Although the scenery is nowhere beautiful, and
only occasionally pretty, I enjoyed my walk. I should have enjoyed
it more, if my companion, the chief, had not possessed
extraordinary conversational powers. I knew only three words:
"good," "bad," and "yes:" and with these I answered all his
remarks, without of course having understood one word he said.
This, however, was quite sufficient: I was a good listener, an
agreeable person, and he never ceased talking to me.
At length we reached Waimate. After having passed over so many
miles of an uninhabited useless country, the sudden appearance of
an English farm-house, and its well-dressed fields, placed there as
if by an enchanter's wand, was exceedingly pleasant. Mr. Williams
not being at home, I received in Mr. Davies's house a cordial
welcome. After drinking tea with his family party, we took a stroll
about the farm. At Waimate there are three large houses, where the
missionary gentlemen, Messrs. Williams, Davies, and Clarke, reside;
and near them are the huts of the native labourers. On an adjoining
slope fine crops of barley and wheat were standing in full ear; and
in another part fields of potatoes and clover.
Pages:
800
801
802
803
804
805
806
807
808
809
810
811
812
813
814
815
816
817
818
819
820
821
822
823
824