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hats, and waved their arms for joy
that the King had come to his palace;
for a king had not entered that palace
for a hundred years and a half, because
he did not know, and nobody told him,
that he had such a palace in the island
of Edinburgh, out of London, where
the laws are made. And I, Omai, all
this time eat no meat, except the fruit
of vegetables, called pears and apples,
which an old man gave me for money;
and yet I was not hungry, for I could
never give over looking upon the King
and his Erees, and the people, so
grand were they, and the ladies so
beautiful, shining like the
spray of the
sea at Bolabola.

And the Great King, after resting himself in his palace and speaking to the great Erees, who are his effigies or representatives in the island of Edinburgh, went to his sleeping house to eat his dinner. This house, or palace, was at a neighbouring city, called Dalkeith, because it is six miles from the island of Edinburgh. And I, Omai, was told, that before the good King went away, he was so much surprised and delighted, and overcome with his reception, by a people, who my Captain said, would all die rather than a hair of his head was hurt, that he burst into tears, and said that he loved the Scots-English beyond all the other nations he governed, because his fathers had of old time been their own kings, and he was proud of being the kinsman of so true a people, with white breeches and blue coats.

And I, Omai, waited in the Park of the King, which is at the palace, all this time; for the good King looked as if he wished to speak to me, Omai, when I saw him pass, and when I said the prayer for him on the walk of Leith. It was also foolish in me, Omai, that I did not bring a letter from King Pouree ; but Omai did not think of ever seeing the Great King, who lives in London island, in a palace of gold and silver. So nobody came to me from the King; and he rode away in his coach carriage, with four horses, like a mail-coach, and his guards rode also away, and it would not have been becoming in me, Omai, a stranger, to hinder them. So I, Omai, went home with Captain Smith. And as I, Omai, went in the streets, I read on the walls a proclamation, that is a printed paper, like the leaf of a book; and it said, in

large letters, that all the King's subjects should go and see the King's fireworks, which were to be fired out of joy for the King. And the Captain said he would take me, for I would be delighted, there being no such thing in Otaheite ;-so, after I, Omai, had eaten of the roasted flesh of cows, called steak-beef, in a tavern-house, and drunk the wine of porter, and other grog wines, till I felt brave and strong, I, Omai, went to the place of the fireworks.

And this place is the house of the King's effigy or representative in the island of Edinburgh-that is the Lord of Provost-it is a square surrounded by iron sticks, which are black, and has trees in the centre like a garden, and there was the wooden fire-works. The name of the place is Charlotte, in the language of the country, which means a woman's name. And the crowd of people that were there would have filled a hundred islands like Otaheite; for Captain Smith said they had come in fire ships of steam from all the neighbouring islands, to see the great King and his fire-works. And rolls of fire called squibs, which went off with a noise, they were running and hissing among the people, and no man could stop them. And I, Omai, was at first afraid; but the ladies that were there were not afraid, for they are Britons of the island of Edinburgh; so I, Omai, thought that it would not do for the son of the son of the great Omai, the friend of Britons, to be terrified by squib fire, and I only started at the noise. And Captain Smith said, "Fire away, my hearties," which is the sea way of speaking to crowds, when they are squibbing,

At last the great men, or magicians, who make the fire, began; and the rocket fires spouted high in the air, and, when very high, fell in little balls like stars, but more beautiful. And the people shouted to see the stars falling. After that there was a great blue fire, which was terrible to look at; and I, Omai, prepared to run away, for it seemed as if the very streets and houses were in a flame, and going to melt; but the captain stopped me and bid me look, for it would soon go out of itself, it being only the blue lights. And one David or Davy Jones, he said, often put up such blue lights at sea to decoy ships, that he might get the men

to eat. Then I, Omai, saw mills of
fire, which whirled round, and made
a noise like the King's cannon, with
a prodigious hissing like the sound of
the surf at Otaheite :-then a red flame
which lighted all the trees; and all of
a sudden, a temple of pure fire, and
the King's crown, and the letters of his
name, which is George Fourth, in fire
also. All this was beautiful, though I
could not conceive how it was done;
and I was astonished. And all the
people, that is, the crowd, roared out
for joy, for that is the way the Eng-
lish of Edinburgh show their gladness;
and the word of joy which is roared,
is, when written in letters, printed
"Hurra," and no other word is used,
even by the King. And I could never
have tired of looking at the flying fire
which went into the air; but it went
out at last, and was done; so I, Omai,
the son of the son of the great travel-
ler, went home with the good Captain
Smith to his lodgings, and wrote down
in my white book all that I had seen,
that men of Otaheite may know how
to make fires to please the King.

And the head of me, Omai, was so
full of the grand sights I had seen,
and which nobody in the hundred
islands of the Great Sea of Otaheite
could conceive, that I, Omai, could
not eat, nor speak of any thing else;
only I ate a hen, which was roasted
at the Captain's house, with the Cap-
tain, and another Captain, who com-
mands the whale ships. And wine of
Port was brought; and it is the cus-
tom for the people of the island of
Edinburgh, to express their joy by
drinking this liquor, which is red.
And so I, Omai, drank the King's
health; and the whale-captain, he
sung the King's hymn, which is "God
Save the King!" and Captain Smith
sung the sailor-man's song, which is,
"Nobody shall be slaves, while the
King rules the waves."
." And I, Omai,
bought a song to sing, from a lame
man in the street, for a penny ; and
though I did not know the tune nor
the words, for it was not in Bible Eng-
lish, but only Edinburgh English,
such as is spoken by learned men, yet
I, Omai, myself, sung this song, to the
tune of Wa wa woo, which was the
same thing. And the Captains laugh-
ed, and were pleased, that I, Omai,
sung so well. And this is the song,
which I put in my book, because it was

printed at the top of it, that it was an
Excellent New Song, and that Ota-
heitemen may know how to make songs
for their King.

SAW YE GEORDIE CUMIN'.
An Excellent New Song.

Saw ye Geordie cumin', quo' she,

Saw ye Geordie cumin',-
Wi' his nobles round him pressing,
And the mobbie runnin'?
O, tak your stick intil your hand,
And up the hill and see him,-
Baith grit and sma', to see him land,
Are aff, to welcome gie him, quo' she,
Are aff, to welcome gie him.
O, saw ye Geordie cumin', quo' she,

Saw ye Geordie cumin'?—
The Crown o' Scotland's down the gate,
The Highland pipes are bummin'.
O, pit your bannet on your head,

Wi' heather on the side o't,—

I'll see the King, or I be dead,

Whatever may betide o't, quo' she,
Whatever may betide o't.

Gudewife, what's that?—I hear a noise,
Sounds through the lift like thunner;
And hear that shout o' thousands rise,
Gars a' the bigging dunner.

It maun be Geordie come at last;

See how the crowd are runnin',-
I'll out and welcome him mysel'-
Hurra for Geordie cumin', quo' he,
Hurra for Geordie cumin'!

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And thistles of fire also burned curiously, with cabbages of flame, for the thistle plant belongs to the island of Edinburgh; and I, Omai, liked to see how the cunning men lighted them, for this wise people can do any thing. And there was no walking in the streets for the number of people, and ladies, and children, for nobody must stay in their houses during the King's illumination; so I, Omai, went up to the hill of Calton to see the town burn. ing; and when I got to the top of the hill, it was like a dream, for all the great island of the city of Edinburgh was shining like gold, and not fire any more, only the Castle building was a terrible fire to look at. And I, Omai, came down again with the good Captain, and walked along all the streets, and touched thousands of ladies so beautiful, who smiled so sweetly in the face of me, Omai, (for I was pressed by the crowd,) that I could have walked among them for ever, it was so plea sant to be near them. And when I, Omai, was thinking of nothing but the lights and the ladies, all at once there came a great noise of thunder; and I was afraid that the fire-men had burst the city up with gun-powder. But the Captain said it was the cannon-men in the Castle firing to let the King hear them. Then I, Omai, looked at the firing; and I saw the flame, and it was no more, only in a little came the sound, very hard for the ears of me, Omai. And the light flame glanIcing in the dark, and the noise, I, Omai, cannot describe; but I have seen it, that is what I know. And I, Omai, did not go home till all the fires and lights were put out, and then it was dark, and there was no more illumination, for all the people went to sleep.

DAY THIRD.

The Levee.

And all that the King does is printed in a book of newspaper called Gazette; and it is named so because the great Erees write in it what the King speaks. And it was printed in this book that all the people who wanted to speak to the King were to go next day to his palace; and it is called Holyrood, because that is its name. But I, Omai, was afraid to go, lest I should not be able to speak before the

King of such a great people; but Captain Smith, he persuaded me, and said that I needed not be afraid neither of the King nor of the men and the swords, for they were not fighting swords, but merely for ornament, like the tail of a dog or cat. And the King likes to see no person that has not a sword, and a black bag at the neck of his coat, in which combs for the hair are kept in readiness that their heads may be smooth before the King. No person also must go before the King in his own clothes, for it is the custom of this country that every Eree or chief shall put on other clothes, curiously made, and which are hired out for money by tailor men who follow the King; only the Celts, that is, Highlanders, they may go in their own dress, because they come from the mountains, and have no money to get other clothes. So I, Omai, thought I should like better the spotted clothes of cloth of tartan, as this people call it, to go before the King, than the flunky men's clothes; and so my Captain took me to a merchant who had these clothes, and I, Omai, the son of the son of the great Omai, the traveller, was a Celt, in a philabeg or petticoat, with heath in my bonnet hat, and a sword and pistols, and a purse apron. And nobody knew me for Omai, not even the great wise man Ambrose; and even some of the real mountain Celts spoke to me in language which is not a language but in the Highlands, because I was a tartan Macgregor,-that was my name.

And I, Omai, was no more the same Omai that I was before, and knew not myself even in a mirror glass. I also skipped for joy of the dress, which is better than breeches; and thought how great I should look in Otaheite, in a dress like no other dress. And I went with Captain Smith who was a Celt when he was young, before he was a sailing Captain, in a coach like the other Erees, though it was only half a coach, called chaise, the Captain's brother being there, because he came from Argyle island. And I, Omai, went to the Palace of the Great King, like one of his own clan chiefs; and I mixed with the other Erees with the little cock-hats, and the ministers with gowns, and the soldier men with red coats; and some did, and some did not, know me to be Omai, And the green captain of the Highland Celts,

he shook me by the hand, because he saw through the little glasses before his eyes that I was myself, though in this dress.

And all the people's names are written with a pen on square pieces of paper, and these are given to the King's great Erees, for the King to look at; and on the card of me, Omai, was written, MR OMAI OF OTAHEITE. So I went before the King; and I did not know at first it was the King, for he was not the King for this day, but only a Highlander, that was his dress. And the Good King looked kindly upon me, Omai, and bowed, and was going to speak to me as I fell down upon my knee before him, for he knew me not for a stranger, but thought me a great Highland Erce, because I walked so stately. And as he was preparing to speak, a fat chief or lord touched me, Omai, upon the shoulder, to go away; so I went, for it was impossible for the King to speak to so many Erees as were there; and, therefore, I, Omai, the stranger, could not expect it. But the great Thane he spoke, and said, "How do you do, Otaheite? you are a very excellent fellow;" and this was true. And I, Omai, was not confounded before this Great King, whose name is George Fourth, because I was his friend, and he is the friend of the people of the country of Omai. And I shall call my son Omai George Fourth, out of love to the King of this great island, when I sail back to Otaheite.

This meeting of Erees before the King, is called in English a levee, which means a visit only, because they eat no meat; neither is there bread, nor tea, nor English porter wine presented to the people. It is only that the King may see his Erees, and know them. And both Omai and the King were in the same Highland dress for the first time. This was curious, and cannot be accounted for.

And the coach-houses for travelling, no man could tell the number of them, nor of the horses, nor of the flunky men, that were at the levee in the park of the King, and though these men have fine clothes, and look well, the King does not go out to see them, but they hold a levee by themselves on the outside with the horses, while the Erees are in the inside of the palace. And they ride in rows of

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coaches; and such a number were there, that I, Omai, could scarcely find the coach, which I as a chief rode in, though it was all painted of yellow, with windows in the front behind the governor of the coach, and had the name of John Wells, a great man, who keeps coaches for the chiefs, printed in letters upon it. But the grandest of all the coach-houses, that was the great Eree's, whose name is Thane, and there was nothing like it; for Highland Celts were in place of flunky men, and they run by the wheels of the coach to turn them round that they should not stop. And these mountain men run as fast as a coach, and are not tired, for it is their nature. But this men of Otaheite could not understand, though I, Omai, should write a month, and fill my whole white book of paper.

And when the levee was over, that is when the King had seen all the people, his coach carriage came and took him away; for it is not the custom for the King of the English Britons to eat in the same palace in which he sees the Erees. And men on white horses, with ship-buckets covered with hair upon their heads, and beards below their noses on their lips, rode before and after the King's coach with four horses. These men are called Grey Scots, on account of their terrible looks, and each of them is a warrior of renown in the wars of the King. And they carry drawn swords and boxes for pistols on the horses' necks, and a great deal of leather bridles to keep them on the horses, and lead home their prisoners, with a chain of gold under their chin. No such men are in all the world besides as these Grey Scots, who guard the King of the island of Edinburgh.

And people from all the world came here to see the King. Even the Laplanders were here; and I, Omai, saw them and their deer, which are horses, only they have horns, and are rather like cows or goats. They came from the very end of the world, where the snow and ice grows, and where the ground is always white. They are little also, and live in a hut in a great house near the Calton Monument; and I, Omai, could kill a hundred of them if they were my enemies, they are so little.

DAY FOURTH.

Sunday.

After this there was no more King for a day, because it was Sunday, and the King was not seen, for the priests, that is, the ministers who preach, would not let him come out, because nobody would have gone to church, but all would have gone to the King. So the King staid at home, that the people might go to church; and I, Omai, after the Amen in the church, went home, and wrote down all that I had seen, that my memory might not forget any thing of all the wonderful things that I, Omai, have witnessed in this great island.

DAY FIFTH.

The Addresses.

On the next day, which is called Monday, because it comes after Sunday, the King came again to his palace. And all the ministers of the churches on that day went to the King, to tell him how the people behaved in church, and if they were all good. And the ministers had nothing to say against the people, at which the good King was pleased; and when the King is pleased, my Captain says, he gives his hand to kiss. And so to please the people, and to let them know that the King was satisfied with their going to church, it was printed in a newspaper book that the ministers kissed hands; for no person must kiss the King's mouth but only ladies, because their cheeks are soft, and they have no beards. And after the ministers, then the learned men who teach the youth, they were commanded to appear; and the King found that they were very wise and good men, their name being Universities, because they teach every thing. And they read papers before the King, calling him kind names; and the King said to them that he knew they were faithful teachers, for that all the people were learned and wise. And so they likewise kissed hands, and came away. I, Omai, was not at the King's palace on this day, because I did not go, and the King did not send for me, Omai, though on this day, as the Captain read it in a printed paper, the King sat on a great high

VOL. XII.

stool all gold, which is a throne, because the King sits upon it.-This is a thing that I, Omai, cannot account for.

DAY SIXTH.

The Drawing-Room.

The next day, which was Tuesday, the King gave a printed order, that all the ladies of the island might come, that he might see if they made good wives and mothers to his people. And all the wives of the great Erees are called Duchesses and Countesses-what that is, I, Omai, cannot tell; but it is not the same as Ladies, neither is it Misses, and no lady is a miss, nor a miss a countess. This is not to be understood by strangers; but they are all women, that is, they are not men, for no man nor chief can be a duchess or a countess, and their dress is different. And no women who carry fish on their backs are allowed to go near the King, nor the wives or daughters of the great men who work for money, but only the wives and daughters of the Erees and chiefs. And this is called a Drawing-room, because the beauty of the ladies of this country draws all the men after them; and it is not to be resisted, because they are beautiful and white as angels. And I, Omai, love them; and because I could not go to the King to see them, Captain Smith took me to the Street of Waterloo, that is, on the Calton Mountain, where all the coaches were in a row, waiting till the King called them.

And I, Omai, stood close beside the coaches; and the sight was delightful, and no man could tire of it, for they had feathers in their heads, and their beautiful white necks were naked, and they were glittering with gold and silver and shining stones, and looked so happy. And I, Omai, never saw so much beauty, only the old ones were not pretty for all their feathers; and if I had not a wife in my own country, and a house at Matavia, I could not choice in a year, there were so many so like one another, so young and pretty. And all were in coaches, and some had Erees beside them to lead them before the King; and as they passed, I, Omai, kissed my hand to them after the fashion of the country, though I had rather kissed their pretty little hands.

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