My joy at this unexpected meeting was unbounded. It was now about a year since I had seen a white man. David inquired how I came there and I briefly told him my story. He said he had seen casks and pieces of boats which he had called American, and concluded that a ship had been wrecked on some of the weather islands. In his turn he told me his story. He had left the brig Calder some thirteen months before, bearing presents from the captain to the king of Ambow, together with a request that he collect all the turtle shell he could, the captain promising to return in a few months and trade with him for it. But now the time was so long that he had given up all hope of seeing the brig again. In fact, he had no desire to leave the island, as he was a particular favorite with the king and chiefs and was a chief himself. He informed me that there were two other white men who lived with him; one came in the Manila brig, the other had lived at the Feejees ten or twelve years. The king of Ambow valued the white men highly, as they had previously been troubled very much by the mountaineers coming down and committing depredations on the sea-coast villages. They were very much afraid of the white men's muskets, however, and had not troubled them since they had been with them. It being near night and David's chief being anxious to get to the island of Ovalau, about seven miles distant, he took leave of me, expecting to meet me again at Ambow. We then landed and hauled up our canoes as our king had received intelligence that the king of Ambow was not quite ready for us, having to repair some houses for our reception, which had been partially burned a short time before. The inhabitants of this island brought us provisions in abundance, of which we ate heartily and then retired for the night. We spent three days here, and on the fourth launched our canoes and made sail for Ambow, where we arrived about ten o'clock in the forenoon and anchored, when the natives painted themselves, dressed and tied large bundles of tappah on their backs, as presents for the king. When all was prepared we cast off and headed for the landing. When within speaking distance the natives saluted each other by shouting "Dohoah". (This word is used only to kings and chiefs.) Directly the queens came down to welcome our queens and escort them to the house prepared for their reception. They were very tastefully ornamented with most beautiful and fragrant flowers, and formed a line at the water's edge, repeating the word "myinafuandooa", which is the salutation for the queens. We then landed and proceeded to the house prepared for us, the king and his chiefs taking with them the loads of presents which, after some ceremony, were presented to the king.