 he told me, had gone nigh to endanger
his own personal safety.
    How strongly rooted, then, must be the determination of the Typees with
regard to me, and how suddenly could they display the strangest passions! The
mere suggestion of my departure had estranged from me, for the time at least,
Mehevi, who was the most influential of all the chiefs, and who had previously
exhibited so many instances of his friendly sentiments. The rest of the natives
had likewise evinced their strong repugnance to my wishes, and even Kory-Kory
himself seemed to share in the general disapprobation bestowed upon me.
    In vain I racked my invention to find out some motive for the strange desire
these people manifested to retain me among them; but I could discover none.
    But however this might be, the scene which had just occurred admonished me
of the danger of trifling with the wayward and passionate spirits against whom
it was vain to struggle, and might even be fatal to do so. My only hope was to
induce the natives to believe that I was reconciled to my detention in the
valley, and by assuming a tranquil and cheerful demeanour, to allay the
suspicions which I had so unfortunately aroused. Their confidence revived, they
might in a short time remit in some degree their watchfulness over my movements,
and I should then be the better enabled to avail myself of any opportunity which
presented itself for escape. I determined, therefore, to make the best of a bad
bargain, and to bear up manfully against whatever might betide. In this
endeavour I succeeded beyond my own expectations. At the period of Marnoo's
visit, I had been in the valley, as nearly as I could conjecture, some two
months. Although not completely recovered from my strange illness, which still
lingered about me, I was free from pain and able to take exercise. In short, I
had every reason to anticipate a perfect recovery. Freed from apprehensions on
this point, and resolved to regard the future without flinching, I flung myself
anew into all the social pleasures of the valley, and sought to bury all
regrets, and all remembrances of my previous existence, in the wild enjoyments
it afforded.
    In my various wanderings through the vale, and as I became better acquainted
with the character of its inhabitants, I was more and more struck with the
light-hearted joyousness that everywhere prevailed. The minds of these simple
savages, unoccupied by matters of graver moment, were capable of deriving the
utmost delight from circumstances which would have passed unnoticed in more
intelligent communities. All their enjoyment, indeed, seemed to be made
