In the endeavour I was not repulsed; for nothing could surpass the friendliness he manifested towards both my companion and myself.
He extended his sturdy limbs by our side, and endeavoured to make us comprehend the full extent of the kindly feelings by which he was actuated.

The almost insuperable difficulty in communicating to one another our ideas affected the chief with no little mortification.

He evinced a great desire to be enlightened with regard to the customs and peculiarities of the far-off country we had left behind us, and to which under the name of Maneeka he frequently alluded.
But that which more than any other subject engaged his attention was the late proceedings of the 'Frannee' as he called the French, in the neighbouring bay of Nukuheva.

This seemed a never-ending theme with him, and one concerning which he was never weary of interrogating us.

All the information we succeeded in imparting to him on this subject was little more than that we had seen six men-of-war lying in the hostile bay at the time we had left it.