And they smiled a sweet smile upon me, Omai, because they saw I was no common man, but the son of a chief, and an Eree in my own country; and some of them nodded their heads, and looked happy that I, Omai, noticed them.

And when the King saw the ladies, he was glad, and kissed them, for who could help it, and bid them go home and be good; and they promised this to the King, and went away. How many ladies were there, how many carriages and flunkymen, and how many Erees, those who teach to count great numbers can only tell. If I, Omai, am asked, I do not know. And the King, good man, though he loves the ladies, kept none of them to himself, for it is not the custom of this country, and he likes to make all his people happy. But I, Omai, felt unhappy at heart, because I was not a great Eree of the island of Edinburgh, that I might sit in the coach-machines with such beautiful creatures. And I, Omai, went home, and not being able to forget their beauty, for all the meat and wine that I got in the Captain's lodging, I went to my bed-hammock of feathers, like a little house, and dreamt of the white and red beauties of the island of Edinburgh. Next morning I, Omai, took out my book of paper that was got from the bookman, and before I eat my roll of breakfast and tea soup, I, Omai, wrote down a metre poem, like the book of the Babes in the Wood, which is a printed book, but shorter.

O ladies fair of Edin's isle,
Take pity on Omai;
He'd rather live and see you smile,
Than sleep in cold Morai.

Omai's wife is over seas

At distant Matavai;

But one of you would as well please,
When far from home, Omai.

DAY SEVENTH.

The Royal Yacht.

This day the King was seen by nobody, only the Erees at his Dalkeith Palace, for he was tired with the ladies, and wished to rest. And I, Omai, therefore, went down to the sea-town of Leith, with Captain Smith, to go out to the sea in a canoe-boat, that I, Omai, might see the great

King's ships that he sails in. And we began our voyage from the stone place for ships, called in English the pier, because it runs out into the sea; and many people and ladies also went, for the King's ship is like no other ship, because it is a yacht-ship. And its name is the Royal George, for all ships in this country have names of men and women, that the captains of the sea may each of them know their own ship; only it is thus, that though the ship bear a man's name, it is only spoken of as if it were a woman; and the Royal George, though a man and a king, is only she, that is, lady, and the ship Lord Nelson and the ship Owen Glendower, though war-ships of many cannons, are never talked of but as old women. I, Omai, cannot understand this; but this people is knowing and wise, and do nothing without reason, therefore it must be right.

And the King's yacht-ships are very grand ships, with large rooms like a house, and quite different from Captain Smith's ship. And the seats and the tables, and the painting, and the beds, are so fine, that I, Omai, was afraid to walk or sit. And the officer lieutenants, who are the chiefs of the ship, they are great men, and skilled in fighting in the wars. And one of them was Captain Smith's friend; and he gave me, Omai, what is called in this country a lunch, which is an afternoon dinner in the forenoon, and a glass of the black wine of port and brandy to drink the King's health, for he liked every body to drink his health.

And after this the boat sailed with paddles to a war-ship which was full of cannons. And it was a great ship, with many sailors and cannons; and it was as strong as a castle. And there are no ships like the ships of this people of the island of Britain or Edinburgh for their cannons, and they are made for killing the French and Spaniards, who are bad men, because they live under a different king, and have no liberty, being only slaves. And flags were flying on the ships because they are the King's ships; and their governor is a great Eree, whose name is Admiral, because he understands every thing about ships. And the sea here is not broad, for it is not far to the island of Fife, which I, Omai, saw on the other side, and steam ships

which go by fire upon wheels, without sails, smoking much all the road across. And the King's sailor-men live upon salt beef of cows, and hard bread called biscuit, and grog of wine rum, that is their food; it is good, and makes them strong. And I, Omai, after seeing all the ships and men came away when there was nothing more to be seen, and went home and wrote it all down in my book of white paper.

DAY EIGHTH.

The Royal Progress.

The next day, which was the day of Thursday, was the grand procession to the Castle; and I, Omai, could see by the people's faces, though I had not known it before, that something extraordinary was going on. All the streets of buildings were full of people in the morning, praying for it not to rain, and running about like bee-insects, to be ready for the coming of the King. And no man would speak much to me, Omai, nor the Captain, for they said they had not time. And it was not sun-weather, for it was a fog, or what is called mist in the language of this people, so that no man could see a far distance, even with telescope glasses, and it wetted the clothes. And some said that the great Castle cannons were to shoot if the King was to come, and some said they were to shoot if the King was not to come, and no man knew what to believe. But I, Omai, not minding the mist fog, or rain, went to the scaffold seat with the Captain and an Eree, for all the street, which is called causeway, was full of these seats, and many were curiously hung out of windows, with carpets for ladies that they might see the King. And not far from the scaffold of me, Omai, that is the scaffold of the great Erees who are counsellors of Merchants, was the scaffold of the ladies; but it was not a true scaffold, but rather the top of a house cut across. And there was nobody there but ladies, all in rows so beautiful, with bonnets of the strawplant over their faces, and tartan silk round their pretty waists. And this scaffold, or rather house-top, was over against the scaffold of my Lord, and the honourable Magistrate men, with the red cloth robes, who govern the city for the King. And all Magistrate

men are honourable while they are Magistrates, but not after nor before, except only the King's great Erees, who are honourable when they are born. And this scaffold was by itself, over against the ladies, that the great governors of the island of Edinburgh might look upon them and be proud of their ladies, and that the ladies might see their fine red clothes. And the Ministers, their scaffold was to the great church with the steeple and tinkling tune-bells; but my Captain bid me notice, that the backs of the Ministers were to the church, and their faces to the King, and he laughed at what he said, and an Eree next him laughed also; but it was not so funny as to make me, Omai, laugh before so many people, for I did not perceive its meaning.

And many people were in fear from the rain showers that the King would not come; but when the bell in the steeple struck twelve times to tell the people the hour, for I, Omai, counted the number of sounds on my fingers, and I heard no sound of shooting; and when I saw the people in bands, that is the clans of different trades, such as shoemakers, and masons, and bakers, and the book-men, and the merchant-men, all walking to the sound of music, then I, Omai, knew that the King was to come, and that he, good man, would not disappoint his people. And all these men ranked themselves up with white sticks in their hands, and flags, on each side of the street buildings, as far as I, Omai, could see; and I was told, and I read it in a book, that they reached even to the King's Palace. And handsome men they were, and great in their own clans. But the most beautiful of all these tribes or nations, was the flower-men, or gardeners, that is, those who cultivate the apple-fruits and cabbages for eating, and the flowers for smelling. They are a great people and numerous, and the flowers they carried on poles, and the apples, and the feather flowers, and the thistle trees, nobody ever saw the like,-and I, Omai, could have looked upon this row of men for a week. And the street was like a great river of people streaming down to the palace.

And as I, Omai, was looking, horse soldiers, very strong men, on dark horses, they came up from the palace riding so brave, and their swords glan

cing. And they wear for hats only helmets, the hair on the outside; and the Captain said they were dragoons, that was their name. And these dragoons dragooned the people in rows to keep on each side to let the King pass, -and their horses were proud, and kicked; and so a road in the streets was clear, only the rod-men of the trade clans, with white breeches and stars, they were on each side to let the King see them, and to be his guard when he passed;-for all the men in the island are the King's guards.

And in a little there was a noise and a hurra cry; and I, Omai, looked to see what it was, and I could see nothing to cry for; but an Eree who was sitting next to me, Omai, he said, and pointed with his finger, that it was the great learned man who makes all the histories of the country for the people, and songs for them and the King to sing. And I, Omai, then knew it to be the same Eree that I saw in the black cloth, writing what the Judges said in the House of Parliament, though he had a hat of cocks, and otherwise was not the same. And he was walking in the middle with an Eree, for there was none like him in the crowd; and I gave the hurra cry with the rest of the people, because he was the greatest Scot of the island of Edinburgh, and the friend of the King.

And as we were all looking with our faces to the road of the King's Palace, it came on to rain a shower. And I, Omai, was delighted at the rain, for all this people, and the whole people of all the islands were there, then put up their umbrellas above their heads to keep the rain from their clothes. And the ladies, they had parasols, which are but little umbrellas. And an umbrella is a little tent, like that of the soldiers, but of a different colour, which is held in the hand, and is a staff when it is not an umbrella: and though this people have not learned to stop the rain, they run it off themselves. The ladies' parasols are also for the sun, to keep it from their faces. And when all these umbrellas were expanded, it was a delightful sight to me, Omai. How snugly I sat, and the rain running all round me ! No man of Otaheite can conceive it; and the ladies they were like a forest of angels sitting under palm-trees.

At last my Captain desired me,

Omai, to look now, for that there was a clattering of horses' feet; and the horses' feet clatter on the street stones, and make a noise, because all the horses in this country are shod with iron, not to wear their feet, which are only hoofs of horn. And I, Omai, saw the horses coming with their blue riders, who are soldiers, with swords in their hands, and trumpeters who trumpeted before them. And their horses were sensible horses, for they marched in a row as if they were men, and knew that they were before the King. After them came a great clan of Highland Celts, with their swords, and pens in their heads, and writing-tables in their hands. And some of them wore the same Macgregor tartan that was the dress of me, Omai, though they did not look so well. And their pipers played before them, for no Highlander can march without pipes, because they do not understand any other music. Then there were more horses, even the terrible Grey Scots, with the large heads, looking fiercely on the people. And then was a great man with a dress all of gold, a very great man he was, if there had not been others there; then more Highlanders or Celts with the naked knees and petticoats; then rich Erees on horses-very grand men and proud; and then a greater chief still. I, Omai, being a stranger, cannot tell their names; but this great Eree, my Captain said, was the great Knight Marischal, that is, the man who keeps the Crown of the King, and his sword and his sceptre, when the King has no use for them.

And the horses of these great men were not common horses; they were beautiful, and some were white, and of a peculiar kind with long tails, which is not the fashion of the other horses of this country. And they walked so lightly, and pranced, that it was pleasant to see it; and I, Omai, would have liked to have had one of those horses to ride on. And as I, Omai, was looking, an old chief behind me held out to me, Omai, a box of silver to look at. And I looked at it, though I would rather have been looking at the procession of the King, and gave it him back; and he smiled, and put it in his pock

et. But my Captain said I should have opened it, for that it was a box of the powder of snuff; and no man in this country but must take this powder when it is offered to him; for

this is the custom, and it is not to be neglected.

And after this I, Omai, looked again, and there came more Highlanders ; and the Highlands must be a large island, for they are so many; and these were followed by very strange men, who wore carpets of gold, all figured with beasts on their backs, and trumpeters among them, who trumpeted incessantly. And the Erees were now so grand, that I, Omai, could not tell which was finest. Only two will I name, and the name of the one was Usher, and the other the Lord of Lions; for he is a King, my captain said, but not the true King, only a king-ofarms; but I, Omai, cannot understand the distinctions of this great people, for they are like none of the people in the island of Otaheite.

Many more meu in strange dresses now appeared, some on horses, and some walking on foot; but I, Omai, cannot tell their names, neither could I count them; only one great Eree carried a large sword, which was the King's; and the King does not carry his own sword, but a chief lord carries it for him, that he may not be troubled. And before this great sword, men in black clothes carried silver tea-pots on the end of a silver stick, to make the King's tea, and these sticks are called maces, and their number was three. Then came the King's sceptre, which is of silver and gold; but nobody could tell me, Omai, what was its use, only it is to be carried before the King; and no Eree can have such a sceptre, unless he be the King. Then came more rich Erees; and the greatest Eree of all on a horse, which was held by two men, that it should not run away.And this great chief carried the King's Crown on a red cloth with his hands, for no man must put on the Crown, but only the King; this is the law among this people, though all the great Erees may wear little crowns, but none so big as the King's. And this great Eree is called the Duke; for I, Omai, heard his name, and he is next to the King.

And when the people saw the Crown and the Sword, and the King's first coach carriage, then all the people took off their hats and waved them to cool the air for the King; but it was only the Great King's servants who were in that coach; for the King did not come himself, till more of the Grey

And

Scots came with their horses. then it was the King's coach with red riding men, and each horse a servant to lead it, because they are the King's horses, and they are better than men in any other country. But I, Omai, was disappointed, because the coach was close at the top, so that nobody in the high windows of the street could see through it; also the King could not see his people at the high windows, which, in this great city, reach almost to the clouds. And all the people cried louder and louder at the appearance of the King, and repeated the prayer of the King, which is short; and hurraed for joy that the King was there. And the ladies waved white cloths, which is their manner of hurraing; and my Lord of Provosts he bowed to the King; and when the King came opposite to me, Omai, near to where the ministers were, then he looked out and bowed his head, and smiled upon me, Omai, and upon the people and Erecs. And I, Omai, waved my umbrella tent, which is bigger than a hat, to cool the air before him, and hurraed with all my might; and the King he saw it and was glad, and bowed again even when he was past me, Omai, he was so delighted. And the hurras of joy were continued, and the whole faces of the houses were fluttering with cloths, the people were so glad that their King was come to his own Castle, that there was nothing like it ever seen before in the island. And after some more Grey Scots, and some more Highland Celts, and some more blue warrior horses had passed, then there was nothing more to be seen; it was all done till the King came back from his Castle.

And as I, Omai, waited on the platform scaffold, looking at the great crowd of people and ladies, the King had gone to his Castle; and when he was there the people knew, for the cannons of the Castle went off with joy and a loud noise; and the cannons of the Calton mountain, and the cannons of the Arthur mountains, and the ship cannons of the sea,-all these were let off to proclaim to all the islanders, and to let them know that their King was in his Castle of the island of Edinburgh; and I, Omai, saw no more till the King came back; and when he came back he did not pass my scaffold, nor my Lord's, as he went home to his Palace by the great

Earthen Hill which leads to Waterloo; and this the good King did, that his people in that quarter, and on the hill, which was covered with crowds that the great street of Edinburgh could not hold, might see his Grand Procession of Erees. This was told to me, Omai, by a great Eree, and it is true. And there was no more King for this day; so I, Omai, went home, and all the people went home, because it rained, and because the King was gone to his Palace of Dalkeith island. And I, Omai, wrote it all down in my book, that the people and the King of Otaheite might know of this King's greatness, and be the friends of the men of the magnificent island of Edinburgh.

DAY NINTH.

Cavalry Review and Peers' Ball.

And next day I, Omai, rose early, and sent for the barber man who shaves the face to make it smooth; for it was printed in a newspaper book that the King was to meet his warriors all at once, as an army or multitude of fighting men on horses. And this

meeting of warriors is called a Review, because the King looks at them; and it was a cavalry review, because all the soldiers were cavalry, that is, horse soldiers; it is different from a review of walking soldiers, because it is not the same, and is nothing like it. And this review was at Portobello Sands, for that is the name of the place, and it is a town or city of the island of Edinburgh, where the bathing carts are, and where the great people go to bathe and wash themselves in the sea; for the sea comes to Portobello Sands though it does not come to Edinburgh. And the ground was flat on the shore of the sea, and there was the review. And I, Omai, never saw, nor did any man of Otaheite before me, see so many horses and warriors as were there, all ranked up like a wall. And the crowd that came from all the cities round about was great, beyond what I, Omai, could number; likewise were all the coaches, which were enough of themselves to fill an island, and horse riders that were not soldiers.

And when the King came, the whole of the multitude, which covered all the ground, cried out, and shouted hurras of joy; and the gun cannons

fired with a loud noise. But the King this day was not the same King that he was before, for he was a horse King this day, because it was a Review, and he was not in a coach, but only on horseback. And I, Omai, saw the King on horseback, and he could ride, and was not afraid, and his horse was grey like the Grey Scots, which were also there. And when the King rides on a horse, all his nobles and Erees must ride also; and they were there all riding about the King. And the King rode before all the soldiers on horses, and bowed to them; and after he had seen them on one side he looked at the other, for that is the custom. And none of the horses durst move while the King was looking at them. And I, Omai, could not follow the King because of the crowd, and because I had not a horse; but I stood on the top of a dyke building, and saw very well.—And all the Celtic Highlanders were there, commanded by a great Eree of Argyll, who is called Duke; for there was nothing done without them; and wherever I, Omai, went, there were the petticoat men and the chiefs.

And when the King was tired of looking at the horse soldiers, he made his horse stand still; and then all the horse soldiers, which are regiments, marched past him in little regiments, that the King might count them. And the King was pleased, and so was I, Omai, at the behaviour of the horses, how neat they walked, looking so wise and sensible. After this the horses stretched out again to let the King see what they could do, and marched up all like a wall; and this is a review,for there was no more of it, because it was done, only there was crying of hurra, and another firing of cannon guns. And the King now came off his horse, and went into his coach, for he had nothing more to see; and the people of Portobello Sands hurraed after him for joy as he went away; and I, Omai, having stood by the Highlanders till they, were done, marched away with them to the tune of their pipes, for it is pleasant to walk to the sound of music; and their green chief with the little windows before his eyes, he was the friend of me, Omai. And great lords of the King also walked home with the Highlanders, and some of them rode on horses, and the chief of these he is named Thane, be