they fed on spirits. Of what material were our houses? Were they built with the bark of trees? And many other apparently foolish questions. When I told them that we had no people with one eye in the middle of their foreheads they did not believe me. They had never seen any white man manufacturing before them the goods we brought, therefore they thought another species of men must make them, from whom we bought them. At last, looking at my watch, I saw that it was ten o’clock: time to go to bed: so I bade good-night to the King and his people and went back to my hut. I barricaded myself; slept with my gun by my side, and for my pillow laid my head on my revolvers. [Sidenote: _THE PARROTS COME._]