As soon as the first column of smoke issued from his mouth, the cavalcade halted spontaneously, the natives fell on their faces, their noses touching the ground, and in an attitude of the profoundest fear and apprehension.

Jupiter thundering never created such a sensation as Willis smoking.

The savages seemed glued to the earth with terror.

If the Pilot had thought it advisable to escape, he might have walked over the prostrate bodies of his captors, not one of whom would have been bold enough to follow what appeared to be a human volcano, vomiting fire and smoke,--the fire of course being understood.
Willis, however, now saw that he possessed in his pipe a ready means of awing them.

Besides, it was clear that, through some fortunate coincidence, the natives had mistaken him for a divinity.