But a most troublesome member; for now began in her
that perilous crisis which seems to endanger the bodies and
souls of all savages and savage tribes, when they first mingle
with the white man; that crisis which, a few years afterwards,
began to hasten the extermination of the North American tribes;
and had it not been for the admirable good sense and constancy
of Amyas, Ayacanora might have ended even more miserably
than did the far-famed Pocahontas, daughter of the Virginian
king; who, after having been received at Court by the old
pedant James the First, with the honours of a sister sovereign,
and having become the reputed ancestress of more than one
ancient Virginian family, ended her days in wretchedness in
some Wapping garret.

For the mind of the savage, crushed by the sight of the
white man's superior skill, and wealth, and wisdom, loses at
first its self-respect; while his body, pampered with easily-
obtained luxuries, instead of having to win the necessaries of
life by heavy toil, loses its self-helpfulness; and with self-respect
and self-help vanish all the savage virtues, few and flimsy as
they are, and the downward road toward begging and stealing,
sottishness and idleness, is easy, if not sure.

And down that road, it really seemed at first, that poor
Ayacanora was walking fast. For the warrior-prophetess of the
Omaguas soon became, to all appearance, nothing but a very
naughty child; and the Diana of the Meta, after she had satis-
fied her simple wonder at the great floating house by rambling
from deck to deck, and peeping into every cupboard and cranny,
manifested a great propensity to steal and hide (she was too
proud or too shy to ask for) every trumpery which smit her
fancy; and when Amyas forbade her to take anything without
leave, threatened to drown herself, and went off and sulked all
day in her cabin. Nevertheless, she obeyed him, except in the
matter of sweet things. Perhaps she craved naturally for the
vegetable food of her native forests; at all events the bishop's
stores of fruit and sweetmeats diminished rapidly; and what
was worse, so did the sweet Spanish wine which Amyas had
set apart for poor Lucy's daily cordial. Whereon another
severe lecture, in which Amyas told her how mean it was to rob
poor sick Lucy; whereat she, as usual, threatened to drown
herself; and was running--upon deck to do it, when Amyas
caught her and forgave her. On which a violent fit of crying,
and great penitence and promises; and a week after, Amyas
found that she had cheated Satan and her own conscience by

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