THE STORY OF PRINCE LEE LOO.

Maori Messenger : Te Karere Maori, Volume 1, Issue 25, 6 December 1849, Page 3

THE STORY OF PRINCE LEE LOO.

[CONCLUSION.] "The aneedotes of this singular youth," continues the narrative Mr. Keate, "are but scanty, being all unfortunately limited to a very short period. Captain Wilson and the young Piincc dining with me early idler his arrival, I was asking- how ho was nHcctcil by jiaiuling. On mentioning the subject. Dr. Caiinichacl Smyth, whom I had requested to meet this stranger, wished me to tiling a miniature of myself, that we might all ilitycby observe if it struck him : he took it in his hand, and instantly darling his eyes towards me, called out * Misser Keate—very nice, very good.' The captain then asking him if ho understood what it signified, he replied ' I.ee 800 understand well ; that Misser Keate die, this Misser Keato live.' A treatise on the utility and intent of portrait-painting could not have belter defined the art than this little sentence."

At the lime of Lee Boa's resilience ii> London, attempts were made to sail through the skies in vessels called balloons j these vessels are made of silk, and are enclosed in a strong net-work of cord, to which a car, capable of containing one or more persons, is attached. The balloon, being inllnted villi air much lighter than that of the atmosphere, is then released from the ropes which bind it to the earth, and ascending rapidly to the clouds, it is driven along at a great r.ito according to the direction of the wind. The descent of a balloon is frequently attended with great danger; sometimes the machine has fallen into the sea—sometimes it has become entangled ■with chimney tops —and, even when landing upon level ground, it has rebounded from the earth like a ball, to the imminent hazard ol those who were sufficiently venturous to lisk life and limb ia it. Balloons have been very common in England, and mightily improved of Into yenrs. One gentleman, named Green, lias made more than a hundred ;erial voyage;, traversing the clouds at a height of nearly two miles and a half; and upon one occasion, accompanied by two other gentlemen, Hying from London to n town in Germany called Nassau, in eighteen hours—the distance is upwards of five hundred miles—and in its flight, the balloon crossed over the sea called the British Channel, and across a large puiliuii of France. Many endeavouis have been made to navigate balloons in a manner similar to ships, but as yet without success, for the balloon still continues to drive before every current of wind it may encounter' Willi this brief explanation of the nature and properties of a balloon, we return to the narrative of Mr. Keate.

*' I went to see Lee 800 the morning after I.unardi's first ascent in thu balloon, not doubling that I should have found him to the greatest drgiee astonished at an exhibition which had excited so much curiosity even amongst the people of London; hut, to my great surprise, it did not appear to have engaged liim in the least. Ho faid ho thought it a very foolish thing to ridt; in the air liko a bird, when a man could travel so much more pleasantly on horseback or in a coach. He was either not awaie of the. difficulty or hazard of the enterprise, or it is not improbable that a man flying up through the cloud's, suspended at a balloon, might have been ranked by him as a common occurrence, in a country which was perpetually spreading before him so many subjects of surprise. .Whenever lie had opportunities of secin;; gardens, he was an attentive observer of the plants and fruit licet, would ask many questions about them, and sf.y, when he returned home, he would take seeds of siilli as wo- 1.1 li-e and flourish in l'elew; lie talked frequently jj- the things he should then persuade the tving to alter or adopt; and appeared in viewing most objects, to consider how far tl.ey might be rendered useful to his own country. " He was now proceeding with hasty strides in gaining the English lnngnnge, and advancing so rapidly with his pen, that he would probably in a short lime have written a very fine hand, when he was overtaken with that very disease which with so much caution had been guarded against. On the lO'lh of December lie fell himself much indisposed, and in a day or two after an erruplion appeared all over him. Captain Wilson called to inform mo of his uneasiness, mid was then going to Dr. Carmichael Smyth, to request he would

-ec him—apprehending that it might hi the small |io\. " Dr. Smyth desired me to go with him to liotberhithe. When he descended from I.eo I.jos chamber, lie (old tin family that there was not a doubt with icspeet to tha disease, .»nd was sorry (o ad'!, that the npprannces wore such as aitnost latnlly precluded the hope .of a favourable termination, liut that he had ordered whatever Iho pivs.nt moment required. Captain Wilson earnestly solicited iln: continuance, if possible, of his visits, and wis assured that, however iiironvoiiic.il the ili>tnu<-e, he would daily attend the issue of the (liMemper. " When 1 went the second day, I found Dr. Sharp there, a .gjntb'mau often mentioned in the foivgoin:; narrative, who, learning of his yimug friend's illness, had come to assist Capt. Wilson, nor ever slinvd final the homo till poor I.ee l*oi) had yielded to his fate. "The captain having never had the small pox htni-icl:", was nir.v precluded going into I.eo I'oo's r.iom, who, informed of the cause, .isquiVscul i.i being deprived of the pleasure f.f s<c l ng him, slill cuut-.u dug to bi full of inquiries iifu-r his health, fearing he i-ateh the disease ; hut ill- »n:;It Captain Wilson loaiplied with the requc-t of his family in not yoing into the clianih r, yet he never absinted himself from the house; and Mr. Sharp constantly took care that every direction was duly attend'd to, and fiom him I leceived the account of our unfortunate young stranger during his illness which he horo with great iirmiiess of mind, never refusing to lake nnythiiig that was ordered for him, when told tit-it Dr. Smyth (to whose opinion he paid the greatest deference) desired it. Mm. Wihou happening to have some indisposition at ihi! time, which confined her to h r bod, 1,00 lioo, on hearing of it, became impatient, saying 'What! mother ill ? I.eo ISoo get up to see her ;' which he did, and would go to her apartment, to he satisfied how .she really I was. ! "On tin Thursday before hi* death, walking aero ;s the lojin, he looked at himself in the glass v 'hi:i'fice being llicu iniich swelled anil disfigured), lie shook his head and turned away, as if disgusted at his own appearnce, and told Mr. Sharp that ' his faih'T and moth r much grieve for they know he was vc.y sick :' this he repeated several times. At night, lie appeared to think himself in ding i - ; lie took Mr. .Sharp by the hand, and fixing his eves steadfastly on him, with earnestness said, '(io3(l friend, when you go to Pelew, tell Abba Thtille tli it f.ee Hon take iiiueli drink to make small-pox go away, hut he die; that ihi! Captain and mother (meaning Mrs. Wilson) very kind—all English very good men : was much sorry he could not speak to the king the number of line things the linglhh hid got.' Then he reckoned what had been given him as presents, which he wished Mr Sharp would distribute, when Ae went b.iek among the chiefs; and requested that very particular care might be taken of the blue glass b;rrels on pedestals, which he directed should bo given to the king. " I'oorTom Hose, who stood at the foot of his young muster's bed, was shedding tears at hearing all this, which I.ee Uoo observing, rebuked him for his weakness, nskim;, ' Why should ho be crying so because Lee Uoo die ? ' " Whatever he felt, his spirit was above complaining; and Mrs. Wilson's chamber being adjoining to his own, he often called out to inquire if she were better, always adding, lest slin might stiller any disquietude on his account, ' I.ee 800 do well mother '.' The small-pox, which had been out eight or nine days, not rising, ho began to feel himself sink, and lold Mr. Sharp he was going away. His mind, however, remained perfectly clear and calm to the last, though what he sull'ered in the latter part of his existence was severe indeed. The strength of his constitution struggled long and hard against the venom of his distemper, till exhausted nature yielded in the contest.

" Captain Wil-o'i noticed to [lie India House the unfortonatc death of this youiijj ninn, and received orders to comluct everything with proper decency respecting his (uncial, lie was intoned in Kotherithe Church yard, the Captain nntl lii-i brother attending. All tlie yoiinar people ol tin) academy joined in this testimony of regard ; and the conc.virec of people was so itreat, that it appeared as if the whole puuh had assembled to join in seeing the lust ceremonies paid to one who was bo much beloved by all who had known him. " The India Company soon after ordered a tomb to ho erected over his grave, with the following inscription which I have transcribed from it: ' To the memory of Prince Lee Tioo, a native of the Pelew or I'alos Islands, ii'iil son to Abbi Thulle, rnpacl: or Icing of the island of Cumrooraa, who departed this lile on the '27 th ol December, 1781, n o 'ed 2<) years: t!ii< stone is inscribed by the Honourable United KaU India Company, as a testimony of esteem lor tlie humane and kind treatment nH'ordcd by his father to the crew of their ship ■ Antelope,'

Caplam Wilson, which was wrecked oil* tli.it island in|thc nighfjofllie 1 lth of August, 1753. *""" Slop, reniler, 6t"|> ! let Nature rl ■iin a tear— A i.rincd ol mine, Lee 800, lies buried lieic. - '« Among the little property which he Kfe behind, beside what he hud particularly requested Mr. Sharp to convey to his father and friends, there were found after his death, the stones or steds of most of the fruits he had tasted in England, carefully and separately put up. And when one considers that his stay was but five months and twelve days, we find that in the midst of the wild field of novelty tint encompassed him, be bad not been neglectful of that, which, before bis departure from I'elew, had been probably pointed out to him as a principal matter of attention.'' Here ends the story of Prince Lee 800. We have presented it, not merely as a tale for your gratification, but as an example to incite you to the pursuit of useful knowledge, and to the practice of those many little kindnesses which bind mankind to man, no matter bow different their country, colour, or condition. The aiiii.ibility, the intelligence, and thoughlfulness of I,ee 800 won friends for him wherever he went. His universal conduct indicated a prudent and praiseworthy spirit—llirtt of an earnest anxiety to be the benefactor ot his native island. The persons to whom be was introduced remarked with delight that the many wonders presented to bis notice were regarded by him less as matters of mere personal pleasure then ns objects submitted to his judgment for adaptation and improvement of bis native Pclew. He beheld strange sights less with tho eyo of curiosity llian with a desire to render them serviceable to his country. Had his life been spared, ho might have done much for that country. He had industry, energy, and perseverance, with the requisite penetration to turn such qualities to good account, and his gentle yet manly disposition afford the surest guarantee that had Providence permitted his return |he would have cariied back to Pelcw, <« not the vices of a new world, but thoso solid advantages which his own good sense would have suggested as likely to become useful to it." But, enough ! The actions of Lee 800 speak for themselves, pointing to others to imitate and follow out the generous example he has furnished.