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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/16704.txt b/16704.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..8dd618b --- /dev/null +++ b/16704.txt @@ -0,0 +1,7264 @@ +The Project Gutenberg eBook, Adventures in Southern Seas, by George Forbes + + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + + + + +Title: Adventures in Southern Seas + A Tale of the Sixteenth Century + + +Author: George Forbes + + + +Release Date: September 16, 2005 [eBook #16704] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII) + + +***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ADVENTURES IN SOUTHERN SEAS*** + + +E-text prepared by James Tenison + + + +ADVENTURES IN SOUTHERN SEAS + +A Tale of the Sixteenth Century + +by + +GEORGE FORBES + +First published August 1920 by George +G. Harrap & Co. Ltd. 39-41 Parker +Street, Kingsway, London, W.C.2 +Reprinted July 1924 +Printed in Great Britain by Neill & Co. Ltd., Edinburgh + + + + + + + +INTRODUCTORY + +In the year 1801 was found by the chief coxswain of the "Naturalist" (a +ship commanded by Captain Hamelin on a voyage of discovery performed by +order of the Emperor Napoleon I), at Shark's Bay, on the coast of West +Australia, a pewter plate about six inches in diameter, bearing a +roughly engraved Dutch inscription, of which the following is a +translation: + + "1616 + + "On the 25th of October arrived here the ship 'Endraght', + of Amsterdam; first supercargo Gilles Miebas Van Luck; + Captain Dirk Hartog, of Amsterdam. She set sail again + on the 27th of the same month. Bantum was second + supercargo; Janstins first pilot. + + "Peter Ecoores Van Bu, in the year 1616." + +No connected account of the voyages of Dirk Hartog is extant, but the +report of the discovery of this pewter plate suggested the task of +compiling a narrative from the records kept by Dutch navigators, in +which Dirk Hartog is frequently referred to, and which is probably as +correct a history of Hartog's voyages as can be obtained. The +aborigines of New Holland, as Australia was then called, judging by the +description given of them by Van Bu, the author of the writing on the +pewter plate, appear to have been a more formidable race of savages +than those subsequently met with by Captain Cook on his landing at +Botany Bay, and the dimensions of the tribe among whom Van Bu was held +captive were certainly larger than those of the migratory tribes of +Australian blacks in more modern times. The "sea spider" described by +Van Bu in his second adventure was probably the octopus, which attains +to great size in the Pacific. The "hopping animals" are doubtless the +kangaroos, with which Australians are now familiar. + +Captain Dampier, in 1699, first mentions the water serpents referred to +by Van Bu. "In passing," he says, "we saw three water serpents swimming +about in the sea, of a yellow colour, spotted with dark brown spots. +Next day we saw two water serpents, different in shape from such as we +had formerly seen; one very long and as big as a man's leg in girth, +having a red head, which I have never seen any before or since." + +From an examination of the Dutch records, it would appear that a ship +named the "Arms of Amsterdam" drove past the south coast of New Guinea +in the year 1623. This is, perhaps, the voyage described by Van Bu to +the Island of Gems. The gigantic mass of ice seen by Van Bu in the South +is particularly interesting, since it may have been the first sight of +the ice barrier from which glaciers in the Antarctic regions break off +into the sea. + +The north portion of New Guinea was for the first time rightly explored +in the year 1678, by order of the Dutch East India Company, and found +almost everywhere to be enriched with very fine rivers, lakes, and +bays. About the north-western parts the natives were discovered to be +lean, and of middle size, jet-black, not unlike the Malabars, but the +hair of the head shorter and somewhat less curly than the Kafirs'. "In +the black of their eyes," says a report given of this voyage, "gleams a +certain tint of red, by which may, in some measure, be observed that +blood-thirsty nature of theirs which has at different times caused so +much grief from the loss of several of our young men, whom they have +surprised, murdered, carried into the woods, and there devoured. They +go entirely naked, without the least shame, except their rajahs or +petty kings, who are richly dressed. The heathens of Nova Guinea +believe there is some divinity in serpents, for which reason they +represent them upon their vessels." + +The "Golden Sea-horse" is mentioned as one of the Dutch ships said to +have taken part in the discovery of Australia between the years 1616 +and 1624. Other vessels noted are the "Endraght", "Zeewolf", "Arms of +Amsterdam", "Pera", and "Arnheim". All these vessels lay claim to +having touched at the 'Great Southern Continent' as well as at the +islands of the South Seas. + +The 'Place of the Painted Hands', the objective of the third voyage of +Van Bu with Dirk Hartog to New Holland, is referred to by the late Mr +Lawrence Hargrave, who made a very interesting study of picture-writings +discovered in Australia, in a collection of pamphlets entitled "Lope de +Vega", now in the possession of the Mitchell Library at Sydney. "There +are picture-writings," he says, "which have remained for hundreds of +years without any archaeologist discovering their meaning. They are +not as ancient as those on the monuments of the Egyptians, but they are +equally interesting. If they are read in the light of a message to +posterity, they may yet reveal something of surprising interest. By whom +were they chiselled? What is their meaning? The more recent discoveries +show an oval encircling a cross--the symbol of Spanish conquest. On an +ironstone rock-face on the Shoalhaven River are many 'hands.' These have +been there to the memory of the oldest inhabitant. No aboriginal will go +near them. Gold is still washed in this river, and possibly these +hands, or fingers, refer to the days worked here washing gold, or to the +number of 'quills' of gold obtained. You will understand these 'hands' +are not carved, but painted with some pigment that has withstood the +weather for some hundreds of years." + +The Malays locate the Male and Female Islands visited by Van Bu, an +account of which appears in many ancient manuscripts from the twelfth +to the sixteenth century, as being the islands of Engarno, to the south +of Sumatra. Marco Polo speaks of them in his voyage round the world, +undertaken in 1271, and both Spanish and Dutch explorers refer to them +in the accounts of their travels of more recent date. + +In "The Discovery of Australia" (a critical documentary and historic +investigation concerning the priority of discovery in Australasia by +Europeans before the arrival of Lieutenant James Cook in the Endeavour +in the year 1770), by George Collingridge, may be found accounts of +Spanish and Portuguese attempts at settlement upon the Great Southern +Continent--'Terra Australis'. + +Staten Land was the name first given to New Zealand in honour of the +States of Holland, and the monstrous birds seen there were probably the +now extinct moa. The Cannibal Islands are doubtless Fiji. The data and +references to chronicles in this work are genuine, and the result of a +careful study of rare and (in some cases) unique books and manuscripts +in the Mitchell Wing of the Public Library at Sydney, said to be the +most comprehensive collection known of accounts of discoveries in South +Seas. + +G. F. + + + +CONTENTS + +CHAPTER + + +I. I FALL INTO CAPTIVITY +II. THE BLACK CANNIBALS OF NEW HOLLAND +III. THE ONLY WHITE MAN IN NEW HOLLAND +IV. THE SEA SPIDER +V. THE VOYAGE CONTINUED +VI. THE FIGHT ON THE SANDS +VII. THE SPIRIT OF DISCORD +VIII. PEARL ISLAND +IX. MUTINY +X. I EMBARK ON A SECOND VOYAGE +XI. A SECOND VOYAGE WITH HARTOG TO THE SOUTH +XII. THE SEA SERPENT +XIII. THE FLOATING ISLAND +XIV. AN OLD ACQUAINTANCE +XV. THE SEAWEED SEA +XVI. THE ISLAND OF GEMS +XVII. QUEEN MELANNIE +XVIII. A QUEEN'S FAVOURITE +XIX. I BECOME CHIEF COOK +XX. THE SNAKE GOD +XXI. A PLAN OF ESCAPE +XXII. THE NIGHT OF THE SACRIFICE +XXIII. AT THE MERCY OF THE SEA +XXIV. HOW MY SECOND VOYAGE ENDED +XXV. I ARRIVE AT AMSTERDAM +XXVI. HAPPILY MARRIED +XXVII. ONCE MORE TO THE SOUTH +XXVIII. THE MOLUCCA ISLANDS +XXIX. THE VOYAGE CONTINUED +XXX. A SPANISH SETTLEMENT +XXXI. THE PLACE OF THE PAINTED HANDS +XXXII. MAROONED +XXXIII. CAPTAIN MONTBAR +XXXIV. WE AGAIN EXPLORE THE CAVES +XXXV. I AM KIDNAPPED +XXXVI. THE MALE AND FEMALE ISLANDS +XXXVII. A TASK IS SET ME +XXXVIII. THE SLAYING OF THE GREAT CROCODILE +XXXIX. I BECOME A VICTIM OF DOMESTIC INFELICITY +XL. THE YELLOW PARCHMENT +XLI. THE RUBY MOUNTAINS +XLII. THE VALLEY OF SERPENTS +XLIII. WE AGAIN LEAVE NEW HOLLAND +XLIV. THE ISLANDS OF ARMENIO +XLV. SUMATRA +XLVI. MAHOMET ACHMET +XLVII. KING TRINKITAT +XLVIII. STATEN LAND +XLIX. THE CANNIBAL ISLANDS +L. AGAIN AT THE MOLUCCAS +LI. GETTING BACK OUR OWN +LII. CONCLUSION + + + + + +ADVENTURES IN SOUTHERN SEAS + + + +CHAPTER I + +I FALL INTO CAPTIVITY + + +Let those who read this narrative doubt not its veracity. There be much +in Nature that we wot not of, and many strange countries to explore. +The monsters who roamed the earth in ancient times, as their fossil +bones attest, are still to be seen in those regions hitherto unvisited +by white men, and in the fathomless depths of uncharted seas leviathans +find a home. + +Peter Ecoores Van Bu was born upon the island of Urk, in the Zuider +Zee, in the year 1596, and was brought up a fisher-lad until the coming +to the island of a priest, to whom my parents, ambitious for my +advancement, entrusted my education in the arts of reading and writing, +accomplishments in little vogue at this time. Hence it comes that I am +able to set down here a record of perils and adventures by sea and land +which may prove entertaining reading to those who have never travelled +beyond the limits of their own countries. + +My parents, who had stinted themselves to provide my education, placed +me when I was eighteen years old in a merchant's office at Amsterdam, +where I became acquainted with Dirk Hartog, a famous navigator, who, a +year later, invited me to become his secretary and engraver of charts +on board the ship "Endraght", being then commissioned for a voyage of +discovery to the South, and having obtained a reluctant consent from my +master, De Decker, the merchant, to Hartog's proposal I gladly +abandoned the office desk for the sea. + +The discovery of America by Christopher Columbus in 1492 had given rise +to a theory that a vast continent known as Terra Australis existed in +the South, and Portuguese and Spanish ships had made report from time +to time of this southern land. It was to confirm or dispel this belief +that the voyage of Dirk Hartog was made. + +For many months after leaving Amsterdam we sailed south, touching at +some islands to obtain vegetable food and replenish our water-casks. +Worn out with hardship, our crew more than once showed signs of mutiny. +Sometimes for weeks together we lay becalmed in the tropics, when the +air hung like a pall of vapour from the sky, and the pitch boiled and +blistered in the seams of the deck-planks. In other seasons we were +driven by storm and stress. But at length, in spite of every obstacle, +an unbroken coast stretched before us far as the eye could reach. For +three days we sailed past verdure-covered hills, white, sandy beaches, +and bluff headlands, until Hartog felt assured the Great South +Continent was at last in very truth before him. + +The day upon which Hartog determined to land was bright and fine; the +place a sandy beach upon which the waves broke in frothy spume. We were +all keen to be ashore after so long a spell of the sea, and I reckoned +myself in luck to be chosen as one of the boat's crew to land the +captain. + +"Let Peter come," said Hartog when the boat was alongside. "I would +have him engrave a plate to be set in some safe place, so that it may +be known that I, Dirk Hartog, landed here, to any who may come after +me." + +When we had come to the shore Hartog, taking the boat's crew with him, +set off inland, leaving me to my work. The plate was soon finished, +when I fastened it to a rock out of reach of the waves. + +It bore the following inscription: + + "1616 + + "On the 25th of October arrived here the ship 'Endraght,' of + Amsterdam; first supercargo Gilles Miebas Van Luck; Captain Dirk + Hartog, of Amsterdam. She set sail again on the 27th of the same + month. Bantum was second supercargo; Janstins first pilot. + + "Peter Ecoores Van Bu, in the year 1616." + +I engraved the date upon which the ship was to sail according to +directions given me by the captain, though whether the "Endraght" did +sail at that time I cannot say, by reason of an adventure which befell +me. + +When I had finished my work I began to think in what manner I might +employ myself until my companions returned, and, perceiving a grove of +trees not far distant from where I stood, I determined to rest a while +in the shade. As I penetrated these silent forests I beheld sights +wholly novel. Parrots and paroquets flew among the trees, as also large +white birds with sulphur crests, the like of which I had never seen +before. Presently I came to a stream which took its course through a +valley, and, kneeling, I was about to quench my thirst when I felt a +hand upon my shoulder. Springing to my feet, I was confronted by a band +of savages, many of whom held their spears its though about to strike. +They were all quite naked, their bodies marked with white streaks. I +tried to make them understand I came as a friend, and endeavoured to +retrace my steps to the open, where I hoped my shipmates might see me +and effect a rescue, but I now perceived that whichever way I turned my +path was barred by these wild men. The savages now began to jabber to +each other in a jargon which I could not comprehend, and presently two +of them laid hold of me, one by each arm, and in spite of my protests +and such resistance as I made, forced me through the scrub inland. Some +of the tribe followed, others went on ahead, flitting like shadows +among the trees, the journey being performed at a rate which made it +hard for me to keep pace with them. + +All day we continued to penetrate the bush toward the interior of the +country, and just before dark we came to a native village, where we +found the tribe assembled at their camp fires. There must have been +several hundred blacks in this camp, and many gathered round to look at +me, although they did not appear to regard me with as much curiosity as +might have been expected, from which I conjectured that white men were +not unknown to them. + +After a meal of fish and wild duck, together with a pasty kind of bread +made from the bulrush root, which I found palatable, I was permitted to +lie down in one of their gunyahs upon a bed of freshly-picked leaves, +where, in spite of my anxieties, I soon fell asleep. + +Toward morning I awoke to a full conviction of my sorry plight. The +camp was in darkness, save for the glow of the fires and the light of +the stars, which shine with a wonderful brilliancy in these southern +skies. The cry of some night bird came from the bush beyond the camp. +All else was still, but a crouching form at the entrance to the gunyah +warned me I was a prisoner. There was no need, however, to set a guard +upon me, for without a guide I knew I could never reach the coast, so +that even if I succeeded in making my escape from the savages, I must +perish miserably in the bush. + +My thoughts now turned to home and friends whom it seemed unlikely I +would ever meet again. Dirk Hartog and the crew of the "Endraght", +though rough as became the hardy lives they led, had always shown a +kindly disposition toward me. They would miss me, and speak of me +perhaps, until, in the changing events of their adventurous career, I +would be forgotten. My parents also would mourn me as dead. But there +was one at Urk who would miss me more than friends or parents; Anna +Holstein, to whom I had plighted my troth, and to whom I looked to be +wed on my return. Anna was above me in station as the world goes. Her +father was the Governor of Urk, who would not willingly give his +daughter in marriage to a poor lad such its I. But who in love is wise? +Who reckons worldly wealth when love, the spirit and spring of the +universe, awakens in the soul? Like birds who call their mates with +love-learned songs, Anna and I loved each other, so that nothing bid, +death could part us. I had promised Anna I would return rich from my +voyage as others had done, when her father might be the more inclined +to look with favour upon my suit. Well--here was the and of my +promises, and my hopes--death, or, still worse, life among a savage and +barbarous people. + + + +CHAPTER II + +THE BLACK CANNIBALS OF NEW HOLLAND + + +On the morning after my capture by the black cannibals of New Holland, +at daybreak, I was driven, out of the gunyah in which I had passed the +night, to be looked at by the tribe, who had now collected in great +numbers, and who encircled me with a ring of hazel eyes. Their +complexion was black, their hair woolly, and many of them were quite +naked, as though they lived in a state of brute nature. There did not +appear to be anyone in recognized authority among them, for they all +talked their outlandish jargon at the same time, and, presently, they +began to search me for such small articles of personal property as I +possessed. My engraving tools and a sailor's sewing kit, given me by +Anna, were taken from me, but to my great good fortune they did not rob +me of my dagger-knife, or my flint and steel which lay concealed in the +inner pocket of my leathern belt, nor of a lock of Anna's hair which I +carried in a silken bag round my neck; and in the possession of which I +found much comfort in my present predicament. My clothes did not +interest my captors, and I was thankful not to be deprived of them. + +I was now startled to observe that some of the natives carried at their +girdles a human skull, but I subsequently learned that these trophies +were not, as I had at first supposed, the result of a massacre, but +were the drinking-cups of these people, who appeared to be the most +debased in the scale of humanity I had ever encountered. + +During the morning, although I could see that a watch was kept upon me, +I was allowed my liberty, and, in spite of my wretched plight, I became +interested in observing the natives at their daily occupations, one of +which consisted in the capture of wild-fowl from a lagoon close to the +camp by the ingenious method of floating upon their quarry submerged up +to their necks in water, their heads covered by a mass of weeds and +bulrushes. When among the birds they suddenly drew some of them under +the surface without appearing to disturb the others. + +And now a loud noise made by the beating of spears and waddies +attracted my attention, when I came to the conclusion some tribal +ceremony was in progress, and shortly afterward a number of youths were +led in procession through the camp. These young men presented a strong +and muscular appearance. Their naked bodies bore evidence of ill-usage; +purple weals and open sores upon their backs and shoulders appeared to +have been inflicted by the severe and long-continued stroke of the +lash. + +After a dirge-like song had been sung, a number of the elder warriors +stepped forward, and with a piece of quartz formed a deep incision in +the nape or the neck of each youth, cutting broad gashes from shoulder +to hip, all the while repeating rapidly the following curious +incantation: + + "Kangar-marra--marra, + Kano-marra-marra, + Pilbirri-marra-marra." + +A bunch of green leaves was then fastened round each middle and above +this a girdle of human hair. They then blackened with charcoal, and +their wounds plastered with clay in order to form the hands of gristle +which they regard as an ornament upon their flesh. During this +performance the lads showed no sign of pain, although their sufferings +must have been very severe. Further ceremonies then took place, in +which the women played a part too degrading to be here set down. + +That night a feast was held, with dancing, in honour of the morning's +ceremonies. The night was warm and the moon shone with a wonderful +brilliancy, casting deep shadows upon the earth. In the distance rose a +pillar of sparks and fire, which marked the place where the performers +were preparing for the corroboree, a name given to their dancing by +these savages, and presently 200 men and 60 boys in nudity came from +among the forest trees. Each dancer was provided with a bunch of leaves +fastened above the knee, which, as they stamped in unison, made a loud +switching noise. These natives were painted from shoulder to hip, with +five or six stripes rising from the breast, their faces streaked with +white perpendicular lines, making it appear as the dancing of dead +men's bones. For some time the dancers continued to stamp to and fro, +and then, assembling at a fire that burned close by, they +simultaneously sat down. Other dancers then took their places, dressed +in fur cloaks, and wearing white and yellow feathers in their hair, +their black visages rendered hideous by fish-bones stuck through the +cartilage of the nose above their thick lips. These singular beings +stamped their way backward and forward, giving vent to yells of +excitement, and causing their bodies to tremble and twitch in the most +surprising manner. The last act of this strange drama represented the +warriors sitting cross-legged round the fire, when suddenly they +simultaneously stretched out their right arms as if pointing to some +distant object, at the same time displaying their teeth and rolling +their eyes, and then, springing to their feet, they uttered a shout +that echoed for miles over the surrounding country. + +And now the preparations for a feast began. A number of women and young +girls brought baskets of fish, roasted birds, and prepared bulrush +root, whilst some very large eggs, such as I had never seen the like +before, with green shells were stacked upon the grass. Strange-looking +animals also, together with snakes and lizards, were stewed in clay +vessels, while the savages gathered round in gloating anticipation of +this repulsive food. When all was prepared one of the women gave a +peculiar cry, when there came from among the trees the young men who +had that morning undergone the baptism of initiation, each carrying +upon his shoulder a bundle wrapped in reeds and bulrushes. Arrived in +front of one who now acted as chief, much laid down his burden, +exposing the contents--the body of a native child!--half roasted and +drawn--the "long pig" of the cannibals! + +Overcome by what I had seen, I sought my gunyah, where I passed the +night a prey to the most dismal forebodings. Next morning I became ill, +with violent pains and headache, which incapacitated me for some days, +during which time a lubra named Moira sat beside me, apparently anxious +to do what lay in her power to ease my sufferings. + +Helped by the words I had learnt in my former intercourse with savages +at the islands we had visited in the early part of the voyage, I was +soon able to make myself understood to Moira, and to understand what +she said when I confided to her my desire to escape to the sea coast At +first she would only shake her head, but I became so insistent that at +length she consented to help me. A tribal ceremony was very shortly to +be celebrated, so Moira informed me, when the night would be favourable +for the success of our project, since the tribe would then be assembled +at the camp fires. On that night, moreover, there was no moon until +late, and we trusted to be able to slip away in the darkness +unobserved. + +I had always been impatient of my captivity, but now that escape was in +sight I could scarcely control my desire to be rid of these savages. I +counted the days, dreading lest some change in the manner of my +captivity might prevent the carrying out of the plan we had formed; but +all went well until the time came when Moira whispered to me our chance +had come. + +The tribe were assembled at the camp fire, engaged in one of their many +rites to propitiate the evil spirits whom alone they worship. Beyond +the glow, darkness complete and compelling hung like a pall. The stars +were hid by a curtain of clouds. + +"Come," I whispered to Moira, and reckless of consequences, we fled +into the pitch black of the scrub. + + + +CHAPTER III + +THE ONLY WHITE MAN IN NEW HOLLAND + + +After leaving the blacks' camp I made my way through the forest, guided +by Moira, who could see in the dark. I was fearful lest we might be +pursued, in which case I resolved I would not be taken alive. Moira, +however, did not believe that we would be followed. Her people, she +told me, were afraid to enter the forest at night, when evil spirits +were supposed to be abroad, and indeed her own terror was so great that +I realized her devotion to me in having braved, for my sake, the +superstition in which she had been reared. + +Moira was right in thinking we would not be followed, for no attempt +was made to follow us. But now a fresh anxiety arose. There were shapes +among the trees which were visible to Moira, though I could not see +them, which caused her such terror that I was obliged almost to carry +her, and I sometimes thought by the chill of her body that she had died +in my arms. With the dawn, however, the shapes disappeared, and Moira's +fears were dispelled. + +Daylight found us several miles on our way to the coast, which we made, +as I reckoned, about noon, to the north of where I had first landed. +The cliffs here were high and rocky, the waves breaking at the foot in +fountains of spray. The sky was dull and overcast, which betokened a +storm. A number of white birds with yellow crests, such as I had seen +on my first landing, flew inland, and several fur-coated animals, with +heads resembling deer, and powerful tails, hopped across the stubble to +the shelter of the trees. The prospect was a dreary one, and a feeling +of melancholy oppressed me, which I found it hard to dispel. + +Moira did her best to cheer me, but I could not rid myself of the dread +of being the only white man upon this desolate shore. When we had +walked for some distance we came to a sandy beach, where we found a +cave in which to shelter from the storm which now burst upon us. +For an hour or more the elements raged with a fury only to be equalled +in the tropics. Lightning flashed and thunder rolled, whilst rain fell +with the force of a deluge. Then, suddenly, the storm passed, and the +sun shone with renewed splendour, decking the dripping foliage with +myriads of raindrop gems. + +We had depended for food since leaving the blacks' camp upon a supply +of dried fish and prepared bulrush root, which Moira had brought with +her in her dilly-bag, but we were now compelled to seek fresh means for +our support. Moira collected a quantity of shellfish, for the cooking +of which I made a fire of some dried wood. Moira showed the greatest +astonishment and some alarm at my flint and steel, which I now used for +the first time in her presence. Nothing would persuade her to touch it. +She regarded it as something beyond her comprehension, as a fetish to +be worshipped. When we had finished our meal we fell asleep, worn out +by the fatigues of the long journey. + +And now began for me a life of dull monotony, with days devoted to +watching the ocean, and sleepless nights of anxiety and despair. I had +built a beacon upon the highest part of the cliff above our cave, to be +fired in case of sighting a ship, and every morning, with the dawn, I +mounted to this look-out to scan the horizon. Here I remained all day, +and when darkness drove me to the shelter of the cave I tried to +persuade myself that each night in this lonesome place would be my +last. + +Had it not been for Moira I must have perished from want and neglect, +for I could not bring myself to do anything for my personal comfort +lest it might seem I had abandoned hope of rescue. But Moira was never +idle. She worked for both, and displayed such ingenuity in converting +to our use what Nature provided that we lacked nothing for our support. +To begin with, she made an oven of baked clay, in which to cook our +food. Next she plaited fishing lines from grass-tree fibre, and +fashioned hooks from the bones of slaughtered birds and animals, to +catch the fish which abounded near the rocks. With the aid of my +Sailor's knife she made a bow and arrows to shoot the hopping animals, +the flesh of which when roasted resembled venison, while their +fur-coated skins made us warm sleeping mats. She even succeeded, after +much labour, in constructing a canoe, in which to paddle along the +coast, and sometimes, when it was calm, for some distance out to sea; +nor did she appear to regret the loneliness of our lives. But I could +not bring myself to take part in her work. Hour after hour, in moody +silence, I paced the cliff beside the beacon, scanning the ocean, and +speculating upon my chances of rescue. + +If I had not been so absorbed in my selfish thoughts I might possibly +have prevented a catastrophe which afterward caused me much +self-reproach. Moira had more than once told me that food had +mysteriously disappeared from a cave in which she kept a store of +meat for our use, and she showed me where the rocks in front of this +cave had been scraped of seaweed and mussel-shells as though by the +passage of some cumbersome body. But I gave no heed to her anxieties, +and although she urged me to shift our camp I would not leave the +beacon lest a ship might pass during my absence. + +Of the dreadful consequences which followed my selfishness it now only +remains for me to tell. + + + +CHAPTER IV + +THE SEA SPIDER + + +I was occupied one midday, as usual, scanning the horizon from the top +of the cliff near the beacon in search of a passing vessel, when I +noticed Moira urging her canoe toward the shore at a rapid pace. In the +wake of the canoe a disturbance of the water betokened the presence of +some denizen of the deep, and Moira's action in making for the rocks at +top speed betrayed her terror of whatever it was that followed her. +Hastily descending the cliff I ran to her assistance, when I saw Moira +spring on to a flat rock upon which she generally landed from her +canoe. At the same moment a snaky tentacle rose out of the sea and +caught her, while other tentacles quickly enveloped her. The monster +now dragged its shiny bulk upon the rock, and except in a nightmare +surely no man had beheld such a creature before. It resembled a +monstrous spider, but out of all proportion to anything in Nature. Its +eyes, like white saucers with jet black centres, stared from its flat +head, and the tentacles with which it seized its prey were provided +with suckers to hold what they fastened upon. + +Even in her extremity Moira thought more of my safety than her own. "Go +back!" she cried. "You cannot help me. The sea devil has the strength +of ten men." + +Not heeding her warning I continued to advance to her assistance but as +I approached the sea-spider drew back into its native element, and +presently sank with its prey beneath the waves. + +In my first feeling of dismay for what had happened, I could not +believe that Moira had been taken from me, and as I remembered my +ingratitude to her and thought of how surly I had become, absorbed in +my own trouble, I threw myself down upon the rocks in an agony of +remorse. Alas, poor Moira! Faithful friend! True heart, and loyal to +death! A thousand times I reproached myself with my neglect of her, +but my regrets were unavailing, and my repentance came too late. + +It now became necessary if I would live to provide myself with food, +and in this enforced occupation I obtained some relief from the +dejection which had formerly obsessed me. I found no difficulty in +procuring fish, and I quickly became expert with Moira's bow and +arrows. Salt, also, I gathered from the rocks, and some roots which +Moira had shown me served as vegetables. Of water I had an abundance +from a fresh-water lagoon near by. So that I lacked nothing for my +support. But although my body was nourished, my mind became so +oppressed by solitude that, at times, I even thought of returning to +the blacks and conforming to their ways, and had it not been that I +knew them to be cannibals I might have spent the remainder of my life +among them, so intense had become my longing to meet with others of my +kind. + +Another cause for anxiety now made me consider whether I had not better +move my habitation to some cave along the coast. Within a week from the +carrying off of Moira by the sea-spider, I began to miss supplies of +fish and flesh which I kept in the storehouse cave. Strange sounds, +also, as of some heavy body dragging itself over the rocks kept me +awake at night, and filled me with alarm. Could it be that the monster +was once more paying its visits to the cave? The sounds continued +during the night, but with the break of dawn they ceased. + +One morning, however, when I had resolved upon moving my camp, on +mounting the cliff I sighted a vessel which I recognized as the +"Endraght", coming up the coast from the south. In a frenzy of +excitement I lighted the beacon and taking a silk handkerchief from my +neck I waved it to attract attention. A dread overpowered me that my +signals might not be observed, and had the ship passed without seeing +me I verily believe I would have cast myself from the cliff on which I +stood to certain death upon the rocks below. But now I saw that the +vessel was heading for the shore, and presently a boat put off for the +beach. Carried away by the thought of my salvation, I waded knee deep +to meet my comrades, and climbing into the boat I soon found myself on +board the "Endraght". + +So wild-looking and unkempt had I become that at first my shipmates did +not know me, but when they recognized me I was given a hearty welcome. + +"Of a truth, Peter," said Hartog, smiling at my sorry appearance, "I +have small wonder the cannibals did not make a meal off one so skinny." +And, indeed, the hard life I had led on the island had reduced me to a +bag of bones. But when I had washed and trimmed my hair and after I had +clothed myself from my own sea-chest Hartog declared me fit to become, +once more, his secretary. + +I sat late that night with my comrades, to whom I recounted my +adventures, and when I reflected upon the dangers I had passed I could +scarcely contain my joy at my rescue from a fate worse than death. + + + +CHAPTER V + +THE VOYAGE CONTINUED + + +Dirk Hartog, convinced that he had discovered the continent known as +Terra Australis, determined now to seek the gold and gems which this +fabled land was said to contain. The "Endraght" was accordingly brought +to anchor near to the mouth of a river on the coast, and preparations +were made to explore the stream in one of the ship's boats for some +distance along its banks. In the course of the afternoon we attempted a +landing, but as the boat neared the shore a number of natives ran down +to the water's edge with spears in their hands, and with loud cries +forbade our progress. A present of some nails and beads thrown among +them seemed, for the moment, to produce a good effect, but on our +attempt to land being renewed the natives again showed signs of +opposition. Hartog endeavoured to make them understand that no injury +was intended, but his friendly advances met with no success. A musket +was then fired amongst them, which was replied to by a flight of +spears, but no damage was done on either side. One of the natives then +threw a stone at our boat, which was answered by a discharge of small +shot, which struck him in the legs, causing him to jump like one of the +hopping animals I had seen on the island. When we pointed our muskets +again he and his companions made off into the bush. We then landed, +thinking the contest at an end, but we had scarcely quitted the boat +when the blacks returned, carrying shields for their defence. They +approached us and threw spears, but with no result. Another musket shot +convinced them their shields were no protection against our firearms, +when they again disappeared. + +We then walked up to the blacks' camp and examined with much curiosity +the primitive nature of their dwellings. Then, leaving some beads and +pieces of cloth in exchange for some spears, which we took away with +us, we returned to our boat, observing on our way several light canoes, +each made of a single piece of bark, bent and laced up at both ends. +In the evening two boats' crews were sent away fishing, and they caught +in two hauls of the seine nearly three hundredweight of fish. Hartog, +after our first landing, made many friendly overtures to the natives, +who would not, however, hold any communication with us, from which we +came to the conclusion that other navigators had been here before us, +not so well disposed. + +With regard to the gold and precious stones we expected to find, our +inspection of the blacks' camp convinced us that nothing of the kind +existed, at all events, in this part of the country. Such ornaments or +utensils as the natives seemed to possess were of the crudest +description, made of wood or clay, or consisting of shells and pebbles +from the seashore. The stories of fabulous wealth, therefore, to be +found in this new land appeared to be myths. It was to seek for +treasure that the "Endraght" had been equipped by a number of merchants +at Amsterdam, of whom my master, De Decker, made one, and we realized +how disappointed they would be if we returned empty-handed. Our crew, +also, began to show signs of discontent, and to murmur at having been +brought so far on a fool's errand. It was only Dirk Hartog's +indomitable personality that prevented a mutiny. + +It was this same sordid greed for gain which had caused Christopher +Columbus to be sent home in chains from America because he had failed +to find gold. The acquisition of new countries did not interest those +who equipped the navigators of this time. For this reason, no attempt +was made by Hartog to take possession of any of the countries we +visited. It was to find treasure he had been sent out, and should he +return without it he might look for a surly welcome. + +Yet Hartog himself, I am convinced, with the spirit of a great +navigator, found satisfaction in having accomplished so long a voyage, +to reach the goal for which he sailed. + +"Can I help it, Peter," he said to me one evening when we sat together +in his cabin examining the charts I had drawn under his directions, +"that the natives of this country are poor? Gold, ivory, precious +stones, spices even, seem not to exist in the South as they do in the +East. Did I make this country, that I should be held responsible for +what it contains?" + +But, although he spoke thus, I could see he was bitterly disappointed +at finding the land we had come so far to seek little better than a +wilderness, and the people upon it so poor that they went entirely +naked, and devoured each other in order to satisfy their hunger. I +tried to cheer him by reminding him we might yet find chances to enrich +ourselves before returning home, but I could see he was troubled by the +thought that the voyage he had accomplished with so much skill and +daring might prove resultless in the accumulation of wealth. +In order to hearten the crew with fresh adventure, the course of the +"Endraght" was now directed toward the islands of the Pacific. These +islands were reported to abound in pearl shell, and whilst cruising +among them we looked forward to obtaining a supply of pearls which +might compensate the merchants at Amsterdam for the expense of our +voyage, and send us all home rich men. + + + +CHAPTER VI + +THE FIGHT ON THE SANDS + + +I must now tell of all incident I would willingly have left unrecorded, +but as I have undertaken to set down here, in the order of its +sequence, each event which took place upon my voyages with Dirk Hartog +on southern seas, I must not, as a faithful chronicler, omit to record +each happening in its order. + +Now it so fell out that our first supercargo, Gilles Miebas Van Luck, +bore me a grudge, although I could recall no act on my part upon which +to attribute it, unless it be that I had gained the favour of the +captain, of which I could see Van Luck was jealous. From the first Van +Luck made no secret of his dislike of me, and more than once he +complained to Hartog that by reason of my youth; I being at the time of +sailing but nineteen years old, it would be more seemly if I took my +meals with the men in the forecastle instead of in the cabin. But +Hartog had overruled his objections. As his secretary he maintained I +was entitled to berth with the officers, and after my rescue from the +inhospitable shores of Terra Australis I continued to occupy my former +place at the captain's table, although I would as lief have messed with +the men sooner than have been the cause of a quarrel. + +At length matters came to a climax, when Van Luck ordered me to set +about some menial work which I did not consider compatible with my +position as the captain's secretary, and which, therefore, I declined +to perform. In his rage at my refusal Van Luck came at me with a +belaying pin in his hand, but I had fought many a battle with the +fisher lads upon the sands at Urk, and was well able to take my own +part, so that when Van Luck was almost upon me I nimbly stepped aside, +and with a trick I had been taught by an old smuggler at Urk, I tripped +him as he passed so that he fell into the scuppers, when, with a +muttered oath, he scrambled to his feet, and, plucking a pistol from +his belt, he would have shot me had not Hartog at this moment appeared +on deck, and commanded him to throw down his arms. + +"How now," said Hartog, "am I captain of this ship or not? What means +this mutiny? Come both of you to my cabin that I may hear the case and +see justice done." + +Without so much as a look at either of us Hartog then descended to his +state room, whither we followed him in shamefaced silence, for when the +captain spoke we knew he must be obeyed. + +When Hartog had heard what we had to say, and the argument advanced by +each on his own behalf, he delivered judgment in the following terms: + +"You are both of you in the wrong," said he. "Peter should not have +refused to obey an order without referring the matter to me, and you +Van Luck ought not to have taken the law into your own hands when I, +your captain, am the proper judge upon such matters. Still I am willing +to overlook your dereliction of duty (though by every rule of the sea +you are both deserving of death at the yard arm) provided that at the +first suitable place, and time, you fight out your quarrel as man to +man, and pass me your words that, whatever the result, the survivor, or +victor, shall bear the other no ill will." + +This was a favourite method of Hartog's for settling disputes that were +occasionally bound to arise among his crew upon so long a voyage. Order +upon the ship, he maintained, must, for the common safety, be rigidly +observed, but if bad blood arose between men of high spirit and hot +temper, the malcontents were landed at some convenient place where, in +the presence of the ship's company to see fair play, they fought the +matter out, afterwards returning on board with their ardour cooled, and +their anger properly chastened. This plan, on the whole, was found to +work well. Sometimes one and sometimes both of the combatants were +killed, but, as a rule, the matter was settled without the sacrifice of +life, and the parties returned from their blood-letting the better +friends. + +After hearing Hartog's decision we both bowed and retired, and, in the +terms of our promise, resumed the ordinary routine of our duties as +though nothing out of the common had occurred. But the news of the +coming fight spread among the crew and became the subject of gossip +throughout the ship. + +I was now near twenty-one and Van Luck was three years my senior, we +being all young men on board the "Endraght"; but I had led a hardy +life, and my spell ashore had taken off superfluous flesh, and left me +active and alert, with muscles like steel, an advantage not given to my +older antagonist, who had, perforce, lived a monotonous existence for +months past on shipboard. So I looked forward to the coming trial of +strength and endurance with some degree of confidence, notwithstanding +that Van Luck and his supporters promised me I would lose both my ears +as forfeit, if not my life, in the encounter. + +The discussion over the right at length became so keen that Hartog, +fearing it might lead to further disputes, determined to get it over as +soon as possible, and for this purpose he altered the ship's course to +an island he sighted on the horizon which we made during the same +afternoon, when we came to anchor in a natural harbour formed by a +coral reef and opposite to a hard sandy beach well suited to the matter +in hand. + +At daybreak the following morning we landed two boats' crews on the +beach, only the watch being left on board, who would nevertheless be +able to see the fight from over the ship's bulwarks. It was a fine +summer's morning, with little wind and no sea. The waves broke in crisp +diamond sparkles upon the sand, and the feathery palms and coconut +trees, with which the island abounded, imparted to the place a +fairy-like aspect such as the hand of man could never design. The +island appeared to be uninhabited and it seemed likely we would have +the arena to ourselves, although our men were armed in order to repel +attack. + +When Hartog had taken up a position upon a spot he had selected +as suitable for the contest, he explained the conditions under which the +dispute was to be settled. The fight won to be to the death, or until +either party confessed himself vanquished or was unable to continue, +and in no case was malice to be shown after the event, whatever might +be the result. Having then proclaimed strict silence he ordered us to +make ready and begin. Both my opponent and I were now stripped to the +waist, our singlets being used as bandages for the right arm to protect +it from a chance wound from the dagger knives with which we were armed, +we being allowed no other weapon. My adversary was stouter than I, but +we were both of a height, and what I lacked in strength I made up for +in agility. + +And know we began to circle each other, waiting an opportunity to +strike, which presently came to my opponent, who aimed a blow at me +which I caught when his blade was within an inch of my heart. Putting +forth my strength I strove to force his hand so that with his own blade +he might kill or wound himself, but after a desperate struggle he broke +away. Not a word was spoken by the onlookers, and no sound was heard +save only the tread of our feet as we circled and waited for a chance +to strike again. + +It now occurred to me that since my adversary had proved himself the +stronger when I had tried to force his hand, my better plan would be to +tire him if possible before taking the offensive again, and to this end +I led him on, always nimbly avoiding the strokes he aimed at me instead +of spending my strength by attempting to oppose them, and this method +proved so successful that I presently had the satisfaction of observing +in my opponent evident signs of exhaustion. Realizing his impotence, +and now beside himself with anger, Van Luck suddenly rushed upon me, +when, using a trick I had learnt, I tripped him so that he fell, +dropping his knife, which, before he could recover it, I secured. By +all the rules of the game he was now at my mercy, and I called upon him +to surrender, but, with a scowl, he refused to give in. The advantage +I had gained now entitled me to stab him to death where he stood, or to +cut off his ears if I had the mind to do it, but I could not bring +myself to kill, or maim, an unarmed man. I therefore threw down both +knives at Hartog's feet, and returned once more to the fight with bare +hands. My superior agility now began to tell in my favour, and I found +I was the better boxer and wrestler of the two, so that I rained blows +upon my opponent, some of which drew blood. He then tried to clinch +with me, but I had waited for this, and when he seized me in his +powerful grip I held myself as I had been taught to do by my friend the +smuggler, so that when he tried to throw me, he himself, by his own +weight and a dexterous twist I gave him, was hurled over my head some +distance along the sand, where he fell upon the broad of his back the +breath being knocked clean out of his body. For some time he lay to all +appearance dead, and it being evident he would not be able to continue +the fight, Hartog awarded me the victory, and, later, when Van Luck +regained consciousness, he ordered him to shake hands with me, which he +did with an ill grace, though of a surety I bore him no malice. + +"Peter," said Hartog to me when we were alone together in his cabin +after the fight, "henceforth I look upon you as my comrade as well as +my secretary; but do not, on that account, believe I shall be less +strict to enforce discipline upon you equally with all under my +command. At the great distance we are from home it behoves some one to +be in authority, if we are ever to see the Netherlands again. Promise +me then to set a curb upon your temper, and when Van Luck is able to +resume his duties after the drubbing you have given him, let there be +no bad blood between you." + +I gave my promise willingly, and I can honestly say that, on, my part, +I bore no grudge against Van Luck, nor against any man of the ship's +company, though I could see that Van Luck would never forgive me for +having bested him, nor could I disguise from myself the fact that there +were some among the crew who sided with him. + + + +CHAPTER VII + +THE SPIRIT OF DISCORD + + +The days which followed my fight with Van Luck were full of anxiety for +those who were responsible for the safety of the ship. It was evident +that a spirit of discord had begun to show itself among the crew, which +threatened a mutiny. Janstins, the pilot, whom we knew to be +trustworthy, did not attempt to hide the peril that was brewing in the +forecastle. + +"Those lubbers for'ard," he said when Hartog, he, and I sat together +one evening in the cabin, "will make trouble if they can. They are a +pig-headed lot, and a dozen apiece at the gratings would do them no +harm. But while they outnumber us, as they do, three to one, we must +avoid a quarrel. Besides, if we got the upper hand, and drove the scum +into the sea, we'd be undermanned for the voyage, and unable to weather +the first storm that came upon us." + +"What is it they want?" asked Hartog impatiently. "Am I a wizard to +conjure gold and jewels out of the wilderness? They knew the chances +they took when they set sail, and will have their wages paid in full, +whereas I shall receive nothing but abuse, so that in this they are in +better case than I, their captain." + +"Granted you are right," answered Janstins, "yet these dunderheads will +not view the matter with such common sense. They believe that gold and +jewels are to be found, but we have not the wit to find them." + +"Who has told them this?" demanded Hartog with a frown. "They must have +a leader amongst them whom we wot not of. If I find him I'll send him +adrift upon the sea to look for the treasure he speaks of with none to +hinder him." + +It was the first time I had seen Hartog so deeply angered, aroused as +he was by the rumoured treachery that was being hatched against his +command, and when he spoke of the punishment most dreaded by seamen, of +being cast adrift in an open boat with three days' provisions, I knew +full well he would not hesitate to inflict this penalty upon whomsoever +might be found attempting to undermine his authority. + +At these consultations held by the officers in the cabin, I noticed Van +Luck was never present. He made an excuse for his absence that, as +first officer, his place was on deck when the captain was below. +Although this could not be disputed, yet I bethought me he might have +found an opportunity to add his voice to our councils had he the +inclination to do it. But as yet I had no proof of treachery against +Van Luck, and although I suspected him, I was loath to voice my +suspicions lest my action might be attributed to malice for his scurvy +treatment of me. + +As luck would have it, an incident now occurred which, for the time, +diverted the men's minds from the dangerous brooding in which they had +indulged. A dark line appeared on the horizon, which at first we took +for a breeze, but which, as it swept down upon us, proved to be a +prodigious number of flying fish. These delicate creatures rose out of +the water like silver clouds, and as they passed over our Vessel +numbers fell upon our decks. These fish are excellent eating, and of +those that fell aboard of us we soon had an ample supply. Hartog, as +much to give the crew some novel occupation as from any other motive, +set the men to work salting and drying the fish, so that we secured +three barrels full, as an addition to our ordinary fare, which was very +acceptable. The flying fish were pursued by a shoal of dolphins, which +continued to play round our ship for several days, and some of these we +captured with the line and converted into food. + +In the excitement of the sport the sailors soon forgot their mutinous +conduct, and resumed something of their former cheerfulness. Like +children, seamen are easily led and readily influenced. + +"I thank Providence," declared Hartog, "for the draught of fishes sent +to us at so opportune a time; but for their coming I doubt we would +have been at each other's throats ere this." + +And indeed there is more in chance and circumstance than most believe. + +I observed that Van Luck took no part in the fishing. The sport in +which the seamen were engaged appeared to afford him more irritation +than amusement. + +I often wondered that Hartog did not note the surly demeanour of his +chief officer. But he did not appear to do so, and it was no part of my +duty to make mischief between the captain and his first mate. + +When the fishing and salting were over, a breeze sprang up which +freshened to half a gale--before which we scudded under furled mizzen +and foresails. The men had now plenty to do, and there was no time for +brooding or lamenting over lost hopes. It is mostly during a calm, when +the ship rides motionless upon a painted sea, that mutinous and +rebellious thoughts arise among seamen. When the vessel is ploughing +her way through storm and stress, each man seems a part of the ship and +to have an interest in her voyage. It is then, too, that the word of +command carries weight and meaning, and the knowledge of common +dependence upon the captain makes for obedience and discipline, so that +while the gale lasted we had no fear of mutiny. + +At the end of a week, during which time we covered many leagues of sea, +the weather moderated, when we found ourselves once more among the +islands of the South Seas, and the thoughts of being again on shore, +and the adventures that might be in store for us, put to flight less +wholesome and healthy thoughts. + +By the time we came in sight of the islands Janstins had recovered his +spirits, and Hartog his good humour. Janstins, who was of a sanguine +disposition, began to speculate upon our chances of finding treasure, +and Hartog predicted that fortune stood upon the shores of one of these +pleasant islands to welcome us, and send us home rich men. + +"It is not in nature, Peter," he said to me, "that precious stones and +metals exist only in the Old World. They are as much the elements of +the earth as rocks and water. It only needs a patient search to +discover a mine of wealth, as yet untouched by civilized man." + +I did not like to discourage him, but, young as I was, I knew how +fickle a jade is fortune, giving to one with both hands, and from +another withholding that which he most deserves. + +Besides, who could tell, among these countless islands or the Pacific, +upon, which one Nature had lavished her wealth? + +As we approached the land I noticed that Van Luck appeared to have lost +the influence he had acquired over the crew, many of whom seemed now as +anxious to avoid him as before they had been inclined to follow him. He +was, therefore, left much to his own devices, which, from his surly +manner, did not seem to be pleasant company. + +"I am resolved, Peter," said Hartog to me, "not to return home without +sufficient treasure, at all events, to pay for the expenses of this +voyage. So make up your mind to grow old among savages unless luck +brings us a ransom from this banishment. My reputation, nay more, my +honour, is pledged not to go back empty-handed, and I'd face greater +perils than any we have encountered sooner than tell those +money-grubbers at Amsterdam their principal would not be returned to +them with interest." + +I could understand the captain's dilemma, but I sighed when I thought +of the time that might elapse before I would again see my betrothed. + + + +CHAPTER VIII + +PEARL ISLAND + + +For some weeks after sighting the South Sea Islands we continued to +cruise among them, visiting many places, some of which were unknown to +former navigators. + +The weather at this time was calm and fine, but one day when in the +open sea a tempest drove us among a number of islands, most of which +appeared to be little better than barren rocks. As we approached, +however, we observed one of large size, mountainous, well wooded, and +fertile, and here we hoped to find the fresh water and vegetable food +of which we stood in need. On rounding a coral reef which made a +natural breakwater, we anchored in a quiet bay opposite a beach, and a +party of us made ready to go ashore. + +The waters of this bay were blue as the sky above, and we could see in +the depths below a marine garden of seaweed and coral, and what +interested us more, a great quantity of pearl shell. As we rowed +towards the shore the beach became thronged with natives who appeared +by their gestures to be full of wonder at the sight of our vessel. The +people here were of a light coffee colour, with wavy hair. The men, of +large stature, well formed, and dressed with a degree of taste far in +advance of any of the savages we had hitherto met with. Elaborate +devices were tattooed upon the exposed parts of their bodies; a +petticoat of finely-plaited cloth reached from waist to knee; beautiful +necklets made from red and white coral hung round their necks; while +their hair was frizzled like a mop upon their heads, powdered red or +yellow. The women were similarly attired, save that their petticoats +were longer and their hair hung straight, while the children went +entirely naked except for garlands of bright flowers. No weapons were +carried by these islanders, and upon landing we found them friendly, +and inclined to offer us hospitality. + +The houses in the town to which they welcomed us are of a beehive +shape; the sides open during the day, but closed at nights by blinds +made from the leaves of the coconut tree. The floor is formed of +powdered white coral, and is very clean. The town was built in a +semi-circle facing the beach. In the centre was the king's house, a +building of the same construction as the others, but of larger size. +Beautifully-made mats and wooden bowls formed the only furniture in +these dwellings, some of the mats being trimmed with red feathers, +while others resembled shaggy white wool rugs, which, on closer +inspection, proved to be made from the bark of a dwarf hibiscus, with +which the islands abound, bearing a bright red flower. The food of the +islanders consists of fish, coconuts, taro, yams, and breadfruit, of +which there is a plentiful supply. + +In return for their hospitality, Hartog distributed among the natives +pieces of bright-coloured cloth, beads, knives, and other trifles, +which, in the eyes of these simple savages, were so many wonders +hitherto undreamed of. + +When we had been some days upon the island Hartog expressed to the king +his desire to obtain the pearl shells of which we could see an +abundance at the bottom of the bay, within easy reach of an expert +diver, and as these islanders were as much at home in the water as upon +land, we soon had a pile of shell upon the beach which some of the crew +set to work to open; but although we opened a great number of shells +very few pearls were found, and none of any special value. + +When the king observed what we were in search of he offered Hartog for +his acceptance a number of pearls, some of large size and perfect +colour, which from time to time he had collected. + +"'Twill be enough to satisfy the merchants," said Hartog to me when he +had safely locked up this treasure on board the "Endraght", "but +nothing over, unless we can add to the collection by our own +exertions." But although we continued to open shells for several days +no great haul of pearls was made. The pearl shell we shipped, knowing +that it would fetch a good price at Amsterdam. + +Hartog was so relieved at having secured something that would repay the +expenses of the voyage that he recovered his natural buoyancy of +spirits which had lately been oppressed by the prospect of returning +home empty-handed. + +"'Tis wonderful, the power of money, Peter," he said to me one evening +when we were counting, in secret, the pearls which the king of the +island had given him; "we have come through some perils, as you know, +but I give you my word I was never so afraid of anything as of going +back without money's worth to satisfy the men who put their capital +into this voyage. It was that which broke the great heart of Columbus, +and I'd have become a pirate sooner than return empty-handed. The pious +rogues who sent us out, and who never miss their churchgoing, would not +have cared whence the money came so long as it filled their pouches." + +Hartog had not confided the secret of the king's present to any but me, +as he feared the crew, disappointed in the treasure hunt which they had +been promised, might try to take forcible possession of it. He was so +absorbed in counting the pearls and in speculating upon their value +that he gave no heed to the possibility of being spied upon. But since +I was to have no share in them, the pearls did not interest me as much +as they did the captain, and I allowed my eyes to wander, when, in a +flash of summer lightning, I saw the face of Van Luck looking down upon +us from the skylight above our heads. + +Making an excuse to go on deck, I stole cautiously up the +companion-stairs, expecting to catch Van Luck red-handed in the act of +playing the spy upon us, but when I reached the skylight I could see no +sign of him. From where I stood, however, I was able to observe the +captain counting the pearls, and I determined to warn him to have a cover +made for the skylight, or a blind inside that might be drawn to ensure +privacy. But I did not think it would be wise to say anything about my +suspicion. It would be hard to prove, and might be set down to malice, +though honestly I bore Van Luck no ill will. + + + +CHAPTER IX + +MUTINY + + +A month after leaving Pearl Island, when it became known to the crew of +the "Endraght" that a course had been set for home without having +obtained the treasure which had been the object of the voyage, the +spirit of discontent in the forecastle which had previously shown +itself, became so marked as to threaten a mutiny. Had it not been that +we held all the arms and ammunition aft, there would have been little +doubt of the seamen refusing duty. As it was, they went about their +work in so surly a manner, that if Hartog had not kept a check upon his +temper, a serious outbreak on more than one occasion would have +occurred. + +"I cannot think what evil influence is at work among the men," said +Hartog to me one evening, when we sat together alone in the cabin, for +Van Luck, except at meals, seldom joined us. "As sailors, they ought to +know that treasure hunts often prove disappointing, and they will each +receive a good round sum in back pay when the crew is disbanded after +the voyage. What, then, would they gain by mutiny? Without a navigator +they would either lose the ship, or, if they succeeded in making a +port, they would become food for the gallows. Knowing sailors as I do, +I cannot understand, in present circumstances, what it is that fosters +rebellion, unless some influence is at work that we wot not of." + +It was then that I thought it my duty to tell the captain of my +suspicions regarding Van Luck, and of how I had seen him looking down +upon us through the skylight at the counting of the pearls. + +Hartog was amazed at such treachery on the part of his first officer. +His own nature was so open that he found it hard to credit deception in +others. My disclosures, however, enlightened him on much that was +taking place, and he bade me keep him advised of anything further I +might see or hear. To this end, I made frequent excuses for spending my +time in the forecastle among the men, pretending I found the +companionship in the cabin irksome. I had not been long among them +before I discovered a plot that was hatching to take the ship. Hartog +and I, together with those who would not join in the mutiny, were to be +set adrift with three days' provisions in one of the boats, when Van +Luck would navigate the "Endraght" to the nearest port, promising to +divide the pearls, the value of which he had greatly exaggerated, +equally among all hands, share and share alike. + +To be forewarned is to be forearmed, and I had no sooner divulged the +plan of the mutineers to the captain than Hartog began to consider how +we might meet the situation. Janstins, the pilot, the ship's carpenter, +and three of the crew we knew we could depend upon, and they were +instructed where to find arms and ammunition, and told to rally to us +aft at the first signs of mutiny. Having completed these arrangements, +Hartog's next step was to bring matters to a climax, for he argued +rightly there was nothing to be gained, and much might be lost, by +delay. + +Stepping boldly upon his quarterdeck, he now issued his orders in his +old peremptory style, and, upon one of the crew not moving smartly, he +threatened him with a dozen at the ship's gratings. The man turned +insolently, and demanded to know to whom Hartog was speaking, while, at +the same moment Van Luck, who was standing near, remonstrated with the +captain on the man's behalf. I had never seen Hartog really roused +before. In two quick strides he was beside Van Luck, and picking him up +as easily as if he had been a child, he flung him from the poop on to +the deck below. At the same moment the mutineers made a rush aft, but +those who were loyal to us were before them, and we presented such a +formidable front that the rebels fell back, taking Van Luck with them. +Hartog now turned the brass cannon, which had already been loaded upon +the mutineers where they crowded together in the fore part of the +vessel, swearing he would fire upon them if they did not instantly +surrender. A hurried consultation followed, after which Van Luck +stepped forward as spokesman. He complained that the crew had not been +fairly dealt by. They had suffered much hardship, he said, and it was +understood that all treasure obtained on the voyage was to be shared +among them, whereas it appeared that the captain was concealing a +parcel of pearls of sufficient value to make them all rich men. To this +Hartog replied as follows: + +"I am captain of this vessel, and I claim the right to do as I please. +The pearls you speak of none of you helped to obtain, and they will be +used to pay the expenses of the voyage, including what may be found to +be due to each man as wages when the when the ship is paid off. As for +you, Van Luck, who have acted the spy and played traitor, you may +expect nothing from me but the fate you intended for those who have +stood by me. The others may now return to duty." + +It was then seen that Van Luck had no followers, for rebels are ever +prone to abandon their leader when their cause is lost. + +I would have pleaded with Hartog, even then, to spare Van Luck from +being cast adrift upon the sea, but I knew no word of mine would change +his purpose. Besides, an example must be made, and in the rough life we +led the administration of justice was the prerogative of the captain +alone. A boat was therefore prepared, three days' provisions were +placed on board of her, and Van Luck was sent upon what promised to be +his last voyage. + +For as long as the boat remained in sight we could see that the +castaway made no effort, either with the sail or the oars, to shape a +course in any direction. He appeared to have abandoned hope, and to +have made up his mind to let the wind and the waves carry him +whithersoever they would. At length the boat appeared but a speck upon +the ocean, and finally it vanished beyond the horizon. + +For some time after the quelling of the mutiny Hartog maintained strict +discipline among officers and crew, issuing his orders in the +peremptory manner of one accustomed to command, and seldom speaking to +any except upon matters connected with the ship. But when order was +restored his mood changed, and we resumed our friendly chats together +in the cabin. He never referred to Van Luck, whom he seemed to have +wiped from the slate of his recollection, nor did he again allude to +the mutiny. Once, when I touched upon it, he had cut me short, and I +could see from his manner that all reference to it must henceforth be +taboo. But I could not help sometimes recalling the picture of the boat +with the solitary man on board of her, drifting upon the grey waste of +sea, and I often wondered if Dirk Hartog had been able to obliterate +that picture from his mind. + +We now once more sailed in familiar waters, and passed many vessels as +we neared home, where we arrived, without mishap, towards the end of +the year 1620, after an absence of nearly five years, which was not +regarded at that time as a voyage of unusual duration. + + + +CHAPTER X + +I EMBARK ON A SECOND VOYAGE + + +On my arrival at Amsterdam I obtained leave from my master, De Decker, +to visit my parents, and was received by them at my home at Urk with a +great show of affection, which, however, I found to be somewhat +lessened when it was known I had come back with empty pockets. My +father urged me to give up the sea, and to stick more closely to the +business of a merchant at Amsterdam, for which my education had fitted +me, and my mother extorted from me a half-willing promise that I would +follow my father's advice. I also met Anna Holstein, to whom I related +my adventures; nor did I conceal from her that my worldly condition was +not yet sufficiently improved to warrant my making formal proposals for +her hand in marriage. + +My mother pronounced my appearance much improved, when she heard of my +attachment to Anna she declared me to be a fit mate for any lady in the +land. + +"Of a truth, Peter," she said, "thou art become a proper man, like thy +father was before thee, and in my day a young man of spirit chose his +wife where he would. My own parents made objections to my being married +to your father without some payment to them in goods or money, to +compensate for the expense of my upbringing. But Abel Van Bu, thy +father, came to our house one June morning and bade me make ready to +marry him that very day, a clerk in holy orders being come to Urk to +mate together those islanders who were willing to be wed according to +the rites of the Church, and Abel's manner was so masterful that +neither I nor my parents dared say him nay. This is how I came to marry +your father, my son, and were I a man such as thou, art, I would take +the girl of my choosing, in the same manner as thy father did." + +But although I laughingly agreed with my mother, I knew that such a way +of proceeding would not answer with Anna Holstein. Anna was rich. It +would have shamed me to go to her, a penniless husband. Still, love is +blind, and that Anna and I loved each other was not to be denied; so, +one evening, by the Zuider Zee, we once more plighted our troth. + +It was then that Anna confided to me a trouble of which she had kept +the knowledge secret, fearing it might vex me, to the neglect of my +work at Amsterdam. I had become so absorbed in my love for her, that I +had given no thought to the question of others paying their court. Yet +that such should be the case was but natural. Anna was young, +beautiful, and wealthy, the only child of a proud noble, so that when +Count Hendrick Luitken proposed for her, Anna's father regarded his +suit with approval, and recommended him to his daughter's good graces. +But Anna, whose heart was wholly mine, had evaded the Count's +attentions, although she dared not openly reject him, lest the +clandestine love we bore each other might become known by reason of too +close questioning, so she had been compelled to play the part of a +wilful maid who did not know her own mind, and could not be made to see +how advantageous the alliance proposed for her would be. + +"I could never marry anyone but you, Peter," she whispered to me, as we +sat together on the terrace of the palace by the Zuider Zee, after she +had confided to me her anxieties, "but I find it hard to keep up the +deception that I am heart-whole and fancy-free, and yet indifferent to +Count Hendrick's attentions. Indeed, my father openly upbraids me with +being fickle, inconstant, unmaidenly, and I know not what besides, +until I am driven to my wit's end to keep the peace between us. Yet I +doubt not, if he knew the truth, he would marry me willy-nilly to Count +Hendrick Luitken by force." + +"Then it would be to a corpse he would marry you," I cried, "for sooner +than see you wedded to Count Luitken I would strangle him with my bare +hands if he refused to meet me as an equal in fair fight." + +"Dear Peter," whispered Anna, as she nestled closer to me, "if I cannot +marry you I'll marry none other, and the Church does not now sanction +marriage vows given unwillingly. If they drive me to it I can at least +seek the cloister or the grave." + +"Do not speak so, dear Anna," I entreated. "We are both young, and by +patience and industry I may yet win a place in the world." + +But although I spoke hopefully I could see but little prospect of my +advancement at Amsterdam. My master, De Decker, the merchant, in whose +house I was employed, told me plainly that I need expect nothing more +than a clerkship so long as I remained in his service. His son, then a +boy at school, would inherit his business, and it might be many years +before I could hope to buy a partnership in it. De Decker's business at +this time, moreover, was not in a very flourishing condition. It +seemed, therefore, not improbable that I would lose my clerkship unless +it improved. + +In these circumstances I was approached by Dirk Hartog some twelve +months after the return of the "Endraght", who offered to take me as +first officer on the "Arms of Amsterdam", a new vessel upon which he +was about to make a second voyage of discovery to the South. + +"It is not because we met no luck with the 'Endraght' that there is +nothing to be gained, Peter," he said. "There is an island I have heard +of which, if we can strike it, will make us rich men. Nothing venture, +nothing win, and there is little prospect here for a man like you to +make money by quill-driving." + +His words impressed me, as well they might, for the love of adventure +was strong within me, and I reflected that in my present calling of a +merchant's clerk I could not hope to obtain an independence for many +years--perhaps not at all. De Decker, also, appeared anxious that I +should go. The sale of the pearls which the king of Pearl Island had +given Hartog had more than repaid the merchants for sending out the +"Endraght", and with the "Arms of Amsterdam" they hoped to accumulate +further treasure. I was influenced also by Hartog's description of the +Island of Gems, and the more I thought of the offer he had made me the +more I liked it. Finally, I agreed to sign on for this second voyage, +and, taking leave of Anna and my parents, I embarked upon the "Arms of +Amsterdam", and set sail once more for southern seas. + + + +CHAPTER XI + +A SECOND VOYAGE WITH HARTOG TO THE SOUTH + + +For three months after leaving the North Sea we sailed south, meeting +with no land until we sighted a group of islands which Hartog believed +to be the group that the Spaniard Cortes attempted to explore in 1519, +when one of his ships was burned by the hostile natives, while he and +his crew escaped with difficulty in the other vessel. These islands are +mountainous, well wooded, and apparently fertile. In most places that +we saw the trees were very thick, with spreading branches, in which we +perceived houses to be built, which looked like the nests of some large +bird. We approached the land with caution, for we knew from experience +that the tides in the vicinity of the South Sea Islands are very +irregular, and seem to be much affected by the prevailing winds and +currents. There is only one tide in the twenty-four hours. The +flood-tide sets to the north, and the ebb to the south. It therefore +behoved us to choose a safe anchorage, which, after consultation, we +finally decided upon, selecting a spot sheltered from the prevailing +wind, in deep water, close to a beach and opposite to a stream. + +Two boats were then lowered and manned, Hartog taking charge of one and +I of the other. The natives, who had assembled in great numbers on the +beach, did not appear so surprised at the sight of our vessel as might +have been expected. As the boats drew near, some of them waded out to +meet us, showing no fear, but rather an anxiety to welcome us. They +were all entirely naked except for a strip of tapa cloth, which formed +a tee-band around the middle and hung down behind like a tail. This was +probably the reason for the reports given by the earlier navigators of +the existence of tailed men in these regions. + +Some of the natives wore feathers in their hair, and all had fish bones +thrust through the cartilage of the nose, which gave them a ferocious +aspect. Even young boys wore sticks in the same fashion. The women were +attired in petticoats of white tapa cloth, which hung down in strips +from a girdle round their waists. + +Before trusting ourselves among these savages we gave them, as peace +offerings, coloured beads and bright pieces of cloth. Our presents were +well received, but immediately on becoming possessed of them the +natives laid them at the feet of a young man who stood apart from the +crowd, surrounded by several tall and fierce-looking savages. From this +we concluded the young man to be the king of the country, though we +wondered he should be so young, as the leadership amongst savages +generally goes to the strongest. + +We then showed the natives our water-casks, and, pointing to a stream +close by, made them understand we desired to fill them, to which they +offered no objection, so that we at once began to water the ship. When +we had finished our task we were invited by signs to go to the king, +and, being well armed against treachery, we boldly marched up in a body +to the king's house, which we found to be an immense building, nearly +300 feet long and 30 feet wide. It had a high peaked portico, supported +by posts 80 feet high, from which a thatched roof narrowed and tapered +away to the end, where it reached the level of the ground. The house +resembled nothing so much as an enormous telescope, and here the king +lived with his numerous wives and families, together with all his +relatives and immediate retainers. + +From the knowledge I had picked up on my travels, particularly during +the time I was captive among the black cannibals of New Holland, I had +acquired the art of understanding, either by words or signs, what +savage people wished, by their language, to convey, which to most would +have been unintelligible, and from what I could gather it appeared that +the young king, who had but lately inherited his kingdom from his +father, whose tomb, perched on the top of a tree, was pointed out to +us, was threatened with war by a neighbouring chief, the former king's +hereditary enemy, and that if we would help him vanquish his opponent +he was willing to hand over to us the property of other white men which +had been left upon the island in years gone by. + +When I had imparted this proposition, so far as I was able to +understand it, to Hartog, he expressed a wish to see the white men's +treasure, and on my repeating this request to the king's councillors, +we were invited to accompany them to a part of the island where we were +shown what were undoubtedly the remains of Cortes' vessel, the one that +was burnt and abandoned to the savages. There did not at first sight +appear to be anything of value among the ancient relics, but I noticed +some iron boxes, which had rusted at the locks, so that it became +difficult to open them. With the aid of a crowbar, however, which I +sent for from the ship, we were able to prise the lid off one of them, +when it was found to be filled with Spanish money, much gold coin being +amongst it. There were twelve iron boxes, and we reckoned that each box +contained money to the value of two thousand English pounds. At the +sight of this treasure Hartog readily consented to assist the king of +the islands against his enemies by every means in his power, and an +agreement was come to accordingly. Hartog then ordered the specie to be +taken on board, when we attended a council of the chiefs to ascertain +the part it was proposed for us to play in the war, I acting as +interpreter. + +It then appeared that a number of canoes were expected shortly to +arrive from the adjacent islands. They would be met by the young king's +fleet, when a naval battle would take place; but the issue was +doubtful, since the hostile chief possessed many more canoes than the +young king did. It was to neutralize this disadvantage that our +services were required. + +Now the "Arms of Amsterdam" was a more powerful vessel than the +"Endraght", mounting four guns, so we had little doubt but that we +would be able to render valuable assistance to the young king in the +defence of his country, and having pledged ourselves to support him we +returned to our ship, well pleased with our adventure. + +Next day the beating of war drums and much commotion ashore announced +the approach of the enemy fleet, and having loaded our cannon we stood +out to meet them. Twenty war canoes belonging to the king, each +containing 100 men armed with spears and clubs, put off to take part in +the battle. They were far outnumbered, however, by the hostile fleet, +which now approached. At the sight of our ship the oncoming war canoes +appeared to hesitate, and for some minutes ceased rowing, but presently +they advanced again in the form of a crescent, evidently intending by +their superior line of battle to surround us. We were now midway +between the opposing fleets, and when the enemy canoes were well within +range Hartog delivered a broadside, which had the most remarkable +effect ever witnessed in a naval engagement. Not wishing to kill the +natives if it could be avoided, since the quarrel was not ours, Hartog +directed that the first broadside should be fired over the heads of the +advancing savages, but the result was the same as if we had sunk or +crippled the hostile fleet. At the flash and sound of the cannon, with +black smoke rolling across the water towards them, the savages turned +and fled, driving their canoes back to the place whence they had come +at a pace which sent the foam flying from the paddles. But the most +unexpected part of our interference was that the savages on board the +king's canoes appeared to be as terrified as were the enemy, for they +also turned and fled towards the shore. So we had the satisfaction of +seeing the opposing fleets flying from each other without blood being +shed. + +Having thus brought matters to a satisfactory conclusion, and fulfilled +our agreement with the young king to drive off the enemy fleet, we +continued our voyage, well satisfied with our first transaction. + + + +CHAPTER XII + +THE SEA SERPENT + + +For some days after leaving Cortes' island the weather continued fine +and the sea calm, but a strong breeze then springing up from the +north-west made it necessary to shorten sail. While so engaged we +sighted a number of whales, which swam to meet us. Never before had I +seen so strange a spectacle. Their vast numbers, their great bulk, and +their quick evolutions impressed me with wonder. + +The whales in these parts are fearless of man. They have not yet +learned to regard him as an enemy. This fearlessness, however, although +remarkable, was not to our liking, for some of the whales came so close +to us that our decks were often deluged by the water which they spouted +upon them. + +One day, some little time after this adventure, the weather having +moderated to a calm, a number of ripples appeared upon the sea, which +at first we took to be a breeze, but on drifting among them we found +the phenomenon to be caused by a number of water snakes, varying in +size from a few inches to many feet in length. Some of them appeared to +be asleep, whilst others reared their heads at us, although they made +no attempt to attack us. Suddenly they disappeared, as though scared +by the approach of a common enemy. + +We had now been for some days becalmed, and at length we began to fear +we had drifted into a dead sea, where the wind never rose, and the +currents ran in a circle. The sun by day blistered the decks so that +the tar bubbled in the seams. The nights were more tolerable, but the +air below had become so foul that the cabins were deserted for the +open. A musty smell rose out of the water, and made it hard to breathe +the oppressive atmosphere. We lay about the deck exhausted, like a +company of sick men. + +One night the watch came aft to where Hartog and I were trying to +obtain some rest, with the report that a monstrous shape had been +noticed passing under the vessel, and on looking to leeward we could +see that the water was agitated by some large body. Hartog inclined to +the belief that the disturbance was caused by a number of whales, the +one following the other, but the men declared the shape they had seen +was a monster of amazing proportions. Both Hartog and the men were +equally resolved upon their respective theories; but while they were +arguing the matter, and the dawn being now come, all doubts were set +at rest by the appearance of a prodigy so incredible that I scarce +dare set down, in this plain tale, a description of it. Within fifty +yards from the vessel a serpent's head, not unlike those we had seen, +but infinitely larger, rose above the surface of the water, and +presently a great water-snake began to swim slowly round our ship in +decreasing circles. Its length could not have been less than 200 feet, +while its girth, in the middle, was almost that of a fair-sized whale, +tapering towards the head and tail. Lashing the sea around it into +foam, the serpent drew closer until it looked as though it would crush +the ship in its folds. Hartog, the only man amongst us who preserved +his presence of mind, ordered our guns to be loaded and fired at the +monster. This was done, but our broadside had no more effect upon the +leviathan than to cause it to swerve from its circling movement, when +it made off with incredible speed towards the horizon, whence it +returned apparently bent upon destroying us. + +We now gave ourselves up for lost, when suddenly out of the sea rose +another huge bulk, resembling the sea-spider which had carried off poor +Moira, but ten times larger, when a combat ensued between the +leviathans which created waves around our vessel, and caused her to +rock and plunge as in a storm. The battle raged for the best part of an +hour, and sometimes when the monsters came near it seemed likely that +the ship would be swamped by the volume of water which they lashed into +the air. Suddenly the combat terminated by both monsters disappearing +into the depths without our being able to ascertain which had proved +the victor. + +So that some record of this remarkable combat might be preserved, I set +down upon paper a description of it, intending to deposit it among the +public archives on my return home. I had read that such leviathans +existed, and had been seen by early Phoenician mariners, though I had +always regarded their existence more in the light of fable titan fact. + +And now, a breeze springing up, we were once more enabled to continue +our voyage. Some of the crew were anxious to return home in order to +spend their share of the Spanish money found on Cortes' island, but +Hartog would not consent to such a proposal. He had set his heart upon +finding the Island of Gems, of the existence of which he was firmly +convinced, though our chances of finding it among the numerous islands +of the South Seas appeared remote. The captain, however, would have his +way, and a course was set accordingly. We were soon again among the +islands, where we found the people more intelligent than those upon the +continent of New Holland. Their language, although consisting of many +dialects, possessed some universal key words, of which, by this time, I +had acquired a knowledge which enabled me to make myself understood of +the various tribes of savages we met with, and to understand also their +meaning when they wanted to convey it to us. To this I attributed the +friendly reception which, on the whole, was given to us. Attacks upon +strangers, made by these savages, are not so much from any natural +hostility towards them as from an inability to understand that they +intend no harm--consequently I was generally able to establish friendly +intercourse between us and the tribes we visited. Besides this, our +ship possessed such a powerful armament that, if molested, we had no +fear but that we would be able to protect ourselves. + +We made many inquiries from the savages concerning the Island of Gems, +but none seemed to have heard of it. + + + +CHAPTER XIII + +THE FLOATING ISLAND + + +Soon after leaving the islands of the South Seas we encountered heavy +weather, a tempest, the worst we had experienced, driving us before it +to the south. The storm lasted for more than a week without abatement, +and during this time we covered many leagues of sea. Owing to the sun +being obscured, it was impossible to ascertain our whereabouts, but +Hartog reckoned we had passed through the Straits set down on an early +chart as named after Le Maire. But for skilful handling we would have +lost our ship, so prolonged was the gale, and when, at length, the +weather moderated, we found that much damage had been done to our +rigging and deck-gear. This made it necessary for us to effect repairs, +and while so engaged we continued to run before the wind to the south. +As we proceeded, the cold became intense, while the wind gradually +decreased. One morning, at sunrise, a snow-covered land rose before our +astonished eyes. The sun shining upon it produced an effect which, for +beauty, I had never seen, equalled. Immense ranges of mountains rose +from a flat surface, their summits lost in fleecy clouds, while from +one of the mountain tops, incredible as it may appear, belched smoke +and fire as from the crater of an active volcano. It may well be +believed with what astonishment we beheld a burning mountain in the +midst of snow and ice. We coasted for some distance along the shore of +this new continent, which formed an ice barrier rising in a long +perpendicular line from the sea, making a landing impossible. + +When the repairs to our ship had been effected, we hauled our wind, and +stood away northward, when we found ourselves surrounded by masses of +floating ice. In no record of any voyage that Hartog or I knew of is +any mention made of this phenomenon, so we concluded we were the first +to see it. The farther we went the more numerous became the icebergs, +and the more difficult the navigation owing to fogs and mists. The +whole surface of the water as far as the eye could reach was covered by +dense masses of ice, and had not the breeze freshened so that we were +able to avoid the ice pack, we might never have made our way to the +open sea. Some of the icebergs were beautifully formed, and the +countless prisms of which they were composed glowed in the sun's rays +with the delicate colour of the rainbow. + +Next day the wind had fallen to a calm, and we rode upon a sea of +glass. We had left the pack ice, but before us stretched an island of +such extent that the end of it could not be seen. This island rose to +the height of twenty feet. It was perfectly flat, with steep, +perpendicular sides, which made it inaccessible to man. From the +masthead, however, it was possible to observe its surface, which we saw +to be covered by a vast number of penguins, so we knew a landing must +be available somewhere, for these birds are wingless. This island was +composed entirely of ice, it being, as Hartog reckoned, a glacier which +had broken off from the main continent into the sea. It was drifting +north, and would gradually melt in the warmer atmosphere to which the +current was taking it, but many years must elapse before this would +happen. + +That evening we remained in the vicinity of the island. The twilight of +this region in which we now found ourselves continued without fading +into night, and to add to the beauty of the scene an aureola appeared +in the sky. It was a sight, once seen, never to be forgotten. A world +of perpetual day. + +With the return of sunlight Hartog determined, if possible, to effect a +landing, and leaving the "Arms of Amsterdam" in charge of Janstins, the +cutter was manned, in which the captain and I set out for the shore. +After pulling for some distance; and when almost out of sight of our +ship, we came to a kind of platform where the ice was broken, making it +possible to climb to the top of the island. We had no sooner set foot +there than we were surrounded by penguins. They came waddling towards +us in the most comical fashion, nor were they in the least afraid of +us. The presence of man for the first time in these latitudes appeared +to inspire them more with curiosity than alarm. + +The attentions shown us by these remarkable birds, however, soon caused +us considerable inconvenience. They crowded upon us in such numbers +that it was difficult to force our way through them, either farther on +to the island or back to the boat. Some of them stood four feet high, +and although they made no attempt to molest us, the bulk of their +bodies (the ones at the back pressing upon those in front) made it +difficult to push by. It was like passing along a densely-crowded +thoroughfare. So numerous became the penguins that Hartog ordered a +return to the boat. We did not like to kill these birds, as they +appeared harmless, and the trust they showed in us was surprising. When +we came to the landing place we found it covered with small fur-coated +seals, who also showed no fear of us, and made no attempt to escape +when we approached them. The skins of these creatures we knew to be +rare and of value, so we were impelled to slaughter some of them for +their fur coats, and also to give us a supply of fresh meat; but their +large brown eyes looked at us so sorrowfully when we attacked them that +we had not the heart to kill more than was necessary for our immediate +needs. It was too much like murder. + +The penguins followed us down to the landing-place, until it was full +to overflowing. Some of the birds pushed the others into the water in +their eagerness to witness the killing of the seals, which they +appeared to be discussing with much interest. + +A breeze springing up, we returned to the ship, and toward evening, +still steering northward, the floating island was lost to view. + +We were now in better spirits than heretofore. We had filled our water +tanks from the ice floes, and supplied ourselves with sufficient fresh +seal meat to last until we came to a warmer climate, to begin again our +search for the Island of Gems. The men we had with us upon this voyage +were a better class than were the crew of the "Endraght", and we had no +fear of mutiny. There were grumblings occasionally at the length of +the voyage, but these vanished at each fresh adventure. Sailors, as a +rule, are easily led, and if there is no evil influence at work among +them they seldom incline to mutiny when they know that the safety of +all depends upon discipline and obedience to the captain's orders. + + + +CHAPTER XIV + +AN OLD ACQUAINTANCE + + +Most of the islands we visited on our return to the South Seas we found +to be inhabited. But some, although well-wooded, and possessing a +luxuriant vegetation, were unoccupied except by sea-fowl. It was toward +one of these islands we now directed our course in order to fill our +water tanks, when we observed a solitary figure upon the beach whose +hair and beard hung down in a tangled mass upon his chest and +shoulders, while the skins of some small fur-coated animal, roughly +sewn together, made him a covering for his body unlike any we had seen +adopted by savage tribes. His attitude, moreover, as he stood upon the +beach, shading his eyes and gazing intently at us as we rowed towards +the shore, suggested the European rather than, the savage, and upon +coming close up to him we knew him to be some castaway marooned upon +the island. He appeared to have lost the power of speech, although he +made guttural sounds when he saw us, and, what was more remarkable, he +seemed to recognize us. + +It then came to me in a flash that this solitary man was none other +than Van Luck, whom we had last seen drifting away from the "Endraght" +upon his lonely voyage after the mutiny, and, in pity at the sight of +his forlorn condition, I held out my hand to him in reconciliation. So +great, however, was his hatred of me, which he had probably nursed, +that, instead of taking my hand, he rushed upon me and tried to +strangle me, in which he might have succeeded had not others of our +party come to my assistance. He seemed demented, and he had acquired +such strength during his exile that it was as much as four men could do +to hold him down. But, notwithstanding his unprovoked attack upon me, I +felt I could not abandon him again to his solitude. I therefore ordered +him to be taken on board our vessel, where Hartog would be the judge of +his ultimate fate. + +Hartog's surprise at seeing his old officer in such a deplorable +condition was equal to my own, but the terrible change which years of +solitude had wrought in Van Luck appealed to the humane side of the +captain's nature so forcibly that he determined to give the castaway a +chance of redemption. + +After some days, during which Van Luck was cared for, he began to +regain some semblance to his former self. He also, by degrees, +remembered his native tongue, but he spoke in a halting manner like a +child. While we remained at this island we visited the cave in which +Van Luck had lived during the time he had been marooned. It contained +nothing belonging to the boat in which he had been set adrift, from +which we inferred the boat had been lost at the time when he was washed +ashore. He seemed to have subsisted chiefly upon turtles, of which +there were numbers basking upon the beach, and also upon a small +species of squirrel, of the skins of which, roughly sewn together, his +robe was made, but we could find no sign of a fire, so we concluded he +had devoured his food raw. There were streams and springs on the +islands from which to quench his thirst, but his sufferings must have +been very severe during his enforced solitude, nor was it a matter for +wonder that his mind had become deranged. + +But although Hartog took pity upon Van Luck to the extent of taking him +off the island, he would not admit him to his old place in the cabin at +the officers' mess, so he lived with the seamen in the forecastle, +where his jealousy wanted to send me on our first voyage. This, +however, did not seem to trouble him. He seldom spoke, but went about +such work as was given him without complaint. Sometimes he would stand +for hours watching the sea, with his hand shading his eyes, in the same +attitude as we had found him. + +I could see that Hartog was troubled by this man's appearance, as +indeed was I also. It seemed a reproach to us to have been the means of +bringing a fellow-creature into such a condition. Yet we had acted as +necessity demanded and in no spirit of malice or revenge. Still, the +consequences which had sprung from my fight with Van Luck and his +subsequent part in the mutiny were not such as we cared to contemplate. +If judges could see those whom they sentence after they have endured +their punishment they would pause before passing fresh sentences upon +wrongdoers, however guilty. + +I could see that Van Luck attributed to me all his misfortunes, for he +watched me closely, but when I spoke to him he shifted his gaze +uneasily, as though afraid to look me in the face. I can honestly say I +felt nothing but pity for him, and I made allowance for his animosity +toward me when I remembered his cruel punishment. + +"Of a truth, Peter," said Hartog to me one evening when we sat together +in the cabin, "I had better have shot Van Luck than let him live to +become what he is. Never again will I send a man adrift upon such a +voyage, though by all the rules of the sea the mutinous dog deserved +what he got for his treachery. It was not his fault that you and I were +not marooned instead of him." + +I did not answer, but had I then known the malice in Van, Luck toward +me, of which I shall hereafter tell, the compassion which I felt for +him would have been lessened. + + + +CHAPTER XV + +THE SEAWEED SEA + + +Of all the adventures through which we had passed, perhaps there was +none so dangerous as that which now befell us. We had shaped our course +to the east, on the look-out for a new group of islands, among which +Hartog expected to find the Island of Gems, when, one morning, we +observed the horizon to have assumed a black look as though a storm was +brewing, but on nearing this phenomenon, we found it to consist of an +immense growth of seaweed floating upon the ocean, and extending as far +as the eye could reach. + +The course we were steering would have carried us into the midst of the +weed, so we hauled our wind, and coasted along it to the south, hoping +either to find an opening through which we might pass, or to come to +the end of the floating mass, but the farther we proceeded the thicker +the weed became, while other masses now appeared to larboard, so that +we feared we might be enmeshed in such a manner that we would find it +impossible to extricate ourselves. I had read of a sea covered by a +weed which held ships entangled as in a net, and I feared that this was +the danger into which fate had now led us. Portions of the kelp +detached from the main mass, which floated alongside the ship, proved +it to be a growth of extraordinary strength, the weed extending twenty +feet and more below the surface of the water, and being so tough that +two of our men between them were unable to break a specimen we drew on +board, so that if we should become entangled in the kelp, we knew that +death by slow starvation, when our provisions were exhausted, would +await us. + +During the day upon which we first sighted this phenomenon we attempted +every manoeuvre of navigation to keep the ship clear of the weed, but +in spite of all we could do, and the ceaseless watch Hartog and I +between us kept on deck, the dawn of the next day found the ship as +stationary as though we had run ashore. + +"Nothing but a gale from the right quarter can save us, Peter," said +Hartog when we held a consultation together in the cabin, "and even a +gale will not help us unless it comes soon and before the weed +gathers." + +I knew what he said was plain truth, yet I advised we should keep a +brave face before the men, as nothing would be gained by provoking a +scare. + +Notwithstanding our assumed cheerfulness, however, we could see the +crew were becoming alarmed, and as each day added to the accumulation +of the weed which collected between us and the open sea, anxious looks +were turned to the horizon in the hope of detecting the long-expected +breeze. + +So as to give the men occupation, and prevent their brooding, Hartog +gave directions to man the boats in order that an attempt might be made +to tow the ship through the weed, but after two days' fruitless effort +the attempt was abandoned. It was dreadful to contemplate our impotence +in the face of this danger, which hourly grew upon us. The seaweed, in +itself so harmless that it becomes the sport of children when washed +ashore upon the beaches at home, here, in its original and monstrous +growth became more terrifying than all the Leviathans of the deep. +There was something irresistible in this brown mantle which drew its +folds so silently and yet so surely around us that even Dirk Hartog's +indomitable spirit quailed at the thought of what might be before us. +"What demon led us hither, Peter?" he said to me when a week had +passed, and we still rode motionless in the grip of the seaweed. "Of +all the perils which mariners must face, whoever heard of a ship's +company being brought to their doom by floating kelp?" + +I told him of the sea of which I had read, and which I believed we had +come to. He listened to me with patience, and then relapsed into a +reverie, from which I found it impossible to arouse him. + +On coming on deck I detected Van Luck at his old game of sowing discord +among the men. They did not, however, appear to pay much attention to +what he said. He had now no authority over them, and none but Janstins +and Bantum, who were with us on this second voyage, remembered him as +the first officer of the "Endraght". The ingratitude of the man, +however, after the consideration we had shown him, angered me, and I +spoke to him roughly, and ordered him to quit the deck. + +"Take heed," I warned him, "that I do not have you put in irons, or +sent adrift upon a second voyage." + +Van Luck obeyed me with a scowl, and slunk below, but I could see an +evil light in his eyes which I attributed to madness, though I was +subsequently to learn there was much method in it. I did not like to +add to Hartog's anxieties by telling him of Van Luck's conduct, and, +indeed, when I considered our present predicament, it seemed unlikely +that Van Luck, or anybody else, could do us much harm or good. + +And now another event occurred to add to our perplexities. The kelp +around the vessel suddenly became alive with a small species of black +crab. These creatures must have scented the food from our vessel, and +they came in millions to besiege us in order to devour it. The deck was +soon black with them, and they swarmed below in ever-increasing +numbers. Nothing escaped them, and most of our provisions were quickly +demolished. We killed them in thousands, and the stench from their +crushed bodies almost drove us out of our minds, but other thousands +quickly filled their places, and the crustaceans continued to pour down +the hatches like black streams of evil-smelling water. + +But this visitation, dreadful though it was, eventually proved our +salvation. The weed, now alive with marine life, lost its density, and +when, at length, the breeze came, we could feel we were making headway. +But had we not been able to force our passage into the open I verily +believe we would all have been devoured alive by black crabs, which +swarmed upon us. As it was, many of the men suffered severely from the +bites of these creatures, and weeks elapsed before the ship was clear +of them and the stench which they had brought aboard. But when the +breeze freshened from the right quarter, and we felt our vessel moving +toward the open sea, we were too thankful for our escape from a +horrible death to think of the lesser evils from which we suffered, +though the destruction of such a considerable quantity of our stores +was a serious loss, and set Hartog thinking as to whether our immediate +return to Amsterdam was not imperative. + +"I had made up my mind for another year in these latitudes, Peter," he +said, "and I am loath to go back without setting foot upon the Island +of Gems, but man is but a straw in the hands of Destiny, and who am I +to set myself against the decrees of Fate?" So with mixed feelings of +disappointment and pleasure we once more found ourselves homeward +bound. + +I had hoped that from this voyage I might return a rich man, able to +make honourable proposals to Count Holstein for his daughter's hand, +but it seemed now that fortune was not to be won so easily. My share of +the treasure found on Cortes' island might enrich me sufficiently to +buy a small interest in my master's business, but this was all I could +hope for, and the bright dreams which Hartog and I had formed of the +Island of Gems seemed about to dissolve, as is the way with phantoms, +into thin air. + +But who can trace the course of Destiny, or fathom the mysteries of +Fate? + + + +CHAPTER XVI + +THE ISLAND OF GEMS + + +For some weeks after getting free from the kelp we experienced fine +weather, with favourable winds and a smooth sea, when, almost without +warning, a storm broke upon us with hurricane force. All hands were +ordered to shorten sail, no easy task in the fury of a gale. As chief +officer I took command in the fore part of the vessel, while Hartog +issued his orders aft. The sea ran so high, often breaking over the +bows and swamping the decks, that I ordered the men to attach +themselves by lifelines to the foremast, and I also secured myself in +the same way. As sometimes happens at sea in the heart of a storm, a +succession of rollers followed each other, making it impossible to do +more than hang on until they pass, and during one of these intervals I +observed Van Luck, whose presence I had forgotten in the hurry of the +moment, standing by the foremast with a knife in his hand. I was +powerless to reach him from where I stood, and a moment later the +lifeline which held me to the foremast was severed, when, despite a +desperate effort which I made to retain my hold, I was swept into the +sea. + +For a time, which seemed to me an eternity, I was under water, but when +I rose to the surface I could see the ship at some distance from me, +fighting her way through the storm. I was almost suffocated by the +spray which continually blew over me, and the heavy sea boots which I +wore, filling with water, threatened to drag me down. I had given +myself up for lost, when I noticed a spar floating near, which must +have been washed overboard with me, and, making an effort, I succeeded +in laying hold of it, so that I managed to keep afloat. Thus holding to +the spar and swimming, sometimes with one hand and sometimes with the +other, I kept my head above water until my feet touched ground, when I +waded upon the shore of an island, where I fell down exhausted, and for +the time lost consciousness. + +When I came to myself it was almost dark. I had fortunately been +carried by a current upon the leeside of the island, so that I was +protected from the wind and sea, but my limbs felt numb and cold, while +the blood coursed feebly in my veins. I felt too weary to move, and +presently I fell asleep, from which I awoke, as I judged, about +midnight, much refreshed. + +I was now once more haunted by the thought of being marooned in a +strange country, so that I remained awake, bemoaning my fate and +blaming myself for not having taken better precautions against such a +mishap. These reflections led me so far that I began to form a project +against my life, but the dawn dissipated my gloomy ideas, when I made +up my mind to trust to Providence, which had protected me through so +many perils. + +I then mounted the high land to scan the horizon, but no sign of the +ship could I see, so I knew myself to be again a castaway. The island +appeared to be one of considerable size, very fertile and well watered. +The verdure inland was unusually luxuriant, even for the tropics. From +the centre of the island rose a mountain, with a smoke-cloud banging +upon it, which proved it to be an active volcano. + +The storm had passed, and the weather was pleasant, the beat not +excessive, being tempered with a land breeze. I descended after a while +into a valley, where I noticed a number of fresh-water ponds, at one of +which I knelt down to drink, when I perceived a prodigious quantity of +bivalve shells of one single species, which formed a kind of beach, in +breadth about fifteen feet. The water in the pond was clear, and +although it was deep, the sand and shells at the bottom of it were +easily seen. + +Whilst I was admiring their beauties I was startled by the approach of +a party of natives, the leader of whom, a tall, muscular savage, +marched in front of the others, who followed him with some degree of +order. From the crown of his head to his waist he was plastered with a +red pigment, his frizzled-out hair being ornamented with the plumes of +the bird of Paradise. His dress, composed of tapa cloth, shells, and +feathers, was more elaborate than any I had seen in the islands. In his +hand he carried a spear tipped with white quartz. His followers were +decked in similar fashion. Raising his right arm in token of +friendship, an overture to which I responded, the chief then addressed +me in the same dialect to that used at Cortes' island, which I had +little difficulty in understanding, although some of the words puzzled +me. + +"Whence come you?" said he. "From the sun or the sea?" + +"From the sea, O chief, whither I will return when my friends, the +white spirits, come for me," I answered. + +This reply did not seem to surprise my interrogator, who now desired me +to follow him. After proceeding for some distance through a luxuriant +forest we came to what appeared to be the gates of a town. Two large +perpendicular stones rose to the height of fourteen feet above the +ground. These pillars must have been twelve feet through at the base, +and five feet on top, while a still larger stone, some sixteen feet +long and four feet thick, was mortised into the perpendicular columns. +It was difficult to understand how such huge stones could be quarried +and transported inland by a people possessing so few mechanical +appliances as these savages, but to my inquiry regarding this curious +gateway I was answered that the stones had been there as long as any +could remember, having been placed in position by supernatural agency. + +At the gate of the city crouched some miserable specimens of humanity: +old men and women, haggard, shrivelled, and naked. These unfortunates, +I afterwards learned, were the aged and infirm, too feeble to perform +their share of the work of the tribe and condemned to remain at the +gateway, dependent for food upon such charity as might be given them. +On entering the town we passed a number of warriors, all fine, athletic +men, dressed in the same style as those who accompanied us, and painted +with stripes of red, yellow, and white pigment. + +I was now received by a commanding figure, whom I took to be the king. +He was even more gorgeously dressed than the others, with strings of +bright stones round his neck and Paradise plumes in his hair, while +upon his head was a circlet composed of human teeth, set in clay, in +the centre of which glowed an opal of extraordinary fire. His face was +sullen and cruel, and his hazel eyes, with their dark lashes and +yellow-tinged whites, gave to his countenance an expression scarcely +human. Near to him stood a group of young men, their bodies plastered +with a bright red pigment, who appeared to be his personal attendants, +or slaves. + +This savage now addressed me, asking the same questions as the other +chief, to which I returned similar answers. I was then led to a house +with a beehive-shaped roof, where food was brought to me, consisting of +coconuts and bananas, with a luscious kind of fruit I had never before +tasted, but which I found very palatable. After my meal I was taken +before the queen. + + + +CHAPTER XVII + +QUEEN MELANNIE + + +The queen was white--indeed very pale--with large dark eyes, and brown +hair that hung down in its natural beauty, untouched by the pigments +with which the savages convert their own hair into mops. She was +dressed in a robe of white tapa cloth with strings of bright shells and +gold ornaments upon her neck and arms. Upon her head was a diadem of +white clay encrusted with uncut gems. The throne upon which she sat +was of polished marble. Her left hand rested upon the woolly head of a +black boy, who showed his white teeth as we entered. In her right hand +she carried a human skull. The queen, though very beautiful, looked +sad. She could not have been more than eighteen years old, and it was +evident she came from European descent, and was in no way related to +the savages by whom she was surrounded. + +And now I bethought me if I would gain favour I must make a present to +the queen, and remembering a small mirror I had with me, set in a +silver frame, which Anna had given me as a parting gift, I took it from +my pocket and presented it to Queen Melannie, the name by which her +people addressed her. It cost me a pang to part with it, but I +reflected that if these savages killed me, as seemed likely unless I +could ingratiate myself with them, the mirror would, with equal +certainty, pass into their hands as if I voluntarily surrendered it. + +The queen uttered an exclamation of surprise when she caught sight of +her face in the looking glass, nor could some of her attendants who +stood near resist the temptation to look over her shoulder in order to +see the reflection of their own faces also. Nothing that I could have +given the queen would have pleased her more. My present at once brought +me into favour, for all appeared to regard such a prodigy as the work +of immortals. + +Queen Melannie, having appropriated Anna's mirror, and finding I +understood what she said to me, then dismissed her attendants and +invited me to a private audience. I asked her how she, a white lady, +came to be among savages, but she could tell me nothing except that she +remembered standing upon the beach as a child, alone, when it was very +cold, and that she cried very much, until the natives had brought her +into this house, where she had been reared and cared for ever since. + +"They tell me I was born of the sea," she said, "but I do not believe +that, for I seem to remember other faces, like yours, before I came +here." + +It was then plain to me that this poor girl had been shipwrecked as a +child, and cast upon this island. It was sad to think that one so +beautiful should be condemned to live among savages, but I reflected +that my own case was no better, for it seemed unlikely I would return +to civilization. Melannie appeared to place full confidence in me from +our first meeting. + +"I am not really queen," she said. "Ackbau is king, and I must do as he +tells me. He makes me speak his words, but sometimes I would rather not +say what he bids me." + +I sympathized with her, for I could readily understand why this Ackbau, +who was the chief before whom I had been taken, chose her to be his +mouthpiece. She had become a goddess to the tribe, and it was thought +she could speak nothing wrong. So that by using her as his medium +Ackbau gained his ends without accepting responsibility. + +Whilst I was talking to the queen I could not help admiring the jewels +in her diadem, and seeing I was pleased with them she invited me to +accompany her to a rock cavern near to her dwelling, where I saw such +an accumulation of wealth that I began to picture myself among the +richest of men. The floor of this cave was carpeted with gold dust, and +nuggets of the same precious metal were piled high against its walls. +But what caused me to rub my eyes in wonder was a slab of opal, which +seemed ablaze with the fire it contained. Upon this priceless table +were strewn a collection of gems, which, from the knowledge I had +acquired in De Decker's office at Amsterdam, I knew to be of great +value, but which did not appear to be so regarded by the queen, for +when she had presented me with a double handful she still seemed to +consider herself in my debt for the mirror and some other trifles I had +given her. I now knew that I had come to the Island of Gems of which +Hartog had spoken. But, alas! of what use was all this wealth, since I +could not spend it in this place, and it seemed improbable I would ever +go back to my own country? + +Melannie now returned to her dwelling, which I subsequently found she +seldom left, except at night, which accounted for the fairness of her +skin. All festivals were held at night, by moonlight, and what struck +me as peculiar was the absence of fire. Fish and shellfish were eaten +raw, but many subsisted entirely upon coconuts and fruit, which grew +upon the island in great profusion. + +The native city in which I now found myself consisted of a number of +dwellings of beehive shape, thatched with grass, and usually about +twelve feet high. The queen's house was about three times as large as +the others, and was placed in the centre of the town, with an avenue of +trees, and a clear space before it for tribal dances or meetings. +Ackbau also lived in a large house. On the reserve around the queen's +palace, the older men spent most of the day in gossiping, or playing +upon reed pipes, which furnished their sole musical instrument. The +younger men made nets, mended weapons, or shaped stones for their +slings. The natives in this island did not appear to understand the +use of the bow and arrow, their only weapons being clubs, slings, and +spears. The spears were made of hard wood, polished and inlaid with +pearl shell and beaten gold. The slings were of plaited fibre, the +stones being rounded like an egg. The clubs were of various shapes, +some with rounded heads, and others bent and pointed like a pick. + + + +CHAPTER XVIII + +A QUEEN'S FAVOURITE + + +Three days after my coming to the Island of Gems I discovered, to my +embarrassment, that Queen Melannie regarded me with more than royal +favour. It had been her custom to seclude herself from her people +except upon occasions, but now she preferred to walk with me daily upon +the cliffs, or among the rich foliage, which made a natural garden in +the valleys. None molested us, for those to whom the queen showed +favour were taboo to the rest of the tribe, so that as long as I +retained her goodwill I was safe. But who would be dependent upon a +woman's whim? + +"You do not love me, Peter," she said, for I had told her my name, "not +as I love you. Your blood is cold. It does not run warm as mine does +when I hold you to me." + +I tried to pacify her, but she would not be satisfied. + +"You do not love me! You cannot love me!" she repeated. "They want me +to give you to the snake god. Why should I keep you if you do not love +me?" + +This was the first time she had threatened me, and I began to realize +that the love she professed was tempered by a degree of venom which at +any moment might consign me to some cruel death. + +Surely no man was placed in such a dilemma as that in which I now found +myself. In all my adventures I had never felt so helpless as I did when +dealing with this wilful queen. I dared not tell her of my love for +Anna Holstein, for I knew that such a confession would quickly seal my +doom. Yet I could not return her love, for Anna was never out of my +thoughts. Meanwhile Ackbau watched us closely, content to bide his +time. + +The people upon this island were unlike any I had previously met with. +I conjectured that in ages past some tribe of Indians had migrated to +it, for that Indian blood flowed in the veins of its present +inhabitants seemed beyond doubt. Their intelligence exceeded that of +aborigines, and their language contained words of Hindu origin. As for +the queen, I set her down for a Portuguese maiden, whose mother must +have accompanied the captain of some trading vessel, probably in search +of the Island of Gems, when, by a stroke of fate, the ship, with all +hands, had foundered, leaving Melannie the sole survivor. + +Ackbau seldom spoke to me, and when he did his tone was unfriendly. +"The white man will make good sport at the coming of the snake god," he +said to me once when I had angered him by walking out with the queen, +and those with him had laughed, and had looked at me in a manner that +made me speculate upon what cruel fate it was to which they, in their +own minds, had already consigned me. + +Of the tortures practised by the islanders upon those who offended +them, I was not left long in doubt. There had lately been a war, so +Melannie told me, between this people and those of an adjacent island +in which some captives had been taken who, according to custom, would +be offered in sacrifice to propitiate one of the many evil spirits whom +these benighted people worship. On the day of the sacrifice I was +bidden to be present, and not daring to refuse, I accompanied the queen +to a barren spot at the foot of the mountain where some gaunt trees +rose out of a bed of lava. Here we found Ackbau haranguing the victims, +and describing to them the tortures they would shortly be called upon +to suffer. One of the captives had been prepared for the sacrifice, +and, but for the gravity of his position, his appearance might have +excited mirth. His body was encased in a kind of basket from which his +head, arms, and legs protruded, giving him the appearance of a gigantic +insect. To the top of the basket, or tamgky, to give it its native +name, was attached a rope of flax, the end of which had been thrown +over a branch of one of the trees to the height of about forty feet +from the ground. By command of Ackbau, a file of warriors now began to +pull upon this rope, when the victim was drawn up to the branch over +his head, where Melannie told me he would be allowed to remain until, +in the course of time, the rope rotted away, when the skeleton would +fall to the ground. The object of enclosing the vital parts of the +victim in a basket was that death might come as slowly as possible. +Some would live, so the queen assured me, for many days, during which +time of agony their faces and the exposed parts of their bodies would +be devoured by ants and other venomous insects. Yet Melannie sat +unmoved by the sight of these tortures, and even smiled when the poor +wretch had been drawn up to his awful doom, and cried out in his agony. +For that smile I felt that I could kill her. + +Unable to control myself in the presence of such barbarities, I +abruptly left the place of execution and began to ascend the mountain, +at the foot of which the sacrifices were made, which I could see was +the cause of a commotion among the natives. As none offered to stay me, +however, I continued my way up the steep sides, which I found to be +composed of rocks and scoria, with occasional patches of coarse grass. +Among the slag of metals between the crevices of the rocks I unearthed +a number of gems, though none so large as those which Melannie had +given me, which I added to the collection I carried in a belt I had +made for the purpose. I knew it was unlikely these bits of coloured +crystal would ever be of value to me, but I carried them in the hope +that some day I might be rescued, when I would return home possessed of +the wealth I had coveted, and which I had risked my life to obtain. + +As I explored the mountain I could hear the rumbling of the volcanic +fire within, while as I proceeded a rain of fine dust descended, making +further progress disagreeable. Earth tremors also warned me that the +crust here was thin, and therefore dangerous. The mountain seemed on +the verge of eruption, and I wondered that no alarm for the safety of +the town built at the foot of it had been shown by Melannie and her +people. But I remembered that volcanoes, like all great works of +Nature, measure time by the lapse of ages, and that a thousand years +will often pass between the convulsions of the internal fires which +find an outlet through the earth's craters. The smoke and heat of the +mountain, however, reminded me of my tinder-box, and I gathered some +flints, of which there were a number lying round, before returning to +my dwelling in the native town. I had kept my ability to make fire, so +far, secret, but if my life was threatened I resolved to kindle a +conflagration that would sweep the island. + +When the queen and her followers returned from the place of execution +Melannie sent for me. + +"Have a care, Peter," she said. "We are ruled here by customs which may +not be changed. Already Ackbau is jealous of the favour I have shown +you. To go upon the mountain, which is forbidden country, may be made +an argument in favour of thy death, from which even I cannot save you." + +I pleaded an excuse for infringing the taboo, but Melannie shook her +head. Then she embraced me and begged me to forgive her ill-humour. + +"You will not leave me, Peter," she pleaded. "You are strong--stronger +than Ackbau, and will protect me from him." + +"But you are queen, are you not?" I answered. + +"Yes, I am queen," replied Melannie, "but I do not love my people as I +should do. I wish they would make Ackbau king, so that I might be free +as others are." + +She tried to embrace me, but I disengaged myself from her. I could not +take her to my heart, coming, as she did, a willing spectator from the +place of sacrifice. + + + +CHAPTER XIX + +I BECOME CHIEF COOK + + +I now resolved to introduce the cooking of food upon the island. From +the fish and clams which the natives offered me in their raw state I +turned in disgust, but I reflected that, cooked, they would make +excellent eating. I was tired of fruit, and craved a more substantial +diet. How long I might be compelled to remain upon this island I knew +not. Perhaps I was destined to spend the rest of my life upon it. Why, +then, should I be deprived of the luxury of cooking my food, when, with +my flint and steel, I possessed the means of making a fire? + +When I spoke of my intention to Melannie she failed to grasp my +meaning. She had no notion of fire except in connexion with the smoke +on the mountain, and when I told her I could make fire like that and +convert it to my use, she became incredulous. + +"If you can make fire, Peter," she said, "you are greater than all the +gods upon the island. Whoever heard of making fire?" + +In order to convince her, and to test the effect which my fire might +have upon these islanders, I invited her to accompany me to a remote +part of the island, seldom visited, where I had already constructed a +fire-place and collected a quantity of fuel, of which there was an +abundance lying round. She came with me fearlessly, for she trusted me +entirely, and her intelligence, which was superior to the islanders', +made her less superstitious than the savages over whom she nominally +reigned. When she saw the dried wood and leaves I had collected in my +fire-place she appeared to think I had become suddenly demented, as +sometimes happened to the people on the island, when they were thought +to be possessed by evil spirits. + +When I took up my flint and steel, however, and began to strike sparks +on to the prepared tinder, she drew back alarmed, although her woman's +curiosity conquered her desire to run away. But when the sparks +lighted the dried leaves, causing the wood to crackle and burn, she +would have fled if I had not detained her. + +"There is no magic in fire-making, Melannie," I said, trying to allay +her fears; "all white men make fires. It is as necessary to them as air +and water." + +But it was hard to convince the queen of this. She looked at my fire, +which now burned brightly, with wonder and alarm. "Of a truth, Peter," +she said, "thy magic is beyond me. I know now thou art indeed come from +the sun. No man born of men could work such marvel." + +I had brought with me a fine fish, caught that morning from the rocks, +which I had sealed and cleaned with my dagger-knife, and I now toasted +it over the hot coals, after which I enjoyed the most satisfying meal I +had tasted since I had been cast upon the island. I induced Melannie to +eat some of the fish, which she found so much to her liking that her +fear of the fire changed to admiration for what it could do. + +"When my people eat of this delicious food," she said, "they will +worship you." + +I had no desire to be worshipped. All I asked was permission to eat my +grilled fish in peace. But Melannie was so delighted with her meal that +she made me promise to prepare a fish each day for our mutual +enjoyment. For some days we continued to dine by stealth. Fish were +plentiful, and we also found the bivalves I had noticed on my first +landing round the fresh water pools very palatable. + +At length our daily absence from the village, always at the same hour, +excited suspicion, and spies were set upon us, who reported we were +making another smoke mountain, which led to a surprise visit from +Ackbau, who came upon us one day when our meal was preparing. I had +made some rude vessels of clay, hardened by fire, in which to boil the +shell-fish, and with these simmering in the pot, and a fine rock cod +grilling upon the hot coals, we were awaiting our dinner with +pleasurable anticipation, when Ackbau appeared. + +He was too astonished at what he saw to find fault, and when, later, he +had eaten of grilled cod and boiled clams, seasoned with salt and +cut-up bananas, a recipe which Melannie, with her woman's instinct, had +invented for the preparation of this delicacy, he was so pleased with +his food that he forgot to be ill-tempered. + +After this surprise visit from Ackbau our privacy was at an end. Next +day the whole council came to dinner. They brought with them a quantity +of fish and clams, which they wanted cooked, and it became necessary to +make fresh fires, and to instruct them in the art of cooking. This was +soon done, for the natives, when shown our simple methods, very quickly +began to understand what was required of them, and they became so +interested in the cookery that for the time being all other business on +the island was suspended. Soon the whole tribe took part in the +cooking, and fires burned all along the shore at which fish and clams +prepared as Melannie directed were converted into luscious banquets for +the astonished islanders. Nothing else was thought of but cooking and +eating, and the natives often gorged themselves to such an extent that +they were unable for hours to stir from the spot. + +This soon gave rise to disagreements and led to quarrels, until at +length Ackbau, who in his own way was a born organizer, called the +council together and enacted laws for the regulation of the cookery. + +By these laws cooks were appointed, of whom I was made chief, and it +became an offence, punishable by death, for any except those duly +qualified to indulge in cooking. Regulations were also made for the +distribution of food, and each day, at stated hours, the tribe +assembled round the fires, when they were served with their portions, +which they greedily devoured. There were no birds upon the island, or I +might have added game to our bill of fare, but turtles were plentiful, +and, when captured, were cooked under my directions in a manner which +convinced the savages that I was of divine origin. The method of +fire-making I kept to myself, rightly conceiving that so long as I +preserved this secret my life would be spared. + +But notwithstanding the improvement in their mode of living which I had +brought to these people by the introduction of the use of fire amongst +them, I could see that Ackbau still regarded me with disfavour. His +cruel nature, moreover, began to suggest to him another use to which +fire might be applied. One of his slaves inadvertently picked up a +burning brand, which burnt his fingers, and the pain which it caused +suggested to Ackbau that fire might be employed in torture. He ruled by +fear, and the fear of fire had now become universal among the +islanders. Ackbau spoke to me privately with regard to the making of +this new element, and even offered to give me a seat on the council if +I would surrender to him my flint and steel, but I told him that to me +alone was committed the power of making fire, and that any other +attempting it would bring upon himself inevitable disaster. Ackbau's +ambition to become a fire-maker was checked for the moment, but I could +see it was not satisfied. + + + +CHAPTER XX + +THE SNAKE GOD + + +I was now to meet with a surprise. The chief deity worshipped by the +people of the Island of Gems was a snake god, a monster who at regular, +intervals visited a coral cave rising out of a pool of water said to be +fathomless, from which I conjectured it was connected with the sea. The +water in this pool was of a deep blue colour, salt to the taste, which +further convinced me of its link with the ocean. On the first night of +each full moon a human sacrifice was offered, with which the monster +retreated into the coral cave, where it remained feasting upon its +victim three days. During this period the natives continued without +sleep, and fasting. At the end of three days the snake god disappeared, +nor was it seen again until its next periodical visit. + +There ran, a legend among the people of the Island of Gems that if a +human sacrifice was not made to the snake god at the time of its +coming, the island would be destroyed and its people exterminated, so +that great care was taken to provide the monster with its accustomed +tribute. Prisoners of war, and all strangers found upon the island, +were, in the first place, offered to the snake god, and, failing these, +a victim was chosen among the tribe. + +It now appeared, so far as I could gather from Ackbau, who made no +secret of his intentions regarding me, that had it not been, for the +arrival of another stranger upon the island, I myself would have been +offered as a sacrifice to the snake god at his next coming, and it was +for this reason I had been received with apparent friendship. But a +fresh captive being taken soon after I had been washed ashore had +caused a change of plan very much to my advantage. Queen Melannie also +had interested herself in my favour, and had refused to speak words at +the secret council which would have decreed my death. But I might +assure myself, said Ackbau, that my fate was only delayed, and at the +coming of the snake god, next after the one immediately expected, my +death had been decided upon. I appealed to Melannie, but she could only +confirm what Ackbau had told me. + +"I cannot save you, Peter," she said, "unless you will become my +husband, when, if you are strong, we may overcome Ackbau, and rule as +king and queen upon this island. But if that cannot be, let us escape +by a means that I know of." + +I put aside the question of marriage, but I eagerly embraced the +proposal to escape. + +Melannie then led me, secretly, by a path known only to Ackbau, the +council, and herself, to a rock cavern close to the water's edge, in +which was kept a ship's boat, which the queen told me had been washed +ashore at the same time when, she was found crying upon the beach. It +was a well-built, serviceable cutter, with spare oars, and a sail +stowed under the thwarts, just as they had been placed in her when she +had put to sea, but there was neither food nor water in the boat, +although I discovered a water-tank forward, which could readily be +filled from one of the many streams on the island. I became so excited +at the prospect of escape that Melannie looked grave. + +"You are glad to go, Peter," she said. "Go, then; take the boat, and +leave me to my fate." + +"Not so, Melannie," I answered. "I will take you with me, and restore +you to your own people. It is not meet that a white girl, such as thou, +should abide with savages." + +At these words Melannie recovered her gaiety. + +"Let me go with thee, Peter," she said, clapping her hands with +pleasure. "It is all I ask. But if we would not be followed by war +canoes, which could easily overtake us, we must use much cunning in the +manner of our going." + +We then took counsel together, when Melannie advised that our best +chance to escape would be at the time of the coming of the snake god. +When the monster appeared, and for three days afterward, while it +remained in the coral cave, the savages would be held to the spot by +their traditions from which nothing would induce them to depart. We +might then slip away unobserved, and be out of sight of land before the +ceremonies in connexion with the sacrifice were over. This appearing to +be our opportunity, we at once set about making preparations. From a +stream near the cave I filled the boat's water-tank, and we collected a +quantity of coconuts, bananas, and other fruits, which we stowed on +board; nor did I forget to take some of the largest gems from the +treasure cave, which I stuffed into my belt with the others. The gold I +did not touch. It was heavy to carry, and its transport might have +caused suspicion. We also launched the boat, with some difficulty, into +a natural boat harbour formed by a coral reef, so that no time might be +lost in getting away. All being ready, we waited impatiently for the +day upon which we had planned to set out upon our voyage. + +During this time I observed a change upon the mountain in the centre of +the island. The smoke cloud, which always hovered over it, had +increased until it hung like a funeral pall over the top of the +volcano. Loud rumblings also were heard like distant thunder, while +earth tremors were constantly felt. I mentioned these matters to +Melannie, but she did not appear to attach any importance to them. + +"The mountain was always like that," she said. "Perhaps the evil +spirits who live there are angry." But I knew from my reading and +experience that these signs and portents were such as heralded an +eruption. In the excitement of leaving the island, however, I forgot my +anxieties with regard to the volcano. + +I now questioned Melannie with regard to the white stranger whose +coming had saved me from being offered as a sacrifice to the snake god. +At first she refused to tell me anything concerning him, but when I +pressed her she conducted me to a cavern in which the captive was +confined. The door of this dungeon was a swinging rock, which Melannie +caused to open by some means of which she knew the secret, when the +wretched man who was reserved for the sacrifice was seen crouching in +darkness at the farther end of the cave. He came toward us bent double. +There was a scared look upon his face. The light dazzled him. I knew +him at once, and held my breath. It was Van Luck. When he saw me he +threw himself upon his knees and implored me to save him, but I told +him I had no power to avert his death even if I would. In answer to my +question as to how he came upon the island, he answered, that almost at +the same time as I had been washed overboard he himself had been +precipitated by a wave into the sea. + +"Well, Van Luck," I said to him. "It seemeth to me that the hand of +Providence is in this business. But for your conduct we had both now +been on board the 'Arms of Amsterdam,' yet no sooner was I cast into +the sea by your treachery than you were made to follow me, to be +brought to this island, where, but for your coming, I would have been +subject to the cruel fate which now awaits you." + +"Mercy!" he cried. "I do not fear death. But the death that I am to +suffer is not for a human to contemplate. If you cannot save me, at +least kill me, so that I may escape the torture of being devoured +alive." + +But I was powerless to aid him, and at a sign from Melannie, who was +fearful lest our visit might be discovered, I stepped back, as the rock +at the mouth of the cave returned to its place, and consigned the +miserable captive to a darkness from which he would not emerge until +the time for the sacrifice. + + + +CHAPTER XXI + +A PLAN OF ESCAPE + + +I was now of two minds, whether to make terms with Ackbau or to +endeavour to escape with Melannie from the Island of Gems in the boat +we had made ready for sea. On the one hand was immediate safety, and +the prospect of some ship calling at the island in which I might return +to civilization. On the other was a hazardous journey alone with a +young girl, who could not be expected to realize the dangers which lay +before her. Was I justified, I asked myself, in exposing the queen to +the tragedy which might await us upon the ocean? If captured I had no +doubt that both of us would be condemned by Ackbau to a cruel death, +and if we succeeded in getting away how should we exist until some +chance vessel came to our rescue? I mentioned my fears to Melannie, but +she would not hear of abandoning the project we had formed. + +"Let us go, Peter," she urged. "Nothing but death, or worse, awaits us +here. As for you, at the next coming of the snake god after the one +that is about to take place you will assuredly be offered as a +sacrifice, for I may tell you that a solemn vow has been made by the +council to that effect. While I, at the same time, am to be given in +marriage to Ackbau, a fate from which I shrink more than from death. +Why, then, should we exchange the chance of reaching the country you +speak of for the tortures which must certainly await us here? Let us +trust ourselves to the sea rather than cling to this land of sorrow. If +we perish, we perish." + +I could not but agree that her argument contained much good sense, and +I admired the courage with which she was ready to face the worst that +Fate might have in store for us. + +"Let it be so then, Melannie," I answered. "May heaven deal with me as +I deal with thee in protecting us both from evil." + +After arriving at this decision we agreed there must be no turning +back, and it only now remained to await the night upon which the +unfortunate Van Luck would be offered to the snake god in order to make +good our escape. Meanwhile we were allowed to wander about the island +together as before. Ackbau having obtained the decree of the council +for my death, and his own marriage with the queen, could afford to +wait, nor did he appear anxious to deprive Melannie of the pleasure +which she found in my company, until I was removed from his path. +Melannie, although arrived at woman's estate, was but a child at heart, +and, as a child, he knew she would be content to let things drift until +the moment for my execution was at hand, when it would be too late even +for the queen to prevent it. + +I had now become much attached to Melannie, feeling for her as for a +dear sister. Her love for me I could not return, since all my love was +given to my betrothed, but next to Anna I loved Melannie more than +anyone in the world. + +So far as the islanders were concerned, I was now left to my own +devices. My fire-making had lost its novelty, and since it was +discovered that one fire could be lighted from another my flint and +steel had depreciated in value. In order to conciliate Ackbau I offered +to explain to him the secret of my fire-making, but he answered coldly +that he himself knew how to make fire by taking a burning brand from +one fire and thrusting it among dried wood and leaves, of which there +were great quantities on the island, as fire had never been alight +there before. + +"But if your fire should go out you would not know how to light it +again," I argued. + +"I will take care that it does not go out," answered Ackbau. + +The cooking also which I had taught them was easily performed by +certain members of the tribe told off for that purpose, and I noticed +that much secrecy was observed in the preparation of food. This secret +was revealed to me in a startling manner when I unexpectedly came upon +Ackbau and some members of the council seated together enjoying a stew +of what I could see was human flesh. For, indeed, what else could it +be, seeing there were no animals upon the island? I mastered my horror +as well as I could, for I was now in great dread of these savages, who, +since they had acquired the taste for meat, appeared to have become far +more ferocious and cruel than before resorting to the dreadful practice +of cannibalism. My discovery, however, made me more than ever +determined to rescue Melannie from the companionship of these wretches +who called her their queen. It was better, I argued, for her to die in +her youth and innocence upon the sea, if Providence so willed, than to +become the wife of such a man as Ackbau. + +I did not confide to Melannie my dreadful discovery, but she was not +slow in noticing a change in the demeanour of the men with whom she +formerly had daily intercourse. Those who had become eaters of human +flesh avoided her, and even Ackbau seemed ashamed to intrude himself +upon her. + +"What is it, Peter?" she asked me, and I read the questioning fear in +her eyes. + +I did my best to pacify her, but I could see that the repugnance with +which she regarded Ackbau now almost amounted to a mania. + +"I feel inclined to run from Ackbau when I see him," she said. +"If he touched me I am sure that I would scream." + +"You will soon be beyond his power," I answered. "Do not think of him, +and you will not fear him." + +"Oh, Peter, take me away, I am frightened!" she sobbed. "Do not let +Ackbau and the others come near me. They have done something. I don't +know what it is. But they are not as they were before they made the +fire. Perhaps a curse is upon them for having stolen the secret from +the smoke mountain." + +I tried to comfort her, but I could see that the poor child was greatly +alarmed, and I determined to speak to Ackbau regarding the abominable +practice in which he was engaged. + +"Had I known that my fire-making would have made a cannibal of thee, +Ackbau," I said, "I would never have kindled the element upon this +island. Fire is a useful and necessary article in the life of a good +man, but it becomes a curse if put to evil purposes." + +"It is a curse then that will fall most heavily upon thee," answered +Ackbau. "As for me, this is my country, and I am king of its customs." +But although he pretended to resent my interference, I could see that +Ackbau was ashamed of what he had done, and henceforth he avoided +Melannie, and seldom entered the queen's presence, so that I gained +what I had in view by remonstrating with him. + +The thought of the fire, however, and the effect which the making of it +had upon these savages, set me pondering whether this element was +really the primary cause of cannibalism. + +No savages whom I ever met devour raw flesh, whether human or animal, +so that the eating of meat by men would seem to be an acquired habit. +Fruit and water appear to be the natural food and drink of man, all +else being artificial and vicious. + + + +CHAPTER XXII + +THE NIGHT OF THE SACRIFICE + + +At last the night came when the snake god was to appear. The moon shone +with wonderful brilliancy, sending a path of dancing light from the +island across the sea to the horizon. The air was heavy as though +presaging a storm. On the mountain the black pall was conspicuous +against the star-spangled sky. A red glow from the crater illumined the +dark smoke-cloud hanging over it. The silence was broken by the +continued playing of reed pipes, making wonderful music. Melannie sat +upon a throne, close to the pool in front of the coral cave, in which +the stars were reflected as in a mirror. Ackbau and other chiefs stood +near her. The queen was pale, but her dark eyes were resolute. She +smiled when I looked at her, to give me encouragement. Her subjects +were assembled round the pool in a triple line. Presently the beating +of a war-drum announced the arrival of a procession, which advanced +slowly to the pool, bearing a litter upon which, bound hand and foot, +was stretched the unfortunate Van Luck. When they had come to the edge +of the pool they set the litter down and withdrew. + +I had no cause to love Van Luck, yet there was something in his +helpless misery which appealed to me, and made it impossible for me to +abandon him to his fate without an effort to save him. Besides, he was +of my race, a white man. I could not leave him to be butchered by +savages. + +And now the waters of the pool began to be agitated by the rising of +the leviathan from its depths, and suddenly a monstrous head, mounted +upon a neck full twenty feet long, rose out of the water. The body of +the creature resembled that of a turtle, only ten times larger than. +the biggest turtle I had ever beheld. Thrice the monster circled the +pool. Then it began slowly to approach the litter upon which Van Luck +lay, more dead than alive with the terror that had come upon him. I +could bear no more, and, throwing prudence to the winds, I ran to help +him. I was just in time to drag him beyond reach of the monster, who +made a rush to the edge of the pool when he saw his prey being taken +from him. + +A great shout arose from the savages, who seemed amazed at the act of +sacrilege I had committed. The reed pipes stopped playing. Melannie +rose from her throne pale and trembling. Ackbau advanced towards me +with a threatening gesture. + +"This must not be, Ackbau," I said, pointing to where Van Luck lay at +my feet gazing at the monster in mute terror. "I will prevent it." +Ackbau gave some directions, when a number of savages advanced, +evidently with the intention of taking me alive, so that I might be +given to the monster, which continued to swim round the pool lashing +the water into foam, and stretching its neck from side to side in anger +at having been robbed of its prey. + +But now a new diversion arose which caused a panic among the savages. +We had all been so engrossed by what was taking place at the pool that +no heed had been given to the mountain. With a mighty roar which shook +the island to its foundations the volcano broke into eruption. The +crust had given way, and the internal fires, held in check, belched +from the crater. Huge rocks and stones glowing red hot were thrown to +incredible heights. The earth rocked and opened, so that many were +engulfed. + +Streams of lava began to descend. The pool sank, leaving a deep pit +into which the monster disappeared. The prophecy was about to be +fulfilled. The snake god had been robbed of its tribute, and the island +with all upon it was to be destroyed. In, their terror the savages +raced for the seashore. Nothing was remembered but self-preservation. + +I now released Van Luck from his bonds, and bidding him and Melannie +follow me, I led the way along the secret path to where the boat lay, +ready to put to sea. I was rewarded for my rescue of Van Luck by his +ability to help me. Not a breath of wind stirred, so that we could not +use the sail, and it became necessary to sweep the boat with the oars +away from the burning island. Alone I could not have accomplished this, +and I doubt if Melannie could have helped me, ignorant as she was of +the use of the heavy oar. But Van Luck and I had no difficulty in +sweeping the boat out to sea. Thus does Providence recompense a +merciful action. + +When we had gained a safe distance from the island we rested awhile in +order to look back on the strangest and most terrific sight I had ever +beheld. The island seemed to be blown to atoms. Flames and masses of +rock shot up from the quickly-widening crater until the island, which +had lately risen like a beauty-spot in the ocean, became a mass of +fire. The lava, now pouring in red-hot streams into the sea, caused +steam-clouds to rise, so that the island disappeared behind a luminous +veil. None of the savages escaped, for we saw no canoes making from the +shore. Thus vanished the Island of Gems, with its treasure of jewels +and gold, the dross of the world, in the pursuit of which so many risk +their lives. + +A light breeze now coming from the south-east, we hoisted the sails, +and taking the helm, I placed Van Luck in charge of the foresail, +whilst Melannie and I sat together in the stern. The queen did not +appear to regret the loss of her country. + +"I am queen no longer," she said, clapping her hands at the thought of +her freedom. "Ackbau cannot frighten me any more, nor shall I see again +those dreadful sights I was compelled to witness." + +"You will be happy," I whispered, "among your own people. You will be +rich also, for half my jewels will make you wealthy in the land to +which you are going." + +"Nay, Peter," she answered. "I need not take your jewels. I have jewels +of my own. When I saw that you valued the bright stones, I knew they +would be of value to me also. I have a bagful of jewels, larger than +yours, and brighter." And, laughing to see the surprise she had given +me, Melannie drew out a handful of gems from a bag which she carried at +her girdle, which glowed with a wonderful lustre under the light of the +moon. + +It was then that I saw Van Luck watching us from the bow of the boat. +His countenance wore a cunning, greedy look, and his eyes were fastened +upon the jewels in Melannie's hand. + +"Put them away," I whispered. "Such toys are often the cause of much +trouble." + +Melannie replaced the jewels, but seemed disappointed at my words. + +"I thought you would be glad I had brought away the bright stones," she +said. "But if they are unlucky I will cast them into the sea." + +"Nay, Melannie," I answered. "Keep them, for they will make you the +richest among the women of your own country. But do not show them to +anyone or let it be known that you have them with you, should we fall +in with a passing ship, or they may cause our ruin, perhaps our death." +Melannie seemed to understand me, but her pleasure in the bright stones +had received a check since her display of them had brought a rebuke +from my lips. + + + +CHAPTER XXIII + +AT THE MERCY OF THE SEA + + +When morning broke on the day after our escape from the burning island +we shaped a course with the wind, for I had no fixed purpose, and our +only hope of returning to civilization lay in a chance meeting with +some passing vessel. Yet I knew how remote that chance would be. The +sea in these latitudes was not in the course of trade between any of +the countries of the known world, and voyages of discovery such as +those undertaken by Dirk Hartog and other navigators of the time were +few and far between. Still I conceived it to be my duty to make the +best use of the means which Providence had placed in my hands of +returning to home and friends, and as the cutter danced over the waves, +and the salt spray moistened our faces, I felt my spirits rise. + +Melannie, in her new-found freedom, was like a happy child. + +"Let us sail on for ever, Peter," she said. "I never want to put my +foot on land again." + +I tried to tell her that we could not live long upon the ocean; that +our food and water would fail us; and that unless we fell in with a +ship, or landed upon some friendly island, our doom was sealed. But +Melannie refused to look upon the graver side of our situation, and +seemed so happy and contented that I did not like to spoil her +enjoyment with my dismal forebodings. Time enough, I thought, to meet +trouble when it comes. Meanwhile we continued our voyage as a pleasure +trip, eating the fruit we had brought with us when we felt hungry, and +quenching our thirst from the boat's water-tank, with no care for the +future. + +During this time Van Luck resumed his former air of abstraction, which +I had noticed in him on board the "Arms of Amsterdam". For hours at a +time he would remain silent, looking across the sea with his hand +shading his eyes in the watchful attitude which had become habitual to +him during his solitary vigils at the island upon which we had found +him. If spoken to when this fit was upon him, he would not answer, nor +did he, at such times, appear to realize where he was. I could see that +his mind was deranged, and I dreaded some violent outbreak, such as +that which had come over him when, by his treachery, I was cast into +the sea. But Melannie showed no fear of him; in, her delight at being +with me upon the ocean away from the savages, among whom she had been +reared, she seemed to have forgotten his presence. + +For the next week after leaving what had been once the Island of Gems, +we experienced a spell of fine weather, with bright sun and cool +breeze. The elements seemed kind to the exiled queen without a throne, +who had trusted herself to the wind and the sea, and but for the +anxiety which I felt for the future, the voyage would have been a +pleasant one. + +In order to protect Melannie from the heat of midday, and to ensure her +some measure of privacy, I constructed a temporary cabin for her, with +some spare canvas which I found on board the boat, but at night she +preferred to sleep in the open so that she might watch the stars, which +shone with extraordinary brilliancy. It was then that I lowered the +sails when our boat drifted upon the moonlit sea. Melannie would at +such times creep into my arms, and with her head pillowed upon, my +breast would listen to the wonders I had to tell of the world of white +people to which I hoped I was taking her. + +"Something warns me I shall never see that country, Peter," she said to +me one night with a sigh, "but I like to hear you speak of it. It must +be a happy land where there are no black men to frighten a poor girl +and make her weep. But I shall not see it. The white spirits would not +welcome me to their country if they knew of the sights I had seen and +the pain I had caused to be inflicted on those whom Ackbau hated." + +"It was not your will, but Ackbau's, Melannie, which caused such +suffering," I answered. "None could blame you for being the mouthpiece +of his villainy." + +But Melannie shook her head. + +"The white man's country is not for me, Peter," she declared +sorrowfully. "I am too steeped in blood to take the white girls' hands +in friendship." + +Then she clung to me weeping, with her head upon my breast, and so she +would sob herself to sleep like a child disappointed in play. + +But, knowing her history, I could not find it in my heart to blame her +for what had been done at the dictation of others. I pictured her a +queen, among the whites, by reason of her wealth from the sale of her +jewels, who would doubtless have many noble suitors at her feet. Her +beauty was such as I had never seen equalled, and her imperious and +sometimes wilful ways only added to her indescribable charms. +It was now forced upon me that unless help came soon we must starve. +Our stock of fruit was almost exhausted, and scarce three quarts of +water remained in the tank. I had not been able to impress upon +Melannie the necessity for economy in our eating and drinking. She had +always been used to an abundance of simple fare, and, like a child, +lived for the hour, with no thought of the future. Van Luck had also +been in the habit of helping himself to what he wanted from our stock, +nor had I liked to interfere with him lest I might cause trouble. But +now I resolved to take a firmer stand with both my passengers. + +To add to my anxieties I could see that Van Luck had been attracted by +the bag of jewels which Melannie had so imprudently displayed on the +night of our escape from the burning island. He was continually +watching it when his eyes were not employed in gazing across the sea, +and once I caught him creeping toward Melannie when she slept as if +with the intention of robbing her of the treasure. I spoke to him +roughly, and ordered him back to the fore part of the boat. He obeyed, +but his looks were so threatening that I momentarily expected him to +attack me. + +I now determined to keep awake while Melannie slept in order that I +might watch Van Luck, and I impressed upon the queen that she must +never sleep when I slept. Thus we continued for some nights, keeping +watch and watch about. But I soon found I could not trust Melannie, for +when I awoke I discovered her to be asleep. But in this, as in all +else, Melannie was such a child that I could not find it in my heart to +scold her. + + + +CHAPTER XXIV + +HOW MY SECOND VOYAGE ENDED + + +I now resolved to place Van Luck under restraint, for it was plain to +me he was not responsible for his actions, and with this object in view +I went forward one morning with a rope in my hand, intending to secure +him in some way from harming himself and others. As I approached him +Van Luck, who seemed to divine my purpose, drew back with a savage, +animal-like growl. I tried to pacify him by speaking kindly, but he +suddenly sprang at me with a knife in his hand. I caught his arm before +he could strike, and we fell together upon the thwarts of the boat, +locked in a deadly embrace. Van Luck was a powerful man, and his +madness seemed to give him double strength. I called to Melannie to +keep away from us, but afraid for my safety, and fearless of her own, +she hurried to my assistance. "Get my knife," I whispered, for I was +unable to draw it myself from its sheath by my side. The brave girl +stooped to do my bidding, when the madman, at the same moment, wrenched +his arm free and struck her. Melannie fell with a low moan upon the +thwart beside me, and Van Luck, snatching the bag of gems from where it +hung at her girdle, retreated with his prize to the stern. + +I was soon upon my feet, and lifting Melannie into a more easy +position, I turned my attention to Van Luck. He was sitting in the +stern, handling the gems and mumbling over them, and when he saw me he +clutched the bag, and, springing up, made as though to run from me, +unmindful of the fact that we were tossing in mid-ocean. Without +turning his head from looking back at me, he stumbled blindly into the +sea, where he soon became lost amid the grey waves that rose on every +side. + +When I returned to Melannie I could see that she was sinking fast. I +did my best to staunch the blood which flowed from her breast. But her +whitened face, upon which the dews of death were gathering, warned me +she had not many moments to live. + +"Kiss me, Peter," she whispered. "It is better that I should go. You do +not love me; you cannot love me as I love you. There is some one else +whom you love. I know it; I have felt it. Go to her, Peter, but do not +quite forget me." + +These were her last words, and, when I kissed her, Melannie, Queen of +the Island of Gems, had crossed the waters of the Great Divide. Next +day I consigned her body to the deep wrapped in her robe of white tapa +cloth which formed her shroud. + +I was now alone upon the waste of waters, with barely three days' +provisions between me and a slow and painful death. To add to my +anxieties I could see that the weather, which had been calm and fine +since my leaving the island, was about to change. Storm clouds gathered +on the horizon. The sun was obscured. Rain fell, and the wind rose +until it blew with the force of a tempest. I managed, with difficulty, +to unship the sail, and devoted myself to baling the boat, which +threatened at any moment to be swamped by the green water which came +aboard of her. All that day, and the next, I was driven by the storm +whither I knew not. The fruit which remained from our store was now +rendered uneatable by reason of the salt water, in which it washed from +side to side as the boat tossed and buffeted upon her way. A was +famished and numb with cold. Yet, even in my extremity, I clung to +life, and my last act of consciousness was to secure myself by a rope +to the thwart upon which I lay. + +I was brought back to life by a flask of spirits held to my lips, and +upon opening my eyes I became conscious of a bronzed, kindly face +looking down at me in the water-logged boat. + +"Hold up, lad," said my preserver in English, a language with which I +was well acquainted. "We'll have you aboard the 'Seagull' in a jiff, +and to-morrow you'll be as fit as a buck rat." + +I then saw that a ship's boat was alongside the cutter, manned by four +men. The weather had by this time moderated, but the sea ran high. It +was therefore no easy matter to shift me from the cutter into the boat, +for I was helpless and weak as a child from exposure to wind and sea. +But willing hands at length effected the transfer, when we made for the +"Seagull", which lay hove to half a mile distant. + +On coming aboard this vessel I was taken below and treated with great +kindness, when, after my wet clothes had been set to dry, I was put +into a warm bunk, a bowl of hot soup being brought to me, which, when I +had taken it, sent me into a sound sleep. I awoke much refreshed, and +on resuming my clothes I was glad to find that the belt in which I +carried my jewels had not been interfered with. I thought it more +prudent not to make mention of these gems, for I well knew that if they +were found upon me I should not be allowed to keep them. The captain, +having heard so much of my story as I chose to tell, promised me a +passage to England, whither his ship was bound. + +I found the crew of the brig "Seagull" to be a rough lot, of mixed +nationalities, but Captain Bland, who was in command, was an Englishman +returning home after a voyage of two years in these latitudes. Upon +learning my rating on the "Arms of Amsterdam" he made me his second +mate, in place of one who had died shortly before my coming on board +the brig. + +It may be imagined with what a thankful heart I welcomed a change from +the companionship of savages to that of civilized men, and when I +remembered the projects I had formed against my life I realized how +unwise it is to become the arbiter of one's own fate. + +I voyaged in the English ship without mishap so long as we sailed upon +uncharted seas, but when we entered home waters we kept a sharp +look-out for pirates and free-booters, who at this time took toll from +all whom they encountered. Off the coast of Africa we exchanged signals +with passing vessels, from whom we learnt that pirates had been sighted +in close proximity, and one morning we noticed two schooners bearing +down upon us. As the wind was in favour of the pirates, for such we +judged them to be, we could not hope to outrun them, our ship being +foul after her long voyage, so the men were mustered and made ready for +action. + +While these preparations were on foot I could not help admiring the +cool and fearless manner in which the English sailors set about their +work. There was no hurry or confusion in their methods. Each man knew +his duty, and was ready to do it. + +With shouts and yells from the pirates on board of her, one of the +schooners now ranged alongside, and the grappling irons were hove +athwart our bulwarks. I sent a shower of grape from the gun, of which I +had charge, upon the deck of the schooner, killing four of the pirates +and wounding others, but this failed to stop the boarding party, who +now swarmed upon us. The fight became general, and, led by Captain +Bland, we engaged the robbers with such goodwill that we had almost +succeeded in driving them over the side when the second schooner came +up, and a fresh horde of ruffians joined in the attack. Retreating aft, +we again made a stand, though it was evident that, in the end, we must +be overpowered, outnumbered, as we were, three to one. + +Still we continued to fight on with no thought of surrender, for we +knew that capture would mean death by walking the plank. Four of the +English on our side were killed, besides seven or eight of those of +other nationalities, whilst many were wounded. The decks were slippery +with blood, and a gathering mist made it impossible to ascertain the +extent of our losses. Captain Bland now placed himself beside me, and +together we held the pirates at bay. + +"This can't last, Van Bu," he said, "and I am resolved that my ship +shall not fall into the hands of these scoundrels." + +"What can you do?" I answered, without pausing in my defence. + +"I'll fire the magazine sooner than let them take her," replied Bland. +"Keep them in check for a while and we'll sink together." + +With these words he sprang to the hatchway while I continued to fight +on, expecting every moment to be blown with all hands into eternity. + +I had given up hope, and the suspense of awaiting the expected +catastrophe was so acute that I had almost made up my mind to throw +myself overboard and take my chance with the sharks, when two square +sails emerged out of the smoke, and the hull of a man-o'-war, with a +wide spread of canvas, ranged alongside, while a number of English +man-o'-war's men, led by an officer, sprang upon our decks. At the sight +of the King's men the pirates flung themselves headlong aboard their +schooners, and endeavoured to make off, but they were soon captured and +brought back, to be afterwards tried and hanged at the yard-arm. + +When the man-o'-war's men boarded us, I ran down the companion stairs +in search of the captain, whom I found lying senseless at the foot of +the ladder. Fortunately for him, and for all of us, he had been stunned +by a blow from one of the pirates as he descended, and was thus +prevented from carrying out his desperate resolve to fire the magazine. + +This was my last adventure upon the voyage, and some weeks later, +without further mishap, we sighted a Dutch vessel bound for Amsterdam, +to which, at my request, I was transferred. + + + +CHAPTER XXV + +I ARRIVE AT AMSTERDAM + + +My first care after arriving at Amsterdam was to interview the +goldsmiths with a view to disposing of the jewels I had brought from +the Island of Gems, which proved to be of such value that I realized a +considerable sum by the sale of a small portion, for I wished to keep +some of the best as a wedding present for Anna. + +I lost no time in sending my compliments to the Count of Holstein, with +a request that I might be allowed to call upon him. He consented to +receive me, and I hastened to the Count's palace, where I found the old +nobleman prostrated with grief at the continued and unexplained illness +of his only child; but when Anna had seen me, and satisfied herself of +my return, she recovered so rapidly that her father, on hearing from me +my improved condition, and the sentiments which I entertained for his +daughter, gladly gave his consent to our union. + +From Anna I learnt of the persecution to which she had been subject +from Count Hendrick Luitken, which had mainly been the cause of her +illness. Convinced that she would never accept him willingly, Count +Hendrick, unknown to her father, had attempted to abduct her to his +country estate. With the aid of one of her attendants Anna had made her +escape, and believing me dead, while fearing further persecution, she +had determined, should she be restored to health, to seek the cloister +as her only safe refuge. As her tale proceeded I found it hard to +restrain myself from starting off at once in pursuit of the villain who +had treated my loved one so shamefully, and I promised myself to bring +him to account when the opportunity should arise. + +I next sought Hartog at the tavern which I knew he frequented. When he +saw me he cried out, "Is it you or your ghost, Peter? I had never +looked to see thee again, lad. I'd sooner have thee back than salvage +all the gold in the Orient." + +I thanked him for his welcome, which I knew to be genuine, and taking a +seat at his right hand, I began to tell him of my adventures since we +last met. When he heard it was owing to the treachery of Van Luck I had +been cast into the sea to be washed ashore on the Island of Gems, and +of the subsequent fate of the island and of Van Luck, he became so +interested that he promised to meet me later, when I could give him a +more detailed account of all that had befallen me. I offered to share +with him my jewels, but to this he would not consent. + +"Nay, Peter," he said, "I take no treasure that I had no hand in +getting. I am no pirate to rob a friend to whom chance and opportunity +have proved kind, but if it would pleasure thee to give me a keepsake, +I will wear one of thy jewels set as a brooch, as a reminder of thy +goodwill. I am, moreover, in no need of money, for the gold we took at +Cortes' island proved of greater value than I expected, and of this +your share, together with the wages due to you, I will see to it is +honestly paid by the merchants at Amsterdam. Besides, who knows we may +sail together again?" But at this I shook my head. + +"No more voyages for me, Hartog," I said, "I have had my share of the +rough side of life, and will now be content with the smooth." + +"And you not thirty!" laughed Hartog. "Nay, Peter, I'll never believe +it of you, that having tasted of adventure, you will be satisfied with +a humdrum life ashore." + +I was now rich by the sale of my jewels, and able to choose for myself +my future mode of life. Count Holstein advised me in the disposal of my +wealth, and a fine estate being for sale not far from his own, I +purchased it. + +I urged my parents, who still resided upon the Island of Urk, where my +father followed the occupation of a fisherman, to give up this mode of +earning a livelihood and retire into private life, when I promised to +make them a handsome allowance. But they would not consent to abandon +their independence. + +"I am not an old man, Peter," said my father, when I spoke to him on +the subject, "and I have, I hope, still many useful years' work in me. +I have always been a fisherman. My father was a fisherman, and so was +his father before him. Fishing is the only work I understand. It is +honest work. Why then should I live in idleness upon thy bounty, when I +can still play my part in the world?" + +I could not but see the force of his argument, so I contented myself +with making my parents comfortable in the old home by adding many +improvements which my mother desired but could not afford, while I +presented my father with a new fishing-boat fitted with all the latest +improvements. + +It is wonderful, the power of money. It brought a new happiness into +the lives of my parents, and it made my mother look ten years younger. +My father also, and my two brothers, who were all fishermen, had now +come to regard me as the flower of the flock. Yet they had not scrupled +to knock me about, with little ceremony, in the days of my boyhood; nor +do I think they would have been behindhand in finding fault with me for +my folly, had I returned from my second voyage as poor and needy as +from the first. But such is life, and a man must take what comes, and +make the best of it and not the worst; so I accepted my new role as the +patron saint of my family with philosophy and content. + +Anna approved my parents' decision not to give up their independence. +She came with me to see my mother, and I soon found that, as true +women, there was no inequality between them. Anna had lost her own +mother when she was too young to remember, and she clung to her new +mother that was to be with an affection born of her loving nature. + +In a word, my jewels had brought me the only true happiness which +wealth can give--the power of making others happy. + + + +CHAPTER XXVI + +HAPPILY MARRIED + + +I now resolved to bring Count Hendrick Luitken to account for his +treatment of Anna, though I did not desire that Anna's name should +appear in the matter, so that gossip might be avoided. I therefore +bided my time, and waited an opportunity which soon came. + +The Count of Holstein had resigned the governorship of Urk, and now +kept a fine establishment at Amsterdam, to which he frequently invited +company, and at one of his banquets I met, as I expected, Count +Hendrick Luitken. + +As a merchant's clerk, and afterwards as a seaman, the Count had taken +no notice of me, but now that I was rich and betrothed to Anna, he +could do no less than treat me with consideration when he met me at her +father's house. + +The banquet was sumptuous, and no effort was spared to make it worthy +of the late Governor's hospitality. Only men were invited, no women +being present, so that free scope was given for the gluttony and +drunkenness which usually prevailed at such entertainments. Great +joints of beef and venison vanished like melting snow before the +keen-set appetites of the diners, and goblets of wine disappeared down +thirsty throats until all present were more or less under the influence +of liquor. Toward the end of the entertainment, some horse-play was +indulged in by the younger guests, among whom Count Hendrick Luitken +was conspicuous. I could see he was the worse for liquor, and as often +happens to those under the influence of strong drink, his veneer gave +place to a quarrelsome arrogance in which his true disposition was +displayed. Accompanied by some of his friends as boisterous as himself, +he came over to where I was sitting, and, planting himself in a vacant +chair on the other side of the table in front of me, he asked rudely +how the fishing trade prospered at Urk. + +I felt the blood mount to my face as I answered that for all I knew to +the contrary it prospered well enough, although I had for some years +past been away from Urk, and could therefore not answer the question as +fully as I might otherwise have done. + +"You've been a pirate since you gave up the fishing," sneered the +Count, "and to some purpose if report speaks true." + +For answer I threw the wine which stood in a half-emptied goblet at my +elbow in his face. + +The Count sprang to his feet, the red wine dripping from his handsome +doublet, while his face worked with passion. + +"Insolent!" he cried, when he had mastered himself sufficiently to +articulate. "My rank will not let me fight you, but I have influence +enough to punish you as you deserve." + +"No difference in rank exists between us, my lord," I answered, "and I +claim the right to cross swords in an affair of honour with all save +those of royal blood. Grant me the satisfaction I demand, or I will +brand you as a braggart and a coward throughout every town of the +Netherlands." + +I could see that the Count changed colour at my words. As the son of a +fisherman he could have pleaded his nobility as an excuse for not +meeting me, and had me punished by the law, but he had forgotten that +my betrothal to Anna carried with it a dignity equal to his own, or I +doubt he had been so ready with his tongue. + +A hasty consultation was held among those who were with him, from which +it appeared I was judged to be in the right, for presently the count +turned and said to me, with a surly frown, "At dawn, then, in the +courtyard," and quitted the hall. + +Such scenes were not uncommon at this time, and beyond a question or +two in our immediate vicinity, but little notice was taken of what had +occurred. But Hugh Bergin, a friend who offered to second me in my +affair with the count, advised some rest before the hour of meeting, +which was now almost at hand, for it was said the count was a skilful +swordsman, who had never yet failed to kill or maim his adversary in a +duel. + +Hugh Bergin and I were first in the courtyard at break of day, and here +we were presently joined by the count and his seconds. + +Count Hendrick Luitken and I now stepped forward, and, the rapiers +living been handed to us, we fell to the task of I trying to kill one +another according to the rules of the duello. + +At first I parried the count's attack, in order that I might learn the +extent of his boasted skill, but I soon found myself to be his equal, +if not his superior, in sword play, for I had spent much of my spare +time in the gymnasium at Amsterdam, where I had become the favourite +pupil of the instructor. + +The count, I thought, seemed surprised at my cunning in fence, and lost +the confident smile with which he had first, regarded me. Presently I +felt the point of my rapier touch his tunic upon the breast, and, in my +sensitive grasp, I knew that my blade had encountered steel. The look +which I gave him must have conveyed to him the knowledge that I had +discovered his treachery, for he set his lips and attacked me with even +greater fury than before, but my blood was up, and I beat his guard +down with such force that I was presently enabled, by a trick I had +learnt, known as binding the blade, to wrest the weapon from his hand. +The seconds would now have interfered, but my temper was not to be +restrained, and, to the astonishment of those present, I seized the +count by the throat, and, tearing open his tunic, laid bare a +breastplate which he wore next his skin. No blow that I could have +struck this cowardly noble would have hurt him so much as this +exposure. With shamefaced looks his seconds led him away. This was the +last I saw of him, for he soon after left Holland, and took service +with the Spaniards, with whom he had long been in league. Some years +later he was condemned as a heretic, and suffered death by torture at +the hands of the Inquisition. + +Nothing now stood between me and my marriage with Anna, which was duly +celebrated with much pomp at the Count of Holstein's town palace, after +which Anna and I retired to my country estate, there to live, as I +thought, the rest of our days in peace. + +Dirk Hartog, to whom I bade good-bye after the wedding, for his +restless spirit was away again upon a fresh voyage, predicted I would +one day become weary of inaction. + +"If ever the roving spirit comes over thee, Peter," he said as he wrung +my hand at parting, "there's always a place for thee aboard my ship. +Travel once tasted is a lodestone that draws the spirit from the +cosiest corner to fresh adventure." + +But at this I shook my head. "Here is my lodestone," I said, and I +pressed Anna to my heart. + +But who can foretell the future, or predict the decrees of Fate? + + + +CHAPTER XXVII + +ONCE MORE TO THE SOUTH + + +Five years of wedded happiness followed my return to Amsterdam from my +second voyage with Dirk Hartog into the Southern Seas. + +I had now come to regard myself as being past the age of adventure. My +income was large, my estate substantial; and the wealth I had brought +back with me from the Island of Gems, shrewdly invested by my +father-in-law, the Count of Holstein, enabled me to maintain a position +compatible with the dignity of the noble family into which, through my +marriage with Anna Holstein, I was admitted a member. Nothing, +therefore, was farther from my thoughts and inclinations than a return +to the life of peril through which, in my younger days, I had passed, +when suddenly the blow fell which changed all my plans. + +During the year 1630 an epidemic known as the "Black Death" raged +through the Netherlands, and, as one of the victims to the fell +disease, Anna, my wife, was taken from me. I followed her to the grave, +and returned to my desolate hearth determined to die also. To this end +I shut myself in the room which Anna had lately occupied, where I would +permit nothing to be disturbed, nor would allow any to enter. Such food +as I required was brought, by my orders, into an adjoining apartment, +where I ate, when my appetite craved, in moody silence. Dust gathered. +The air in the room became oppressive. I regarded this mournful chamber +as my tomb. + +My servants, and those who had called themselves my friends, avoided +me. I heard whispers at my barred and bolted door, saying that I was +mad. + +A madhouse I knew to be worse than a prison. I therefore resolved to +leave my home before I was prevented from doing so. + +How long I had remained in the state of misery and dejection to which I +had abandoned myself I cannot say. It must have been some considerable +time, for when, at last, I came out into the light, the sun dazzled me. +None offered to stop me when I left the house. Many of my one-time +servants had been discharged by my father-in-law, who had taken upon +himself the management of my estates. The gatekeeper looked at me +curiously when I passed his lodge, and that was all the notice +vouchsafed me by my former dependents. + +I knew that Dirk Hartog had returned from the voyage upon which he had +embarked soon after my marriage, and to him I determined to carry my +broken heart. Only upon that mirror of mystery known as the ocean could +I look for peace. + +I found my old commander in the cabin of the "Santa Isabel", an ancient +Spanish vessel, reported to have voyaged to the south in 1595, when +Mendana, a Spaniard, was sent out with instructions to establish a +colony at the island of San Christobal, in the Solomon Group, and from +thence to make an attempt to discover the Great Southern Continent. +Mendana's fleet consisted of three large vessels and a frigate, and, +since it was intended to settle a colony, many took their wives with +them, among the emigrants being Mariana, the wife of Lope de Vega, who +commanded the "Santa Isabel". The total number of men in the fleet was +378, of whom 280 were soldiers. The "Santa Isabel" became detached from +the rest of the fleet, and reached the Great South Land, where she +spent five years in a harbour said to be of great beauty and +extent--the finest harbour in the world. + +All this we learnt, from the log of the "Santa Isabel", though what +became of the expedition, or of those who composed it, the record did +not disclose. But the reading which interested Hartog most, keen +treasure-hunter that he continued to be, was a paper describing some +curious drawings he had found in one of the lockers of the vessel, of +hands, some with six fingers, some with four, and others with only two. +Under these drawings was the following inscription, translated into +Spanish from some ancient language: "These hands are not carved upon +the rocks, but are painted with a pigment that withstands the elements, +and yieldeth not to time. They mark the measures of gold obtained." +Then followed a rude chart giving the latitude and longitude of the +place which Hartog professed his ability to find. + +"Join me, Peter," he said, "and let us ship together. There's treasure +to be won, dangers to be passed, and forgetfulness to be had in the +South. You are still a young man--in your prime. Is it fair that you +should set yourself against that which plainly hath been decreed by +Fate?" + +These words of Hartog moved me, as well they might, and I placed myself +unreservedly in his hands. My father-in-law, when he was made +acquainted with my desire to embark upon another voyage, offered no +opposition. He was, I imagine, glad to be rid of me, perceiving that my +moods ashore might interfere with the plans he had formed for the +management of my estates. So, all being settled to our mutual +satisfaction, Hartog and I went to work to equip our vessel, in which +occupation I found relief from my sorrow, and became more reconciled to +submit myself to the will of heaven. + +In three weeks our preparations were completed. A new ship was +purchased, and commissioned without regard to cost. So much money was +spent upon her that Hartog called her the "Golden Seahorse". She +carried six guns, and a brass bow-chaser, with which Hartog declared we +might make war upon the whole South Pacific in the event of our being +forced to hostilities. A great quantity of arms and ammunition was put +aboard, together with a supply of beads, knives, and bright-coloured +cloths to barter with the natives. Berths were also found for Bantum +and Janstins in the officers' quarters, and although Hartog and I were +joint owners of the "Golden Seahorse", and shared equally in the profit +or loss of the expedition, Hartog was given the supreme command. + +It was not until we had lost sight of land, and when I felt the call of +the sea, that I ceased to mourn my lost Anna, and realized my +obligation to live what remained to me of life in such manner as an +all-wise Providence might determine. + + + +CHAPTER XXVIII + +THE MOLUCCA ISLANDS + + +On this voyage to the place of the painted hands Dirk Hartog resolved +upon a different route from that taken by former navigators to the +Great South Land, and within three months of leaving Amsterdam the +"Golden Seahorse" came to anchor among a group of islands to the north +of New Holland known as the Molucca Islands, first visited by Sir +Francis Drake in the "Pelican" during the year 1579. + +The competition between England and Holland for sea supremacy was at +this time very keen, and the ships of both nations sometimes carried a +broom at the masthead to signify the sweeping of the ocean. We found, +however, no English or other vessels to dispute with us our landing at +the Moluccas, where the King received us with some ceremony. + +Providing ourselves with presents, Hartog and I, attended by the ship's +officers, went ashore to pay our respects to the King, who accepted our +tribute graciously, and, looking up to heaven, said: + +"I know that nothing happens to men which has not, long since, been +decreed by Fate. So bring your ship into the harbour and let your +companions land in safety, in order that, after so much tossing about +on the sea, and so many dangers, you may securely enjoy the comforts of +life on shore and recruit your strength." + +Having thus spoken, the King laid aside his diadem, and embraced each +of us in turn. He then directed such refreshments as the country +produced to be set before us. + +The people of the Moluccas cannot be classed as savages. They possess +an intelligence and form of government which lifts them above +aboriginal natives. Each island has its king, who is, nevertheless, +subservient to the chief Thedori, by whom we were received. This +monarch is a man of small stature, but reputed wise beyond the wisdom +of most men. + +Certain it is he made wise laws for the good government of his kingdom, +one of which might, with advantage, be followed by law-makers in more +civilized nations. This is the law which makes for peace. So long as +the king upon each island maintains peace, his people show him almost +divine honours; but, if he is anxious for war, they never rest till he +is slain by the enemy in battle, and to this end they set him in the +front rank, where he has to stand the whole brunt of the combat. His +armies, moreover, do not exert themselves vigorously until they know +that the king has fallen. Then they begin to fight for liberty and +their new king. Since this law was enacted no king has entered upon a +war without being slain in battle. Hence peace reigns, where formerly +continued hostilities prevailed. + +The city of Porne, in which King Thedori reigns as paramount chief, +consists of twenty thousand houses, all of which are low-built cabins. +Some of the men who inhabit these dwellings have such long ears that +they reach down to their shoulders, and when we expressed surprise at +this, we were assured that on an island, not far off, there were men +who had such large ears, that with one ear they could, when they liked, +cover the whole of their heads. But Hartog disbelieved this story, nor +would he visit the island when this prodigy was offered to be shown to +him. We were not in, search of monsters, he said, but of treasure. + +We had been informed by one of the merchants at Amsterdam that when we +should come to the island of Solo, one of the group of the Molucca +Islands, we would find pearls as large as clove's eggs, but Thedori did +not encourage us when we hinted to him our desire to possess some of +these marvels. They were only to be found, he said, in very deep water, +and this was not the season to obtain them. We decided not to press the +matter, since we desired to leave a favourable impression, but Hartog +promised himself a return visit, when, should friendly overtures prove +of no avail, an appeal, might be made to the King's better judgment +with the aid of our six guns and brass bowchaser. It is certain that +pearls of great size do exist on these islands. The King wore one in +his crown the size of a hen's egg. + +On our first night in harbour at the Molucca Islands we witnessed the +most remarkable display I have ever beheld. The islands are well +wooded, and amongst the trees by night, through the whole island, did +show themselves an infinite swarm of fiery worms flying in the air, +whose bodies, being no larger than common house-flies, made such a show +and light as if every twig or tree had been a burning candle. In the +dark recesses of the woods, also, appeared wonderful black bats, with +red eyes, of which the inhabitants of this country stand in +considerable dread. The bats are thought to be the spirits of departed +kings, and none are allowed to molest them. + +From the security of our vessel, which lay close to the shore, we were +able to view these marvels without danger, but the natives remained in +their huts, afraid to venture forth, so that nocturnal dances, or +meetings at camp fires, were here conspicuous by their absence. + +We now met with an adventure that was destined to influence our future +in a manner we did not, at the time, foresee, or it is doubtful but we +would have hesitated before granting an asylum to the miserable +fugitive from King Thedori's tyranny, who now came aboard. Pedro de +Castro, the name of this refugee, a Spaniard, informed us that for some +time past he had been held as hostage by Thedori. Three years before +our visit to the Moluccas, so ran his tale, a Spanish vessel, of which +de Castro was first officer, had called at the islands. The captain and +crew had been well received by the King, who had pretended the same +friendliness towards them as he had shown to us. But so soon as a +favourable opportunity offered, Thedori had looted the ship, and taken +Pedro prisoner, declaring he would hold him to ransom, until his +friends returned to Spain, from where they must send cotton, and other +goods, not procurable at the Moluccas, in order to ensure his release. +It was by this means that Thedori obtained many useful commodities of +European workmanship, the presence of which we had noticed, with +surprise, among his people. De Castro had contrived to escape his +gaolers, and having swum aboard our vessel, he now besought us to save +him from the miserable condition to which he had been reduced since his +ship had sailed, leaving him dependent upon a vague promise of release +from captivity, which he knew might never be fulfilled. + +"And mark you," he said, when we had assembled the officers in the +cabin to hear his story, "Thedori will serve you as he served us, when +the time is ripe for his treachery, for he possesses many guns, hidden +away, together with a great store of ammunition, so that he could send +an army against you that you would find it impossible to resist." + +We thanked Pedro for his warning, and since we determined to profit by +it, we could do no less than offer him a berth among our officers. But +I had no love for Spaniards or their ways, and I lived to learn that my +distrust of them was not misplaced. That night we made preparations for +departure, and, with the first breath of dawn, we hove our anchor +aboard, and set a course for the open sea. + +When it was seen that we were leaving the island the utmost excitement +prevailed on shore. The natives crowded upon the beach which bordered +the harbour, while some put off in their canoes, making an effort to +overtake us. But the "Golden Seahorse" was a ship very finely built, +which caused her to slip through the water, needing but little wind to +drive her at a rapid pace, so that we soon outdistanced our pursuers, +and an hour later the Molucca Islands had disappeared beyond the +horizon. + + + +CHAPTER XXIX + +THE VOYAGE CONTINUED + + +We had been compelled, by reason of the treachery of Thedori, to leave +the Moluccas without having obtained a supply of fresh water. This made +it necessary to keep a sharp look-out for some island from which to +replenish our tanks. On most of the islands in the Pacific water is +readily obtainable. It is only upon the Southern Continent that great +stretches of waterless country prevail. + +At length we sighted an island, the coast of which was rocky and +barren. Through stress of weather we were compelled to keep off the +shore, steering northward until, on the third day, the weather having +moderated, we hove to as near to the coast as we dared approach, and +endeavoured to land a boat's crew. In spite of breakers and a heavy +sea, six of the sailors leaped overboard opposite a sandy beach, and +with great difficulty reached the shore. Whilst searching for water the +sailors saw four natives, who fled at their approach. They were wild, +black, and entirely naked. Not finding water, the seamen regained the +boat, bruised and half-drowned. Again we set sail, and next day we were +off an island of considerable size, with two dangerous reefs stretching +out into the sea. At length we managed to effect a landing, and fresh +water being found, the ship was brought to anchor between the reefs, +where some shelter was to be had, although the position of the vessel +was by no means secure. + +Upon this island we fell in with a race of savages totally unlike any +we had previously met with. These people have no houses or garments of +any kind, and, setting aside their human shape, they differ but little +from brutes. They have large heads, round foreheads, and great brows. +Their eyelids are always half-closed to keep the flies out of their +eyes, these insects being so troublesome that no fanning will keep them +away; so from their infancy being so tormented, they do never open +their eyes as other people do, nor can they see far unless they hold up +their heads as if they were looking at something over them. They have +great bottle noses, full lips, and wide mouths. + +They appeared to be quite indifferent to our landing upon their island, +nor did they exhibit any fear or surprise at seeing us. We endeavoured +to make them help us carry some water barrels to the boats. But though +the barrels contained only six gallons each, and we put them on their +shoulders, all the signs we could make to get them to carry them were +useless. They stood like statues, without motion, grinning like so many +monkeys. Having watered our vessel we once more put to sea. + +We were now, by our reckoning, somewhere in the vicinity of New +Holland, and at six o'clock in the evening we shortened sail. We were +then in twenty fathoms of water, when suddenly we again found ourselves +in deep water, and believed all danger at an end. But in less than an +hour, without warning, our ship struck on a rock, and remained +immovable. Not being near to any shore we were well aware of the +gravity of our position. We feared we had struck a submerged coral +reef, and all sails were immediately taken in, and the boats lowered. +We had struck just before dark, and at daylight I observed land some +eight miles distant. High tide was expected at about eleven o'clock, +when it was hoped the vessel would float off, though we feared she +would sink in deep water. + +At twenty minutes past ten the ship floated, but the leak she had +sprung gained on the pumps, and there was now three feet nine inches of +water in the hold. The men were wearied to death. Each could only pump +a few minutes at a time, and then sink exhausted upon the deck. At +first we despaired of saving the ship, but eventually we got a sail +drawn over the leak, and anchored seven leagues from the shore. Next +day we found a safe place where the vessel could be moored near the +beach, where, on examining the ship's bottom, we found that a large +piece of rock had broken away from the reef and remained stuck in the +hole it made. Had it not been for this singular fact the "Golden +Seahorse" must have foundered. + +During the week which followed this adventure, which had almost proved +disastrous to our voyage, we lightened the ship as much as possible, +and made our camp ashore. We judged we had now come to the coast of New +Holland, and since I had been the first to observe it on the morning +after we had struck upon the reef, Hartog named that part of the coast +Peter's land. + +The ship being safely careened, the carpenters set to work to repair +the damage done to the hull by the sharp rocks, and, as this would +occupy some time, we decided to overhaul our stores, of which we made +an inventory. At this work we found the services of Pedro de Castro of +great value. De Castro was a man well versed in figures, and able to +enumerate with surprising facility. Indeed, I think he spent most of +his spare time in mental arithmetic, calculating the riches and +treasure which he hoped some day to obtain. + +One evening, when Hartog and I were seated together in front of our +tent, de Castro brought us a paper which he said had been given him by +a relative at Lisbon, who informed him that it was an extract from an +ancient Portuguese manuscript, supposed to have been written by +navigator Van Nuyts in 1467. The translation of this curious paper ran +as follows: + +"Land of Gold. While some fishermen of Lamakera, in the island of Solo, +were engaged in their fishing, there arose so great a tempest that they +were unable to return to the shore. Thus they yielded to the force of +the storm, which was such that, in five days, it took them to the Land +of Gold, which is properly called the Southern Coast. When the +fishermen reached the Land of Gold, not having eaten during those days +of tempest, they set about seeking for provisions, and such happy and +successful fortune had they after searching the country for yams and +batatas, that they alighted on much gold in a cavern, enough to load +their boats until they could carry no more, but, when they were ready +to start loading, there came upon them so great a trepidation that they +did not dare take any of the gold away with them." + +This further account of gold upon the Southern Continent strengthened +our belief that treasure would be found at the place of the painted +hands, to visit which our present voyage had been undertaken. But what +could have caused the fishermen of Lamakera so great a trepidation we +were at a loss to understand. Well, perhaps we would soon learn, for +Hartog reckoned we were not many leagues north of the place marked upon +the chart, which had encouraged us to embark upon this voyage. + + + +CHAPTER XXX + +A SPANISH SETTLEMENT + + +The "Golden Seahorse" being now repaired and revictualled, we once more +put to sea, and stood to the south at a safe distance from the coast +for fear of again meeting shoal water. On the morning of the first day +out we passed the shoal upon which we had so nearly lost our ship, it +being but a spot of land appearing above the surface, with several +rocks about it ten feet high, to be seen at low tide. It is of +triangular form, each side one league and a half long. + +We now approached some formidable cliffs, which rose, like a gateway, +shutting out the land beyond. It was here that Hartog reckoned we +should find the place of the painted hands, if, indeed, such a locality +had any real existence. + +The weather was now calm and fine, the wind fair, with a cloudless sky +overhead, so that barely an hour passed from the time we observed the +cliffs before we rounded them, when a sight appeared so unlooked for as +made us wonder if our eyes had played us false. + +The coast along which we had sailed since first sighting the Great +South Land had been so barren and desolate as to make the novel and +attractive scene which now greeted us the more remarkable. Clustered +together in a pleasant valley, surrounded by green hills, and facing a +white sandy beach, were some two hundred houses, built of stone, and +roofed with what appeared to be clay, of such extraordinary whiteness +that it glistened, like snow, in the sun's rays. The herbs and grass +around the town were green and inviting, while tall, straight trees, +not torn by the wind, bore evidence of shelter from tempest which the +hills provided. To add to the beauty of the scene, flocks of parakeets +and bright-coloured parrots flew among the branches of the trees, while +sweet scents, from many kinds of flowers, were wafted to us from the +shore. On the beach we perceived a number of white people, dressed in +the fashion of some thirty years before. Many of them wore ruffs and +cloaks, which were now no longer the mode, and, to set our doubts at +rest as to their nationality, the Spanish ensign floated from a +flagstaff in front of the town. It was plain we had chanced upon a +Spanish colony, probably of some of the people of Mendana's fleet, who +had succeeded in forming a settlement in New Holland. + +Anxious to make a favourable impression upon our first landing, Hartog +and I now donned our best, and the cutter, being manned, we were pulled +toward the beach, where we could see that a number of Spaniards had +assembled to receive us. + +On landing we stepped forward as the leaders of our expedition, when we +were greeted with the most extravagant demonstrations of delight at our +arrival, and were presently conducted by some of those whom we took to +be in authority to one of the flat-roofed stone houses, somewhat larger +than the others, where Donna Isabel Barreto, the ruler of the +settlement, graciously welcomed us. From her we learnt the following +strange story. + +The voyage of Mendana, as previously stated, had been undertaken with a +view to colonization as well as discovery. After reaching the Solomon +group the fleet dispersed. The "Santa Isabel", as her log informed us, +spent five years in a fine harbour on the Southern Continent, from +whence she had returned without establishing a settlement. Another of +the ships and the frigate remained for a time at the islands, where the +crews left many evidences of their visit. But it was reserved for us to +ascertain what had befallen the "Concordia", the third of the vessels +of Mendana's fleet. This ship, under the command of Captain Barreto, +had reached New Holland, where the present settlement had been formed, +and the town built. There were turbulent elements, however, among the +crew, who had been allowed a license at the islands which their captain +was not disposed to continue. He ordered the execution of some, before +the rest were brought to submission. But there was sullen discontent +remaining. To make matters worse, sickness broke out. It carried off a +large number of the Spaniards, and Barreto himself died, as did his +first officer. The pilot then claimed to take command, but to this +Donna Isabel objected. As the captain's wife, she declared it to be her +right to rule the settlement, and, marrying a young Spanish officer, +Fernando de Castro, she assumed the title of queen, with Fernando as +prince consort. To complicate matters still further, the pilot and +those who were attached to him sailed away in the "Concordia", taking +the infant son of Fernando and Isabel with them, and leaving the +adherents of the queen marooned in this pleasant and fertile valley. +Fernando, soon after the sailing of the "Concordia", died, since when +Donna Isabel, who had resumed the name of Barreto, had reigned alone. +This was, in brief, the story the Queen had to tell; and on hearing it +Pedro de Castro threw himself at her feet, and claimed to be her son. + +Donna Isabel was now past middle age, being near forty years old, but +she bore herself with a degree of uprightness and vigour which defied +the advance of time. She was readily convinced of the truth of Pedro's +statement, and when she had bidden him to rise she embraced him, and +acknowledged him to be her son. + +"You have been led back to me," she said, "by the will of heaven, and +by the courage of these brave men who shall henceforth be to me my +brothers." + +Fair words, but lacking the ring of sincerity, as we were subsequently +to find. + +Queen Barreto then begged us to consider her dominions at our disposal +to the extent of all they contained. Houses were allotted us, and +servants were instructed to place before us the best the country +produced. We fared sumptuously, for the natural growth in this +sheltered valley is surprising. The bread given us was made from three +kinds of roots, of which there is a great abundance, and they grow +without labour, receiving no more help than being dug up and cooked. +These roots are pleasant to the taste, very nourishing, and keep for a +long while. They are a yard long, and half a yard thick. The fruits, +too, were numerous and good, consisting of oranges and lemons, which +the Spaniards had planted, together with many earth-nuts, almonds, and +other fruit, as well as sweet canes. Of live stock the settlers +possessed goats, pigs, and a few cows. Round the houses were many fruit +trees, with entwined palisades, by reason of the great quantity of +pigs; the town was well arranged, the houses and yards being very +clean. + +Queen Barreto kept Pedro with her in her own house, while Hartog and I, +together with the officers and crew of the "Golden Seahorse", were +suitably accommodated and made free of the settlement, where we enjoyed +a run ashore after so much storm and stress at sea. + +We had not yet ascertained whether the settlers had been successful in +finding gold in this place. Pearls and silver they possessed as +evidence of their wealth, but we saw no gold among them. Pedro, who +came to consult with us regarding this, informed us that his mother, +the queen, had heard nothing of the place of the painted hands, or of +gold being found there, but had told him that some years previously an +expedition, sent to punish a tribe of natives who had proved hostile to +the settlers, had reported the discovery of caves, very deep and +mysterious, into which the natives could not be induced to enter, +where, it was reported, gold was to be found by washing the sand from +the bed of a subterranean stream which took its course through the +caves from none knew where, and emptied itself into the sea. + +To these caves, therefore, now being rested and refreshed, we +determined to direct our steps. + + + +CHAPTER XXXI + +THE PLACE OF THE PAINTED HANDS + + +Upon leaving the Spanish settlement, Queen Barreto provided us with an +escort to guide us to the caves in which it was reported gold was to be +found. The country outside the settlement was of the same rocky, barren +nature as everywhere along the coast, while the natives we encountered +were hostile and warlike. Armed with spears and slings, they attacked +us, and were only driven off after many had been slain. + +Pedro de Castro did not accompany us. He had pleaded a disinclination +to leave his mother so soon after their long separation. At the time we +thought his conduct strange, but in return for the assistance that +Queen Barreto had given us, we promised him a share of any gold +obtained. + +At length, after a day's journey, we came to the entrance to the caves, +a gloomy portal to a tunnel which ran into a high rocky cliff from +which issued a sluggish stream over a bed of water-worn pebbles. At the +entrance to this dark recess, upon the face of a flat rock, appeared +painted hands, some with six fingers, some with four, and others with +only two. They were painted with a dark brown pigment, and were easily +discernible. It was the sight of these hands, and the assertion that +they had reference to the measures of gold obtained, as set forth on +the paper found by Hartog in the locker of the "Santa Isabel", that +decided us to explore farther into the heart of the caves, and, having +procured torches, Hartog and I, accompanied by Janstins and a lad named +Bruno, a Mulatto, entered the tunnel, and made our way along the left +bank of the stream. + +As we advanced the caves increased in size, until at length we stood in +a great apartment, formed of colossal fluted pillars, and roofed high +above our heads with depending stalactites which glistened in the light +of our torches. Everywhere in this huge cavern the same mineral +formation was to be seen, so that we seemed to be standing in a palace +composed of glittering gems. + +The stream here was wide, moving sluggishly over a bed of black sand. +Presently a cry from Janstins brought us to where he was standing +beside a heap of what, at first sight, looked like yellow clay, but +which, upon closer inspection, proved to be a quantity of gold dust, +interspersed with small nuggets. Here, then, was the treasure collected +by the fishermen from Lamakera, and abandoned by them in 1467, almost +two hundred years before the date of our coming. But the cause of the +great trepidation which had come upon them, so that they had been +unable to carry the gold away, we had yet to learn. + +We had become so intent upon our gold discovery that we had failed to +notice a peculiar humming sound, which became louder as it drew nearer, +and suddenly we observed descending upon us, from the vaulted roof, +what appeared to be white feathery clouds, which, however, speedily +resolved themselves into a prodigious number of flying hornets. Bruno +was the first to be attacked by these venomous insects. In a moment he +was covered with them, and ran screaming into the water of the +slowly-moving stream. His cries were pitiful, but we could do nothing +to relieve him. In less than a minute he was stung to death. + +It now became imperative, if we would save ourselves, to make the best +of our way out of the caves without attempting to carry off any of the +gold we had found. The fate of the boy Bruno had caused a diversion +among the hornets to which we probably owed our lives. In the hope of +distracting them still further, we fired off our muskets, which awoke +echoes in that silent place the like of which had never been heard +before. Had we exploded a barrel of gunpowder, the sound of it would +not have been louder nor the concussion greater, than was caused by the +discharge of our firearms. Huge masses of stalactites fell from the +roof, while the air space around us became filled with bats, and flying +creatures with heads like foxes, disturbed from their slumbers by the +discharge of our guns. The flapping of their wings drove off the +hornets, and greatly aided us in our escape from a horrible death. + +On reaching the entrance to the caves, where we arrived more dead than +alive from our adventure, we were met by those of our crew whom we had +brought with us, but were informed that our guides had returned to the +settlement. For this conduct the guides had offered no explanation. +They had said they were acting in accordance with directions given them +by Queen Barreto, and that, having brought us to the mouth of the +caves, their mission ended. We did not at the time attach much +importance to this desertion of us, being now well acquainted with the +path over the cliffs into the valley, opposite to which our ship lay at +anchor, so we did not anticipate any difficulty in returning. As we +advanced, however, our journey was continually impeded by attacks made +upon us by hostile natives, so it was not until toward the evening of +the second day after leaving the caves that we succeeded in climbing +the cliffs above the settlement. Judge then of our dismay when, upon +looking seaward, we perceived our ship standing out from the bay under +full sail, while at her mizzen floated the flag of Spain. + + + +CHAPTER XXXII + +MAROONED + + +As we stood upon the cliffs overlooking the Spanish settlement, +watching, with blank faces, the "Golden Seahorse" sailing seaward under +a foreign flag, it was borne in upon us that we owed our loss to the +treachery of Queen Barreto, who, taking advantage of our absence, had +pirated our vessel. On descending to the town our suspicions were +confirmed. Here we found the settlement abandoned by the Spaniards, +who, before leaving, had imprisoned our crew, bound and gagged, in the +Queen's house. Having released them, we heard from Bantum, our second +officer, the particulars of what had occurred. + +"No sooner had you left the town," said he, "than Queen Barreto, with +Pedro de Castro and a swarm of Spaniards, came aboard of us. De Castro +knew where the arms were kept, and, before I could guess what they +intended, they had hoisted their flag at the mizzen, and held +possession of the ship. We put up a fight, but what could we do, +outnumbered as we were--ten to one? We were quickly overpowered and +brought ashore, where they trussed us up and left us as you found us. +Had you not come in time we would certainly have died of thirst and +starvation." + +When we had listened to Bantum's account of what had taken place we +could not blame him for the loss of the ship, but Hartog swore a great +oath that, if ever he should meet de Castro again he would reckon with +him in such manner as his base betrayal of us gave warrant. The +ingratitude of this man will be apparent when it is remembered that we +had rescued him from slavery, had admitted him to an equality with our +officers, and had loaded him with favours, for which he repaid us by +stealing our vessel. + +It now became necessary to review our situation. Of food and fresh +water we had an abundant supply, and there were dwellings at our +disposal more than enough, for the Spaniards had numbered over two +hundred, while we mustered but thirty. We possessed, however, no arms +or ammunition beyond what we had taken with us upon our expedition to +the caves. The thought of this caused us grave anxiety when we +reflected upon the small force at our disposal should hostile natives, +having discovered our weakness, be tempted to attack us. Repining, +however, would avail us nothing, so, at Hartog's request, I set about +organizing our camp. Hartog himself was so cast down by the loss of our +ship that he seemed incapable of diverting his thoughts from the +catastrophe which had overtaken us. I thus found our former positions +reversed, Hartog being on the brink of the same hopeless despair which +had obsessed me when Anna was taken from me, while upon me devolved the +task of heartening him. + +And now a new danger threatened us. We had not been a month at the +settlement after the piracy of the "Golden Seahorse" before it became +evident to me that our crew had ceased to regard their officers with +the same respect as they had formerly shown them on board ship. +Sailors, ashore, are accustomed to a license they do not look for at +sea. Hence it was but natural that, since their ship no longer claimed +their duty, they should regard themselves as freed from discipline. +This revolt against authority, however, I knew to be a menace to our +common safety, and I determined to put an end to it. I spoke first to +Hartog, who spent most of his time in the Queen's house, brooding over +our misfortune, and thus setting a very bad example. + +"It is not because you are no longer captain of the 'Golden Seahorse'," +I said to him, "that you should regard your responsibilities at an end. +If you can regain your authority over the men, we may yet win through. +If not, then let us at once abandon ourselves to the mercy of the +savages, whom, I may tell you, I have observed watching us from the +cliffs above, and who are only waiting to assure themselves of our +weakness before they attack us." + +For a time Hartog remained silent. Then he rose, and stretched himself; +drawing himself up to his full height, he stood before me, the finest +specimen of a man I have ever met. + +"You are right, Peter," he said. "I deserve the scolding you have given +me. Show me the man who will not obey me, and I will talk to him." + +Now there was one, Hoft Hugens, a Swede, who had made himself a leader +among the mutinous and lazy crew. I had intended dealing with this man +myself, but it now occurred to me that his schooling would serve to +rouse Hartog from his apathy. + +"If you must know, then," I answered, "it is Hoft Hugens to whom the +men look as leader." + +The next minute Hartog was striding through the town, a native club in +his hand, which he had taken from the Queen's house. Although past +noon, there were none to be seen outside the huts. All were asleep +after their mid-day meal, upon which they had gorged themselves to +repletion. At the sight of this defiance of discipline a deep flush +overspread Hartog's face, as though he felt shame for having allowed +his authority to pass from him. Then he began to beat with his club +upon the doors of the houses until the men came out, some in sleepy +remonstrance, and others with curses in their mouths at having been +disturbed from their siesta. + +"Well, what have you to say?" demanded Hartog. "Is it not enough that +our condition is such that if only fifty determined savages came +against us they could kill us and destroy the settlement, but you must +waste your time in gluttony and sleep? Where is the watch, whose duty +it is to keep a look-out as though I stood upon my quarterdeck?" + +"Nay, Hartog," answered Hugens, whom the others now pushed forward to +be their spokesman, "there must be an end to such talk. We shall never +get away from this valley. What need then for so much rule when death +is certain?" + +"Certain it is for thee," cried Hartog, placing his hand on Hugen's +shoulder, and tightening his grip so that the man winced with pain. +"Ask pardon before I tear thine arm from its socket!" + +At this, those who had begun to advance to their leader's assistance +drew back. It was known that the punishment which Hartog threatened had +actually been carried out by one of the buccaneer captains upon a +mutinous seaman, and none doubted but Hartog had the strength to fulfil +his threat. Hugen's face blanched as the grip tightened upon his arm. +He tried to free himself. Tears started to his eyes. A sob broke from +his heaving chest. Then he screamed with the intolerable agony he +suffered, but none dare interfere, and I verily believe that Hartog +would have performed his promise and torn the limb from its socket had +not one of the men, who had been looking seaward, cried, "A sail! +sail!" + + + +CHAPTER XXXIII + +CAPTAIN MONTBAR + + +The report of a sail having been sighted dispelled every other thought. +Hartog released Hugens, and, hurrying to the Queen's house, shortly +afterwards returned with his spyglass, with which he anxiously scanned +the horizon. + +"God be thanked, Peter," he said presently, "our ship is coming back to +us, convoyed by a frigate." + +So great was my joy at hearing these words that at first I could hardly +credit the truth of them, but as the ships drew nearer we could all see +that the smaller of the two was the "Golden Seahorse". The vessels +sailed into the bay which formed the port of the settlement, and +dropped anchor close to the shore, when a boat put off from the +frigate, and was rowed toward the beach. The crew were smart, and the +boat was fresh painted, while, seated at the stern, was a striking, yet +curious, figure. His dress was that of a French exquisite, very rich, +and trimmed with much gold braid. On his head was a curled wig of the +latest mode, and a flashing diamond brooch adorned his lace cravat. On +nearing the beach upon which we were assembled one of the sailors +stepped into the water and waded ashore, carrying this gallant upon his +back, who, being deposited upon a dry spot, so that his buckled shoe +might escape damage from the salt water, gravely saluted us. Hartog +then, stepped forward, when the Frenchman, for such we took him to be, +addressed him as follows:-- + +"I have come, sir," said he, "to restore to you your vessel, which I +understand was stolen by Spanish treachery." + +"You are welcome," answered Hartog. "I thank Providence that my ship +has fallen into honest hands. I have yet to learn to whom I owe its +recovery. May I hope that you will favour me with your name?" + +"Montbar," replied the stranger, and at the mention of his name both +Hartog and I started. + +"You honour us by your visit, sir," said Hartog, with a bow as graceful +as that with which Captain Montbar acknowledged it. "Your reputation is +known to all seamen as that of a brave man and a princely gentleman." + +Hartog then led the way to the Queen's house, where we proposed to +confer together as to the circumstances which had occasioned Captain +Montbar's arrival. + +Captain Montbar was known to us, and to most navigators at this time, +as a French gentleman of fortune who, having heard of the cruelties +practised by the Spaniards, had conceived an aversion against them +which amounted almost to frenzy. He had heard of the buccaneers, who +were known to be the most inveterate enemies of Spain, and, in order to +join them, he fitted out a frigate which he placed at their disposal, +together with his own services. The achievements of this frigate were +so pronounced, and the Spaniards suffered so much from Montbar's +exploits, that he acquired the name of 'Exterminator.' His intrepidity +would never let him suffer the least signs of cowardice among those who +associated with him. In the heat of an engagement he went about his +ship, observing his men, and immediately killing those who shrank at +the report of pistol, gun, or cannon. This extraordinary discipline had +made him the terror of the coward and the idol of the brave. In other +respects he readily shared with such of his men as showed spirit the +great booty that was acquired by his fearless disposition. When he went +upon these buccaneering expeditions he sailed in his frigate, his own +property, nor would he take a lion's share of the treasure obtained +from captured Spanish merchantmen, but divided it equally with those +who formed his ship's company. + +Such was the remarkable man to whom we owed the restoration of the +"Golden Seahorse". + +From Captain Montbar we learned the particulars connected with the +recovery of our ship from the Spaniards. + +"I had been driven out of my course," he said, "by contrary winds, when +we sighted a vessel flying the Spanish flag, which I am bound, by a +solemn oath, whenever an opportunity offers, to destroy. I was about to +sink her when I noticed an unusual number of people upon her decks, +among whom were several women and children, and, since I war only with +men, I sent a boat to demand the surrender of the vessel. This was at +once agreed to. Her colours were struck, and my own hoisted at the +mizzen. I then went on board to hold an enquiry, and decide what was to +be done, when I found that the ship had been stolen from a party of +Dutch navigators on a visit to this country. The object of stealing the +ship was for the purpose of conveying the settlers, who had been +marooned here for some years, to their homes. It was not difficult, in +the crowded state of the vessel, to find many who were prepared to +disclose the whole truth. Donna Isabel Barreto, who appeared to be a +queen among these people, then offered to make terms with me, +promising, if I would suffer her to continue the voyage, she would +send, as ransom, a large sum of money, of which she professed to have +command at Madrid; but, having some experience of Spanish promises, I +declined this offer, preferring to retain possession of the ship I had +captured, which appeared to be of good build and well found. I +undertook, however, to disembark Donna Isabel and her followers upon +the first land we sighted, which happened to be a desolate-looking +island by no means comparable with this fertile valley. Isabel +then threw herself on her knees, and implored me not to abandon her, +and her people, to death by slow starvation, which the landing of so +great a company on such an uninviting shore would mean. But I was +obdurate. 'Be thankful,' said I, 'that your lives are spared you. It is +not for me to interfere with the decrees of Fate. This punishment for +having stolen their vessel from those who trusted you, and to whom you +were bound by the laws of hospitality, has clearly been ordained by +Providence. Land, then, and, by your submission in face of adversity, +seek to atone for your treacherous conduct.' + +"The party being landed and left to shift for themselves, I resolved to +continue my voyage to this place, of which I had been given the +bearings, in order that I might restore to you your ship, for I take no +booty except from Spain." + +We again thanked our generous visitor, nor could we do less than place +ourselves and our ship at his disposal. + +"Come back with me, then," said Montbar, "and join our band. I have +voyaged far into these southern latitudes in search of treasure, and I +may tell you that the islands of the south are by no means comparable +with those in the west." + +But at this we asked time to consider. Although we had no cause to love +the Spaniards, we had no reason to hate them with the same inveterate +hatred displayed by Montbar. Besides, in spite of the glamour that +surrounded them, we knew the buccaneers to be no better than pirates. +Still it seemed a poor return to make Captain Montbar for the service +he had rendered us to refuse his request. While we hesitated between +two minds what we should do, I bethought me of the gold dust at the +place of the painted hands. We had never intended to abandon this +treasure by reason of a swarm of insects, however numerous and venomous +they might be. The fishermen from Lamakera had excuse for doing so, +since they lacked the equipment to combat the pests which infested the +caves, but, with the resources of a ship at our disposal, it would be +strange if we could not devise some means to carry off the gold, share +it with Montbar, and thus repay the obligation we owed him. + +I mentioned this project to Hartog, who at once fell in with my plan. + +"You are a wizard, Peter," he said, "for finding a way out of a +dilemma. If we can get this treasure, and either share it with Montbar, +or give it all to him should it not prove considerable, our debt will +be paid, so that we may continue our voyage whithersoever our fancy +leads us, but, with the price of the ship on my conscience, I could +never regard myself as a free man. Montbar knows this. + +"It is the rule of the sea that captured vessels are spoils to the +victor. For all his fine speeches, I feel convinced that Montbar looks +upon the ship as his own, and has only come to obtain her crew also to +be henceforth under his command. But, should ransom be paid, Montbar +would consider us freed from all obligation." + +That evening, therefore, Hartog stated plainly our conditions to +Captain Montbar, which, shortly, were that if the treasure proved to be +of great value, we would divide it equally among the companies of the +frigate and our ship; if not of great value, then the whole of the +treasure was to go to the frigate as salvage for our vessel; and if we +did not succeed in bringing the treasure away, then our ship and her +company were to be at Montbar's disposal, to do with as he thought fit. + +These proposals were received by Montbar with a gravity and shrewdness +which clearly proved his professed generosity in returning us our +vessel was only preliminary to demanding a ransom. + +"Let it be as you say, then," he said. "Within a week we shall have +ascertained the value of this treasure, when the matter may be adjusted +in the manner you propose. Meanwhile, the resources of my vessel are at +your disposal." + +We thanked him and withdrew, but we determined only to employ our own +men on our second visit to the eaves. A fair remuneration for the +salvage of our ship was all that Captain Montbar looked for or +expected, and we saw no reason why we should disclose our secret to any +beyond those chosen from our own company, nor did Montbar seek to pry +into our business, contenting himself with our promise, at the end of +the week either to pay him salvage or surrender our ship and ourselves, +to be disposed of in such manner as might please him best. + + + +CHAPTER XXXIV + +WE AGAIN EXPLORE THE CAVES + + +During the two days which followed the making of our compact with +Captain Montbar we were busy with our preparations for a second visit +to the place of the painted hands, where we knew that gold was to be +obtained for those who had the courage to carry it away. This time we +sailed round, so that we were saved the journey over the cliffs. We had +caused to be made for Hartog, Janstins, and me dresses of sail-cloth, +with masks like those worn by Inquisitors, the eye-holes being filled +with glass. The sleeves of the jacket were made long, so as to cover +our hands. Our sea boots and breeches we knew to be impervious to +hornet stings, and, thus equipped, we hoped to succeed in carrying away +the treasure which the Lamakera fishermen had abandoned. + +We took the smallest of our ship's boats, in which we rowed ashore, +and, leaving the crew at the entrance to the caves, we three, as +silently as possible, propelled the boat along the stream into the +interior. As we progressed we met with evidences of our former visit. +Lumps of stalactites lay where they had fallen when shaken from the +vaulted roof by the discharge of our firearms. The body of the lad +Bruno was also to be seen, half submerged, in the water of the stream. +Close to the body was the heap of gold dust, and this we began to load +into our boat, making as little noise as possible lest we should +disturb the hornets from their nests. + +We worked rapidly, and in less than an hour we had filled the boat with +as much as she could carry of the heavy sand, nearly all of which was +gold dust, when a humming warned us of the approach of the hornets. We +had brought with us but a single torch, so as to avoid the light which +we knew would attract the swarm of venomous insects, as also the bats +and flying creatures which had made their home in these wonderful +caverns; but the solitary gleam, in so much darkness, seemed to burn +with the brightness of a conflagration. The smoke, also, from our +torch, ascending into the vaulted roof of the cavern, was beginning to +disturb the weird dwellers from their gloomy abode, and already +ghostly, bat-like forms began to fill the air space above our heads. It +was time to leave, and, reluctantly, we began to push the boat toward +the mouth of the cave, promising ourselves to return next day for more +of the precious stuff; of which there appeared to be an inexhaustible +supply. As we neared the entrance to the cave, however, we were +startled to observe a peril which had hitherto escaped our notice. +Poised over the arch of the narrow passage was a mass of rock so finely +balanced that it seemed to be held in its place by the weight of a +number of bat-like creatures clustering at one of its angles. As we +approached, these bats, startled by the light of our torch, began, one +or two at a time, to rise from their resting place, causing the rock to +topple toward us. Thus we stood in danger of being crushed by the mass +should it fall as we passed the entrance, or, worse still, if it fell +before we escaped into the cave beyond, we might find ourselves +entombed alive in this dreadful place, to become a prey to the horrors +of which we had had previous experience. + +"Forward!" roared Hartog, and, putting forth his great strength, he +began to propel the boat, heavily laden as she was, at a rapid pace +toward the entrance of the cavern. With our hearts in our throats, +Janstins and I came to his assistance, and, pushing frantically +together, we drove the boat through the entrance just as the bats, in a +body, rose from the balancing rock, which, relieved of their weight, +fell with a crash, effectually blocking the path into the cave. +Fortunately we were on the right side of the obstacle, and our way was +open to the sea, but a moment's hesitation would have consigned us to a +lingering death, which, I am not ashamed to say, I shuddered to +contemplate. + +We now took off the canvas jackets and masks we had worn as a +protection against stings from the hornets, and, without further +mishap, conveyed the sand we had brought away with us on board our +ship, from which we washed six buckets full of gold dust. Each +bucketful we reckoned, by weight, to be worth twenty thousand English +pounds, so that we had ransom to pay Montbar for salvaging our vessel, +besides retaining enough to make us all rich men. + +Our crew, who had now become obedient to Hartog's authority, were +desirous to continue the search of the cavern, in the hope of obtaining +more of the precious metal, but on being taken to the entrance to the +caves, it was found that an impassable barrier of rock stood between +them and their desire for boundless wealth. They were, therefore, +compelled to be satisfied with a share in the gold we had already won. + +And here it may be observed how wise are the ways of Providence and how +watchful appeared to be the good genius who followed our destiny. Had +limitless wealth been suddenly showered upon us, what evil consequences +might have followed? Man is, after all, but an avaricious creature, who +requires the discipline of necessity to restrain his covetous nature. +The prospect of gold-getting would probably have undermined Hartog's +authority, and would most likely have ended in disaster for us all. As +it was, we had enough, but not more than enough, and the discipline of +our ship, so necessary to our common safety, was maintained. + +We paid Montbar, according to our agreement, gold to the value of sixty +thousand English pounds, that being half the value of the gold +obtained, with which he expressed himself well satisfied. + +"Honesty is, after all, the best policy," he said. "Had I not restored +to you your ship I would have missed this treasure, that will well +repay me for my long voyage, which I had before thought profitless. I +regret your decision not to accompany me to the West Indies, but since +you have paid your ransom you are free to go whithersoever your fancy +may lead you, without let or hindrance." + +We thanked Montbar, although I could not help smiling at the tribute +which he paid to honesty when I remembered that the lockers in his +cabins were crammed with the loot which he had taken as a freebooter +upon the seas. + + + +CHAPTER XXXV + +I AM KIDNAPPED + + +We were now of two minds, whether to continue the exploration of New +Holland, or to shape a course for the islands of the South Seas; but +Hartog finally decided for the islands, where there is always adventure +and profit to be had. Besides, we were anxious to prove the truth, or +otherwise, of the existence of the Islands of Engano, mentioned by +Marco Polo in the account of his voyage round the world in the year +1272, as the Male and Female Islands. + +The first group of islands we touched at after leaving the abandoned +Spanish settlement at New Holland, appeared to be well wooded and +fertile, and approaching one of the largest we cast anchor near the +shore. On the following day we endeavoured to work to windward of this +dangerous coast, but in spite of skilful seamanship it soon, became +certain we were being drawn, probably by some strong current, closer to +the land. The ship was so near to the rocks that escape appeared +impossible. At three in the afternoon, however, the ship doubled the +reefs, it may be said, almost by a miracle. + +This adventure set us thinking upon a record among the manuscripts we +had brought with us of a remarkable phenomenon existing somewhere in +these regions. In describing one of the larger islands the record says: +"By the coast of this country, toward the north, is the sea called the +Dead Sea, the water whereof runneth into the earth, and if anyone +falleth into that water he is never found more. And if shipmen go but a +little way into it they are carried rapidly downward, and never return +again. And none knoweth whither they are carried, and many have thus +passed away, and it hath never been known what became of them." + +We had hitherto given little credence to this report, but our recent +experience proved the currents running between these islands to be +strong and treacherous, and warned us to be on guard against them. The +great distance we were from home, and the absence of any assistance to +be looked for from men of our own race made it doubly necessary to +consider every aspect of our voyage in order to escape the many perils +which everywhere beset us. + +We now approached a coast running east and west to the horizon, so that +we could not say whether we had come to an island or to another +southern continent. The anxieties through which we had passed, +particularly our narrow escape from shipwreck upon the reefs, made it +desirable we should seek some haven in which to recruit our strength +and re-victual our ship before setting out upon our homeward voyage, +for Hartog was anxious to deposit the gold we had obtained from the +place of the painted hands in safe keeping at Amsterdam. The carrying +about of so much treasure on board the vessel was a risk he thought it +imprudent to run, as the presence of gold on the ship would prove a +constant temptation to the men to mutiny. Besides which, there was +always the chance of capture by pirates or freebooters who, at this +time, roamed the seas. General satisfaction was, therefore, expressed +when Hartog announced his intention of returning to Amsterdam. + +On the morning of the next day after sighting the land along which we +now coasted the look-out reported a sheltered bay, which promised us +the haven we desired, and an hour later we cast anchor under the lee of +a bold headland, near to a beach, which bordered what appeared to be a +fertile and well-wooded country. + +We had barely found our moorings when five natives came in a canoe, the +middle one vigorously baling the water out of the craft. As they drew +nearer we observed that they were all women, one standing up at the +prow, whose red hair came down to her waist. She was white as regards +colour, beautifully shaped, the face aquiline and handsome, rather +freckled and rosy, the eyes black and gracious, the forehead and +eyebrows good, the nose, mouth, and lips well-proportioned, with the +teeth well-ordered and white. Being rich in so many parts and graces +she would be judged to be a very beautiful woman, and at first sight +she stole away my heart. On arriving alongside she climbed aboard with +amazing agility, and without the least sign of fear, from which I +conjectured that Europeans were not unknown to her. As her eyes swept +us her glance halted when it rested upon me, and, without +embarrassment, she made signs for me to approach her. + +"Whence come ye?" she said, speaking in Spanish, though with an accent +that sounded unfamiliar. + +"From the white man's country," I answered, "to seek adventure in this +land." + +"Ye come far to seek little," she replied. "This land is desolate. None +may live upon it. It is waterless." + +"Then we must look farther," I answered. "We are in search of water." + +"I can show you where water is," she continued, "if you will come with +me." + +I hesitated, and Hartog, when he caught the drift of her invitation, +bade me on no account trust myself alone with these savages. + +"Our boats will be lowered directly," I answered. "Then you may show us +where to find fresh water, and we shall be grateful." + +"I cannot wait for your boats," she replied. "Come with me now if you +are not afraid. Your boats can follow." + +It would have shamed me to confess fear to go with these women, and, +not dreaming of treachery, I descended to the canoe, while Hartog and +the others made ready to follow in the ship's boats. But I had no +sooner set foot in the canoe than the four girls, who possessed the +strength of young men, began to paddle vigorously toward a point which +jutted out on the western side of the bay in which the "Golden +Seahorse" lay at anchor. We soon rounded the point, when we lost sight +of the ship. Thinking that all this was intended for a jest, I +remonstrated with my beautiful captor, and called upon her to bid the +girls cease rowing until my companions should come up with us; but at +this she only laughed, and at a word from her the girls redoubled their +exertions until the canoe seemed to fly over the surface of the water. +We now approached a precipice, which rose sheer out of the sea, and, as +we drew nearer, I observed a tunnel into which the water rushed with +the force of a mill-race. It then came to my mind that this was the +current I had read of which ran into the earth, and along which shipmen +had been carried, never to be heard of again. + +I glanced at the woman who had kidnapped me in this strange fashion +seemingly with the object of enticing me to my doom. Her face was set +and stern; with both hands she grasped a steering paddle, with which +she guided the canoe into the rushing stream. The girls had ceased +rowing, and were crouched together in the frail craft, which now, +caught by the hand of Nature, was carried with incredible speed into +the darkness of the unknown. + +How long we were in the tunnel I cannot say. It seemed an eternity, but +it could not actually have been very long. The speed at which we +travelled was so great as to make the drawing of the breath difficult, +and a strange humming sound--very loud-made it impossible to speak or +even to cry out. I had abandoned hope and resigned myself to death when +suddenly we emerged from the tunnel into a blinding sunshine, which +dazzled the eyes after the darkness. Once more we had come to the open +sea. + +The girls resumed their paddles, and now began to urge the canoe toward +one of two islands visible on the horizon about thirty miles apart. + + + +CHAPTER XXXVI + +THE MALE AND FEMALE ISLANDS + + +I was now able to demand an explanation for the cause of my abduction, +which I did with some warmth. + +"In what way have I offended," I asked of the woman who had enticed me +on board the canoe, "that you should repay the trust I placed in you +with treachery? We came among you as friends, desiring nothing so much +as your goodwill. But you have treated me as an enemy, carried me away +from my ship, and separated me from my friends Take, heed, I am a man, +and have some strength. You are but women. Why, then, should I not +overpower you and return the way I came?" + +"That is impossible," answered my captor. "None could make their way +back through the tunnel against the stream." + +"At least, tell me then," I continued, "your name, for what purpose I +am brought here, and whither you are taking me." + +"My name is Sylvia Cervantes," replied my captor, proudly. "As to why +you are brought here, ask the wise-ones whom you shall presently see. +Yonder islands are the Islands of Engano." + +In the surprise which her words occasioned I almost forgot the anger +which had begun to burn within me when I thought of how basely I had +been betrayed. Before me were the wonderful Male and Female Islands, +fabled by Marco Polo. I had come upon this voyage with Dirk Hartog in +quest of adventure. Well, here was an adventure awaiting me that was +likely to prove the most remarkable I had yet encountered. + +As we drew near, to one of the islands, I was impressed by the extreme +beauty of the scene. The cliffs rose to great heights, forming a dark, +clear-cut line against the sky, while between the lofty walls, verdant +valleys stretched down to the white, sandy beaches, upon which the +waves broke in glistening spume. Toward a beach, somewhere about the +centre of the island, our course was laid, and upon coming to the +shallows, the girls shipped their paddles and sprang into the water, +when, with others helping them, they ran the canoe on to the beach, +making no more of my weight than if I had been a child. + +I now observed among the woods of the, very ancient stone buildings, +which, at one time, must have been occupied by a people possessing a +high state of civilization. They were in ruins, and overgrown by +flowering shrubs and creepers, but were apparently still used as +habitations for it was to one of these houses I was presently +conducted. Here I was invited to rest and refresh myself with some +delicious fruit that was set before me, the like of which I do not +remember having tasted before. + +Sylvia Cervantes now joined me, and in the witchery of her presence I +forgot my perilous plight, and gave myself up to the luxury and +enjoyment of the moment. + +From Sylvia I learnt the history of my capture, and why she had come to +entice me away with her. + +Having inquired my name, which I gave her, Sylvia continued as +follows:-- + +"You must know, then, Peter," she said, "that we are ruled here by +custom which may not be changed. The wise-ones who live on the mountain +tops tell us what to do, and we do it without question. The wise-ones +are not as others are. They see what others cannot see, and they know +many things that others cannot even guess at, so when the wise-ones +told me your ship was on the other side of the Great Barren Island, and +that I was to take my canoe and bring you here, I could not help but +obey." + +"How is it possible," I asked, "that mortal eyes can see so far?" + +"The eyes of the wise-ones are not as mortal eyes," replied Sylvia, +gravely. "Rest now, and to-morrow you shall hear what is required of +you." + +I was so affected by the calamity which had overtaken me that I lacked +the disposition to question Sylvia more closely on the matter. It was +plain I was a captive, and helpless to avert my fate, whatever it might +be. As well then accept the inevitable, and make the most of the +passing hour. I did not value life, since Anna's death, at a pin's +ransom. If, therefore, the end of all things for me in this world was +at hand, let it come. I would welcome it without regret. + +Sylvia now told me as much as she knew about the island to which I had +been brought, and of its people. + +In ages gone by, she said, when the stone houses were new, and a +flourishing city stood in the valley, a disagreement had arisen +between the king and queen, who held equal sway over the two islands, +of such a nature that the breach became impossible to be healed. +Instead of going to war with each other, and thus sacrificing the lives +of many of their respective followers in battle, who had no part in +their quarrel, an agreement was come to whereby the king withdrew +himself to the western island, leaving the queen in undisputed +possession in the east. The king took to him all the men in both +islands, giving up to the queen the women, to become her subjects. Since +then the Male and Female Islands had been managed as separate +communities. There was no king or queen now, the people of both islands +being ruled by the wise-ones, who lived on the mountain tops in the +Female Island. But the inhabitants of the two islands still continued to +live apart, the males on one island and the females on the other. On the +Male Island the males dwelt alone, without their wives, or any other +women. Every year, in the month of March, the men came to the Female +Island, and tarried there three months, to wit, March, April, and May, +dwelling with their wives for that space. At the end of those three +months they returned to their own island, and pursued their avocation +there, selling ambergris to the traders from Sumatra. As for the +children whom their wives bore them, if they were girls they stayed with +their mothers; but if they were boys their mothers brought them up until +they were fourteen years old, and then sent them to their fathers. Those +women who were married did nothing but nurse and rear their children. +Their husbands provided them with all necessaries. Those who were +unmarried, and until marriage, became Amazons, doing all the work on the +island that would, in the ordinary course, be done by men. They were +very strictly reared, and were as hardy as boys. If necessary they could +fight in defence of their country with a courage equal to that displayed +by the bravest warriors. Such were the strange customs of the people on +these two islands as related to me by Sylvia Cervantes. + + + +CHAPTER XXXVII + +A TASK IS SET ME + + +On the day after I was made captive to the people on the Female Island +in the Engano group, I was given an opportunity to observe the customs +which prevail among these Amazons. They appeared to be a happy, healthy +people, nor could I fail to notice the absence of ill-temper and +discord, which may be observed in all communities in which men and +women live together, and where jealousy between the sexes is too often +the cause of lifelong feuds. Here the matrons seemed content to devote +themselves to the rearing of their offspring, who, in return, rendered +heart-whole affection to their mothers. I never witnessed such docility +and loving obedience as was displayed by the children of this island to +those who had the care of them, and while I remained at Engano I never +heard a child cry or saw a woman in tears. + +As the girls reach maturity, which they do in these latitudes at the +age of about twelve years, they are instructed by their mothers how to +perform the necessary work, and become very skilful at throwing the +lance, harpoon, or any manner of dart, being bred to it from their +infancy. These girls, from this training, possess wonderful eyesight, +and will descry a sail at sea farther than any sailor could see it. + +The dress adopted by the dwellers on the Female Island, though scanty +to civilized eyes, is nevertheless suited to their manner of life. It +consists of tapa cloth cut in a deep fringe depending from waist to +knee. Their hair, which is long, hangs down their backs. Those who, +like Sylvia, have red hair, are mostly freckled and rosy, which, so far +from detracting from their beauty, rather adds to their charms. The +dark-haired ones are burnt brown by the sun. + +I was now taken by Sylvia to be presented to the wise-ones, at whose +instigation I had been brought to the island. These I found to be men, +if indeed they could be called such, but they were so wizened in +appearance as more to resemble monkeys. Their manner of life is so +austere as to make it a matter for marvel that body and soul could +cling together. They will not kill an animal for food, or for any other +purpose, not even a fly or a flea, or anything in fact that has life; +for they say they have all souls, and it would be a sin to kill them. +They eat no vegetables in a green state, only such as are dry, for they +believe that even green leaves have life. And they sleep on the bare +ground, naked, without anything to cover them, or to soften the +mountain rocks which form their bed. They fast every day, and drink +nothing but water. Yet, in spite of the rigour of their discipline, +they attain to extreme old age; not one of the wise men, so Sylvia +informed me, being less than one hundred years old, while some were +accredited with upwards of two centuries of life. By reason of their +abstinence, they are supposed to be gifted with mysterious occult +powers, notably second sight, by which they are able to locate +strangers at a great distance from their own country, and to foretell +their advent. Not long since they had foretold the coming to the island +of a Spanish fleet, when the whole Amazon population had taken refuge +in subterranean caves until the Spaniards had left, which they did +under the belief that the island was deserted. It was by means of this +second sight that the "Golden Seahorse" had been located, and that I +had been selected from among the crew to carry out a project which the +wise men had in view, and the particulars of which I was about to +learn. + +The chief of the wise-ones, who acted as spokesman, now informed me of +the reason I had been brought to the island. + +"You must know, Signor," said he, addressing me as though I was a +Spaniard; an appellation which I felt inclined to resent, "that we are +troubled by a demon we have found it impossible to slay. Many of our +girls have fallen victims to the monster, while the men from the Male +Island have repeatedly attacked it during the months of their residence +here, without being able to overcome it. In length the creature is +thirty feet, and of great bulk. It has two forelegs near the head, +armed with claws. The head is very big, and the eyes stand out from it +on knob-like excrescences. The mouth is big enough to swallow a man +whole, and is armed with pointed teeth. In short, the monster is so +fierce that all stand in fear at the sight of it. Now it is known that +the men of your race are brave, and possess weapons of which we have no +knowledge, so, when it was revealed to us that your ship was close by +on the other side of the Great Barren Island, we resolved to bring you +here; who seemed, in our eyes, to be a brave man, so that you may rid +us of the demon which threatens our peace, if not our very existence." + +"Alas! oh, wise-one," I answered. "How much better to have brought the +ship also! On board of her, it is true, we possess weapons against +which even such a monster as you tell me of could not prevail. But +these weapons I have not with me. How then can I, single-handed, hope +to overcome so terrible a creature as you describe? Rather send me back +to my ship, when I promise to bring her here, so that a party of us, +well armed, may attack the demon, when no doubt we shall be able to +destroy it." But at this the wise-one shook his head. + +"To bring the ship here," said he, "would be easy. But how do we know +we could be rid of her without injury to our people?" + +"I would pass you my word as to that," I answered. + +"So you say now," replied the wise-one. "But how shall we know that you +would keep your word?" + +An angry retort sprang to my lips, but I restrained myself on receiving +a warning glance from Sylvia, which reminded me that I stood at the +mercy of these monkey men. + +"Give me three days, then," I answered, "to devise some means for +destroying the monster. If I succeed, I demand to be sent back to my +ship. Without this promise I will do nothing for you, let the +consequences to me be what they may." + +The wise-one seemed to ponder my words carefully. + +"Be it so, then," he answered. "If in three days you rid us of this +demon I will see that you are restored to your friends. But if you +should fail, and survive, you must nevertheless be put to death. We +have no room on the Islands of Engano for strangers." + + + +CHAPTER XXXVIII + +THE SLAYING OF THE GREAT CROCODILE + + +I now bethought me of how I might best set about the task of +vanquishing the monster which held the Female Island in terror, and +which, from the description given me by the wise-ones, I judged to be a +crocodile. Nor in this was I mistaken, for, being taken by Sylvia to a +place of safety from which I could see the demon, I was confirmed in +the opinion I had formed by what I saw, although I had never seen a +crocodile of such amazing proportions before. It lived in a cave close +to a fertile plain, where goats belonging to the islanders were +pastured. Not far off was a stream at which it went to drink, and a +deep furrow in the sand marked the road it made to the water. During +the day it remained in its cave, but toward evening it would issue +forth and attack the goats, three or four of which it would kill, and +carry off to its lair. Those in charge of the goats dared not +interfere, lest the monster, deprived of its accustomed food, might +seek its dinner among the ruined stone houses in which the islanders +lived. + +Now I noticed that the road along which the crocodile travelled to the +water was very deeply furrowed, thus proving how the great lizard had +repeatedly dragged its heavy bulk over the same spot on its way to +drink at the stream, and I bethought me of a plan to deal with the +reptile. The only weapon I had upon me when kidnapped from my ship was +a short sabre or manchette, which I wore as a sidearm. But this I hoped +would prove a formidable weapon when put to the use for which I now +intended it. + +During the morning of the next day, when we knew that the crocodile +would be asleep in his cave, Sylvia and I went together to the road +which the reptile had made, by the weight of his body, to his usual +watering-place. + +Here, with such rude implements as the islanders possessed, we dug a +trench the width of the road, and for some distance along it. At the +bottom of the trench we laid a stout log, in which was firmly fixed my +manchette, its sharp point upward. We then filled up the trench with +soft sand, and retired to the place of vantage which I had occupied the +previous day, and from which we could see the crocodile make his +evening raid. Towards sundown he came forth with a rush among the +terrified goats, four of which he slew with a stroke from his powerful +tail, after which he proceeded to drag their mangled carcases into his +lair. We waited an hour, when, just before sundown, the reptile came +forth again on his way to the water. We watched him with bated breath, +and Sylvia, who now, for the first time, began to understand the trap I +had set, could hardly contain her excitement. When the crocodile came +to the sand-pit we had dug on the road he sank down, when the sharp +blade of the manchette entered his breast, and as he dashed forward, +rove him to the navel, so that he died on the spot in the greatest +agony. + +Sylvia now summoned the islanders to see my work. They came from all +parts, and raised so great a shout when they saw their enemy dead that +the sound of it reached the wise-ones on the mountain-tops, who peered +down at the beast where he lay in a morass of blood which deluged the +sand so that it ran into the stream, dyeing the water a deep red. + +The death of the reptile, and the craft and cunning I had displayed in +the killing of it, so impressed the Amazons that they came to me in a +body, with Sylvia as their mouthpiece, asking me to stay and be their +king, nor did the wise-ones raise any objection to this proposal. But +although I admired Sylvia, I had no desire to spend the rest of my days +at Engano, not even as King of the Amazons. I therefore answered that +my comrades were no doubt looking for me, nor would they continue their +voyage home until all hope of my rescue had been abandoned, and I +reminded the wise-ones of the promise they had made me of safe conduct +back to my vessel, in case I should succeed in ridding the island of +their enemy. The justice of my claim was not to be denied, and with the +dawn of the morrow the wise-ones undertook to ascertain the direction +in which the ship lay and to send me aboard her. + +That evening a feast was held in my honour; some of the men from the +Male Island came over, by special permission of the wise-ones, in order +to be present, and to see the man who had slain the monster against +which they had been unable to prevail. + +The men from the Male Island I found to be as free from ill-will toward +one another as were the women on the Female Island. Since they had +neither wife nor child, they associated in pairs, and mutually rendered +each other all the services a master could reasonably expect from a +servant, being together in so perfect a community that the survivor +always succeeded his dead partner to any property he may have had. +They behave to each other with the greatest justness and openness of +heart. It is a crime to keep anything hidden. On the other hand, the +least pilfering is unpardonable, and punished by death. And indeed +there can be no great temptation to steal when it is reckoned a point +of honour never to refuse a neighbour what he wants; and when there is +so little property of value it is impossible there should be many +disputes over it. If any happened, the wise-ones interposed, and soon +put an end to the difference. + +In all my travels I never met with happier or more gently disposed +persons than the people of the Male and Female Islands of Engano. + + + +CHAPTER XXXIX + +I BECOME A VICTIM OF DOMESTIC INFELICITY + + +Next morning the wise-ones, according to promise, informed me, by means +of their power of second sight, that my ship was in the place where I +had left her, which seemed probable, as it would no doubt be on land +that Hartog and my friends would be looking for me. + +I passed my word to the wise-ones that Hartog's vessel would not visit +the Engano Islands, since strangers were not welcome; and, having bid +good-bye to the Amazons, I once more embarked with Sylvia in her canoe, +and was paddled round the east end of the Great Barren Island, where, +in the distance, was the "Golden Seahorse" still at anchor in the bay +where I had last seen her. + +When I came aboard Hartog was overjoyed at my return. "I shall have to +keep thee tied up, Peter," he said to me, in jest at my frequent +mishaps. "You are for ever either falling overboard or running away." +But when I told him of my adventure on Amazon Island he listened with +great interest, expressing regret that I should have pledged my word +against the ship's calling there. His disappointment, however, was +modified when I told him that nothing of any commercial value was to be +found upon either of the Engano Islands; nothing, in fact, being worthy +of notice but the wonderful contentment of the inhabitants, a commodity +which could not be carried away. + +"Let us up stick and home, then," answered Hartog merrily. So, having +presented Sylvia and her accompanying Amazons with gifts, in return for +which they showed us where excellent water was to be obtained with +which we might replenish our tanks, we bade farewell to the Great +Barren Island, and shaped a course for Holland. + +On our arrival at Amsterdam Hartog arranged for the disposal and +division of our treasure. He and I, as joint promoters of the +expedition, each took to the value of twenty thousand English pounds, +giving the remainder to be divided among our officers and crew, who had +never in their lives before looked to possess so much money. The ship +was put out of commission, though, for the present, we determined not +to sell her. Hartog promised himself a spell ashore, and I also looked +forward to a life of ease and recreation. I was now a rich man, with +more wealth to my credit than would satisfy my simple needs for the +remainder of my life. Why then, I asked myself, should I seek further +peril and adventure in unknown lands to gain money of which I already +possessed more than I knew what to do with? + +I did not return to my estate, which had become distasteful to me, +recalling, as it did, the brief span of nuptial happiness which I had +enjoyed with Anna, and when, later, my father-in-law, the Count of +Holstein, offered to buy it from me, I was glad to sell it to him. With +a portion of my capital I now secured a full share in the business of +De Decker, my old master, and, having purchased a fine house at +Amsterdam, I resolved to settle down to the lucrative business of a +merchant. + +Before taking possession of my new home I paid a visit to my family at +Urk, where I found that my father had retired from the active +management of his fishing business, which was now carried on by my +eldest brother, who was married, and blessed with three sturdy boys. My +two younger brothers were also married, and both had begun to rear +families. + +"Only you, Peter," said my mother, "my favourite son, the flower of the +flock, are alone and childless." + +I had not, since Anna's death, given a thought to marrying again, but +my mother's words appealed to me with some force when I reflected that +I owed it to my country not to lead a life of selfish celibacy. I would +never love with the strength of my first love which I had given to +Anna; but there seemed to be no reason why I should not become the head +of a house, and the father of a family, so that I might live again in +my children. + +Now, it so fell out that Pauline Rutter, a niece of De Decker, came at +this time to stay with her uncle at Amsterdam, and as I was a frequent +visitor at De Decker's house, I often met her. Pauline was proud, dark, +and self-willed--the very opposite of what Anna Holstein had been when +I married her, and for this reason, perhaps, I liked her the more, +since it put an end to all comparison between her and Anna, to whom I +had given my first love. + +Pauline was flattered by the attention I paid her, and when at length I +asked her to become my wife she made no secret of her satisfaction at +the prospect of becoming Madam Van Bu. + +"I have always thought, sir," she said, "that you would marry again. It +is a duty which you owe to your wealth and position. That your choice +should have fallen upon me is an honour of which I am very sensible." + +It will thus be seen that in the alliance which Pauline and I proposed +there was to be no love-making. The bargain was one that might have +been made in the course of De Decker's business. I was to give Pauline +my wealth and name, in return for which she promised to become my wife, +and to undertake the management of my household. It was a shameful +bargain, and I was well served for my part in it. + +We had not been married a month before each of us began to observe in +the other an incompatibility of temper which made any kind of agreement +between us, even on the most trivial matters, impossible. Pauline +declared that I brought the manners of the forecastle into her +drawing-room, while the social inanities to which she devoted most of +her time angered me into upbraiding her with her frivolity and lack of +common sense. These mutual recriminations soon led us into a condition +of life which destroyed all prospect of peace and contentment in our +home. Neither would give way one jot. The more Pauline stormed at me +for my boorishness and want of consideration for her the more obstinate +did I become in ascribing to her frivolous nature the true cause of our +unhappiness. I admired Pauline, and I looked to her to become the +mother of my children; but we could neither of us endure the other's +presence for any length of time without a squabble, so that our +domestic infelicity became a jest and a byword even among our servants. +In these circumstances I felt it would be better that we should part. +It is said that absence makes the heart grow fonder, and I was +convinced that I would regard Pauline with more kindly feelings if seas +between us rolled than were possible if we remained together in the +same house, and I have no doubt that Pauline thoroughly reciprocated my +sentiments. + +In this mood I sought my old comrade Dirk Hartog. I found him, as I +expected, at a tavern which he frequented. He was seated at a table +with Bantum and Janstins, poring over a chart in which all three +appeared to be deeply interested. + + + +CHAPTER XL + +THE YELLOW PARCHMENT + + +"Welcome, Peter!" cried Hartog, when he saw me. "I'd have wagered you'd +be with us, and here you are in the nick of time." + +"What's in the wind now?" I asked, as I drew a chair to the table at +which the three were seated. + +"The greatest and best chance that was ever offered to seafarers," +answered Hartog. "Read that, and say whether any man with the blood of +a rover in him could sit tamely at home when such a country as this is +waiting to be explored." + +With these words he pushed toward me a parchment yellow with age, but +very clearly written, so it was easy to decipher. The paper, a +translation in Spanish from some ancient tongue, read as follows: + +"The Ruby Mountains. Among these mountains there are certain great and +deep valleys to the bottom of which there is no access. These valleys +are full of rubies. Wherefore the men who go in search of them take +with them a piece of flesh as lean as they can get, and this they east +into the bottom of the valley. Now there are a number of white eagles +that haunt these mountains and feed upon the serpents in which the +valley abounds. When the eagles see the meat thrown down, they pounce +upon it, and carry it up to some rocky hill-top, where they begin to +rend it. But there are men on the watch, and as soon as they see that +the eagles have, settled they raise a loud shouting to drive them off. +And when the eagles are thus scared away, the men recover the pieces of +meat, and find them full of rubies, which have stuck to the meat down +in the bottom of the valley. The abundance of rubies in these depths is +astonishing, but none can get down, and if any could they would be +devoured by the serpents which abound there. This country is inhabited +by pygmies and giants. The giants, who are by far the largest men to be +seen in this strait, are ruled by the pygmies." + +"And who is the author of this fairy tale?" I asked. + +"One to whom I take my hat off," answered Hartog. "Marco Polo, the +first and greatest navigator in the world's history. Where he could go +we can follow." + +"And where does he place the Ruby Mountains?" I inquired. + +"That is what troubles me," replied Hartog. "Marco Polo knew the Great +South Land, but not so thoroughly as we are beginning to know it now. +From this chart I place the Ruby Mountains on the north-west coast of +the continent of New Holland." + +"Whose chart is it?" I inquired. + +"Marco Polo's own," said Hartog. "It was given to me by a man I once +befriended, together with the parchment you have just read. How he came +by it I need not say. The man is dead, and I trust his sins are +forgiven him. But I know he would not lie to me, not willingly." + +"It seems a wild goose chase," I said, although my doubts were rapidly +dissolving under the witchery of Hartog's sanguine temperament. + +"So did our last voyage," answered Hartog. "Yet every word that was +written upon the paper that guided us was true. And why should we +presume that men would give so much labour to preparing these charts +and manuscripts in order to perpetuate lies?" + +I could not but admit this. The ability to make these drawings, and to +inscribe these manuscripts, I knew was confined to a very few, who were +mostly men of truth and honour. Such accounts as were available of the +wonderful voyages of Marco Polo I had read with avidity, and I saw no +reason to doubt the assertions of this brave and learned man. + +"What do you propose, then?" I asked Hartog, although in my own mind, I +knew the old sea-dog was impatient to be off on a new treasure-hunt. + +"What else can I do, Peter?" replied Hartog, "than take ship for this +place? I could never rest content, nor would you either, with the +thought of these Ruby Mountains still unexplored." + +"You have settled the matter, then, so far as I am concerned," I said, +with a laugh. + +"And why not, partner?" answered Hartog. "We own a fine ship that was +surely never intended only to make a maiden voyage. We could visit this +place, and be back in twelve months--two years at most. What is to keep +us, then, from our pleasure trip?" + +Before Hartog had done speaking, I knew my mind was made up to go with +him. My life at home with Pauline had become intolerable, nor did I +take any active part in De Decker's business, finding the drudgery of +the counting-house irksome after my more exciting experiences on sea +and land, so, without further ado, I expressed to Hartog my willingness +to join him in a fresh adventure to the South. + +Hartog was overjoyed at my decision. + +"I made no doubt you would come with me, Peter," he said. "We have been +shipmates too long to sail our separate ways alone. With Bantum and +Janstins, who are willing to sign on, and a picked crew; we can explore +the Ruby Mountains and be back within the year." + + + +CHAPTER XLI + +THE RUBY MOUNTAINS + + +On our second voyage to the South in the "Golden Seahorse" we followed +the route we had originally taken with the "Endraght", avoiding as far +as possible the calms and currents which had then impeded our progress, +as also those islands where we had met with a hostile reception. It +became necessary, however, to call at some of the groups we passed, and +it surprised us to find how diversified are the manners and customs of +the natives who inhabit the numerous islands of the South Seas. Not +only are the people of each group governed by different laws, but +frequently each island is distinct from the others in the language +spoken and the manner of life followed upon it. Hence it would require +a bulky volume to describe in detail the many and varied tribes we met +with on our journey. + +We made the coast of New Holland within five months after leaving +Amsterdam (a record voyage), somewhere about the same place where I had +affixed the metal plate at the time of our first visit. But we did not +land here, as the weather was unfavourable, a strong breeze blowing and +a high sea running at the time, making it necessary to keep a good +offing from the shore. As we coasted toward the south, however, the +weather moderated, so that we were able to bring our ship with safety +nearer land. + +From an observation we took when the weather was favourable, we +ascertained that we were three hundred miles to the north, with an +unbroken coastline extending before us; so we concluded we had rounded +a promontory, and were now upon the west coast of New Holland. This +encouraged us in the belief that we were following the right course to +the Ruby Mountains, for Marco Polo's parchment informed us that the +giants whom he saw were by far the largest men to be seen "in this +strait," from which it seemed the intrepid Venetian navigator had +sailed through this strait as early as the year 1272, when he made his +famous voyage round the world. + +As we proceeded along the coast, the weather being now clear and fine, +we observed great stretches of country, flat and uninviting, upon which +there appeared to be no sign of life. Indeed, the whole of this +southern continent seems to be sparsely populated when compared with +the islands, upon most of which the native inhabitants are very +numerous. In this may be seen the hand of an all-wise Providence. In +the ages to come a white population will, no doubt, emigrate to New +Holland, and if this great continent was found to be densely populated +by a black people, it would be a work of great difficulty to overcome +them. Whereas, the aboriginal population being scant by reason of the +barren nature of the country, the task of colonization by the whites +would be easy. We often sailed for more than a week at a time along +this coast without seeing any sign of human habitation, and those +natives whom we did see were of so poor a description and appeared to +be so frightened of us and of our vessel as hardly to deserve the name +of humans. + +And now we approached some cliffs, beyond which appeared a lofty range, +which, from our present position, and the bearings given on Marco +Polo's chart, Hartog declared to be the Ruby Mountains. + +As we approached the cliffs, a bold headland, which stood between us +and a view of the coast beyond, assumed the appearance of a lion's +head. The resemblance was so striking that it appeared as if the mighty +hand of Nature had hewn a colossus from the living rock in the shape of +a lion to guard the entrance into this land. + +Upon rounding this remarkable promontory, we found ourselves opposite a +beach bordered by a broad line of surf, which indicated that the water +here was very shallow for some distance from the shore. Both the surf +and the beach seemed to be alive with black children, so diminutive +were the forms who disported themselves in the breakers, or ran up and +down upon the sand with the eagerness and agility generally displayed +by boys at the seaside. As to the real ages of these people, however, +we were not left long in doubt. Four canoes put off from the shore and +came alongside. They were manned by twenty-five blacks, who, +notwithstanding their small stature, we could see at a glance were +full-grown men. We made signs to them to come aboard, but they were +evidently in doubt whether or not to accept our invitation. We then +threw out to them some small pieces of iron and strings of beads, at +which they showed great satisfaction. These little men appeared to be +an intelligent race. Their bodies were small, but their heads, in +proportion, were large. They wore no beards, but their hair was curly +like the Kafirs, some of them wearing it tied to the neck in a knot, +and others letting it fall loose down to the waist. All of them had +holes through their noses to carry fish bones, polished white. Some +wore strings of human teeth round their necks. + +At length, five, bolder than the rest, ventured aboard. They did not +appear to be afraid, and what astonished us most was that they seemed +ready to take charge of us. They made signs that we should go ashore, +and one of them, who appeared to be a chief, attempted to drive +Janstins into the sea by hitting him with a kind of hammer with a +wooden handle, and at one end a black conch shell. Janstins laughingly +disarmed his small antagonist, which seemed to surprise him as well as +the others, and brought them together in consultation. + +Ten of the pygmies now came aboard, to whom we gave nutmegs and cloves, +thinking to please them. They took what we gave them, although they +appeared surprised that we should offer them anything. The little +chief, not more than three feet high, who had so amusingly attempted to +drive Janstins into the sea, again made signs to us to go ashore. So +Hartog ordered the pinnace to be manned, and armed against treachery. +But we had not come within musket shot of the beach when the water +became so shallow that we could not take the boat any farther, +whereupon a number of us stepped out into the shallows, up to our +waists in mud and kelp, and with some difficulty made our way to the +beach, where the pygmies mustered in great force. + +On the beach we noticed fresh human footprints that must have been made +by men of great stature. They were twice as long as the footprints we +made, and none of us were noted for small feet. On going a short +distance into the woods we saw a vast number of huts made of dried +grass, so cramped that a man of ordinary size could not creep into them +on all fours, yet many of them contained families of pygmies. We +afterwards tried to penetrate somewhat farther into the wood, in order +to ascertain the nature and situation of the country, when, on coming +to an open place, a number of tall savages, none of them less than +eight feet high; came out from the brushwood as though to attack us. On +the neck of each giant sat one of the pygmies, who directed him in the +same way that a man would guide a charger. The pygmies then began to +let fly their arrows at us with great fury, by which Janstins was +wounded, and one of the men hit in the leg. We were all hard pressed, +so I ordered a volley to be fired, which killed one of the giants, so +that the others dragged the dead man into the wood, from which all +quickly disappeared. Being so far from the beach, and having a very +difficult path to travel, we determined to return to the ship and +report to Hartog what had occurred. + +Hartog, upon learning what had befallen us, resolved to make no further +overtures of peace to these treacherous natives, who appeared to be +more like wild beasts than men, and who, by their conduct, had placed +themselves beyond all claim to consideration. It seemed that the +pygmies possessed a greater intelligence than the giants, whom they +used as ordinary men would use horses or beasts of burden. It was for +this reason that the little chief had attempted to drive Janstins into +the sea with his conch-shell hammer, regarding him as some smaller +species of giant whom he could easily frighten into obeying him. + +During the afternoon some canoes came off in which were a number of +pygmies, but they made no attempt to come aboard of us, remaining, as +they thought, at a safe distance from the ship. In order to convince +them of the error of this, however, and to punish them for their +treachery of the morning, Hartog ordered our brass bow-chaser to be +loaded with grape, and fired amongst them, which caused great +consternation, and sent them back to their woods howling in terror, +taking their dead and wounded with them. + +Hartog was determined to explore the range of mountains which we could +see not far distant from the coast, in order to ascertain the truth, or +otherwise, of the existence of rubies in the valleys as set forth in +Marco Polo's account of this country. Although we had carefully looked +for these gems among the ornaments worn by the pygmies, we had not seen +any, from which we concluded that the men spoken of by Polo as having +procured the rubies must have been of a different race, or possibly his +own sailors. Toward evening we observed a large bird in the sky, which +Hartog, with the aid of his spy-glass, pronounced to be a white eagle. + + + +CHAPTER XLII + +THE VALLEY OF SERPENTS + + +We now equipped an expedition to explore the Ruby Mountains, of which I +was appointed leader. Hartog wished to come with us, but I persuaded +him that his place was on board our ship, which, remembering how the +Spaniards had, on a former occasion, pirated the vessel, he could not +deny. + +"You are right, Peter," he said, when we had argued the matter. "We +cannot both go, and, since I am captain of the 'Golden Seahorse', I +clearly perceive my duty is to stand by her through fair and foul." + +The matter being thus concluded, I took command of the party for the +shore. In the forenoon we rowed for the beach in two pinnaces, well +manned and armed. In all the places where we had landed we had treated +the blacks with kindness, offering them pieces of iron, strings of +beads, and pieces of cloth, hoping by these means to win their +friendship, and to be allowed to explore the country; but, in spite of +our friendly overtures, the blacks received us everywhere as enemies, +and nowhere more so than in this land of pygmies and giants. We +therefore determined to waste no more time in making useless efforts +for peace, but to meet force with force. Twelve men, well armed, we +considered to be a match for all the savages we were likely to +encounter during a day's march inland. + +We had brought with us some coils of stout rope in order to assist us +in descending from the mountain heights into the valleys below, for I +did not place much reliance upon the fable of the eagles and the pieces +of fresh meat as a means to procure the rubies which it was said were +washed down by torrential rains at certain seasons. If rubies were to +be obtained, I argued, it must be by a more practical method than that +employed by Marco Polo's men. Besides, we had no fresh meat with which +to give Polo's experiment a trial. + +After our recent brush with the natives these wild men gave us a wide +berth, and we saw no sign of them on our way to the mountains, to which +we came after two hours of walking. The sides of these mountains are +rocky, with no verdure of any kind upon them except a species of +stubble which grows in patches. When we came to the top of one of these +hills, we looked down a sheer cliff into the valley. I never before saw +any place so inaccessible to man. Nothing without wings, it appeared, +could descend into those depths. After exploring the mountains for the +best part of an hour, however, we came to a position where it was +possible, with caution, to descend for some distance, and by aid of our +rope, one end of which we fastened to rocks or stubble as opportunity +offered, we succeeded in reaching a cliff from which there was a drop +of not more than two hundred feet. This I calculated to be the entire +length of the rope we had brought with us, by which I resolved to be +lowered. Bantum tried to dissuade me from my project, urging that the +risk was too great; but I was determined that, having come so far, I +would not go back without being able to make some report of the valley +we had undertaken to explore, and a descent by means of the rope seemed +to be the only method, nor could Bantum suggest any other. + +I now knotted at one end of the rope a cradle in which I could sit. +while being lowered, and so long as the rope held, of which there +appeared to be no reason to doubt, for my weight was well within its +compass, I did not anticipate danger. + +All being made ready, and every possible precaution taken against +accident, I was let down from the top of the cliff to what looked like +the dried-up course of a stream composed of pebbles and wash-dirt. The +whole valley presented the most dreary and desolate appearance. The +high cliffs by which it was surrounded rose like perpendicular walls, +casting deep shadows, so that the sun's rays never penetrated to the +floor, for which reason it was destitute of verdure, barren to the eye, +and depressing to the senses. As I descended it seemed to me as though +I was being lowered into some forgotten tomb. + +At length my feet touched ground, and, extricating myself from my +cradle, I began to explore the course of the stream. The light in these +depths, although it was noonday, was not greater than twilight, and I +found some difficulty in ascertaining of what the bed of the stream was +composed, but by crawling on all fours I was able to form some idea of +its composition, and among the wash-dirt I found a number of dark +stones, which, from the experience I had gained at Amsterdam, I knew to +be rubies of a size and weight that promised great value. + +I now became so absorbed in my hunt for rubies that the dismal nature +of my surroundings was forgotten. The greed of gain obsessed me, and as +I gathered the precious stones into my pocket I would not have +exchanged this desolate valley for the most beautiful spot on earth. + +But I was soon to learn how the wealth of the world is for ever +encompassed by dangers that we wot not of. A shout drew my attention, +and on looking up a sight met my gaze which drove all thoughts of +ruby-hunting from my mind, and made self-preservation my only concern. +The rope by which I had descended, relieved of my weight, swayed like +a serpent endowed with life, and for this reason, perhaps, it was being +fiercely attacked, about midway from the top, by a flock of white +eagles which tore at the hemp with beak and claws. I ran to the cradle; +but I had barely come to it when the rope parted, a hundred feet or +more of it falling down to where I stood scarcely able, as yet, to +realize the extent of the disaster which had overtaken me. A return to +the ship for a fresh rope would occupy, I knew, six hours at the least, +provided my companions were not molested on their way by hostile +savages, and I shuddered to think what my sufferings must be during +such a period of enforced solitude in this dreadful place. I shouted to +my comrades on top of the cliff, who answered me, but it was impossible +to understand what was said. I noticed, however, that some had already +set off on a return to the ship, as I conjectured, for a fresh rope; +while others continued to watch me. Thus I did not feel so deserted as +I would otherwise have done, though I dreaded the weary hours before +me, particularly when it should become dark, as would happen sooner +here than above. + +And now, to add to my terrors, I became aware of a low, hissing sound +which seemed to come from all around me, first from one quarter and +then from another. The air seemed to menace me with the hisses that +were borne upon it. Then, in spite of the gloom, by straining my eyes I +could see the cause of this hissing. A number of serpents were crawling +out of the crevices of the rocks around, and making toward me. I +shouted in the hope of frightening them away, but, although they +paused, irresolute, at the sound of my voice, they came on again, +drawing closer every minute. They were of all sizes, some of great +length, black and venomous-looking. One monstrous reptile of the +constrictor species continued to watch me from an adjacent rock upon +which it lay, its forked tongue darting in and out of its mouth. I felt +that my reason was leaving me. Endurance has its limits--I could bear +no more. Death or madness awaited me. + +Then a miracle happened. The white eagles, the cause of my mishap, now +proved my salvation. They descended upon the serpents like bolts from +above, carrying them off in their talons to the mountain tops, there to +be devoured at their leisure. The dark valley became alive with +flapping white wings and squirming serpents, in the midst of which +pandemonium I mercifully lost consciousness. + +When I came to myself Hartog was beside me. It was pitch dark, but he +carried a ship's lantern in his hand. + + + +CHAPTER XLIII + +WE AGAIN LEAVE NEW HOLLAND + + +"Courage, comrade," said Hartog, who held a flask of spirits to my +lips, and at the sound of his familiar voice life returned to me. I was +so weak, however, and the shock to my nervous system had been so great, +that I could not speak. I pressed his hand to let him know how thankful +I was that he had come himself to my assistance. None, I firmly +believe, but Hartog could have saved me at that moment from madness or +death. With the tenderness of his great heart, which could be gentle as +a woman's upon occasions, he lifted me in his arms, and bore me to the +cradle at the end of the rope by which he had descended. I was soon +drawn to the top of the cliff, where my companions awaited me, and +presently Hartog himself joined us. We did not fear the pygmies and +giants at night-time, for the dread of evil spirits in the dark is +universal among the aborigines of New Holland, making it unlikely they +would attack us, but it was a melancholy procession which made its way +through the woods to the beach where our boats lay, with me carried on +a stretcher by willing hands, since I was incapable of making any +exertion. + +Next day, after a night of delirium, during which I raved, so Hartog +told me, of eagles and serpents, I awoke refreshed, though still very +weak. I could not bear to be left alone, not even for a moment, and +Hartog nursed me with a tenderness that my mother would have given me +had she been at my bedside. At length I pulled through, and was able to +come on deck; but it was a shadow of my former self who crept up the +companion ladder to where a couch had been prepared for me. As I lay +thus, recovering my strength in the sun, I was able to give Hartog some +account of my adventure. At first, when I spoke of rubies, he evidently +regarded what I said as a flight of fancy inseparable from the dreadful +ordeal through which I had passed. But when I insisted that I had told +him nothing but truth, he brought me the clothes I had worn on my +descent into the valley, the pockets of which we found to be full of +the rubies I had collected. But, after consultation, we determined to +say nothing about these rubies to any member of the crew. The wealth of +the Indies would not have tempted me to descend into the valley again, +and Hartog considered the risk too great for him to run, upon whom the +safety of us all depended. To have asked others to undertake a danger +from which we shrank would have been to undermine our authority and sow +the seeds of mutiny. Thus we kept our secret, and after a further +week's rest, during which I fully regained my strength, we made sail +for the open sea. + +The land which we had up to now skirted and touched at was not only +barren and inhabited by savages, but also the sea in these parts seemed +to yield nothing but sharks, swordfish, and the like unnatural +monsters, while the birds also were as wild and shy as the men. What +pleasure the wretched inhabitants of this country can find in their +lives it is hard to understand. + +We were now once more in need of water, and having sighted an island, +we made for it, but could find no means to get near the land, owing to +the heavy surf. We found the coast very precipitous, without any +foreland or inlets. In short, it seemed to us a barren, accursed place, +without leaf or grass. The coast here was steep, consisting of red +rocks of the same height almost everywhere, and impossible to touch at +owing to the breakers. + +During the whole of the next day the current carried us northward +against our will, since we were running with small sail, and had but +little control over the rudder. In the afternoon we saw smoke rising up +from the shore, when I took charge of a boat's crew, in order to effect +a landing, with our spirits somewhat revived, for I concluded if there +were men on the island there must be water also. + +Coming near to the shore, we found it to be a steeply-rising coast, +full of rocks and stones, with a violent surf running. Nevertheless, +two of our men swam ashore, and succeeded in drawing the pinnace close +to the reef, upon which we landed. + +We now began our search for water, without, however, finding any, when +we observed coming toward us, from the direction in which we had seen +the smoke, three men creeping on all fours. Their appearance was so +wretched that we began to doubt if they were humans. They made no +sound, apparently being incapable of speech, but they signed to us with +beckoning fingers to approach them. Then they raised themselves upon +their knees, and stretched out their hands to us in mute appeal. They +were white men--some of the Spaniards marooned by Captain Montbar as a +punishment for having stolen our vessel. And, with a shock, I +recognized among them Pedro de Castro, the traitor to whom we owed the +piracy of our ship. + +When we came close to the unfortunate Spaniards whom Montbar had left +to shift for themselves on this desolate shore I bent over to examine +them. But that they moved I would not have thought them to be alive. +The pupils of their eyes were strangely dilated, and there were black +circles under their eyes. Their hollow cheeks were deeply wrinkled. +Their lips glued to their yellow teeth. They exhaled an infectious +odour, and might well have been taken for dead men come forth from the +tombs. + +We had some salt junk and biscuits on the boat, kept in one of the +lockers against, as sometimes happened, the boat being unable to return +to the ship in time for meals, and I sent one of the crew to fetch a +portion, which he set before the famished men. + +When the Spaniards saw the food their limbs were affected with a +shivering, and tears came into their eyes. Then they fell upon it, and +devoured it with sobs of joy. In astonishment and pity we watched them +at their wolfish meal. When they had finished I asked de Castro for +some account of what had befallen them. + +The devil Montbar, he said, had abandoned them upon this desolate +island, telling them to make shift for themselves, and to learn from +the hardship of their lot repentance for the act of piracy they had +committed in stealing our ship. On searching the island they found it +to contain no water except a brackish liquid, to be had by digging, The +only food obtainable was shell-fish, and occasionally the rank flesh of +sea birds. They had neither the tools nor materials to build +habitations, and were forced to shelter themselves from the scorching +sun in summer and from the bitter cold in winter with a few bushes. +When de Castro spoke of Montbar he became livid, and a very evil light +shone in his eyes. For two years they had endured upon this island +untold suffering. All the women and children were long since dead, +except Donna Isabel Barreto, who clung to life with the tenacity born +of a desire for revenge. Of the two hundred and forty Spaniards +marooned by Captain Montbar but thirty now survived, the rest having +perished miserably from starvation and exposure, when their bodies had +been cast from the cliffs into the sea. + +When Pedro and his companions had somewhat recovered they led us to +where their wretched settlement had been made among a clump of gaunt, +wind-swept trees, and, in pity for their forlorn condition, I ordered +all the provisions we had in the boat to be brought for their +refreshment. Donna Isabel threw herself at my feet, clasping my knees, +and covering my hands with kisses. She had lost all trace of the proud +beauty she had formerly possessed. Her skin had been burnt almost black +by the sun, and a mane of tangled white hair surrounded what had once +been a noble countenance. Only her eyes retained their brightness, and +at thought of rescue, and possible revenge upon her enemy Montbar, they +seemed to glow with unnatural fire. + +I knew that Hartog would not have wished me to leave these wretched +outcasts to their fate, however little deserving they may have been of +our sympathy, so I invited them to accompany us back to the ship. They +came protesting they would henceforth be our slaves, ready, in all +things, to obey our slightest behest. But I had little faith in their +promises when their necessities should be relieved. + +Hartog, as may well be imagined, was considerably surprised when we +returned on board with the remnant of the Spanish settlement in such +sorry plight, but he approved of what I had done in bringing them off +the island. They were sent forward, where they received every +attention. Donna Isabel was the only one allowed to berth in the cabin. +We had no women's dress on board, but we found her warm clothing, in +which she appeared as a man. After a while she recovered her good +looks, and we found her companionship agreeable. + +A week later we came to an island which promised more favourable +conditions than the one we had just left, and where we obtained a +supply of good water for our tanks. + + + +CHAPTER XLIV + +THE ISLANDS OF ARMENIO + + +It was now brought home to me that Donna Isabel Barreto was henceforth +to play no unimportant part in the prosecution of our voyage. She had +recovered her good looks, and although she was older than any of us on +board the "Golden Seahorse", and probably ten years older than Hartog, +she nevertheless exerted an influence over the captain which I could +see he found it impossible to resist. Donna Isabel had once more +resumed her feminine attire, having stitched together for herself a +wardrobe from the ship's stores of cloth and calico, and Hartog begged +from me three of the rubies which I had found in the Valley of +Serpents, which he presented to her, and which she wore sewn on to a +black velvet cap. + +Donna Isabel openly expressed her desire to amass treasure in order to +follow up Montbar and take her revenge upon him for having marooned her +and her people upon a desert island. This desire for revenge obsessed +her. Her Spanish blood burned to repay the insults and indignities +which Montbar had heaped upon her, and she looked forward with pleasure +to the tortures which she promised herself she would inflict upon +Montbar when once she held him in her power. + +In order to obtain means to make war upon her enemy, Donna Isabel +persuaded Hartog to embark upon a fresh adventure, which promised to +provide the necessary funds to equip a frigate equal to that owned by +Montbar, so that she might engage him upon equal terms. + +The story that Donna Isabel had to tell was one confided to her by her +late husband, Captain Barreto, which she had kept locked in her memory +ever since, waiting for some such opportunity as the present, when the +information she possessed might be turned to account. The story was, +briefly, as follows: + +A long time ago a Spanish vessel sailed from Manila for Mexico, and +east of Japan had by a violent storm been driven toward a small but +high-rising island. + +When the crew went ashore, the island proved to be a country, strange +and unknown to anyone; the people being of handsome stature, white +skinned, and of good proportions, very affable, and amiably disposed. +On their arrival in Mexico, the sailors related many marvels about the +wealth of this island, giving their hearers to understand that, so to +say, gold and silver were almost to be picked up at discretion on the +shore, while the kettles and other cooking utensils of the natives were +made of these metals. These islands were named the Islands of Armenio, +after an Armenian merchant who was on board the ship. Donna Isabel +professed to have received from her late husband the true bearings of +these islands, which she confided to Hartog, and a course was set +accordingly. + +Pedro de Castro, Donna Isabel's son, had now been forgiven his +treachery toward us in stealing our vessel, since Hartog considered his +punishment in having been marooned upon a desert island commensurate +with his offence. He was, therefore, permitted to join us in the cabin, +and was given employment as ship's purser, for which he was well +suited. He expressed great contrition for what he had done, and I +honestly believe at the time he intended to serve us faithfully. But +treachery once practised is oft-times repeated, so I made up my mind to +keep a watchful eye on Pedro de Castro lest we again be caught +tripping. + +We now proceeded northward, coasting with great care a succession of +small rocky islands that appeared to be uninhabited. As we proceeded, +the weather became rough and tempestuous, the sea running so high that +it sometimes threatened to engulf us. During the whole of our voyage we +had not met with such a mountainous sea. + +At last we perceived a land to the north, trending to the north-east, +of which the coast seemed to be one continuous rock, remarkably level +at the top, and of a reddish colour, against which the sea broke with +such fury as to make a landing impossible, but Donna Isabel declared +this rock to be one of the islands of Armenio we had come in search of. +As there were no other islands to be seen, we concluded that during the +ages which had passed since the white-skinned people inhabited them, +the continuous beating of the waves had gradually demolished the +islands until nothing remained but the plateau of red rock to which we +had come, and over which the sea sometimes swept in a mass of foam. +But, having come to the island of her dreams, Donna Isabel would not +leave it until we had ascertained, beyond doubt, that a landing was +impracticable. It was not handsome, white-skinned natives whom we had +come in search of, she said, but solid gold, which neither tempests nor +seas can destroy. In order to satisfy her, we remained several days in +the vicinity of this mass of rocks, hoping that the weather would +moderate, so as to make possible a landing upon it, and at last we were +rewarded for our patience by a lull in the heavy breakers, so that the +pinnace, of which I took charge, was able to approach close to the +steep and jagged shore. Thereupon six of the Spaniards leaped +overboard, trusting to their skill as swimmers to make the land, which +they did, remaining on shore for upward of an hour. When they returned +they reported the rock to be a mass of auriferous quartz, in which was +embedded more gold than they had ever thought to see in one place, but +so tightly wedged was it between the crevices that they had been unable +to bring any of it away except a few small specimens which they showed +us. With picks and crowbars, however, they declared it would be easy to +obtain an unlimited supply of gold. + +When we reported the finding of the gold to Donna Isabel, she vowed she +would never consent to abandon the treasure. "The sea cannot always be +rough," she said. "A calm must follow. Let us, therefore, wait in +patience until it comes, so that we may land and enrich ourselves." + +Hartog, also, was in no mood to leave the gold until every effort had +been made to obtain it, so we continued to beat about in the vicinity +of the island awaiting a calm. + +After three weeks tossing on the ocean, during which time of stress we +suffered much hardship by reason of our decks being continually +drenched by the seas which swept us fore and aft, a calm suddenly fell, +as it does in the tropics, without the least warning. Fortunately we +were not far from the island when the calm fell, so that we lay within +easy reach of it. + +Without loss of time we manned the two pinnaces, I taking command of +one and Janstins of the other, and made for the shore. Donna Isabel +insisted upon coming in my boat. She had discarded her feminine +apparel, and now appeared in the sailor's clothes we had given her when +she first came aboard. Hartog, as captain, remained in charge of the +ship. + +When we came to the island we found no difficulty in landing, and were +soon engaged with the picks and crow-bars we had brought with us, in +the work of gold-getting. We found the report given by the Spanish +sailors, who had been the first to land, to be somewhat exaggerated. +Still, there was an abundance of gold between the crevices of the rock, +and, what was more remarkable, we came upon what had evidently been +vessels of beaten gold, thus proving beyond doubt that the island had +formerly been inhabited. + +During the course of the morning we obtained as much gold mixed with +quartz as the boats could conveniently carry, when we returned to the +ship, intending, after our midday meal, to come back for a fresh supply +of the precious metal, but on getting aboard we found Hartog much +perturbed by the extraordinary behaviour of the compass, and the +strange appearance of the sky. + +"I don't like the look of it, Peter," said Hartog, when we descended +together to the cabin to discuss the situation. "I never knew this to +happen before but once, and I am not anxious to repeat the experience. +Unless I am greatly mistaken, there's something big coming." + +When we returned to the deck, a low moaning sound came to us across the +sea, but, otherwise, there seemed to be nothing to cause anxiety. Donna +Isabel wished to return to the island for more gold, but Hartog would +not permit of any further expedition being made that day. He ordered +the boats to be hoisted, and the treasure carried below. Every stitch +of canvas had already been taken off the ship by the captain's orders, +and we now rode upon a glassy sea under bare poles. Then the moaning +increased, and presently there appeared upon the horizon a black line +over which lightning played, although no clouds were visible. The +atmosphere was at this time so oppressive that it was difficult to +breathe. + +Hartog then ordered the helm to be lashed, the hatches to be put on, +and all hands below, he and I being the last to quit the deck just as +the storm broke upon us with hurricane force. + +For three days and nights we remained between, decks, with the hatches +battened down, not knowing but that each moment might be our last. The +noise was deafening, while the violent motion of the vessel made the +getting about from one part of the ship to another difficult and +dangerous. Food and water we obtained with difficulty, not at regular +intervals, but when opportunity offered, crawling from one to another, +and helping those who, from exhaustion, were least able to help +themselves. The air became so foul in the cabin as to cause the ship's +lanterns to burn dimly, so that we feared they would soon be +extinguished. Thus we lived amid the raging elements, shut up in a +storm-tossed coffin which we knew might go to pieces at any moment. + +At length, on the third day, Hartog ventured to open one of the +hatches, when a rush of cool air came to us as we lay gasping below, +bringing with it new life and vigour. The hurricane had passed, and +although the wind and sea still ran high, we were told we might come on +deck. But the happiness we felt at being released from our dreadful +imprisonment was checked when we saw the havoc which had been wrought +by the wind and the waves upon our ship. The decks were swept clean, +the masts gone by the board, the larboard bulwarks stove in, while the +cook's galley had disappeared. + + + +CHAPTER XLV + +SUMATRA + + +All hands now set to work to cut away the wreckage of our masts and +rigging, which, as the ship rolled in the trough of the sea, threatened +to stave in the hull as the spars dashed against it with each recoil. +Had it not been that the "Golden Seahorse" was a new ship, upon which +no expense had been spared in the building, we must have foundered. But +it was amid such scenes of storm and stress that the indomitable spirit +of Dirk Hartog asserted itself, and seemed to animate both officers and +crew with something of his own courage and determination. Forgetting +the hardships and privations through which we had passed, we set to +work, under the magic of his influence, with such goodwill that, in the +space of some six hours, order had been evolved out of chaos, and our +vessel once more rode the sea in safety. The pumps were then manned, +when it was found that although much water was in the hold, it was +easily gained upon, from which we concluded that no leak had sprung in +our timbers, notwithstanding the battering they had received. Jury-masts +were then rigged, upon which sufficient sail was set to give the ship +steering way, when we hoped to make a harbour where we might refit, and +effect necessary repairs. + +We were now anxious to reach some port where new masts and rigging +might be obtained, as our progress under jury-masts, which carried only +a limited spread of canvas, was necessarily slow. Donna Isabel was in +favour of abandoning the "Golden Seahorse" at the first port we came to +where another ship could be purchased to convey our treasure to Spain, +but neither Hartog nor I would consent to this proposal, having no +desire to see the interior of a Spanish prison, or to taste of the +horrors of the Inquisition. It was astonishing how quickly Donna Isabel +and her son, Pedro de Castro, appeared to have forgotten the obligation +they were under to us for having rescued them from the desert island +upon which they had been marooned. Both now spoke as if we were +indebted to them for having put us in the way of enriching ourselves +with the gold obtained from the Islands of Armenio, and Donna Isabel +declared that the treasure really belonged to her, since she had +possessed the secret which led to its discovery. I was so disgusted by +the ingratitude of these Spaniards that I could hardly bring myself to +speak of the matter with patience. + +Hartog now proposed that we should make for Sumatra, and as this +proposal appeared to promise a way out of, our difficulties, I had +nothing to say against it. + +Sumatra is one of the Sunda Islands, having Malacca on the north, +Borneo on the east, Java on the south-east, and the Indian Ocean on the +west. It is eight hundred miles long and about one hundred and fifty +broad, and it possesses a fine harbour capable of containing any number +of the largest ships. Here we arrived without mishap, within three +weeks after setting our course for this port, and cast anchor in a +sheltered spot close to the shore. The harbour is commanded by a strong +fortress, well fortified, and mounted with cannon. Three ships were at +anchor, a Spanish frigate and two smaller vessels, one flying the flag +of England, and the other displaying the colours of the Netherlands. +We had barely found our moorings when a boat from the man-o'-war came +alongside, steered by a young Spanish officer, who bore as much +arrogance in his demeanour as there was to be seen gold lace and brass +buttons upon his uniform. He haughtily demanded an interview with the +captain, but upon Hartog stepping forward his manner became less +offensive, and finally they descended together to the cabin, being +shortly afterward joined by Donna Isabel. + +Since I was not invited to this conference, I was forced to remain on +deck, feeling very jealous of the influence which Donna Isabel exerted +over Hartog, to the destruction of the mutual trust and confidence +which had formerly existed between us. I felt, also, there was trouble +in store for us. Hartog, although brave and resourceful upon the sea, +was but a child when it came to dealing with business matters ashore, +and I well knew that he would prove no match for the wily Spaniards +with whom he was now in consultation. + +Presently the party from the cabin came on deck, when I perceived that +Pedro de Castro was one of those who had been present at the +conference. The young Spanish officer was now all smiles and +affability, and Donna Isabel and her son, accompanying him to his boat, +were rowed aboard the frigate. + +Hartog then came to me, and I could see he was worried, and ashamed at +having shut me out from what had taken place in the cabin. + +"Forgive me, comrade," he said, "but Donna Isabel would have none +present at the interview with the Spaniard save only myself and her son +Pedro." + +"Since when has Donna Isabel Barreto become captain of this ship?" I +asked. + +"Nay, Peter, I forgive thee that sneer," answered Hartog, "though I +would not take it from another. It has been decided to transfer the +treasure to the Spanish frigate, the captain of the warship undertaking +to protect us while we remain in this port and to pay for all necessary +repairs to our ship. These were the best terms I could make, and they +seem to me fair enough." + +I had no desire to haggle over terms, for I was already rich enough to +make me careless of what became of the gold we had taken from the +Island of Armenio, but I realized how great was the influence Donna +Isabel had acquired over Hartog in order to induce him to lay aside his +claim to a part of the treasure. + +During the day a boat came from the frigate into which the gold was +loaded and transferred to the warship, together with the Spaniards we +had aboard of us, whom I was glad to be rid of on any terms, and that +evening was the first upon which I had felt at home in our cabin since +Donna Isabel and her people had joined us. + +It was a beautiful evening, with a gentle breeze off the shore--the +very night, as I remarked to Hartog, to put to sea. + +"I wish we could up anchor and be off," answered Hartog. "But we have +work to do ashore in attending to the ship's repairs before we may hope +to leave this place where, I make no doubt, we shall be imposed upon +and robbed by the sweepings of Europe who inhabit this island. It is +fortunate we have the word of the Spanish captain that he himself will +be responsible for all we need." + +I did not answer, for I did not share in Hartog's sanguine expectations +regarding the Spaniards. I had experienced too many acts of treachery +to trust them, and there existed, as I knew, at this time, a natural +antipathy between the Netherlands and Spain, which made any binding +compact between the people of these rival nations impossible. I did +not, however, voice my suspicions lest my opposition might be +attributed to jealousy. + +As sometimes happens, I was unable to sleep that night, my thoughts +taking wing among the many scenes of adventure through which I had +passed, and refusing to compose themselves to rest. With the dawn I was +up and on deck. As I stepped upon the poop and looked around upon the +quiet harbour where the ships rode at anchor, I became aware of a +certain emptiness in the bay. I rubbed my eyes and looked again. The +Spanish frigate was gone. + + + +CHAPTER XLVI + +MAHOMET ACHMET + + +When Hartog was told of the treachery of Donna Isabel Barreto, in +stealing our portion of the gold obtained from the island of Armenio, +and leaving us, for all she knew or cared, without the means to repair +our vessel, he did not show so much anger as I expected. He seemed more +to regret the loss of Donna Isabel than the treasure with which she had +so heartlessly decamped. + +"She was a clever woman, Peter," was all he said to me in reference to +the matter, "and I shall miss her." Then he clapped me on the shoulder, +and bade me not despond. "We still have the rubies," he reminded me, +"which, properly invested, will more than pay for all we need." + +I had forgotten the rubies, but I stipulated that the disposal of them +should be left in my hands. + +"Willingly, Peter," replied Hartog, "for, between ourselves, I doubt +not I am more at home on the sea than in making a bargain with +land-rogues ashore. Take you command of the ship until she is once +more taut and trim." + +To this I agreed, although I had no intention of depriving Hartog of +his authority, and, after breakfast, I landed with a boat's crew, in +order to interview the islanders, and, if possible, to make +arrangements with some of them for the equipment of our vessel. + +Achin, the metropolis of Sumatra, is situated at the north-west end of +the island. It stands on a plain, surrounded by woods and marshes, +about five miles distant from the sea, near to a pleasant rivulet. The +city consists of some eight thousand houses which take up more ground +than a city of this size would demand by reason of every person +surrounding his dwelling with a palisade that stands some yards distant +from it. The inhabitants are, in general, small, and of very swarthy +complexion. They have black eyes, flat faces, and high check-bones. +Their hair is long and black, and they take great pains to dye their +teeth black. They also besmear their bodies with oil, as do the natives +of other hot countries, to protect themselves from being stung by +insects, while they let their nails grow exceedingly long, scraping +them until they are transparent, and dyeing them vermilion. The poorer +class go almost naked, having only a small piece of cloth round the +waist, and a piece of linen about the head, or a cap made of leaves +resembling the crown of a hat. The richer sort wear white breeches to +above the knee, and a piece of calico, or silk, wrapped round their +loins and thrown over the left shoulder. Some wear sandals, but all are +bare-legged and bare-bodied from the waist upward. The common language +among them is the Malayan language, and, by speaking to some whom I met +on landing, I found I was able to make myself understood, and to +understand, though imperfectly, what was said to me. The Sumatrans are +a very indolent race of people, which accounted for the small interest +they took in the arrival of our ship, none thinking it worth while to +come aboard, or to make any inquiry concerning us. + +When I explained that my business was to obtain new masts and rigging I +was directed to the house of an Arab named Mahomet Achmet, a carpenter +and ship chandler, if such he could be called, who traded with vessels +visiting the island, and dealt with them in the matter of repairs or +refitting. Mahomet, like all the inhabitants of Sumatra, spoke the +Malayan language, but we occasionally helped each other with Spanish or +Dutch words, of which he had acquired the meaning by his intercourse +with crews of these nationalities. When I told him we required masts as +well as rigging, he seemed to consider my request unreasonable. There +were masts on the island, he said, good ones too, made of beech, but +they belonged to the king, who set great store by them, since they had +come to him as the result of a victory by the fort over a foreign +vessel which had attempted to raid the island and take by force what +could only honestly be obtained by trade. On my asking to see the king +Mahomet turned up his eyes with an exclamation of astonishment at my +audacity. No foreigners were permitted to see the king, he said. It was +death to enter without permission the inner apartments of the palace +where the king lived. But when I produced one of my rubies he became +less demonstrative in his protestations against my proposed visit. + +"It is for these toys that I would trade with the king," I said to him, +as I held up the red crystal to the light in order that he might see it +better. + +"Such toys the king likes well," answered Achmet. "Give it me, and I +will send it to the king, and ask if he will receive you." + +"Nay, Achmet," I answered, "I will not part with my jewels save only to +the king himself. Send, therefore, and tell him that a rich merchant +from the East is here to trade for gems such as are only fit for kings +to handle." + +I could now see that Mahomet Achmet was on the horns of a dilemma. His +natural cupidity urged him to rob me of my jewels, but should this come +to the king's knowledge he would doubtless suffer for having taken the +law into his own hands. Finally he consented to send a message to the +king on my promising that not only would I pay him liberally for such +ship-chandlery as he might supply us with, but that if all went well I +would present him with a ruby of equal value to that which I had shown +him before I left the island. + +While the messenger was absent on his mission, Mahomet gave me some +interesting information regarding his Malayan Majesty. The king, he +said, owned a large number of horses, as well as elephants, all having +magnificent trappings. He was at no expense in time of war, for all his +subjects were obliged to march at their own expense, and to carry with +them provisions for three months. In peace time his Majesty's living +and that of his household cost him nothing, for his subjects supplied +him with all kinds of provisions. He was, besides, heir to all those of +his people who died without male issue, and to all foreigners who died +within his territories, while he succeeded to the property of all those +who were put to death for offences against the law. + +From this it will be seen that the revenue of this prince is very +considerable, and that he is personally interested in the death of +foreigners within his kingdom, whether from natural causes or in the +execution of the law, of which he is the sole arbiter. + + + +CHAPTER XLVII + +KING TRINKITAT + + +The space of an hour had barely elapsed since the sending of the +messenger to King Trinkitat of Sumatra, announcing my arrival in his +dominions, before an answer was brought me that his Majesty desired my +attendance at the palace forthwith, so I made ready to accompany those +he had sent for me, and who acted as my bodyguard. + +The king's palace stands in the middle of the town, its grounds being +oval in shape, and about a half-mile in circumference, surrounded by a +moat twenty-five feet broad, and as many deep. All round the palace +there are cast up great heaps of earth instead of a wall, planted with +reeds and canes that grow to a prodigious height and thickness. These +reeds are continually green, so that there is no danger of fire. There +is no ditch or drawbridge before the gates leading to the palace, but, +on each side, a wall of stone, about ten feet high, that supports a +terrace on which some guns are planted. A small stream runs through the +middle of the palace, which is lined with stone, and has steps down to +the bottom of it for the convenience of bathers. There were four gates +and as many courts to be passed before we came to the royal apartments, +and in some of these outer courts are kept the king's magazines of +rifles and cannon. Here also are stalls for the king's elephants. In +the king's magazines are to be found numerous cannon, and a quantity of +small arms, while his guards consist of a thousand men. But his +greatest strength is in his elephants, which are trained to trample +upon fire, and to stand unmoved at the report of artillery. + +When we came to the inner courts, beyond which were the apartments of +the king, our bodyguard halted, and Mahomet Achmet and I entered the +king's presence unattended. + +We found his Majesty seated on a divan surrounded by his numerous wives +and slaves, to the number of several hundred, for the apartment in +which the king received us was a very large one, more resembling a +courtyard than a room, since the roof was open to the sky. The king +seemed to be a man of middle age, whom I judged to be about forty years +old, but his attendants were all young, some of them scarcely more than +children. + +All were attired in the same manner, so that it was difficult to tell +their sex, with short white breeches to above the knee, silken scarves +of various colours wrapped round their waists, the end being thrown +over the left shoulder, and white turbans upon their heads, into which +their long hair was gathered. Some were yellow-skinned, others brown, +others again jet-black. All had been rubbed with oil so that their +skins glistened like polished marble, and they stood about the +courtyard or around the king in silent groups, like so many statues. + +Mahomet Achmet prostrated himself when he came into the king's +presence, as is the manner of the East; but I contented myself with +bowing low as I approached the divan upon which his Majesty sat, very +gorgeously dressed in red and blue silk robes embroidered with golden +dragons, which I concluded he had obtained from China. Upon his head he +wore a white turban with a jewelled aigrette of great value. His +countenance was intellectual, and his expression shrewd. + +King Trinkitat received me graciously, and ordered a stool to be placed +near to the divan so that I might sit and converse with him upon the +matter in hand. When I showed him some of my rubies he at once said, +"These come from the South Land," and upon my asking him how he had +arrived at this conclusion, he answered that some of his people visited +annually the South Land to trade with the natives, and had reported a +white ruler there among a tribe of savages who had in his possession a +great quantity of valuable jewels, which he would not part with for +money, but only in exchange for certain commodities, by the aid of +which he was making the tribe he governed the most powerful upon the +Southern Continent. + +"What is the name of this white chief, your Majesty?" I asked, deeply +interested. + +"King Luck," answered Trinkitat; "but I thought you came from him." + +"That is not so, O king," I replied. "These rubies are magic rubies +that are found only in a valley guarded by serpents. If they are +honestly acquired they bring great happiness to those who possess them, +but if they are stolen, or dishonestly come by, they bring a curse upon +the robbers, and upon the land in which they dwell and all the people +who inhabit it." + +At this I thought the king appeared disappointed. I had reckoned on his +being superstitious, and indeed it is well known that certain jewels do +possess mysterious qualities that influence the lives of those who own +them, although I had no authority, beyond my own perspicacity, for +endowing my rubies with supernatural charm. + +"How many of these jewels have you?" asked the king, holding one of the +rubies up to the light. + +I mentioned the number as being thirty, that being half of all I +possessed. + +"There is not enough money upon the island to pay a fair price for +these stones," declared Trinkitat, "and how should it benefit me if I +acquire them for less than their fair value if, in that case, they are +to bring upon me and my people a curse rather than a blessing?" + +"Nay, O king," I answered, "I ask no money for these gems, but rather +your good offices in helping us repair our vessel, which, after much +storm and stress, has found in your harbour a haven of rest." + +"That you shall have, and welcome," replied the king, and after some +further explanation as to what was required, and more bargaining, it +was finally agreed that I would allow the king to retain the six rubies +I had brought with me, and that the balance of the thirty, which I +offered, was to be paid over when our vessel had been new masted and +fresh rigged at the king's expense. Mahomet Achmet was given directions +to see that this work was promptly carried out, after which we bowed +ourselves from the king's presence, I being well satisfied with the +bargain I had made. + +Next day the work of repairing the ship began. She was careened in the +shallows of a safe and convenient harbour, and such an army of workers +set to work upon her that in the course of a week the "Golden Seahorse" +was once more ready for sea. + +While the repairs to our vessel were in progress we received welcome +assistance from the crews of the English and Dutch ships in the +harbour, with whom we soon became acquainted. The Dutch vessel +"Speedwell" belonged to the Dutch East India Company, a company which, +at this time, was growing in wealth and importance. She was bound on a +voyage to the North for a cargo of furs, and Captain Smuts, in command +of her, was anxious that we should join him in this expedition, for, +said he, two ships will more readily succeed than one, since each may +help the other. But we not being equipped for northern travel decided +to continue our voyage south, though we arranged with Captain Smuts to +meet him later at the Molucca Islands, where we had resolved to call +King Thedori to account for his treacherous conduct toward us on our +former visit. + +Before leaving the island of Sumatra I paid a second visit to Achin, +where I was given a final audience with King Trinkitat, when I paid him +over the balance of the rubies. I found the king well disposed toward +me, and apparently satisfied with the payment made him in return for +the refitting of our vessel, which indeed was at a princely rate, when +the value of the rubies was considered. He did not attempt to extort +more than was justly due to him according to promise, as is the habit +with these half-savage potentates, when dealing with foreigners, but +this I attributed to the superstition I had so happily aroused in him +that the rubies would bring misfortune if not honestly come by. I +questioned his Majesty more closely with regard to King Luck, and, from +what he told me, I felt convinced that this man, now a chief among the +savages of New Holland, was none other than my old antagonist Van Luck, +though how he came to be rescued from the sea I had no means, at that +time, of knowing. King Trinkitat possessed no chart of the place to +which his ships traded, as the captains of his vessels mostly steered +by the stars. But he promised me that, if ever I should again visit his +island, he would send a pilot with me to conduct me to King Luck. + +Mahomet Achmet, with whom I parted the best of friends, expressed the +hope that we would one day meet again. + +"I will not sell this jewel, Signor Peter," he said to me when I paid +him for his work with some money we had aboard the ship, and presented +him with a fine ruby, according to promise. "I will keep it in memory +of a shrewd man whose wit did more to save him than his money, for I +may tell you that neither you nor your ship's company would have been +allowed to leave this place had you not spoken to the king of the +ill-luck which these rubies bring to those who come not honestly by +them." + +I thanked Mahomet for his frankness, which I promised to remember +should I ever have occasion to revisit Sumatra. + +And now, all being ready, we put to sea, and by evening the island of +Sumatra had disappeared beyond the horizon. + + + +CHAPTER XLVIII + +STATEN LAND + + +Hartog believed, from an ancient Portuguese chart which we had with us, +that an island continent lay to the south-east, and after a lengthened +period, during which we encountered bad weather and rough sea, we +sighted a formidable coastline, which appeared to be a mainland +extending on either side as far as the eye could reach. We coasted +along this new-found country for several days in search of a landing +place, without being able to find one, the coast being a continuous +line of precipitous rocks. Toward the end of the third day we +encountered a canoe, the largest we had seen, containing upward of one +hundred natives. We offered food and other articles, but, although the +canoe came quite close to us, none of her people could be induced to +come on board. + +These natives appeared to be strong and fierce, nor did they show the +least fear of us, but rather an intention to begin hostilities when an +opportunity should offer. In view of this we loaded our brass cannon, +and made ready a supply of ammunition in case they should attack us. +But after keeping company with us for some time the canoe made off, and +Hartog had no mind to follow it. + +Next morning we hove to off a pebbly beach, upon which I undertook to +land a boat's crew and examine the country. Hartog sent two boats, one +in my charge and the other in charge of Janstins. The sea was smooth, +so that we had no difficulty in running the boats ashore, where, +leaving a man aboard each, the rest of us followed the course of a +stream inland. Here we soon came to a valley so beautiful as almost to +defy description. Colossal trees rose to a great height above our +heads, festooned with a flowering creeper which resembled a bridal +veil, whilst emerald green ferns stretched their fronds into a stream +which descended from the higher land beyond by a series of cascades. A +kind of flax plant grew here, with leaves over nine feet long, and +bearing a flower which looked like a bunch of feather plumes, whilst +palms and cabbage trees abounded everywhere in great profusion. + +My attention was diverted from the beauties which surrounded us by some +strange footprints which I noticed on the soft ground near the stream, +and which appeared to have been made by a bird or two-legged animal of +prodigious size. The footprints measured fully three feet in length, +and I fell to wondering what kind of a creature it could be who had +made them, when I was startled by a cry from one of our men, which +caused me to look in the direction whence it came. At a distance of +some fifty yards from where I stood I then perceived a huge, wingless +bird. Its head, armed with a formidable beak, reared full twenty feet +from the ground; its body, big as an ox, and covered with black +bristles, supported upon legs thicker than the girth of a man. As yet +this prodigy had not observed us, for it was stalking quietly among the +trees, followed by a brood of chickens, each larger than the biggest +ostrich I had ever seen. + +I now noticed that one of these chickens had strayed from the others, +and I saw Janstins, who had evidently not observed the mother-bird, +aiming his matchlock at it as though about to fire. I shouted to him to +desist, but too late to save the mad fellow from his folly. There was a +flash, and a loud report, and the giant chicken lay on its back, its +legs kicking in the air. + +"To the boats!" I cried, and the scared sailors, when they saw the +mother-bird, needed no second warning. There was a rush for the boats +by all but Janstins, who seemed as one amazed, and incapable of action +at the sight of the monster. I could not leave him to the fate which +threatened him, so, running to his assistance, I dragged him down +behind some fern trees, where we hid out of sight of the mother-bird, +who seemed bewildered by the unaccustomed sound of firearms, and +perplexed at the death of her chick, for which she could not account. +But we both knew that her inaction was momentary, and that when she +discovered us we must expect the full force of her rage, which could +only result in the loss of our lives. Whispering to Janstins, I bade +him remember that in courage and caution alone lay our hope of escape, +and he presently recovered his presence of mind sufficiently to follow +me when we ran, bent double, under cover of the luxuriant foliage, to +the beach, where we arrived only just in time to scramble into the +second boat that was being shoved off by the terrified sailors, before +the mother-bird, now joined by her mate of even larger proportion, came +in pursuit of us, and so carried away were these monsters by rage at +our escape that they advanced into the sea, stretching their necks at +us while uttering a loud, drumming noise which we could hear repeated +when we were on board the ship, and even after we were out at sea. + +Next morning, at daybreak, we again made the coast, and toward evening +we found ourselves opposite a sandy beach upon which a number of +natives appeared to be engaged in some tribal ceremony. Fires were +lighted along the sea shore, and, upon drawing nearer, we were able to +distinguish groups of men, apparently captives, with their hands bound +behind them, standing together while their captors performed an +extravagant dance round them. Armed warriors then rushed upon each +other in mimic warfare, and the sound of their bare feet, as they +stamped in unison upon the hard sand, came to us with measured cadence +across the sea. When the dance was ended, the captives were made to lie +flat, one behind the other, till they formed a black patch upon the +beach. Then appeared a number of men pushing from above high-water mark +a war canoe, the prow of which, elaborately carved, and upstanding to +the height of thirty feet, was decorated with shells and bunches of +feathers. On came the canoe, slowly at first, and then with increasing +speed, until it reached the row of victims, over whom it crunched, +taking the water reddened with their blood amid an uproar of shrieks +and groans most dreadful to listen to. + +Not wishing to engage these savages, Hartog stood out to sea, but so +fearless were they that when they saw us they came in pursuit of us. +Over twenty canoes crowded with natives put off from the shore, but we +greeted them with shots from our brass cannon, which sent them back +quicker than they came, many being observed to fall after each +discharge of grapeshot and canister amongst them. + +We left this country, which Hartog named Staten Land, in honour of the +States of Holland, with an unfavourable impression of its inhabitants, +who appeared to be bloodthirsty savages, prone to hostility without +provocation. + + + +CHAPTER XLIX + +THE CANNIBAL ISLANDS + + +After leaving Staten Land we sailed west to between the fifteenth and +twenty-first parallels of south latitude, when we fell in with a number +of islands, some of considerable extent, while others were mere islets +of sand and rock, uninhabited except by sea-fowl and turtle. A great +barrier reef surrounds the group to the eastward, leaving the southern +quarter open. This barrier is broken by numerous passages, between +which navigation is possible, but dangerous, except in fine weather. In +addition to the great barrier, every island has an encircling reef of +its own. The general appearance of these islands is bold and striking. +They are perhaps the mountain tops of some sunken continent. The island +upon which we landed was one of the largest of the group, with a +background of wooded hills, and a fringe of palm trees to the beach, +beyond which a native village stood among green foliage. + +We found the inhabitants of this island not nearly so friendly as other +savages we had met with. The men were larger, and bore a ferocious +aspect. The chief wore a necklace of whales' teeth, his hair frizzled +into a mop, which stood out from his head, coloured to a reddish-brown. +His skin was a light brown, with no tattoo marks upon it, but shiny, as +if rubbed with oil. He carried a club and spear of elaborate +workmanship, and wore a cloth petticoat made from the bark of a tree, +and painted with some skill in its design. His followers were +similarly, but not so strikingly, clad, the women wearing feathers in +their hair, and a peculiar leaf from a tree, which looked like white +satin. Altogether this race appeared to be possessed of a far higher +state of civilization than the people in Terra Australis. They were, +however, openly addicted to cannibalism, and made no secret of this +abominable practice. + +These natives did not display any hostility at our landing, nor did +they express any surprise at the presents we made them of beads and +bright cloth, although they accepted what we gave them with avidity. +We stayed at this island for nearly two months, during which time we +learnt something of the customs of the people, and I was able, after a +while, to understand some of their language. It seemed that these +savages were continually at war with one another, and the boom of the +great wooden war drums was always sounding somewhere in the group. It +was from prisoners taken in battle that men were provided for cannibal +feasts, hence there was never lacking a cause for quarrel. The +prisoners were kept in a compound, where they were fattened for the pot +and killed when wanted. + +These islanders were industrious in their own way. They built +comfortable houses, and made excellent pottery capable of withstanding +the heat of fire when used for cooking. Their boat-builders constructed +sea-going canoes capable of travelling long distances. They also made a +delicate cloth from the bark of the mulberry tree, upon which they +printed from wooden blocks patterns of great elegance. Their spears and +clubs also showed much taste in their construction and ornamentation. +The women made fishing nets of coconut fibre, with which they captured +an abundance of fish. The tribes on the different islands kept up a +system of barter with one another, exchanging commodities, the making +of which was their hereditary occupation. A son followed the occupation +of his father, and for him to have followed any other occupation would +have been regarded as an offence against ancestors. A son was expected +to do exactly as his father did before him, and to do it in the same +way. + +One day when I was fishing outside the reef, I was startled by a cry, +and looking toward whence it came I perceived a young girl in evident +terror, swimming for the reef with the black fin of a shark close upon +her. Going to her assistance I managed, at some risk, to drive off the +shark, and, pulling the girl into my boat I took her on board our ship, +where I delighted her with a present of printed calico with which to +reign as a queen of fashion among her tribe. When I took her ashore she +showed her gratitude by taking my hand in hers, and placing it upon her +forehead, which meant the making of a compact between us that she would +lay down her life for me if occasion should require. It was to this +that we subsequently owed our escape from death. + +We had not found anything profitable to trade from these islands with +the exception of sandal wood and tortoiseshell, of which we obtained a +supply, but I noticed that the chief did not appear to grudge anything +we took from him. It became a joke among our crew that they could have +anything for the asking, and the ship was soon a museum of island +curiosities. This aroused my suspicion, for I knew the cupidity of +savages, and how they always try to take all and give nothing in +return. + +Toward the end of our visit, I also observed that numbers of savages +from the adjacent islands began to arrive in canoes, and that +preparations were being made for a feast. It was then that I noticed +the girl I had saved from the shark was often to be seen standing on +the beach opposite to the ship, gazing at the vessel long and +earnestly. Thinking she wished to come on board again, I went in my +boat to fetch her, but when I met her she showed great alarm lest we +should be seen speaking together, and, urging me to follow her, she led +me to a secluded spot of the island, in order that we might be free +from observation. Here she confided to me the treachery of Vale Vulu, +the chief whose guests we were. + +It appeared from this girl's account of the matter that Vale Vulu's +professed friendship for us was only a blind in order that he might +attack us unawares. To this end he had invited certain tribes from some +of the adjacent islands, with whom he happened to be on friendly terms, +to a feast, the principal food of which was to consist of the dead +bodies of our crew. His own tribe, unaided, he did not consider strong +enough for this enterprise, but with the assistance of the friendly +cannibals, whom he invited to the banquet, he made no doubt that he +would easily be able to overcome us, particularly as we were to be +taken unawares. The plan was to invite us to the feast, which we would +be told was to consist only of fish, coconuts, and bananas, but, when +we were seated, at a given signal we would be massacred and eaten, +after which Vale Vulu would take possession of our ship and all that +belonged to us. + +The poor girl, when she had finished her story, confessed she would no +doubt suffer death by torture for having betrayed the plot. I tried to +induce her to come on board with me, but she refused, saying that if +she did so an attack would be made upon us at once, where our ship lay, +helpless, in the lagoon. I could not but see the force of her argument, +and, as the matter was too urgent to admit of delay, I hurried on board +and informed Hartog of what I had heard. + +Our plans were soon made. All hands were told to be in readiness to man +the boats in order to tow the ship out of the lagoon during the night, +when we would depend upon a breeze to escape from these bloodthirsty +savages. Arms and ammunition were served to the crew, and our brass +cannon was loaded to the muzzle with grape and canister. + +During the early part of the night we could see lights on the shore, +whilst the beating of war drums and the sound of wooden horns continued +to a late hour. At last all was still, when we slipped our anchor, and +began the arduous task of towing the ship out of the lagoon through the +opening in the reef which marked a break in the line of white surf. +During the night we laboured at the oars, and when morning broke we had +succeeded in towing the ship into the open sea for some distance from +the land. But our peril was by no means at an end. An absolute calm +prevailed, and unless a breeze came in time we feared the savages would +put off in their war canoes to attack us. Nor in this were we mistaken, +for we presently heard a great beating of drums and blowing of horns, +while we could see the savages crowding on to the reef, from which they +watched us lying becalmed. Ten canoes then came through the opening in +the reef, each containing some one hundred savages, and were paddled +rapidly toward us. + +When the canoes came within range our brass cannon accounted for one of +them, on board of which I hoped was the traitor Vale Vulu, but the +others came on, and there is little doubt that by force of numbers we +must have been overpowered had not the breeze, which we could now see +approaching, come in time to save us. The canoes were all round us, and +the savages had already begun to swarm on to our decks, when the sails +filled and the "Golden Seahorse" began to gather way. We were now +incensed against the cannibals for their treacherous conduct, and many +fell to the discharge of our muskets. With our cutlasses we soon drove +those who had ventured upon the ship into the sea, and a second +discharge from our brass cannon disabled one of the largest remaining +canoes, when the others made off. As our ship bowed to the waves of the +ocean we were able once more to breathe freely, and, taking a last look +at the island, I fancied I saw a dark form hurl itself from one of the +highest cliffs upon the rocks below. Was it the brave girl, I wondered, +who had saved us, and who had thus escaped torture by destroying +herself? + + + +CHAPTER L + +AGAIN AT THE MOLUCCAS + + +Hartog was anxious, before returning home, that we should call again at +the Molucca Islands, and demand an explanation, together with a ransom +of pearls, from King Thedori, for having treated us so scurvily on our +former visit. We knew that this treacherous chief depended for the +success of his piratical schemes on taking by surprise those for whom +he pretended friendship, and for that reason we had arranged to meet +the "Speedwell" so that we might, by strategy, pay Thedori back in his +own coin, capture him, and hold him to ransom. + +Now we knew that if Thedori, or any of the people, caught but a glimpse +of the "Golden Seahorse", they would make ready to attack her with all +the force at their command, but the "Speedwell" was unknown to them, +and there were many harbours among the Moluccas where our ship might +remain unnoticed while our plans were matured. The plan we had formed +was a simple one, and was therefore the more likely to succeed. It was, +shortly, as follows. On reaching the Moluccas we would choose a +convenient harbour as the base of our enterprise, when the "Speedwell" +would set out alone for the island ruled over by Thedori, where we had +no doubt the captain and crew would be well received, as is the habit +of this crafty king when dealing with strangers, in order that he may +eventually pillage them. Thedori was to be invited by Captain Smuts to +go aboard his vessel to inspect the cargo of furs and other goods in +which he proposed to trade. Once on board the "Speedwell", the King of +the Moluccas would be kidnapped, and brought away to where the "Golden +Seahorse" was at anchor, when Hartog undertook to deal with him. + +Captain Smuts, whom we found waiting us at the Moluccas, was very ready +to fall in with this plan when we told him of the large pearls that +were to be found at the island, some of which we intended to demand as +the King's ransom for being allowed to return to his people. + +The island we had chosen as the base for our operations happened to be +the one of which we had been told on our former visit that the men +possessed such large ears that with one ear they could, when they +liked, cover the whole of their heads; for when we landed, and met the +natives, we observed in them this remarkable peculiarity. Their heads +were the smallest and their ears the largest that I have ever seen in +human beings. The intelligence of these savages was as small as their +heads. They showed no interest in us, and seemed to be indifferent to +our appearance among them. This stupidity on their part, however, so +far from giving us any anxiety, rather commended itself to us, since it +appeared unlikely they would attempt to interfere with our plans. + +When we had rested and refreshed ourselves for three days at this +island, the "Speedwell" set out upon her voyage to the main island, +leaving the "Golden Seahorse" to await her return. In order that I +might advise and consult with Captain Smuts with regard to our project, +I became his passenger on the "Speedwell", it being understood that I +was to keep out of sight until Thedori was safely aboard. So, every +precaution being taken in order to ensure success, we arrived at the +main island during the afternoon of the day we had set out, and cast +anchor in the bay from which, nearly six years before, in the "Golden +Seahorse", I had escaped with Hartog and our crew from the captivity +which Thedori had intended for us after capturing our vessel. + +I had no pity for the man whom we had come to call to account, for, to +my mind, treachery is the worst of crimes. An open enemy may be fairly +encountered, but a snake in the grass can only be met by the same +serpent tricks as he plays upon others, and when I thought of the +welcome Thedori had given us at our first interview with him, when he +had exhorted us to land in safety so that we might enjoy the comforts +of life and recruit our strength, in order, as it subsequently +transpired, that he might betray us, I felt that no reprisals could be +too severe against one guilty of such roguish deception. + +The city of Porne appeared unchanged from when I had last seen it. +There were a few new houses close to the beach, but otherwise the city +itself, with its low-built cabins and regular streets, was the same. + +I was greatly surprised, however, upon entering the harbour to see the +Spanish frigate, upon which Donna Isabel Barreto had decamped with the +gold taken front the island of Armenio, at anchor close to the shore. +What could have brought the frigate here, and kept her here for so long +a time since I had last seen her at Sumatra, I was at a loss to +understand. The unexpected appearance of this vessel seemed likely to +complicate our plans, and I determined to elucidate the mystery before +proceeding with the matter in hand. + +It was late in the afternoon when we cast anchor in Porne Harbour, and +that night the same wonderful display of glow-worms showed itself among +the woods on shore. It was then also that I knew that the black bats +would be abroad, so as to make it unlikely our movements would be +observed, since the inhabitants of Porne would be shut up in their +houses. + +So, when all was still, I took the smallest of the ship's boats, and +was rowed in the direction of the frigate. + + + +CHAPTER LI + +GETTING BACK OUR OWN + + +We took no lantern with us in the boat upon our expedition to board the +Spanish frigate, trusting to the light of the stars, and that given by +the glow-worms on shore, to guide us, and as we approached the frigate +we observed her also to be in darkness, with no sign of life on board. + +When we came alongside I climbed to the deck by the anchor-chain, when +I found the ship to be deserted, with hatches on, and the doors to the +cabins securely locked. So, judging we had nothing to fear from the +Spaniards, we returned to the "Speedwell" as silently as we had come. I +did not tell Captain Smuts of the treasure which I believed to be still +upon the frigate, as I desired, in the first place, to consult with +Hartog as to the course to be adopted regarding it. Captain Smuts, on +receiving my report that the Spanish ship was apparently out of +commission, concluded that no change need be made in our original plan, +the preparations for the carrying out of which were accordingly +proceeded with. + +Next morning, after breakfast, the captain of the "Speedwell" and his +officers, in their best uniforms, and with a picked boat's crew, set +out for the shore, taking with them presents for King Thedori and his +chiefs, with a view to establishing friendly relations with them. In +the course of an hour they returned, when, the captain repeated to me +the greeting given him by the King of the Moluccas, which was almost +word for word that extended to Hartog at the time of his visit in the +"Golden Seahorse". Evidently King Thedori had a set speech wherewith to +welcome his guests whom he afterwards intended to plunder. Captain +Smuts was so impressed by the amiable bearing and fair words of the +King that he found it hard to believe so much treachery could lurk +behind such a frank and open exterior. Thedori, he said, had promised +to come on board the "Speedwell" next day to inspect the furs, and +arrange about the price to be paid for them. On my asking if any +Spaniards had been met with ashore, Captain Smuts replied that he had +not seen any, so we had no means of ascertaining what had become of +Donna Isabel and her people, as well as the captain and crew of the +frigate. + +Next morning King Thedori came on board the "Speedwell" in the +captain's boat, which had been sent for him. He did not bring with him +any of his guards or attendants, not having the least suspicion of the +trap we had laid. It was only when he came into the cabin that his +suspicions were aroused, and it was then too late for him to retreat. I +was sitting at the table when Smuts brought him in, and was presented +to him as part owner of the furs. I saw him start when our eyes met, +but otherwise he gave no sign that he knew me. There was wine and other +refreshment upon the table, of which he was invited to partake, but +declined, and then, after some further conversation between us, Captain +Smuts, according to arrangement, made excuse to go on deck, leaving +Thedori and I alone together. + +Thedori was the first to speak, and I could see that his small black +eyes glittered dangerously when he looked at me. + +"We have met before, senor," he said, addressing me, as he had done at +our first meeting, as though I was a Spaniard. + +"Yes," I answered; "I was once the King's guest, welcomed with fair +words, and offered the hospitality of his kingdom. Yet, had not chance +intervened, I doubt I had been here to-day to welcome the King as a +guest, in my turn, aboard this vessel." + +Thedori rose, and went to the cabin door. It was locked, but he showed +no surprise at finding himself a prisoner. He had probably heard the +captain turn the key on the other side of the door when he went out. + +"What is it you want of me?" he asked, coming back to the table and +resuming his seat. He spoke with assumed carelessness, but I could see +that his face was livid. I pushed the wine-jar toward him. + +"Drink," I said. "You will need it. The wine is not poisoned." + +With the ghost of a smile he filled a goblet which stood at his elbow, +but his hand shook when he raised it to his lips. + +And now the noise of the anchor being hove aboard, and the usual +commotion on deck preparatory to setting sail, arrested his attention. + +"Come," said he, "I would make terms with you. What is it you want." + +But at this I shook my head. + +"Promises and fair words once broken cannot be repeated," I answered. +"Besides, I am not alone in this business. There are others who must be +consulted. But you will soon learn the terms of your ransom." + +At this I thought he appeared relieved. He probably expected that we +intended to murder him. + +I had given instructions for a prize crew to be put on board the +frigate, so that both vessels might leave the harbour together and +presently I felt, by the motion of the ship, that the "Speedwell" was +at sea. + +During our passage to the place where Hartog awaited us, King Thedori +and I continued to sit, one on each side of the cabin table, without +speaking, and when we had cast anchor, and Hartog joined us, Thedori, +who had made up his mind to the inevitable, calmly awaited our terms, +which, stated briefly, were that he should pay for his ransom, to each +ship, one hundred pearls of the size of dove's eggs, and that the cargo +of the frigate was to be transferred to the "Golden Seahorse". To the +first part of our demand the King made some demur, but when we +threatened to take him away with us on our voyage home, he promised to +send some of the big-eared men for his ransom if we would give him +speech with their chief. To the latter part of our demand Thedori +readily agreed. + +"You will find nothing on board the frigate," he said, "but some bags +of stone ballast in the hold. Everything else of value has long since +been taken on shore, and is being made use of by my people." + +While the messengers were away procuring the King's ransom, we +questioned Thedori as to how the Spanish frigate came to fall into his +hands, when we learnt that some time since, during a calm, the frigate, +caught by one of the strong currents which prevail among these islands, +had drifted into the harbour of Porne, where an attack had been made +upon her, and she, being short of ammunition, has been taken as a +lawful prize. The Spaniards had been allowed to depart in their boats. +So, for the second time, Donna Isabel and her people were probably +castaways upon some unknown shore. + +Thus does Providence reward treachery. + +When, in the course of three days, the messengers returned with the +King's ransom, we sent his Majesty ashore, to find his way back to his +own kingdom as best he could. A more splendid lot of pearls than those +paid to us I had never seen, and these we divided equally between the +"Golden Seahorse" and the "Speedwell", to be allotted among the +officers and crews of both vessels in such proportions as might be +decided upon on our return to Amsterdam. The stone ballast, which, as +we expected, turned out to be the gold-bearing quartz we had obtained +from the island of Armenio, we transferred to our own ship. + +And now, with a cargo which for richness had surely never been +surpassed, we once more set sail for home. + + + +CHAPTER LII + +CONCLUSION + + +As we neared Amsterdam I began to think, with some trepidation, of my +inevitable meeting with Pauline. It was now three years since I had set +out upon my second voyage in the "Golden Seahorse", compelled to this +course by reason of the incompatibility of temper which existed between +my wife and me, making a happy union between us impossible. Yet when I +took myself to task I could not but blame myself for much that had +occurred. Pauline was vain, but so are most women, and most men too for +that matter, for while a woman seeks admiration for her personal charms +a man is equally proud of his achievements, and he is never so happy as +when he is being praised for what he has done. So, on reviewing the +matter of our matrimonial squabbles calmly and dispassionately, I came +to the conclusion that there had been faults on both sides, and I made +up my mind to be more conciliatory and less exacting in my conduct +toward Pauline in the future, hoping by these means to effect a +reconciliation so that I might live with some degree of comfort in my +own house. To this end also I resolved to give Pauline my share of the +pearls aid as ransom by King Thedori, in order that she might possess a +necklace unequalled at Amsterdam. Besides which I had my rubies. + +Hartog also had become graver and more reserved than was his habit +before we had set out upon this voyage. He seemed to regret the +well-deserved fate which had overtaken Donna Isabel Barreto, and he +would have asked nothing better than to set off on a voyage of +discovery in search of her. + +So it was with subdued and chastened spirits that Hartog and I arrived +at Amsterdam, where it was arranged that Hartog should dispose of our +rich cargo and apportion the profits of the venture. As a peace +offering to Pauline I took with me twenty splendid pearls and six +silver fox-skins, and, thus provided, I presented myself at my house +at Amsterdam, to which I was at first denied admittance by the +man-servant, who opened the door to me, and who had no knowledge of +my identity. + +While we were arguing the matter; however, Pauline appeared in the +hall, into which I advanced to meet her. She was changed, I thought, +and her face had wonderfully softened. I held out my arms to her, and +she came to me, nestling into my embrace as though she indeed belonged +to me. Then she rested her head upon my shoulder, and gave way to +tears. I was touched by this kindly greeting, and had begun to mentally +upbraid myself for my former conduct, and to promise amendment in the +future, when the cause of my wife's changed disposition was suddenly, +in a flash, revealed to me by a series of yells from a room upstairs, +accompanied by a low voice of pleading in remonstrance, and what +sounded like the, throwing about of some hard substance on the floor. + +I looked into my wife's eyes, and read in them the secret of the great +happiness which had come to me. + +"He is quarrelling with his nurse," she said, smiling up at me through +her tears. "He is such a masterful baby." + +Next moment I was bounding up the stairs, and on entering the nursery I +saw my boy seated on the floor, his face red with passion, while with +his chubby little hands he was tearing the sails off a toy ship that +had been given him to play with. The clever lad, even in his infancy, +must have noticed that the wretched apology for a ship which they +offered him was not rigged in seaman-like fashion. Well, I promised +myself that I would make him a model of the "Golden Seahorse", perfect +in every detail, and big enough for him to sail in. When I came into +the nursery he stopped crying and looked at me, but the nurse kept on +saying, "Oh, Master Peter, Master Peter, you must not be naughty like +that," as though she were repeating a formula. + +I ran to Master Peter and picked him up, when he tried to bite my hard +hand with his little pearly teeth. Ah, what a lad of spirit he was! He +was not a bit afraid of me or of anyone. A boy after my own heart. Then +he looked at me, and the passion in his rosy face melted into a dimpled +smile. He knew me, I am certain of it, and putting his little arms +round my neck, he seemed to ask pardon for his wilfulness. We were +comrades from that moment, he and I, and although not a word was spoken +we understood each other thoroughly. + +Pauline and the nurse watched us. Both women were weeping, as is the +way with women when they seek to relieve their feelings. But the tears +they shed were tears of joy. + +When we were more composed, Pauline and I and young Peter went together +to look at the presents I had brought back with me. Pauline was +delighted with the pearls and the fox-skins, but she at once decided +that the skins would make a warm winter coat for baby, and a splendid +rug for his little carriage. I believe she would have given Master +Peter the pearls to play with had he shown a fancy for them, but +fortunately he did not notice them, so taken up was he in burying his +face in the thick fur of the silver fox-skins. + +What a home-coming this was for me after so much tossing upon the +ocean, and so many wanderings into unknown lands, and how I trembled +when I thought on the dangers I had passed, and how easily I might have +lost my life, and thus forfeited the happiness that I knew was in store +for me! + +Well, my voyages were over now. Never again would I leave my wife and +child for the hazards of the sea. + +When I told Hartog of my great good fortune he was warm in his +congratulations. I took my boy on board the "Golden Seahorse", and +presented him to Hartog. + +"We must make a sailor of him," said Hartog, when he had sat Master +Peter upon the table between us in the cabin. "He is a sturdy lad, and +has the look in his eyes that seeks for space--the look of the sailor, +whose natural home is the sea." + +Could it be? Who can tell? Little Peter had a steadfast, far-off look +in his eyes. I had not noticed it until Hartog directed my attention to +it. Was it the call of the ocean? The call to the Dutch, and the +English--seeking for space? + + + +***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ADVENTURES IN SOUTHERN SEAS*** + + +******* This file should be named 16704.txt or 16704.zip ******* + + +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: +https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/1/6/7/0/16704 + + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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