Tom Davis knew how to read, write, and cipher in common
arithmetic; had been to the United States, and spoke English quite
well. His education was as good as that of three-quarters of the
Yankees in California, and his manners and principles a good deal
better, and he was so quick of apprehension that he might have been
taught navigation, and the elements of many of the sciences, with
the most perfect ease. Old "Mr. Bingham" spoke very little
English- almost none, and neither knew how to read nor write; but he
was the besthearted old fellow in the world. He must have been over
fifty years of age, and had two of his front teeth knocked out,
which was done by his parents as a sign of grief at the death of
Kamehameha, the great king of the Sandwich Islands. We used to tell
him that he ate Captain Cook, and lost his teeth in that way. That was
the only thing that ever made him angry. He would always be quite
excited at that; and say- "Aole!" (no.) "Me no eat Captain Cook! Me
pikinini- small- so high- no more! My father see Captain Cook! Me-
no!" None of them liked to have anything said about Captain Cook, for
the sailors all believe that he was eaten, and that, they cannot
endure to be taunted with.
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