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diff --git a/21456.txt b/21456.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..97dddaf --- /dev/null +++ b/21456.txt @@ -0,0 +1,4587 @@ +Project Gutenberg's The Cruise of the Dainty, by William H. G. Kingston + +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: The Cruise of the Dainty + Rovings in the Pacific + +Author: William H. G. Kingston + +Release Date: May 15, 2007 [EBook #21456] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE CRUISE OF THE DAINTY *** + + + + +Produced by Nick Hodson of London, England + + + + +The Cruise of the Dainty, Rovings in the Pacific, By William H G +Kingston. + +________________________________________________________________________ + +Another book of great adventure, this time in the Pacific, where, at the +time, many of the Islanders were, with good reason, ill-disposed towards +Europeans, having been tricked so often in various unpleasant ways, even +to the point where they would be invited on board to do some bartering, +only to be battened below hatches, and then sailed off to Peru to be +used as slaves. Our adventurers encounter hostility in places, but on +the whole their worst enemies are the weather, and also ill-intentioned +crews of vessels such as those described above. + +A short book, but a good read or listen, and you'll enjoy it. + +________________________________________________________________________ + +THE CRUISE OF THE DAINTY, ROVINGS IN THE PACIFIC, BY WILLIAM H G +KINGSTON. + + + +CHAPTER ONE. + +"Never was bothered with a more thorough calm!" exclaimed my brother +Harry, not for the first time that morning, as he and I, in spite of the +sweltering heat, paced the deck of our tight little schooner the +_Dainty_, then floating motionless on the smooth bosom of the broad +Pacific. The empty sails hung idly from the yards. The dog-vanes +imitated their example. Not the tiniest wavelet disturbed the shining +surface of the ocean, not a cloud dimmed the intense blue of the sky, +from which the sun glared forth with a power that made the pitch in the +seams of the deck bubble up and stick to the soles of our feet, and +though it might have failed to cook a beefsteak in a satisfactory +manner, was rapidly drying some strings of fish hung up in the rigging. + +The white men of the crew were gathered forward, in such shade as they +could find, employed under the superintendence of Tom Platt, our mate, +in manufacturing mats, sinnet, rope yarns, or in knotting and splicing; +the dark-skinned natives, of whom we had several on board similarly +engaged, were mostly on the other side of the deck, apparently +indifferent as to whether they were in the shade or sunshine. Even my +brother, the commander of the _Dainty_, was too impatient to think much +about the broiling we were undergoing, as we walked from the taffrail to +a short distance before the mainmast, where we invariably turned to face +back again; while during the intervals in our conversation, from an old +habit, he whistled vehemently for a breeze, not that in consequence he +really expected it to come. + +As we walked with our faces forward I was amused by watching old Tom, +who, marline-spike in hand, was stropping a block, now inspecting the +work of one man, now that of another, and then giving his attention to a +lad, seated on the spars stowed under the long-boat, engaged in splicing +an eye to the end of a rope. + +"Is this all right, Mr Platt?" asked the lad, handing the rope to the +mate, who, squirting a mouthful of tobacco juice over the bulwarks, +turned it round and round to examine it critically. + +"Ay, t'will do, Dick--wants scraping a bit; let's see how you'll serve +it," answered old Tom, giving back the rope. + +After taking a few more turns my brother stopped. "Do you think, Platt, +that, we shall be long delayed by this provoking calm?" he asked. + +"Can't say, Cap'en. Known such to last for the better part of a week in +these latitudes," answered the mate, coming a few steps aft. "Maybe, +though, we'll get a breeze to-morrow, maybe not." + +"We are not likely to get it yet, at all events, from the look of the +sky," said Harry. "We'll rig the awning and persuade Mary and Fanny to +come on deck. They'll be better here than in the close cabin." Just as +he spoke Nat Amiel, his young brother-in-law, appeared at the +companion-hatch. + +"Wanted to see if you were asleep, as we have been below all the +morning," he exclaimed. "Well, I declare, it is hot, though it's baking +enough in the cabin to satisfy a salamander." + +"We'll soon have some more shade, and then ask the ladies to come on +deck and enjoy it," I answered. "In the meantime hand up a couple of +the folding-chairs, and I'll place some gratings for them to put their +feet on." + +Nat dived into the cabin, and the mate calling the men aft we quickly +had an awning rigged to cover the after-part of the deck. Harry then +went below to bring up his wife and her sister. They were by this time +pretty well accustomed to a sea life, as three weeks had passed since we +left Brisbane in Queensland. My brother Harry, who had been a +lieutenant in the navy, had about four years before come out to settle +in the colony, being engaged at the time to Miss Mary Amiel, the eldest +daughter of an English clergyman. Agricultural pursuits had not been +much to his taste, and he had therefore settled himself in Brisbane for +the purpose of carrying on a mercantile business. He had made a very +fair commencement, and had returned about a year before the time I am +speaking of to marry his intended. On his arrival he found that Mr +Amiel had died, and that his family, consisting of another daughter and +a son, were left in very poor circumstances. Prompted by his generous +feelings, he at once invited Fanny and Nat to return with him and his +bride to the colony. This they gladly agreed to do, and the whole party +forthwith took a passage on board an emigrant ship, which after a +prosperous voyage reached the colony. + +I had from my earliest days wished to go to sea, and my mother having +consented, as I could not obtain a nomination for the _Britannia_, I got +a berth as a midshipman on board a trader bound for China. I was +unfortunate in my ship and my captain. This gave me a dislike not so +much to the sea as to the merchant service, and on my return from my +first voyage, finding that my brother, to whom I was much attached, had +gone back to Queensland, I got leave from my mother, after representing +to her the sort of life I had been leading, to go and join him, she +being certain that he would be very glad to receive me. + +As I had made the best use of my opportunities of becoming a seaman +during my first voyage, I had no difficulty in obtaining a berth on +board a ship bound to Queensland, called the _Eclipse_, commanded by +Captain Archer, and I was thus able to work my passage out free of +expense. On this occasion also I made good use of my time, by adding +considerably to my knowledge of seamanship, and by studying navigation. +Though I was before the mast, as I had my own sextant and books the +officers allowed me to take observations with them and to keep the +ship's reckoning, I had thus a right, with the experience I had had, to +consider myself a fair seaman. + +The _Eclipse_ had been four days at sea, when the third mate summoned me +to accompany him into the forehold to get up some casks of provisions. +While searching for those he wanted, I heard a sound as if some one was +gasping for breath, and then a low moan. I told the mate. + +"What can that be, sir?" I asked. "It comes from forward." + +"Take the lantern, and see if there is any one there," he answered. + +I made my way to the spot whence I fancied the sounds proceeded, and +lowering my lantern into a small hole, I saw the figure of a boy +crouching down, with his head resting against a cask. He made no +movement, and his eyes appeared to be closed. + +"There's some one here, sir," I cried out. "He seems to be very far +gone." + +The mate quickly joined me. "A young stowaway!" he exclaimed. "We must +have him on deck at once, or it will be beyond the doctor's skill to +bring him round. I have known more than one lad lose his life in this +way; and I shall get blamed for not having examined the hold before we +left port." + +Saying this he lifted the lad in his arms while I held the lantern, and +forthwith carried him on deck. The low groans the boy uttered showed us +that he was still alive, but he was pale as death and in a wretched +condition. He was dressed like a respectable lad, but his face and +clothes were covered with dirt. + +"The captain will be in a great taking when he finds this out," said the +mate; "still more so if the young fellow dies. Go aft, Ned, and call +the doctor; maybe he'll be able to bring him round." + +I hurried aft, and soon found the surgeon, who was in his dispensary. +When I told him what he was wanted for, he at once, bringing some +medicine with him, hurried forward. + +"This will do him good," he said, pouring some liquid down the lad's +throat. "I don't think, Mr Simmons, that you need be anxious about +him." + +The young stowaway almost immediately opened his eyes and stared about +him. The doctor then ordered the cook to get some broth ready, while +two of the women passengers brought some warm water and washed the poor +lad's face and hands. The broth, which he eagerly swallowed, revived +him still more, and the doctor considered that he had sufficiently +recovered to be conveyed to the sick bay, the women offering to stay by +his side and to give him medicine and food as he might require them. + +"If he is carefully tended he may come round," said the doctor; "but had +he remained another hour in the hold I feel pretty sure that he would +have lost his life." + +Having been the means of discovering the young stowaway, I felt a +certain amount of interest in him, and, whenever I could, went in to see +how he was getting on. The next day he had so far recovered as to be +able to speak without difficulty. He told me that his name was Richard +Tilston, though he was generally called Dick by his friends; that he had +had a great longing for going to sea; and that, as his father would not +let him, he had run off from school, and found his way down to the +docks. Hearing that our ship was to haul out into the stream early the +next day, he waited until late in the evening, when he stole on board, +and had, without being discovered, got down into the hold. He had +brought a bottle of water and some biscuits, together with a couple of +sausages. Supposing that the ship would at once put to sea, he had not +placed himself on an allowance, and in less than three days had +exhausted all his provisions and water. As the sea was smooth he +fancied that we were still in the river, and was therefore afraid to +creep out, until he became too ill and weak to do so. + +From the tone of his voice and the way he expressed himself I suspected +that he was a young gentleman, but I did not like to ask questions, and +waited to hear what account he would give of himself. He was, however, +too ill to say much, and was in a great fright at hearing that the +captain would be very angry with him for having stowed himself away. I +tried to reassure him by saying I did not believe that the captain was +as yet made acquainted with his being on board, and, as far as I could +judge, he was a good-natured man, and would probably not say much to +him. + +In spite of all the doctor's care and the nursing he received from the +two kind women who had taken him in charge, it was considerably more +than a week before he was able to get up and move about the deck. When +his clothes had been cleaned and he himself had been well washed, he +looked a very respectable lad. + +At last, one day, Captain Archer saw him, and inquired who he was. The +third mate had to confess all about the matter, and the captain then +sent for Dick, and in an angry tone asked what had induced him to come +on board. + +"I wanted to go to sea, sir, and didn't know any other way of managing +it," answered Dick. + +"You took a very bad way, and nearly lost your life in carrying out your +foolish notion," said the captain. "You have been pretty severely +punished by what you have gone through, or I should have given you a +sound flogging; as it is, I intend to let you off, but you will +understand you must make yourself useful on board and try to pay for +your passage; I can have no idlers, remember, and you will get thrashed +if you do not work. I will speak to the mates about you, and they'll +see that you have something to do." + +Poor Dick, looking very much ashamed of himself, returned forward. The +mates took care that he should have something to do, and the men also, +for Dick was at everybody's beck and call, and had to do all sorts of +dirty and disagreeable work. When there was no other work for him he +was employed by the cook to sweep out the caboose and clean the pots and +pans. He now and then got his back up, when he received a rope's-ending +for his pains. I did the best I could for him, but often could not save +him from ill-treatment, and at last, in the bitterness of his soul, he +complained that he was leading a regular dog's life, and that he +heartily wished he had not come to sea. + +"I won't stand it any longer," he exclaimed. "I'll jump overboard and +drown myself." + +"Don't even talk of doing so wicked and foolish a thing," I said. "You +wished to become a sailor, now that you have the opportunity of learning +your duty you do nothing but grumble and complain. You must take the +rough and the smooth together. I wasn't over well off on my first +voyage, though my mother had paid a premium to the owners and I was on +the quarterdeck, but I saw while I remained on board that there was no +use complaining, so I took things as they were, and by keeping my eyes +open and my wits awake became in a short time a fair seaman." + +Poor Dick said that he would try to follow my advice, but he, +notwithstanding, would answer when spoken to, and consequently I was +unable to save him from ill-treatment, as he had brought it down upon +himself. + +During a heavy gale we encountered, when near the latitude of the Cape, +one of the so-called midshipmen fell overboard and was drowned. The +captain knowing that I could take an observation, and hearing that I was +able to keep accounts and would be useful to him, invited me to take the +poor fellow's berth. This, though it gave me a good deal of work, I was +very glad to do, and I thus saw much less than before of Dick. As I was +well treated I soon regained my old affection for a sea life, and had +half determined to return home in the ship should my brother not +especially press me to remain. When, however, we arrived at Brisbane, +and Harry told me of his contemplated trip, and that he should be very +glad of my assistance, I kept to my former intention of remaining with +him. I therefore wished Captain Archer and his ship, the _Eclipse_, +good-bye, and took up my quarters with Harry and his family. I liked +Mary and her sister, whom I had not before seen, very much, and I was +glad that Harry had not taken them into the bush, for they did not +appear at all suited to the rough style of life they would have had to +lead there, for they were both very pretty and elegant, and had never +been accustomed to hard work, though they now did their best to make +themselves useful in the house, and were never idle. Their brother, +Nat, was a capital little fellow--as merry as a cricket and never out of +temper, even when his face and hands were bitten all over by mosquitoes, +or when the pugnacious insects were buzzing round us in thousands, and +that is a trial to the sweetest of tempers. We used to have music and +reading in the evenings, and very pleasant evenings they were--indeed, +we lived much as we should have done in the old country. Altogether, I +congratulated myself that I had decided on stopping out. + +My brother was, however, somewhat anxious about the state of business. +"You see, Ned, there is not, I fear, much to be done at present," he +said. "I have, therefore, thought of making the trip I spoke to you +about. A number of vessels sail from Sydney and other places to collect +cargoes of palm-oil and sandal-wood, and some few go in search of +pearls. They do not all trade honestly with the natives, and several +have suffered in consequence, their crews having been attacked and +murdered; but I hope, by trading honestly and by being always on my +guard against surprise, to make a profitable venture. I have an +especial reason for wishing to sail at once, as the day before your +arrival I received information from an old shipmate of mine, Tom Platt, +of the existence of a small group of islands, among which pearls of +large size are obtained by the natives in unusual abundance. Tom, who +has been out in these seas for some years on board whalers and other +craft, sailed a few months ago in a small schooner, the _Zebra_, from +Sydney. Both master and crew were rough, lawless fellows, and Tom told +me that he often wished himself clear of them, but they touched at no +place where he could venture to land till they reached the islands I +speak of. Here the master, for his own purposes, at first behaved +better to the natives than he was accustomed to do, as he wanted to +obtain some pigs, cocoanuts, and other provisions. They consequently, +without hesitation, came on board in considerable numbers. Many of them +were observed to wear necklaces of white beads, which the captain +supposed to be made of glass, and to have been obtained from some +previous trader. On examining, however, one of the strings of beads, +what was his surprise to find that they were pearls! Being a cunning +fellow, he kept his discovery to himself till he had obtained all he +could induce the natives to part with, when, though he fancied that he +had made his fortune, he formed the design of kidnapping as many people +as his schooner would hold, as an effectual way of preventing other +traders from having any friendly intercourse with the islanders and +discovering his secret, and thereby spoiling his market. Tom Platt was +the only person among the crew who suspected what the white beads really +were, and he managed, unknown to the captain, to obtain a necklace, +which he hid in his pocket. The very evening before the natives were to +have been seized a heavy gale sprang up, and the schooner was driven out +to sea. Before many days had gone by she was cast away on an +uninhabited island, when all hands, with the exception of Tom Platt, +were lost. He supported existence on shell-fish and a few birds he +knocked down, while a small cask of water washed ashore saved him from +dying of thirst. Just as it was exhausted, he was taken off by a vessel +bound for this place. I met him, looking very ill and wretched, +wandering about the street the very day he landed. We recognised each +other, and I took him to my house, where he became so much worse that, +had it not been for the careful way he was nursed, I believe he would +have died. He seemed to think so himself, and was very grateful. While +I was sitting with him one day, having a yarn of old times, he gave me +an account of the pearl islands, and assured me that he could find them +again, having carefully noted the distance the schooner had run to the +reef on which she was wrecked, as also its position on the chart. He +then showed me the necklace, of which he had not spoken to any one. His +narrative first put our proposed venture into my head. When I told him +of my idea he at once agreed to accompanying me, saying that he should +be content with any wages I could afford to give him. Though a +first-rate seaman, he cannot be much of a navigator, so that had you, +Ned, not come out I should have been obliged to get another mate; and +now that you have come, we will forthwith commence our preparations." + +"The first thing to be done is to find a suitable craft," I said. + +"I have had my eye on one--a schooner, the _Dainty_, of a hundred and +twenty tons, built for a fruit-trader, which was brought out here from +England by a settler only a month ago," he answered. + +"Then let us go at once and have a look at her, and, if she is in good +condition, secure her," I exclaimed; for, after the account Harry had +given me, I had become very eager to undertake the expedition. + +We started forthwith. The _Dainty_ was even more suited for our object +than we had expected. She had well fitted up cabins, like those of a +yacht, with a hold large enough for all the cargo and stores we might +wish to stow--was well-found and in capital condition; so Harry at once +made an offer for her, which being accepted, the _Dainty_ became his. + +In the evening Harry said what he had done. + +"You do not intend to leave me behind, I hope," exclaimed Mary. + +"Or me either," cried Miss Fanny Amiel. "What should we poor girls do +all alone by ourselves in this little bakehouse?" + +"You must let me go as cabin-boy," said Nat. "I'll make myself +tremendously useful." + +"I'll talk it over with Mary," answered Harry, who looked not at all ill +pleased at the thoughts of having his wife to accompany him of her own +free will. The result of the talk was that the next morning it was +settled that we were all to go, the house and business being left in +charge of a trustworthy old clerk, Mr Simon Humby, who had accompanied +Harry when he came out the first time from England. We were very busy +for the next few days in making preparations for the voyage--the ladies +in the house assisted by Nat, and Harry, and I in refitting the +schooner--purchasing provisions, stores, and articles for bartering with +the natives. We procured also four small brass guns, with some muskets, +pistols, boarding-pikes, and cutlasses. + +"We shall not, I hope, have to use them," said Harry. "But, now +especially that we are to have ladies on board, we must be well prepared +for defence should we be attacked." + +It was easy enough to prepare the vessel for sea, but Harry expected to +find some difficulty in securing an efficient crew. He of course at +once applied to Tom Platt. + +"I'll see about that, sir," he answered. "You mustn't be too particular +as to what sort of chaps they may be, provided they are good seamen--for +as to their characters, I'm not likely to be able to say much." + +"Pick up the best you can find," said Harry. "They'll probably behave +well enough, if kept under strict discipline." + +Tom was as good as his word. In the course of a few days he had engaged +ten hands--a strong crew for a vessel of the _Dainty's_ size--six +Englishmen, a New Zealander, a Sandwich Islander, and two blacks, +natives of Tanna, an island of the New Hebrides Group. Tom confessed +that he had more confidence in the probable good conduct of the Pacific +islanders than he had in that of the white men, who, however, when they +came on board, looked more decent fellows than I had expected. + +Just as the schooner was ready for sea, Harry and I were one evening +leaving the quay, when I saw a lad in ragged clothes, who, on catching +sight of me, tried to hide himself behind a stack of planks lately +landed. In spite of his forlorn and dirty condition, I recognised him +as the young stowaway who had come out with me on board the _Eclipse_. + +"Hillo, Dick Tilston, can that be you?" I exclaimed. "Come here. What +have you been about?" + +On being called, he approached, looking very sheepish. + +"Now, don't be scolding at me," he said, taking my hand, which I held +out to him. "You know how I was treated aboard the _Eclipse_. I +couldn't stand it any longer, so when she was about to sail I slipped +ashore, and hid away till she had gone. I've since been knocking about, +unable to get any work, for no one will engage me without a character, +as they guess that I'm a runaway, and take me for a young thief. I've +sold my clothes and everything I had for food, and have got only these +rags to cover me." + +I knew that what Dick said was true. I asked him if he still wished to +be a sailor, or would rather go up the country and seek for employment, +which I was sure he would be able to obtain with my brother's +recommendation. + +"I would rather be a sailor than anything else, if I could serve under a +good captain," he answered. + +"Well, then, stop a moment, and I'll speak to my brother," I said; and I +ran after Harry. I told him in a few words about Dick. + +"Well, he may come with us," he said. "But he must try to make himself +useful, and not fancy that he is a young gentleman to do what he likes." + +I ran back to Dick. The poor fellow was delighted, and burst into +tears. "I own, Ned, I've had nothing to eat all day in this land of +plenty, for I could not bring myself to beg, and nobody offered me +anything," he exclaimed, scarcely able for shame to get out his words. + +I fortunately had a shilling in my pocket. "Here, Dick, go and get +something to eat," I said, giving it to him. I thought that he would +rather have some food first, before he came to talk with Harry. "Then +come up to my brother's house--you can easily find it--and I will speak +to him in the meantime." Dick promised to come. + +While we walked home I told my brother more about Dick. + +"It is very clear that the first thing we must do for him is to give him +an outfit, or he'll not be presentable on board, and then I hope, from +gratitude, that he will behave well," he observed. + +On our way we stopped at an outfitter's, and Harry gave an order to the +storekeeper to supply whatever I might select for Dick. As we walked +on, he told me what things he wished me to get. + +Soon after we reached home Dick presented himself at the door, looking +somewhat brighter than he did when I first saw him, but rather ashamed +of himself and unwilling to come in. Harry, however, came and had a few +words with him, and seemed satisfied that he might be made useful on +board the schooner. + +As we had no place to put him up in the house, he told me to get a +lodging for him for the night, and to see that he had plenty of food. +"I say, Ned," he added, "just give him a hint to take a bath and get his +hair cut before he puts on his clean clothes." + +Accordingly, telling Dick to come with me, I took him to the +outfitter's. We soon got the necessary clothing for him, and then left +him at a lodging with a person who knew my brother. + +That evening was to be the last on shore for many a long day. Mary and +her sister were in high spirits at the thoughts of their trip, for which +they had got everything ready. + +The next morning Dick presented himself so changed for the better in +appearance, that Harry scarcely knew him. He looked a fine, intelligent +sailor lad, and at once began to make himself useful in carrying down +our things to the boat: most of our heavier luggage had been sent on +board the previous evening. Mr Humby came off in a shore boat. + +While our own boat was being hoisted in, my brother gave his last +directions. + +"I'll do my best, Mr Harry, and I pray that you may have a successful +voyage, and when you return find all things going on well," he said, as +he shook hands with us all. + +The anchor was then hove up, and sail being made, we stood out of the +harbour, while Mr Humby returned on shore, waving his last adieus. + +The first part of our voyage was uneventful. We had fine weather, a +fair wind, and a smooth sea, and the ladies soon got accustomed to their +life on board, declaring that it was even more pleasant than they had +expected, though they should like occasionally to get sight of some of +the beautiful islands of the Pacific, of which they had so often heard. + +We left New Caledonia and the Loyalty Islands on our port side, then +steered to the north between the New Hebrides and the Fiji Islands, at +neither of which my brother wished to touch. + +Day after day we sailed on without sighting land, and at last Emily +exclaimed, "What has become of the islands we have heard so much about? +I thought we should not pass a day without seeing several of them. They +appear on the chart to be very close together, like the constellations +in the sky." + +"But if you will measure off on the chart the distances they are apart, +you will easily understand how it is we have sailed so far without +seeing them," said Harry. + +The very next day, as Fanny was looking over the starboard side, Harry +pointed out to her several blue hillocks rising out of the ocean, which +he told her were the northern islands of Fiji, the habitation of a +dark-skinned race, once the most notorious cannibals in the Pacific. + +"I am very glad to keep away from them, then," answered Fanny, "for I +shouldn't at all like to run the risk of being captured and eaten." + +"Not much chance of that," said Harry. "The larger number of them have +given up their bad habits, and promise to become as civilised as any of +the people in these seas." + +"Still, I would rather not go near their shores," said Fanny. + +She little thought at the time that there were many other islands in +every direction, the inhabitants of which were quite as savage as those +of Fiji had been. + +From the first, Tom Platt had taken a fancy to Dick, who had hitherto +behaved himself remarkably well. + +"We'll make a seaman of the lad, if he only sticks to it," he said to +me. "The rope's-endings, as he tells me he used to get aboard the +_Eclipse_, did him a world of good, though he didn't think so." + +I always treated Dick in a friendly way, though he was before the mast, +and I was glad to find that he did not presume on this, but willingly +did whatever he was ordered. Tom had had a hammock slung for Dick near +his berth away from the men, whose conversation, he said, was not likely +to do him any good. + +Our life on board was very regular; Tom and I kept watch and watch, the +crew being divided between us, while Harry, as captain, was on deck at +all hours whenever he thought it necessary. + + + +CHAPTER TWO. + +The calm which I described at the commencement of my narrative had +continued for many hours, and when the sun sank beneath the horizon +there was not the slightest sign of a coming breeze. It was my first +watch, and before Harry went below he charged me to keep a careful +look-out, and to call him should there be any sign of a change of +weather. The schooner still floated motionless on the water; scarcely a +sound was heard, except the cheeping of the main boom, and the low +voices of the men forward, as they passed the watch spinning their +oft-told yarns to each other. + +I slowly paced the deck, enjoying the comparative coolness of the night, +after the intense heat of the day. The stars in the southern hemisphere +were shining brilliantly overhead, reflected in the mirror-like ocean. +The watch at length were silent, and had apparently dropped off to +sleep, though I could see the figure of the man on the look-out as he +paced up and down or leaned over the bulwarks. Suddenly, the stillness +was broken by a dull splash. I started; it seemed to me as if some one +had fallen overboard, but it was only one of the monsters of the deep +poking its snout for an instant above the surface, and when I looked +over the side it had disappeared. Occasionally I heard similar sounds +at various distances. I had some difficulty in keeping myself awake, +though by continuing my walk I was able to do so; but I was not sorry +when the old mate turned out, without being called, to relieve me. + +"We have not got a breeze yet," I observed as he came on deck. + +"No, Master Ned, and we shan't get one during my watch either; and maybe +not when the sun is up again," he answered. + +Tom was right. When I came on deck the next morning the sea was as calm +as before. Though it appeared impossible that we could have moved our +position, I was greatly surprised, on looking away to the westward, to +see what I at first took to be the masts of a vessel rising above the +horizon. I pointed them out to my brother who had just come on deck. +He told me to go aloft with a telescope and examine them more minutely. +I then discovered that they were trees growing on a small island, +apparently cocoanuts, or palms of some sort. Beyond, to the south and +west, were several islands of greater elevation, some blue and +indistinct, but others appeared to be covered with trees like the nearer +one, while between us and them extended from north to south a line of +white surf distinctly marked on the blue ocean. On reporting to Harry +what I had seen, he said that the surf showed the existence of a barrier +reef surrounding the islands. "We may find a passage through it, but +sometimes these reefs extend for miles without an opening through them. +A strong current must be setting from the eastward towards it, or we +should not have been drawn so far during the night, for certainly there +was no appearance of an island in that direction at sundown." + +We soon had convincing proof that Harry was right in his conjecture. +There could be no doubt that a current was setting us towards the land, +for the trees gradually rose higher and higher above the water, and at +length we could see them from the deck, while the white line of surf +breaking on the reef became more and more distinct. At the same time a +slowly moving, at first scarcely perceptible swell, which Fanny called +the breathing of the ocean, passed ever and anon under the vessel, +lifting her so gently that the sails remained as motionless as before. +It was difficult indeed to discover that there was any movement in the +mirror-like surface of the deep, and yet we could feel the deck rise and +fall under our feet. The awning was rigged, and Mary and Fanny were +seated in their easy-chairs under it, Mary reading aloud while her +sister worked. Nat, who had placed himself near them, cross-legged on a +grating, to listen, with a marline-spike and a piece of rope, was +practising the art of splicing, in which he had made fair progress. "I +say, Ned, I wish you would show me how to work a Turk's head," he +exclaimed. + +I went to him and did as he asked me. This made Mary stop reading; and +Fanny, looking out towards the island, remarked, "How near we are +getting. I am so glad, for I want to see a real coral island, and that +of course is one. I suppose we shall anchor when we get close to it, +and be able to go on shore." Harry, who overheard her, made no reply, +but looked unusually grave, and told me to bring the chart from below. +Spreading it out on the companion-hatch, we again, for the third or +fourth time, gave a careful look at it. + +"I cannot understand the set of this current," he said. "It probably +sweeps round the island. But we are being carried much closer than I +like to be in so perfect a calm. If we get a breeze it will be all +right, but--" + +Just then the sails gave several loud flaps, as if some one had shaken +them out, and the schooner rolled now to one side, now to the other. +Her head had moved so as to bring the swell abeam. Once having begun, +she went on making the same unpleasant movements. It was evident that +the swell had increased. + +"Is there no way to stop her from doing that?" asked Mary. + +"Not till the wind fills her sails," answered Harry. "I hope, however, +that we shall get a breeze before long." + +Harry did not say this in a very cheerful tone. He soon afterwards +beckoned Tom Platt to him, and I saw them talking earnestly together for +some minutes. I joined them. They were discussing the probable set of +the current, which was at present sweeping us at the rate of at least +three knots an hour towards the reef. + +"We might keep her off it, at all events, until a breeze springs up," +remarked Tom. + +"We'll have the boats out, then, and do our best," said my brother, and +he gave the order "Out boats." + +We carried two boats on the davits, but as they were too light to be of +much service, we hoisted out the long-boat, which was stowed amidships. +We also lowered one of the gigs. The two boats were at once made fast +to the tow-line. The men gave way, and the schooner's head was kept off +from the threatening reef, against which the sea was breaking with +tremendous force. The men bent to their oars, for they knew the danger +as well as we did. + +We all watched the reef with anxious eyes. Should the vessel be driven +against it, we should, in a few seconds, we well knew, be dashed to +pieces; and, though we might escape in the boats before that catastrophe +occurred, we should be left to make a long voyage before we could reach +any civilised people. All around us were islands, most of them, we had +reason to fear, inhabited by treacherous and blood-thirsty savages. + +We, of course, did not express our anxiety to the ladies, who, however, +I thought, began to suspect that the vessel was in danger, although they +said nothing. The men had been pulling fully an hour against the +current, and yet, as I looked at the reef, I could not help +acknowledging to myself that the vessel was nearer than at first. The +swell, at the same time, began to increase, and we could now hear the +roar of the breakers as they dashed against the wall of coral which +interrupted their progress. + +"We'll send the other boat ahead, Platt," said my brother. + +"Ay, ay, sir," answered Tom; and he and I with the two remaining men +lowered her, and, jumping in, joined our shipmates in towing, leaving +only my brother with Dick and Nat to take charge of the vessel. He now +ordered us to pull across the current, in the hopes of thus in time +getting out of it. We all pulled away with a will, making the schooner +move faster through the water than she had done for many hours. + +"We must manage it somehow," shouted Tom to the other boats. "Give way, +lads--give way. We shall soon be clear of the current." + +It was of little use urging the men, as they were already straining +every nerve. My brother walked the deck, stopping every now and then, +casting his eyes frequently around the horizon in the hopes of +discovering signs of a coming breeze. Then he would look towards the +reef, but there was nothing encouraging to be seen in that direction. +Still Tom shouted every now and then, "Pull away, lads--pull away!" + +"We are pulling, mate, as hard as we can," answered the men from the +other boats. + +If we had any doubts of it before it was now clear enough that an +unusually strong current was setting us towards the reef, even faster +than we could pull away from it. Whenever the men showed any signs of +relaxing their efforts Harry came to the bows and cheered them on, +leaving Dick to steer. It was somewhat trying work for all of us, for +the hot sun was beating down on our heads, the perspiration streaming +from every pore; but our lives depended upon our exertions, and pull we +must to the last moment. I heard some of the men talking of going +alongside the schooner and asking the captain for a glass of grog +apiece. + +"Don't be thinking of that, lads," cried Tom. "It would be so much +precious time lost. We can pull well enough if we have the will. The +grog would not give you any real strength, and you'd be as thirsty as +before a few minutes afterwards. Can't one of you strike up a tune, and +see if that don't help us along." + +There was no response to this appeal, so Tom himself at once began +shouting a no very melodious ditty. First one man joined in, then +another and another, until the whole of the boats' crews were singing at +the top of their voices. It appeared to me that the vessel was moving +somewhat faster than before through the water, but looking towards the +wall of foam that seemed no further off. Still we knew that our efforts +were of use, as we thus considerably delayed the destruction which +awaited our vessel should she once get within the power of the breakers. +Hour after hour passed by. The swell had increased, and, combined with +the current, made our task still more difficult, but Harry had too much +at stake to let any consideration for our fatigue induce him to allow us +to rest for a moment. "Pull on, lads, pull on," he shouted. "We shall +have the breeze before long, and we'll not let the schooner be cast +away." + +The roar of the breakers sounded in our ears between each dip of the +oars. I looked round, but no sign of a breeze could I discover. My +heart sank within me as I thought of how Harry must be _feeling_ with +the dear ones under his charge in so great a peril. As I again looked +towards the reef it seemed that, since we could not tow the vessel off, +no power could save her. I knew that the depth of water close up to +these coral reefs is generally so great that there would not be a +possibility of anchoring, nor did I see any opening through which we +could pass and get into smooth water. + +At last Harry shouted out, "Mr Platt, in the second gig, come alongside +and help trim sails." We at once obeyed him. + +"What do you think we shall get out of that, Platt," he asked, pointing +to a small cloud which was seen rising above the horizon. + +"A stiffish breeze, to my mind, and I hope we shall get it before long," +answered Tom. + +We at once trimmed sails, and while we were so employed I saw several +cats'-paws playing over the surface. The sails filled. + +"Let the boats come alongside, and we'll hoist them in before the breeze +catches us," cried Harry. "We shall do now, without their help, I +hope." + +This was speedily done, but scarcely had we secured the larger boat, the +first gig having already been hoisted on board, than the wind filling +our canvas, the vessel heeled over almost to her gunwale. But the +danger was not past, we had still that fearful wall of surf under our +lee. It would be no easy matter to beat off it. + +The awning had been quickly unrigged, and the schooner, with as much +canvas as she could bear, was tearing through the fast rising seas. We +stood on, still nearing the reef. Old Tom went to the helm. The wind +increasing, the vessel heeled over before it, but it would not do to +shorten sail. The men were at their stations. + +"We'll go about, Platt, and see if she'll do better on the other tack," +said Harry. "Helm's a lee!" About she came, but scarcely had she +gathered way when a more furious blast than before laid her over. I +looked aloft--the top masts were bending like willow wands. I feared +every instant that they would go, but it was not a moment to shorten +sail. Presently the wind headed us, and we had once more to go about. +We now stood on almost parallel with the reef, Tom watching for every +slight variation of the wind to edge the schooner off it. All this +time, though the current no longer carried us towards the reef, the +heavy swell rolling in threatened to set us on it. Night was +approaching. It would add greatly to the danger of our position. The +ladies had hitherto remained on deck, fully aware of our peril, but +showing no signs of fear. Harry, who from the moment the gale sprang up +had stood holding on to the weather backstay, now watching the canvas, +now the fast rising seas, urged them and Nat to go below. + +"I will summon you, if necessary," he said, in a calm tone. "But we +will hope for the best. Remain in the cabin, and keep your cloaks and +hats ready to put on." + +They went without remonstrance. I helped them down the +companion-ladder. + +"Is there much danger, do you think, Ned?" asked Mary. "Harry seems +unusually grave." + +"We must, as he says, hope for the best," I answered, though I myself +knew that the danger was imminent. Should a spar go or the gale +increase, there would be but scant time, before the schooner would be +among the breakers, to get into the boats; and even should we escape in +them, would they live in that stormy sea? I saw Mary and Fanny kneel +down at the sofa as I left the cabin, and Mary drawing Nat to her side. + +"Their prayers will help us," I thought, as I sprang on deck. + +The wind was increasing, the foam-topped seas rolled in quick succession +towards us, the sky to windward looked threatening in the extreme; that +terrible wall of foam loomed higher through the gloom of night. Still, +as long as the schooner's head could be kept turned away from the reef, +we might hope to claw off from it. The chart had shown us that a reef +existed, but its form was indistinctly marked. Hitherto we had found it +running in a direct line, north and south, but it might suddenly trend +to the east, and if so, without a moment's warning, we might be upon it. +Harry, knowing this, had stationed two of the men with the sharpest +sight forward, to look out for breakers ahead, that should they be seen, +we might go about and have a chance of escaping them; but, owing to the +heavy sea rolling in, there was a great risk of the schooner missing +stays, and should she do so, our fate would be sealed: there, would be +no time to get the boats out before she would be among the breakers. +Harry now told me to go forward to assist the other men on the look-out. + +"We'll not go about, if we can help it," he said. "The water is deep +close up to the reef, and a miss is as good as a mile." + +Not a word was spoken; the crew were at their stations ready to execute +the orders they might receive. The increased roar of the ceaseless +breakers showed me that we were nearer than hitherto, though the vessel +was tearing along through the seas at her fastest speed, taking the +water over the bows in dense showers which often prevented me from +seeing ahead. + +"Shall we never get to the end of this terrible reef?" I said to +myself. Just then I saw close on the starboard bow the snowy wall of +surf. "Luff! Luff all you can!" I shouted out, my cry being echoed by +the men. The next moment we appeared to be in the very midst of the +seething waters, which fell foaming down on our deck. I gave up all for +lost, but again the schooner dashed on and we were free. The reef was +yet, however, on our starboard side, but as I peered through the +darkness I observed a gap in the wall of foam. I ran aft to Harry. He +had seen it. + +"We must venture through," he said. "Square away the fore-yard. Ease +off the main-sheet; up with the helm." + +His orders were obeyed, while he hurried aft to direct Tom how to steer. +The hissing breakers rose on either hand not twenty fathoms from the +vessel; the seas roared up astern; now a huge billow lifted us, and then +down we glided into comparatively smooth water. + +"Stand by to shorten sail!" shouted Harry. "Port the helm!" + +"Port it is," cried Tom. + +The headsails were handed, the schooner was rounded to, the anchor let +go, and she rode in safety inside the reef. Harry, with a light heart, +sprang below to assure his wife and her sister that the danger was past. +We could but dimly make out the low shore on the other side of the +lagoon; but what was the character of the island, or whether or not it +was inhabited, we could not tell. The wind was still blowing with great +force, the breakers dashing with terrific roars against the reef outside +of us, so that at any moment we might be driven from our anchor. We +both of us therefore intended to stay on deck during the remainder of +the night, to be ready should any accident occur. We, however, went +down to supper, for which we were very ready, as we had eaten nothing +since the commencement of the gale. Very pleasant the cabin looked +after the gloomy deck, with Mary and Fanny seated at the table, and the +swinging lamp shedding a bright light around. It was difficult to +believe that not many minutes before there was a fearful prospect of our +vessel being dashed to pieces on the rocks. We could, however, remain +below but a very short time, and had again to hurry on deck. + +"I'm afraid she's dragging her anchor, sir," said Tom, who was getting a +lead line ready to ascertain whether this was the case. + +The lead was dropped to the bottom, the line ran out slowly, showing +that his surmise was correct. More cable was paid out in the hope of +bringing her up. We looked anxiously astern, fearing that she might +strike on some mass of coral between us and the shore. At length, to +our great relief, the line hung up and down, showing that the anchor was +holding. The night passed slowly on. Seldom have I more anxiously +wished for the return of day. + + + +CHAPTER THREE. + +Daylight showed us that the reef, through an opening in which we had +passed, was many miles in circumference, and that it surrounded several +islands of various sizes and heights, with cocoanut, pandanus, and a few +other trees and shrubs growing on them. They were not, as we had at +first supposed, lagoon islands. Harry said that he believed them to be +the summits of the hills of a submerged island, of which the reef marked +the outer edge. We inspected the nearest through our glasses, but could +not discover any signs of inhabitants, not a hut, not a canoe on the +beach, not a wreath of smoke ascending beyond the trees. In the +distance, as if floating on the calm surface of the water, appeared, +blue and indistinct, the other islands of the group, one of the most +northern of which we had seen on the previous day. The gale had ceased, +though the breakers still dashed furiously on the outer side of the +reef, but scarcely a ripple disturbed the placid expanse of the lagoon. + +"Oh, how beautiful!" exclaimed Fanny, as she and Mary came on deck. "I +should so like to take a stroll through that shady grove on the soft +turf which carpets the ground." + +"Do let us go, Harry," said Mary; "you are not obliged to sail +immediately." + +Nat also begged that he might go. + +"While the swell rolls in through the passage with this light breeze we +cannot safely attempt to get out, and so, as you wish it, we will pay a +visit to the nearest island," answered Harry. "But I warn you that you +may be disappointed." + +As soon as we had breakfasted the two gigs were lowered. Harry took the +two ladies in one, and I had charge of the other, having with me Nat and +Dick Tilston. Just as we were about to shove off I asked Tom to hand me +down Harry's fowling-piece, on the chance of getting a shot at some +birds. + +"May as well have a musket, too," he said, giving me one with some +ammunition. "There may be no people ashore, or if there are they may be +friendly, but it's as well to be prepared for t'other in these parts." + +Tom seldom indulged in so long a speech. It showed that he was somewhat +anxious about our going on shore on an unknown island. We gave way, +eager to step on shore, my boat soon catching up Harry's. As we +approached the beach we found that the surf washing over the outer reef +set upon it in a way which would have made landing there disagreeable, +so we pulled a short distance round to the lee side, where we discovered +a little bay, or indentation in the coral rock, large enough to admit +both the boats, I getting in first was in readiness to hand Mary and +Fanny on shore. + +"Why, what has become of the soft green turf we saw?" exclaimed Fanny, +looking along under the trees. + +"Perhaps we shall find it further on," remarked Mary. + +"I am afraid not," said Harry; "but we will go on through the shady +groves and try to reach it." + +It was no easy matter to do this, for although there was grass, it grew +in wiry patches out of the coral rock, in some places so thickly that we +were compelled to wind in and out among them to make any progress. No +flowers nor fruits were to be seen, except some cocoanuts high up above +our heads, while the sun came down between the scanty foliage with no +less force than on the water. Still our curiosity tempted us to +proceed, but everywhere was the same wiry grass which we had taken at a +distance for soft turf. At length we came to an open space, raised but +slightly above the level of the sea. It was tenanted by innumerable +aquatic birds--gannets, sooty terns, beautiful tropic and frigate birds, +the nests of the latter constructed of rough sticks covering the boughs +of the surrounding trees. While the gannets, whose eggs had been +deposited on the ground without nests refused to move as we approached-- +only exhibiting their alarm or displeasure by loud croaks, and allowing +us to catch hold of them without resistance--the frigate birds, more +wary, rose from their perches, inflating their blood-red pouches to the +size of large cocoanuts, as they ascended high up in the air above our +heads, or flew off to sea; others circled round us screeching wildly and +flapping their wings. The discordant noise, the heat, the disagreeable +smell, and the roughness of the ground, made the ladies unwilling to +proceed further, and they proposed returning slowly to the boats; but +Dick, Nat, and I, with Jack Lizard, one of the men, pushed forward in +spite of all obstacles, as I was anxious to explore more of the island. + +"Do not be long away," shouted Harry; "we may have a breeze shortly, and +must get aboard." + +"Ay, ay!" I answered, as we hurried on, expecting to be able to get to +the other side of the island and to turn back and overtake them before +they reached the boats. The ground rose slightly as we advanced, +showing that the island had been upheaved, since first formed by its +minute architects, owing to some volcanic convulsion far down in the +depths of the ocean. Masses of coral worn by time lay scattered about, +amid which grew shrubs and tangled creepers, with here and there a few +taller trees; but as the shrubs were not of a thorny species we pushed +through them or leaped over them, Dick and Nat coming down on their +noses more than once in our progress. Seeing a knoll, or rather a mass +of coral, thrown up higher than the rest ahead I made for it, hoping to +get from thence a more extensive view than we could from where we were. +We soon climbed to the summit, which was high enough to enable us to +look over the surrounding trees. + +"Hillo, what are those dots out there?" exclaimed Nat, pointing towards +the eastern end of the nearest island, which we had seen from the +schooner. + +"Dots, do you call them, young gentleman?" said Lizard; "to my mind they +are canoes, well-nigh a score of them; and they are making way over the +water at a pretty fast rate, too, towards us." I had not brought a +telescope, but shading my eyes with my hands the better to examine the +objects I was satisfied that Lizard was right, and that they were +canoes. At first I did not suppose that they, or rather the people in +them, had any hostile intentions; but suddenly the idea occurred to me +that they had discovered the schooner, and were coming with the design +of cutting her off. Should such be the case, it was important to warn +my brother without delay, that we might return on board and prepare for +the defence of the vessel. + +"More nor likely, Mr Ned," answered Lizard when I asked him his +opinion. "As the mate was a saying afore we came away, you can never +trust those black fellows." + +"Come on, boys, then," I cried. "We must make good use of our legs, or +the canoes will be up to us before we can reach the boats." + +We set off, keeping close together that we might help each other in case +of any of us being hurt by falling. First Dick came down, and then Nat +had two tumbles, both scratching their hands and knees; but, the moment +they were on their feet, on they came again. I got an ugly fall, which +would have been much worse if Lizard had not caught me, and, as it was, +I cut one of my knees and hands on the sharp coral. At length we had to +stop and take breath, for, having not only to run, but often to leap +from rock to rock, it was very exhausting work. + +"Are we going the right way?" asked Nat, looking round. + +It was well he asked the question, for, on climbing a short way up a +tree, I discovered that we had been keeping too much to the right, and +should have arrived at the east instead of at the south side of the +island, where we had landed. Correcting our mistake, we again went on, +and I was very thankful when we came to the level part inhabited by the +colony of birds. We dashed through them, crushing many an egg, as well +as several hapless young ones, regardless of the screechings of the old +birds and the furious pecks they gave at our legs. I looked out ahead, +but could see nothing of Harry and the ladies. We shouted, thinking +that they might not be far off; but, receiving no answer, I hoped that +they had already embarked. + +At last I caught sight of Harry, with Mary and Fanny seated near him, +both with their sketch-books before them. At that moment a gun was +fired from the schooner. + +"Why, what's the matter?" exclaimed Harry. + +Scarcely had he asked the question than another gun was fired. + +"Old Tom thinks there's danger somewhere, and wants us aboard again." + +I was unwilling to alarm Mary and Fanny, so, instead of shouting out, I +waited till I could get up to my brother, when I told him quietly what +we had seen. + +"The sooner we are aboard the better, for the canoes appear to be coming +on at a great rate," I added. + +"No doubt about it," he answered; and, telling the ladies to shut up +their books, he hurried with them towards the boats, bidding Lizard and +Dick to run on ahead and order the men to be in readiness to shove off. +We were not long in reaching the boats, and we prepared to return in the +order we had left the schooner, I having Dick and Nat with me. Harry's +boat got off first, and his crew gave way with a will; mine followed at +some little distance. Just as we opened the eastern point of the island +I got sight of the fleet of canoes coming round it, and steering +directly for the schooner. Old Tom saw us coming, yet he fired again, +probably in the hopes of scaring the natives and preventing them from +attacking us; but this did not appear to have any effect on them, +perhaps because they were ignorant of the power of firearms. Fast as we +were pulling they came along faster, and it seemed doubtful if we should +reach the schooner before they were up to us. As yet they were some way +to the eastward, so that the course on which they were approaching the +schooner formed an angle of about thirty degrees with that on which we +were steering; thus, a shot fired from her, might hit them without the +risk of injuring us. We had come away with only three hands in the boat +besides Dick. I made him take the stroke-oar, that I might assist him, +while I placed Nat at the helm. I now told Nat to edge up slightly to +the eastward, so that we might keep between Harry's boat and the +savages. Though we bent to our oars, the canoes were gaining on us. It +was just possible that their intentions were friendly, but it would be +folly to trust to them. How I wished for a breeze, that the schooner +might get under weigh and come to our assistance! There was, however, +not a breath of wind to fill her sails, so that we must, I saw, depend +on our own exertions. Old Tom did not again fire, probably because he +considered that, unless he could hit one of the canoes, the savages +would fancy that the shot would do them no harm. The canoes were now so +near that I could distinguish their character. Though small compared +with those of Fiji and Tonga, the leading ones were double, with a +platform in the centre, on which stood a number of men gesticulating +violently, and flourishing spears and clubs, while others sat on either +side working broad-bladed paddles almost upright at a rapid rate. I +could have picked off some of the warriors, but was unwilling to +commence hostilities. I looked round, and was thankful to see that +Harry's boat was getting near the schooner. In a few minutes he and his +companions would be on board. Before then, however, my boat would be on +a line with the canoes, and a shot fired from the vessel might strike +her. Just as this idea occurred to me there came a flash and a loud +report, and as I looked astern to see the effect produced by the shot, I +saw that the canoes were thrown into considerable confusion. The +leading one had been struck, and the platform knocked to pieces. The +warriors were tumbling overboard, while the other canoes, coming up, +were running into the wreck and into each other. Whether any one had +been killed I could not see. Dick and the rest of my crew shouted as +they saw what had happened. + +"Give way, lads, give way," I cried out. "We may get on board now and +defend the vessel, if the savages venture to attack us." + +We had got almost up to the schooner, and Harry had put the ladies on +board her before the savages had recovered from their alarm, the +warriors and crew of the wreck having got on board the other canoes. +Notwithstanding the effect of Tom's shot, they seemed bent on attacking +us, and once more came paddling on. + +"We must show the savages that we are not afraid of them," cried Harry, +turning his boat's head towards the canoes, and standing up with a +musket in his hand. He had obtained two from the vessel. I imitated +his example, and all hands raised a loud, ringing cheer, which no sooner +did the savages hear than they ceased paddling, and when we, firing our +muskets, dashed forward, they fairly turned tail, or rather backing +away, went off in all directions. A few more musket shots fired over +their heads increased their speed. + +"I told you, Mr Ned, that you'd find the small arms of use," said Tom, +when we got on board. "They ain't accustomed to big guns, and don't +know what a round shot can do." + +"It was your round shot, however, which stopped them when they were +nearly up with us; and I hope that they won't forget the lesson they +have learned to-day," I answered. I need not say that Mary and Fanny +looked very thankful when they saw us safe on board. + +We anxiously watched the savages, for we could not be certain of their +intentions. They might rally and renew the attack, if not in the +daytime, during the night, when we should be unable to see them till +they were close upon us. Our hope therefore was that the wind would +again spring up, and that we should be able to get to sea before +darkness set in. In vain, however, we waited for a breeze. The canoes +meantime had disappeared behind the nearest island; but we could not +ascertain whether they had gone on to the further-off islands or were +still in our neighbourhood. In the latter case they might come suddenly +upon us, and it would be necessary to keep a very watchful look-out to +avoid being taken by surprise. I volunteered to go on shore and +ascertain where they were, by making my way through the wood across the +island, till I reached some point whence I could obtain a view over the +water on the north side; but Harry would not allow me to run the risk, +for had I been discovered I should in all probability have been put to +death. He, however, took one of the boats, and surveyed the whole of +the channel through which we should have to pass to get to sea, that, +should a breeze spring up during the night, we might get out without +fear of running on the reef. By the time he returned on board evening +was drawing on. He had directed Tom to fire a gun as a signal should +the canoes appear, but not one was seen before it became so dark that we +could scarcely distinguish the outline even of the nearest island. Mary +and Fanny having recovered from their alarm, for they had naturally been +much frightened, were seated in the well-lighted cabin, with Nat, at +tea, when Harry and I joined them. We had left old Tom and Dick in +charge of the watch on deck, consisting of Tom Tubb the New Zealander, +and Jacky Pott the Sandwich Islander, with two other men. The guns were +loaded, the muskets arranged against the companion-hatch, and the cable +was hove short, so that we might speedily trip the anchor and make sail +should the wished-for breeze spring up. We almost forgot, as we were +enjoying our comfortable meal in our cozy cabin, that not far off were +hordes of howling savages; that we had to find our way between coral +reefs, and might have storms and other unknown dangers to encounter. +Tea over, after singing a few airs to the accompaniment of her guitar, +Fanny took up her work, while Mary as usual began to read. I then went +on deck. + +"Any chance of a breeze soon?" I asked. + +"Not a breath of wind as yet, sir," answered old Tom; "and I don't think +we shall get it till the morning. I only hope when it does come that we +shan't have more of it than we want. I'd advise the ladies not to sit +up till we are out at sea, for if they do they'll get but little sleep +to-night." + +I went below and told them what Tom said. Harry agreed that he was +right; and when they retired to their cabins he and I returned on deck. +We neither of us felt inclined to turn in. Perhaps we were as anxious +as if we had been certain that the savages would attack us. The hours, +as they always do on such occasions, went slowly by; and at last, unable +longer to keep my eyes open, I got a cloak from below, and rolling +myself up in it lay down on deck. How long I had slept I could not +tell, when I heard Tom exclaim-- + +"I see them, sir." + +"You are right; so do I," answered Harry. "Turn the hands up." + +I was on my feet in an instant, and looking towards the eastern end of +the island distinctly made out a number of dark objects on the surface +of the water approaching the schooner. The men came tumbling up on +deck. + +"Silence!" cried Harry, in a low voice; "crouch down so as not to show +yourselves. As the savages hope to surprise us, we must surprise them. +Ned, run down and tell Mary and Fanny that we may have to fire the guns, +but that they must not be alarmed, as we are sure to beat off the +savages." + +I quickly executed my commission, and sprang again on deck. The canoes +did not appear to me to have got nearer. The savages were, perhaps, +holding a consultation. As I was looking at them, I felt a breath of +air on my right cheek. It was from the eastward. Again it came +stronger. It was the most favourable wind we could have. + +"Loose the headsails--man the windlass," cried Harry. "I shall be +thankful if we can avoid injuring more of the ignorant savages." + +The anchor was quickly hove up--the headsails and then the mainsail set, +and the schooner glided on towards the passage through the reef. As her +broadside was turned towards the canoes we could fire all our guns at +them, should it be necessary. Almost immediately afterwards the moon +rose, showing us clearly their position, and, what was of more +consequence, enabling us with less difficulty to see our way through the +passage. The canoes now came paddling on, the savages probably fearing +that we should escape them. + +"We must not let them attack us in the channel," said Harry, and he +reluctantly gave Tom the order to fire. Our guns were discharged in +quick succession, and the next instant we saw the canoes paddling away +in the utmost confusion; but it was too dark to ascertain what injury +had been inflicted. We had soon to haul aft the sheets, and to devote +all our attention to the navigation of our vessel--old Tom going forward +to look out for dangers, and Harry standing aft to direct the helmsman +and conn the vessel, while the crew were at their stations; I standing +by the main-sheet with others to flatten it aft or ease it off as might +be necessary. Now and then I took a look astern to ascertain if the +canoes were following us, but could only just make them out, showing +that the savages had had enough of it, though they might have annoyed us +greatly had they boldly attacked us while we were standing through the +passage. In a short time the outer part of the reef was passed, and the +breeze freshening we were gliding swiftly over the moonlit sea. + + + +CHAPTER FOUR. + +When morning broke, the reef-encircled islands could be indistinctly +seen over the port-quarter rising out of the sparkling ocean. The wind +being against us we expected to have a long beat before we could reach +our destination; but Harry resolved to persevere, hoping that we might +get a favourable breeze at last. Things on board went on as usual. +After I had had my sleep out in the forenoon I gave Dick a lesson in +navigation, which I had done regularly every day of late since I +discovered that he was anxious to learn. + +"I am most grateful to you, Mr Ned," he said. "If I can fit myself to +be an officer I shall not be ashamed to return home, which I should have +had I gained no more knowledge than I should have done under ordinary +circumstances, as a ship's boy." + +"Much depends on the way you work, and whether you keep to your good +resolutions," I observed. "But I say, Dick, you have never told me +anything about yourself; though from the first I saw that you had had a +good education." + +"To tell you the truth, my father is a merchant in London, and my mother +moves in good society," he answered, speaking rapidly. "She was very +fond of me, and I do not think that if I had been with her I could have +run away; but I went off from school, where I was not happy, quite +forgetting how miserable it would make her when she heard that I was +missing. The thought of that has preyed on my mind more than anything +else. I wrote to her, however, when I reached Brisbane, and paid the +postage with the last shilling I had, so that she knows now that I am +alive, though I did not like to tell her how miserable I was. I only +asked her and my father to forgive me, and promised to return home when +I had made my fortune, for I just then fancied if I could escape from +the ship that I should be able to do that. I soon found when I did get +on shore that I was miserably mistaken, and if it had not been for you I +believe that I should have died. I am sure that none of my own +brothers, of whom I have five older than I am, could have treated me +more kindly. I have three sisters also, and when I look at Mrs Morton +and Miss Fanny they remind me of them, and I think of my folly in +leaving them all and running the chance of never seeing them again." + +After Dick had made this confession I felt more than ever inclined to +befriend him. + +When I told Harry, he said that he would consider what was right to be +done. "I think it best, however, that Dick should remain in his present +position for a time," he added. "He is learning the details of +seamanship from old Tom and the rudiments of navigation from you, and as +he does not mix much with the crew he will gain no harm from them." + +We were standing on that evening close hauled to the south-east when, +just as the sun went down, dark clouds began to gather to windward. + +"We'll shorten sail at once," said Harry. "It may not come on to blow, +but it looks like it and we cannot be too cautious." He issued the +order to Tom, and we soon had the schooner under snug canvas. It was +fortunate that she was. Not ten minutes afterwards, just as Harry had +gone below, a squall struck her. + +"Luff! Luff!" shouted Tom, but before Jack Lizard, who was at the helm, +could do so, over the schooner heeled, till the water rushed through the +scuppers high up her deck. Lower and lower she went, until I thought +she was going to capsize. Harry sprang up from below. Tom had rushed +forward, and with the hands stationed there let fly the jib-sheets, and +was hauling down the forestay-sail--the foresail had been stowed. +Suddenly she rose, and I heard a loud crack, like the report of a musket +fired close to my ear. + +"We've sprung the mainmast, I fear," exclaimed Harry, and he called the +men aft to lower the mainsail, while he and I sprang to the peak and +throat halliards to let them go. On examining the mast we found that it +was so badly sprung that it would be impossible again to set sail on it +without the risk of carrying it away. It seemed a wonder that it had +not gone altogether. + +"We must bear up for Samoa," said Harry. "It is very provoking, but +there is no place nearer where we can hope to obtain a fresh spar." + +Accordingly the headsails were again hoisted, the fore-topsail was set, +and the helm being put up, away we ran before the wind on a course for +Upalu, the centre island of the group, in which Apia, the chief port, is +situated. The wind increased, and we soon had to close-reef the +fore-topsail, the only sail we could carry; then down came the rain in +huge drops, or rather in sheets which wetted us as thoroughly as if we +had jumped overboard, and so deluged the deck that had it not run out at +the scuppers as the vessel rolled from side to side the water would have +been up to our ankles in a few minutes. What with the pattering of the +rain, the howling of the wind and the dashing of the sea, we could +scarcely hear each other's voices. Though we had no sail set on the +mainmast, and had secured it with spars lashed round the injured part, +and additional stays, I frequently, as the schooner pitched into the +fast rising seas, expected to see it carried away altogether. Old Tom, +who seemed to have the same fear, told us to look out and stand from +under, in case it should go, but the difficulty was to know in what +direction it would fall, should it come down. + +On we ran day after day, the gale apparently following us, though Harry +said that as storms were generally circular we should in time run out of +it. Each time, however, that I turned out to keep my watch, there we +were, running on; the seas leaping and hissing and foaming around us; +the dark clouds flying overhead; the vessel rolling and pitching in the +same uncomfortable fashion as before. Harry did his best to keep up the +spirits of his wife and Fanny, who behaved like heroines, though they +agreed that they little expected to meet with such weather in the +Pacific. + +"It is as well to get it over, and we may hope to have finer for the +rest of the voyage," answered Harry, to console them. + +We had other dangers to encounter, of which he did not speak. Although +the sea we were traversing was pretty well known by this time, there +might be small islands or coral reefs improperly placed on the chart, or +not laid down at all, and at any moment during the darkness of night, or +even in the daytime, we might come upon one, when in an instant the +vessel would have been dashed to pieces, and all on board must have +perished. We had, therefore, to keep the sharpest possible look-out, +for a moment's want of vigilance might cause our destruction. Once I +saw the sea leaping and foaming high up above the surrounding water away +on the starboard hand. I pointed out the spot to Tom. + +"The end of a reef," he observed. "If we'd been a little more to the +nor'ard we should likely enough have been on it, but a miss is as good +as a mile. We may be thankful to have escaped." + +He afterwards told me that we passed another reef to the northward while +I was below, how many we escaped during the night we could not tell. +Thus some of the dangers to be encountered by those navigating among +coral islands will be understood. At length, one morning when I came on +deck to keep my watch, I saw the stars shining brightly overhead--the +wind had fallen, the sea was going down, and the schooner, with her +squaresail rigged out, was running gaily along. At noon we took an +observation, when we found that we were less than a hundred miles from +the port of Apia, which we therefore expected to reach the next day, +unless the wind should fail us. + +We were more fortunate than we expected. Early the next morning the +land was seen over the port bow rising in a succession of ridges to a +moderate height above the sea. We had made an excellent landfall, for +the harbour of Apia was almost directly ahead. Before we reached it, a +large whaleboat came off and put an Englishman on board, who introduced +himself as the chief pilot of the place. He carried us through a +somewhat intricate passage between coral rocks to a safe anchorage not +far from the shore. + +We were surprised to see several tastefully-built houses among trees, a +large church, stores, and other buildings, besides a number of +whitewashed cottages, many of which, the pilot told us, were inhabited +by natives who have learned the art of building and the use of lime from +the missionaries. Through their instrumentality also, although but a +few years ago the people inhabiting different parts of the island were +constantly fighting with each other, warfare has entirely ceased, and +all have become Christians by profession, many of them adorning the +Gospel by their lives and conversation, while others have gone forth to +carry its blessings to the still benighted heathen in the western +islands of the Pacific. + +I must be brief in my account of the events which occurred during our +stay at Apia. On going on shore we were received with great kindness by +several of the English and American residents, who invited Harry and his +wife and her sister to take up their abode at their houses, but they +preferred sleeping on board the schooner. We were fortunate in finding +a mast from a vessel wrecked on the coast, which by cutting down +slightly could be made to replace the mainmast we had sprung. + +We had been in harbour a couple of days when a fine-looking young chief +came on board, prompted by curiosity to see the vessel so unlike the +whalers which generally visit the port. He was unpicturesquely dressed +in shirt and trousers and we should not have taken him to be a chief, +except from his handsome figure, unless he had introduced himself as +Toa, the nephew of the great chief Maleatoa. He spoke English well, and +seemed very intelligent. On being introduced to Mary and Fanny, he made +a bow which would have become a French courtier, and appeared +wonderfully struck by them. He soon drew me aside and inquired who they +were. When I told him that one was married to my brother, and the other +was her sister, he appeared suddenly lost in thought, but said nothing +at the time. We asked him into the cabin, as we were just going to sit +down to dinner. He behaved in all respects like a polished gentleman, +narrowly watching us, and imitating the way he saw us eat. He told us a +great deal about his country, the progress it had made during the last +few years since the inhabitants had become Christians and wars had +ceased; the roads that had been constructed, the houses built, the +fields cultivated, and horses and cattle introduced. He described their +astonishment on first seeing a large animal, a mule, which they supposed +to be an enormous dog, and accordingly gave it an appropriate name. In +return for the civility we had shown him on board, he invited me to +accompany him on a sporting expedition into the interior. + +"I will show you how we catch pigeons and kill wild hogs," he said. + +Harry gave me leave to go, and I asked if Dick might accompany me, as I +knew he would like it. My brother consented. On going on shore early +the next morning we found the chief and several companions waiting for +us. Each person carried a tame pigeon on his arm secured by a string, +as also a bamboo thirty or forty feet long with a small net at the end +of it. Several attendants accompanied us carrying guns and ammunition. + +"We shall depend upon the provisions we find in the woods for our +support," said Toa to me. "We can easily obtain all we require." + +We proceeded for about four hours amid tangled bushes, across marshes, +and up the slippery sides of hills, till we arrived at a district with +here and there open spots, but generally covered with brushwood. The +attendants set to work to clear away a large circle by cutting down the +brushwood; we then retired to a spot which had been previously fixed on, +where a camp was formed, and some, arbours which would shelter us for +the night erected. Some of our people had in the meantime collected +some wild bread-fruit, dug up some wild yams, and brought down some +cocoanuts, which gave us an ample repast. Formerly the chiefs would +have indulged in drinking kava, but that custom had been abandoned. +Having satisfied our hunger we returned to our ambushes round the ring. +Each sportsman, if so he could be called, now stuck a stick with a +cross-piece on it into the ground for his pigeon, which was secured by a +string forty yards in length, to perch on. After remaining a short time +quiet Toa gave the signal, and the birds were simultaneously thrown into +the air, when they flew up and commenced, as they had been taught, +wheeling round and round. In a short time a number of wild pigeons +seeing them from a distance, and supposing from their movements that +they were hovering over their food, came from all directions to join +them. I was much surprised at the dexterity with which as the wild +birds circled among the decoy pigeons the sportsmen, rapidly raising +their nets, captured them. The moment a bird was caught the net was +again raised and another captured in the same manner. Toa in this way +caught a dozen in as many minutes. Dick and I tried our skill, but we +only knocked against the tame birds. It was a long time before I +managed to catch even one; Dick was still less successful. It seemed at +first very easy, but then it must be remembered that the rods were +upwards of thirty feet long, and that the birds flew very rapidly. +"Formerly," said Toa to us, "large parties of young men used to go out +for a month together, but we have now other occupation for our time, and +only now and then engage in the sport." + +"This is a funny sort of fishing in the air," said Dick. + +"I call it birding," I answered. + +"Very right," observed Toa; "I will show you how we fish some day." + +We caught several dozen pigeons during the morning. The afternoon was +to be devoted to hog-shooting, at a spot a short distance off. We were +divided into two parties--Dick and I accompanied Toa, while another +young chief, who had arrived with a number of ugly-looking dogs, led +another party. + +After going some distance we arrived at a spot where the pigs had been +rooting about, and away went the curs in chase. Before long their +shrill yelping bark told us that the herd was found, and following the +sound we discovered the chief and a companion tying the legs of a young +boar, which had been caught by running it down with some of the dogs. +The barking increased as we went on. + +Presently Toa cried out, "Take care; get behind the trees all of you," +and we saw an enormous wild boar which the dogs had been keeping at bay. + +The chief advanced running from tree to tree with great rapidity, that +he might get near enough to the animal to shoot it without injuring the +dogs. At length the boar caught sight of him and charged. Toa fired, +and apparently missed, and the brute came rushing towards me. I aimed +at his fore-shoulder, hoping, if I did not kill him outright, to stop +his career. In another moment he would have been into my side, for I +had no time to reload, when, just as he was near me, I made a spring and +caught the bough of a tree, which I could not under other circumstances +have reached, and my feet struck his back as he dashed under them. Toa +had now reloaded, but before he could fire the boar again charged; he, +however, nimbly sprang behind a tree, and the brute rushed past, giving +me an opportunity to recover my rifle. He now caught sight of Dick, at +whom he made a dash. Dick not attempting to fire, nimbly sprang up a +young tree. On seeing its enemy thus escaping, the boar made a dash at +the tree, and attacked it with its tusks, biting at it with the greatest +fury, till Toa, approaching, settled it with a ball through its head. +In this way, in a short time, we killed four large hogs, each weighing +at least five hundredweight. Thus it will be seen that the sport, if +exciting, was not wanting in danger, and I must own that I was very glad +when it was over, and we had all escaped without wounds. + +We had a luxurious supper on boar's flesh and wild pigeons, and roots +and fruits of various descriptions, all of which had been collected in +the woods, showing the abundance of food to be obtained in that favoured +region. + +After supper, Toa invited me to walk out with him away from the rest, +when he confided to me his deep admiration for Fanny Amiel, and inquired +whether I thought she would consent to remain at Samoa and become his +wife. I did not answer at once, as I was unwilling to offend him, and +yet was certain that she would not consent to any such proposal. I +replied that English ladies preferred marrying their own countrymen, and +then not until they were certain of their good qualities and had been +long acquainted. I undertook, however, to mention the subject to my +brother, but observed that I could not venture to say anything about it +to the lady herself, who would be much pained at having to refuse him. +He seemed somewhat downcast at my reply, but soon recovered his spirits, +and we returned to the camp to prepare for sleep. + +As, with the exception of wild boars, there are no savage animals in +Samoa, and the people of different tribes no longer tried to surprise +and murder each other, no sentries were placed, and every one laid down +to rest in perfect security. + +Next morning we returned to Apia. The tide was high as we went down to +the harbour, at which time, when there is a swell, the breakers burst +with considerable force over the reefs outside. We found a number of +boys and girls swimming off, some with boards, others without them, and +others paddling in paopaos, or little canoes. On reaching the reef, +where the waves curled up and broke into foam, the swimmers threw +themselves forward with a jump, just as the sea took them, and away they +glided in the midst of the white foam, shouting and yelling at the top +of their voices. The chief took us off in his canoe to see the fun. +When the breaker had spent itself the swimmers were left in smooth +water, on which all turned again towards the sea, breasting the smaller +waves, and quietly sinking down again as the larger and stronger ones +passed over, or frequently dashing boldly through them. + +"They will keep at that sport till the tide falls and the reef is left +bare," observed our friend Toa, as we pulled on board the schooner. +"When I was a lad I was very fond of it, and could beat most of my +companions, keeping longer at it and going out farther than any of +them." + +He had brought, I should have said, a number of pigeons and some of the +wild boar's flesh as a present to Harry, and which was very acceptable +on board. The ladies were on deck when we got alongside, and I was much +afraid that Toa might say something to Fanny which would annoy her, +before I had time to tell my brother that he might give her due warning. +The young chief, however, stood in a modest manner without advancing, +till Mary went up to him to thank him for his present. I in the +meantime managed to tell Harry what the chief had said to me. + +"I am sorry for this, but we must manage to get him on shore again as +politely as possible, and I will not tell her of his proposal before he +has gone." + +Our attention, however, was just then attracted by seeing a vessel +standing in for the harbour; she approached within a mile or so, when +the wind fell. She had a signal flying for a pilot, and the men who +brought us in went out to her. Toa, who had an eye to business, wishing +to be on board early to see what trading could be done, said that he +should go out, and invited me to accompany him in his large canoe. As +we got near the vessel we found three of her boats towing ahead. On +boarding her the captain said he must get in at once, as she was leaking +terribly, and was besides short of provisions and water. Toa, on this, +offered to bring out provisions; and the pilot told him that it was +dangerous, without a leading breeze, to attempt entering the harbour, +especially as the tide was falling. The brig was, I found, the +_Caesar_, an American vessel, bound from California to Sydney, and had +come to Apia for the reasons the captain stated. + +"If you won't take her in, I will by myself," he exclaimed. "Where's +the difficulty? The boats can tow her, as there isn't a breath of wind +to stop her way." + +"But you cannot tell how the tide will set you, and I advise you to let +the boats tow you off," answered the pilot. + +The skipper, however, was obstinate, and was, I suspect, pot-valiant. +He ordered the boats to continue pulling ahead, while he went to the +helm himself. The pilot on this, again warning him that he was risking +the safety of the vessel, stepped into his boat and pulled for the +harbour. Toa, however, believing that he could leave at any moment in +his canoe, remained on board, and I, of course, had to stay with him. +All apparently went well for some minutes, till, just as we were at the +entrance, the tide caught the vessel; the after-part struck heavily; she +heeled broadside on to the reef, and the next moment, with a tremendous +roar, a breaker burst over us. All was confusion on board; shrieks and +cries arose from the passengers, the men swearing as they rolled and +slipped about. The skipper, however, recovered in a moment his +self-possession, and swore he would shoot the first man that attempted +to leave the vessel; but as he had no gun or revolver in his hand, no +one appeared to care for the threat. One of the crew, a New Zealander, +indeed, immediately jumped overboard, when the captain threw a +marline-spike at his head, but, sinking, he avoided it, and managed to +reach the smooth water inside the reef, where the pilot had in the +meantime anchored his boat prepared to assist those who might be able to +reach her. Other boats were coming off from the shore, those which had +been towing, as well as the chiefs canoe, had been cut adrift directly +the vessel struck, and pulled away, or they would have been swamped in +an instant. + +It will be understood that owing to the heavy breakers it was impossible +to get off from the vessel on the sea side, and that our only hope of +safety was to pass through the foaming surf on the reef, till we reached +smooth water in the inside. The vessel, lightly built, was already +breaking up, and her bottom planks were appearing, floating up to the +surface, while the water rushed freely in and out of her. There was +therefore no time to be lost. Toa at once proposed to the skipper to +tie a rope to a plank, and to swim with it to the boats inside the reef, +so that the passengers and those unable to help themselves might be +passed along it, and their lives saved. The rope was speedily got up. + +"I will go with you," I said to Toa. + +"Come along," he answered, and taking my hand he jumped with me into the +foaming surf. The first great roller curled high above our heads, and +broke with a terrific roar. As it did so we let go the plank and sank +down, keeping our eyes turned upwards to watch when it had passed. +Quickly returning to the surface, we again clutched the plank and shoved +it before us. We had twice to perform the same operation before we +reached the smooth water. I wanted to return, but Toa advised me to +remain, as I was not accustomed to the water as he was. He quickly +again made his way along the rope to the deck of the vessel. The next +moment he appeared again, holding a young lady with one arm, while he +dragged himself along the rope with the other, but he twice had to +descend to avoid the rollers. The young lady seemed more dead than +alive when he placed her in the boat, but she quickly recovered, while +he, not in the slightest degree exhausted, dashed off again on board the +vessel, and brought another girl in the same way through the surf. A +third time he went, and on this occasion he encountered a young man, a +gentleman apparently, who was endeavouring to make his way by himself +along the rope. He was clutching the rope desperately, when a roller +going over him tore him away from his hold. Toa, seeing what had +happened, dashed after him, and seizing him brought him back to the +rope. Again Toa had to dive twice with the almost senseless stranger, +whom he at length placed, greatly exhausted, in the boat. The young +ladies had quickly recovered, so that I was able to pay attention to the +last comer, and with the assistance of the old pilot and two other men +we brought him to. + +"The sooner we get ashore with these people the better, and let them +have a change of duds," said the old pilot. "But I do not like leaving, +while there are any people remaining on board." + +"Oh, pray wait," said one of the young ladies. "There is a poor woman +and her child and several other people, besides the captain and crew, +who, I suppose, do not require so much help." + +By this time, seeing the possibility of getting alongside the ill-fated +vessel in a boat, two put off from the shore, manned by stout fellows. +The first succeeded in getting alongside and bringing away a number of +the passengers, but the next was less successful. The brig gave a +tremendous roll, and striking the boat, capsized her in a moment, and +the whole of the people were scattered about in the raging surf. They +were, however, all picked up in various ways by the boats, but one poor +woman had her child washed from her arms. It was being rapidly carried +away by the receding sea, when Toa, who was on board the brig, sprang +after it and catching it in one arm, held its head above the surf while +he swam forward with the other. Thus the little fellow was borne along +by his preserver. Now the brave chief rose to the summit of a foaming +sea, now he sank down into the trough, again to rise with the boy still +grasped in his powerful hand. In a short time he placed him in the arms +of his almost frantic mother. Loud cheers burst from all the spectators +as they witnessed the gallant act, which few, indeed, would have been +able to accomplish. + +Shortly after the last person had been taken from the brig she broke +into a thousand fragments, which, with her cargo, soon, for a mile or +more on either side, strewed the beach. I felt much interested in the +stranger whom Toa had saved, and as he required to be attended to more +than any one else, I invited him at once to come on board the _Dainty_, +where I was sure Harry would be glad to receive him till he was better +able than at present to go on shore. The ladies who had friends +preferred at once going on shore to the house of one of the English +residents. The pilot, therefore, pulled up alongside the schooner. +Harry, on hearing the account I gave him, immediately begged the +stranger to come on board. He signified his gratitude, but was scarcely +able to speak. + +As Harry and I helped him along the deck, we called old Tom and Dick to +come and assist us; and with their help we carried him below. + +I saw Dick looking at him with wondering eyes. At last he exclaimed-- + +"Who are you? Are you Charles Tilston?" + +"Yes," answered the stranger, gazing at Dick's countenance; "and you are +my brother Dick, whom I have come to look for." + +"Yes, I am Dick," was the answer. "Oh, Charlie, I should never have +forgiven myself if you had lost your life, for it was I, from what you +tell me, who brought you out here." + +"You will have plenty of time to talk about this by-and-by," said Harry. +"Let me advise you at once to go to bed." + +Charles Tilston acknowledged the wisdom of this advice, and Harry and +old Tom assisting to get off his clothes put him into my berth, when +having swallowed some warm broth he fell fast asleep. Dick begged that +he might be allowed to remain and watch over him, promising not to speak +again till he saw that his brother was sufficiently recovered to enter +into conversation. As Harry thought a doctor should see our guest he +sent me on shore to procure the services of one who had a short time +before landed from a whaler. While I was waiting for him Toa landed, +and was received with loud acclamations by all the people, the account +of his having so gallantly saved the child being the theme of +conversation. + +As Harry was now only waiting for a breeze to sail, thinking that I +might not see Toa again, I bade him farewell, and thanked him for having +saved my life. + +"I must come and see you to-morrow morning," he said. "You will not +sail till then, as there will be no wind to carry you out. And now, my +friend, I have a favour to ask, I must beg you to tell the fair Pearl of +the Ocean that her figure has ever been present before my eyes, that her +voice has rung in my ear, that my thoughts have been occupied with her, +and her alone, ever since I saw her." + +"I will not fail to deliver your message," I answered. "But I must +remind you of what my brother said, and you must not be disappointed +should she decline your offer." I flattered myself that I had made a +very diplomatic reply, but the young chief did not look at all satisfied +as I wished him good-bye. + +I returned on board with the doctor, who prescribed for Charles Tilston, +and said he had little doubt that he would soon come round. I did not +fail to give Fanny the chiefs message. She and Mary laughed heartily. + +"I must not tamper with his affections," she said, "but I cannot +possibly encourage him, and I think that when he comes on board again it +will be better for me not to appear." + +Mary and I agreed with her, and it was settled that she should remain in +the cabin when Toa paid his farewell visit. In former years had a chief +conceived a similar fancy he would probably have attempted to carry off +the lady by force, but this was not likely to occur under present +circumstances. Harry, however, thought it prudent to keep a strong +watch at night on deck. It was my middle watch, and as I was looking +out across the harbour I thought I saw a fleet of canoes passing at some +distance from where we lay; still, as I felt sure that Toa would not use +any violence, this did not make me anxious. The canoes soon +disappeared, but after some time I fancied that I again saw them +hovering in the distance. Presently I heard a voice, which sounded +softly as it came over the water, singing in the Samoan language. What +was the meaning of the words I could not tell, but it struck me that +they were those of a love ditty, and that Toa had taken this method of +expressing the feelings of his heart. As Fanny was probably fast asleep +in her cabin, it would be entirely thrown away upon her, and I had no +intention of calling her up to listen to the serenade. I determined, +however, to call Harry should the canoes approach nearer; but the song +ceased, and they disappeared in the darkness. + +I told old Tom, who relieved me. + +"There's no harm in that sort of thing," he observed. "If the young +chief takes to singing he will not dream of doing anything worse. Maybe +he'll not break his heart after all, though he may think of Miss Fanny +for many a long day to come." + +In the morning the doctor came off again, and pronounced Charles Tilston +very much better. He was able, indeed, to get up and breakfast with us +in the cabin. He expressed his gratitude to Harry for the attention he +had paid him, and especially for the care he had taken of Dick. He then +told us, that on receiving Dick's letter he had immediately set out, by +his father's desire, to bring him home. Wishing to take the shortest +route, he had come over to America, and crossed the continent to San +Francisco; he there found the _Caesar_ on the point of sailing, and had +accordingly taken a passage in her. + +"I scarcely expected to reach Sydney," he said. "The skipper was drunk +the greatest part of every day, and sometimes for days together. It was +a mercy that we got even as far as Samoa; and had we not been wrecked, I +had intended to leave the brig, and proceed by some other vessel. Now +that I have found my young brother I do not like to quit him again, but +I am unwilling to deprive you of his services." + +"It will give me much pleasure if you will remain on board then," said +Harry. Charles Tilston, greatly to my satisfaction, at once accepted +the invitation; for I had taken a great fancy to him, and was unwilling +also to lose Dick. Harry arranged with him to go on shore to purchase +some clothing and other necessaries at the store, in case his own +portmanteau should not be recovered. The natives had, in the meantime, +been collecting the goods thrown upon the beach from the wrecked vessel, +not one of which was stolen, and bringing them into the town. We at +once went to the place where they were stowed, and among them Charles +Tilston discovered his own portmanteau, which he said professed to be +waterproof. On opening it, he found that no wet had got in. It being +delivered to him on a small payment for salvage, we returned with it on +board. All that morning the calm continued, but in the afternoon, a +breeze springing up, the pilot came off, and agreed to take us out. +Just as the sails were loosed, before we hove up the anchor, Toa came +alongside in his canoe. As was agreed on, Fanny remained below, but +Mary came on deck to receive him, and to thank him for his kindness to +me, but she said nothing about her sister. + +"And I am also most grateful to you for saving my life," said Charles +Tilston. "Had it not been for you I am fully convinced that I should +have been drowned, and I beg you to accept a few articles--all I have to +offer--as a remembrance of me." On this he put into his hand a handsome +clasp knife, adding some gold pieces, with which the chief seemed highly +pleased. I saw him continually looking towards the companion-hatch, as +if he expected Fanny to appear, but he waited in vain. At last, Harry +had to remind him that we were on the point of getting under weigh, and +that it would be better for him to take his leave before we hove up the +anchor. He was evidently trying to say something, but his tongue seemed +to cling to the roof of his mouth; and heaving a sigh he stepped into +his canoe and cast off. The anchor was immediately run up to the bows, +and the sails filling, as there was a leading breeze, we ran swiftly out +of the harbour. I saw the young chief standing up in his canoe, and +waving to us his last farewells. Not till we were well outside did +Fanny venture on deck. + +"Take care," said Mary laughing; "he may still come after us." + +However, he did not move his paddle, and we were soon out at sea, +steering with a fair breeze to the eastward. + + + +CHAPTER FIVE. + +We had now a continuance of fine weather, and day after day sailed over +the calm ocean, the surface just rippled by a gentle breeze, generally +so much in our favour that we were able to rig out our big square sail, +and to carry a topmast studding-sail. Though it was near the line the +heat was not very oppressive, unless when the wind fell altogether, and +then it was hot. Though I speak of the ocean being calm, there was +always a perceptible swell, more perceptible when we were on the +weather-side of a coral reef, against which the swell, finding an +impediment to its progress, could be seen dashing with tremendous force, +rising high in the air in masses of foam. We had before received a +warning to keep at a respectful distance from such reefs whenever we +could; but sometimes, unable to help ourselves, we were compelled to +pass unpleasantly near. Night and day we kept a vigilant look-out. +Sometimes, indeed, at night Harry thought it prudent to heave to, rather +than attempt running on when the chart showed us that coral banks +abounded ahead. In the daytime, when the sun shone, those even some way +below the surface could be seen by the look-out aloft at a considerable +distance, from the darker colour of the water to that of the surrounding +ocean. + +Though it was very delightful to have the society of Mary and Fanny, yet +at other times, when danger threatened, their presence greatly increased +Harry's anxieties, and I suspect that he often on these occasions wished +that he had left them on shore. Mary, however, always expressed her +satisfaction at being with him. + +"Just think how I should have felt all the time that you were away," she +said one day. "I should have been picturing you attacked by savages, or +tossed about by storms, or thrown upon a coral reef, or undergoing all +sorts of other misfortunes, till I got you safe back again; and I am +very sure that you would not have taken as much care of yourself as you +now do for my sake. So, whenever you go to sea, remember that I intend +to accompany you." + +We found Charles Tilston a very great addition to our society. He was +well-informed, and full of life and spirits, right-minded, and earnest. +He was very grateful also to Harry and me for the way we had treated +Dick. He was so pleased at the account we gave of Queensland, that he +proposed remaining and settling there with Dick as his companion. + +We were now approaching that part of the Pacific in which Tom Platt had +assured us we should find the islands round which pearl oysters +abounded; but, as he could not give us the exact longitude and latitude, +we expected to have to search some time before we found them. He +believed it, however, to be two or three days sail to the northward of +the island on which he had been cast away, and which was laid down +accurately on the chart, and for that island we accordingly steered. On +our course there we sighted a large lagoon island, and, as we approached +the north-west end, a number of canoes came off from the shore. While +at some distance the natives on board them were heard singing; as they +drew near the clamour increased. Now and then they interrupted their +singing by giving way to loud shouts of laughter and violent +gesticulations, as if they had been a party of madmen. Their canoes +were small, being only fifteen feet long, and generally containing three +persons. Each canoe was furnished with an outrigger, as also with a +projecting point, both over the bows and stern, to enable them to get on +board out of the water. They were formed of strips of cocoanut-wood +neatly sewn together. When they got within a short distance of the +schooner they ceased paddling, and no signs we could make would induce +them to come alongside. To calm their fears, we offered them various +articles. On this one canoe paddled briskly up, near enough to have the +things thrown into her; then away she went, and another approached. +After this, apparently to show their gratitude, they began a monotonous +song. This made us all laugh, when they stopped and grinned in return; +but although they seemed inclined to be friendly, they would not trust +themselves near us. Harry, however, thought that they might possibly +not object to our landing on their island. A boat was accordingly +lowered, and Charles Tilston, Dick, and I, with Tom Tubb, Jacky Pott, +and Lizard, went in her. We carried several articles for barter, +hoping, as we observed a large grove of trees on the shore, to obtain +some cocoanuts. The moment the natives saw the boat, however, they +paddled away and returned to the shore. As we approached the beach they +assembled, shaking their spears, dancing, shouting, and making signs to +us to keep off. When we retired a short distance they calmed down, but +when we again approached they resumed their former behaviour, thus +giving us to understand that, though they wished to be friendly, they +did not desire a closer acquaintanceship. When we once more retired, +they followed us in their canoes, but without exhibiting any hostility. +We found that Tom Tubb, the New Zealander, could make himself clearly +understood, and we desired him to say that we wanted some cocoanuts; but +they replied that they had only a sufficient number for themselves, and +could not part with them. On our holding up various articles they +cautiously approached, and presented us with some curious fish-hooks, +matting, adzes made from the shell of the Tridachna and ground very +sharp, as also with numerous pearl shells. We came to the conclusion +that they had some good reason to mistrust white men; indeed, we +afterwards discovered that such was the case. The articles they valued +most were buttons, pieces of iron, bottles, and cloth. We tried to +obtain some of their spears and clubs, but with these they would not +part. As we rowed away we saw them waving green boughs, a universal +sign of good-will among the Pacific islanders. Their clothing consisted +of the maro, a cloth worn round the waist; the chiefs having also a +mantle of matting over their shoulders, while some wore feathers in +their hair. None of the females appeared; no doubt they had all been +hidden as they saw us approaching. Their huts were constructed of long +poles, bent so as to form a succession of arches, the ends of the poles +being stuck in the ground, and the whole covered over with pandanus or +palm leaves. They were evidently a very primitive race of people, and +Charlie observed that if one missionary could gain their confidence he +would be able to make much progress among them. Their island consisted +of a coral reef of irregular shape, with a lagoon in the centre, in +which were numerous knolls of various sizes rising four or five feet +above the surface. The island itself, indeed, looked like a collection +of islets, though in reality united by the reef, which was just a wash +at half-tide, so that the inhabitants could have free communication with +each other. + +We hoped to be more successful in obtaining cocoanuts and other +vegetable productions at the next island at which we might touch. We +made it the following day, but here also we were disappointed. It was a +perfect lagoon island, consisting of a circle of land of a light clay +colour, the lagoon of a beautiful blue tint. The highest ground was not +more than twelve feet above the level of the sea, and we calculated that +it was about six hundred feet wide to its lagoon. The shrubs were not +numerous, seldom more than twelve to fifteen feet high. Amid them rose +conspicuously cocoanut-palms, and pandanus. There was but one narrow +entrance into the lagoon; but, from the surf breaking on either side of +it, Harry considered that it would be dangerous to attempt passing +through. We already knew that, however beautiful a coral island looks +at a distance, the landing on it is very disappointing. In order to +obtain cocoanuts we pulled for the shore on the lee side, where it +seemed possible to land. As we approached the beach, however, we saw a +large number of natives collected, and as we drew near they began +shouting, gesticulating, and brandishing their long spears and clubs, +making violent motions to us to retire. We had a white flag, which we +waved, hoping they would understand that it was an emblem of peace, but +they took no notice of it, and still threatened to attack us should we +attempt to land. We therefore kept off at a respectful distance, and +directed Tom Tubb, who could generally make himself understood, to +address them. He singled out the chief, and told him that we were +friends of the natives, and that we came simply to traffic. The chief +merely shouted and gesticulated as fiercely as before, making signs to +us to be off, evidently not wishing to have any intercourse with +strangers. This enraged the New Zealander, who, standing up in the bow +of the canoe, became as much excited as the chief, brandishing the +boat-hook as a spear, and making as if he would throw it at him. Thus +they continued for some time, till I thought it prudent to desire Tom to +cease, but he showed no inclination to do this, evidently taking +pleasure in exciting the chief to the greatest pitch of fury. The rest +of the natives becoming as enraged as their leader, presently began to +assail us with pieces of coral, the only missiles they possessed. To +avoid them we pulled away as rapidly as we could: indeed, as it was, +several lumps of coral struck the boat. Here again was another proof +that the natives had cause to dread an intercourse with white men. + +The wind heading us we were compelled to make a tack to the eastward, +when we sighted another lagoon island, on which, near the entrance, we +saw a flag waving in the air, and near it a number of natives, all more +or less dressed in shirts and trousers of various colours. They had no +arms in their hands; and as we approached the entrance of the lagoon in +a boat they came down to welcome us in a most friendly way. We were not +long in discovering the cause, a native neatly dressed in shirt, +trousers, and jacket, with a hat on his head, approaching, introduced +himself as a native teacher. He could speak a few words of English; +and, with the aid of Tom Tubb, we managed to carry on a conversation. +He had been only two years on the island. When he first landed the +people were as savage as those we had last visited. The whole had now +become Christians, and partly civilised. Anxious as he was to instruct +them in the truths of Christianity, he was also desirous of improving +their social condition. All the women were dressed in cotton gowns, the +men as I have described; while their huts were of a superior +construction to those on any of the neighbouring islands. The +missionary assured us also that many of the people could read, and some +could even write. We agreed that should we have the misfortune to be +wrecked, how thankful we should be to find that we had been thrown on an +island inhabited by these Christian people, instead of such savages as +those we had before met with. They supplied us with as many cocoanuts +as they could spare. The missionary was instructing them how to make +cocoanut oil, that they might be able to purchase with it such articles +as they required, I may here remark that there are now very many islands +which can rarely be visited by English missionaries, where native +teachers have been the means of producing similar results. The next day +we fell in with another similar island, in which a native teacher had a +short time before landed. He had not been there more than a month or +two when a vessel was wrecked which had some time before carried off +several of the natives, and, undoubtedly, the only one of her crew who +reached the shore would have been put to death had it not been for his +interference. He not only saved the man's life, but endeavoured to +instruct him in the truths of religion. For this, however, the fellow +was far from grateful, for by his conduct he did much to impede the +efforts of the teacher. The latter, when we went on shore, entreated us +to take the man, who called himself Sam Pest, away with us. Harry, for +the sake of the teacher, undertook to do this, if Pest was willing to +go. When the question was put to him, he said that he had no objection, +provided we would land him at some other island where he might do as he +pleased. Harry would make no promise as to where he would land him, +notwithstanding which the man came willingly on board; and we bade +farewell to the missionary and his flock. Sam Pest had been knocking +about the Pacific for the last twenty years he told me, sometimes on +board whalers, at others serving in smaller craft, frequently living on +shore among the heathen natives. He was, I found, a regular +beachcomber--a name generally given to the vagabond white men who are +scattered about in numbers among the islands of the Pacific, to the +great detriment of the natives, as by the bad example they set them they +interfere much with the proceedings of the missionaries. Pest was not +so bad, perhaps, as many; he had frank manners, was certainly no +hypocrite, for he was not at all ashamed of the life he had led. He had +served on board vessels engaged in carrying off natives to work in the +mines of Peru, and he gave me many accounts of the atrocious ways in +which they had been kidnapped. Sometimes the poor islanders were +enticed on board under the pretence of trading, others were carried off +by force. On several occasions when canoes had come alongside, the men +were dragged out of them, and the canoes sunk. In some instances whole +islands had been depopulated, when, from the smallness of their number, +the inhabitants were unable to defend themselves against the attacks of +the kidnappers. + +I believe there is some soft part of the human heart, if it can be got +at. By the way I talked to Sam Pest, and by occasionally giving him +some tobacco, he seemed to take a liking to me. When I pointed out to +him the evil of his ways, he acknowledged that he wished he were a +better man, and if I would help him, he would try to him over a new +leaf. I cannot say that I thought this very likely, from the way I +heard him talking to the men. + +We had now commenced our search for the Pearl Islands, as Tom Platt +asserted we must be close to them. He said that he was certain he +should know them again if he could once get sight of them. Now we stood +to the northward, now tacked in one direction, now in another, now ran +before the wind, carefully marking down our track on the chart, so that +we might know what ground we had gone over. + +"This reminds me of the long time the missionary Williams was searching +for the island of Barotonga before he discovered it," observed Charles +Tilston. "He, however, went not to seek wealth for himself, but to +carry a pearl of great price to the benighted inhabitants. How I should +like to have a vessel and to cruise over the ocean with the same object +in view, dropping missionaries here and there as it was found possible +to land them." + +"Such is being done now," I observed. "I heard a good deal about it at +Brisbane, and how the Bishop of New Zealand in his little schooner makes +long voyages for that purpose. There are also two or three other +vessels employed by different societies with the same object in view." + +"I must make inquiries about them," answered Charles Tilston, and he +seemed lost in thought. + +As we had been four days cruising about without coming in sight of the +wished-for islands, at last Harry began to fear that old Tom had made +some unaccountable mistake. He again and again cross-questioned him on +the subject. The mate was, however, positive that he was right, and +that we should see the islands if we looked long enough for them. + +"They may be rather more to the eastward or northward than I fancied, +but hereabouts I have no doubt we shall find them," he said in a +positive tone. + +We accordingly extended our search, keeping always a sharp look-out from +the mast-head. Old Tom frequently went up himself, spy-glass in hand, +to sweep the horizon. At length, about noon on the sixth day, while he +was aloft he raised a cheerful shout-- + +"Land, land! Away to the eastward; it is the island we are looking +for!" As we had a fresh southerly breeze, the schooner was at once +headed up in the direction he indicated. In a short time we could make +out the land from the deck, which greatly resembled the other islands we +had passed, looking like a fleet of vessels at anchor close together. +As we stood on we could distinguish several smaller islands lying off +the large one, which was the most thickly covered with trees. On +getting still nearer we perceived a channel of clear water, along which +we hoped to proceed to an anchorage off the larger island of which Tom +had told us, and as he had marked it well on his former visit he +undertook to pilot the schooner to it. Of course we took the usual +precautions of heaving the lead and having a man at the mast-head, and +one at each yardarm, while Tom himself stood forward, his hand shading +his eyes. The dangers were fewer than we expected, and with infinite +satisfaction we at length brought up in a secure harbour. + +As we approached it a number of canoes similar to those I have before +described, each carrying three men, came off to us. The natives +appeared inclined to be friendly, for some were singing a song of +welcome, and others waving green branches. + +Summoning Tom Tubb and Jacky Pott to act as interpreters, we let the +natives understand that we could only admit a dozen on board at a time, +and that they must come unarmed. To this they made no objection, but +seemed at once perfectly at their ease. From the curiosity they +exhibited, they were evidently not accustomed to the sight of vessels in +their harbour. They told the New Zealander that they had seen on some +time before, which confirmed the account the mate had given of his +visit. When told that we came to buy pearls, they appeared in no way +surprised, and at once agreed to supply us with as many as we wished +for, as also with mother-of-pearl shells; the latter, though bulky, were +well worth carrying, as there was at the time much demand for them in +the market. My brother at once arranged the price we were to pay, with +which the natives seemed perfectly satisfied: they also promised to +bring us off a supply of cocoanuts. + +As soon as these arrangements were made, they paddled off to spread the +good news among their fellow-islanders, and to collect the pearls +already won from the bottom of the sea, of which they gave us to +understand they had a good store. Before evening the first party +returned, bringing a larger number of pearls than we expected. Few of +them, however, were particularly fine, but on an average they were of +good value, which encouraged us to hope that we should be well paid for +our voyage. Notwithstanding the friendly behaviour of the natives, +Harry considered it prudent to keep a vigilant watch during the hours of +darkness. He told the natives that he should not expect to see them +till the next morning. + +The night passed away without any cause for alarm. At daylight the next +morning every canoe in the island appeared to be afloat; some brought +off pearls, as well as mother-of-pearl shells and cocoanuts, and others +were seen paddling out to the water between the reefs where the +oyster-beds existed. We carried on a brisk trade for a couple of hours +or more. The natives selected the knives and hatchets and other +articles they required, and handed over the pearls in exchange. As one +party had disposed of their pearls, they were told they must get into +their canoes and leave the side of the vessel, while others took their +places. Thus there was no confusion, and all went on amicably. The +trading over for the morning, as soon as we had breakfasted, Charles +Tilston and I, with Dick and two men, pulled off to watch the natives +diving for the oyster-shells. About thirty canoes were floating over +different spots, each having one diver on board. He had a large net +basket fastened round his waist, and, as far as we could see, he was +furnished with no other means for obtaining oysters. Standing up in his +canoe he drew a deep breath, then, holding his nostrils with one hand, +down he dived, and remained below the water for a couple of minutes. On +his return his bag was seen to be full of oysters. He had, it appeared, +wrenched them off by main force with his hands. The water was so clear +that he could see the oysters without difficulty, as he could also the +approach of a shark or any other dangerous fish. He remained diving at +intervals till his canoe was filled, when she returned to the shore with +her freight. I found that the divers select that period of the day for +carrying on their operations when the direct rays of the sun illumine +the depths of the ocean. On making inquiries through Tom Tubb I found +that, notwithstanding the number of sharks which infest those seas, very +few of the natives lose their lives from them, as they are always on the +watch for the creatures, and know how to elude them with wonderful skill +and courage. Every day brought us a fresh supply of pearls, and when we +found that it began to fall off we produced some fresh articles to tempt +them: gaily-coloured handkerchiefs and cloth, nails, scissors, hammers, +gimlets, and similar things. All this time we had not gone on shore. +The people were gentle and well behaved on board, but they were heathens +and savages, so that it was impossible to tell how they might conduct +themselves should they find that we were in their power. + + + +CHAPTER SIX. + +We had now obtained a fair amount of cargo, and I would have returned to +Brisbane well satisfied with our voyage; but Harry, being anxious to get +as many pearls as could be procured, resolved to wait on as long as they +came in freely and he had goods to pay for them. + +Trading was just over for the day, when, looking towards the entrance to +the harbour, I saw the topsails of a brigantine appearing over a point +to the westward, but as the point was covered with trees, the masts of +the schooner could not have been seen from her deck. Her appearance +showed us that the island was not so completely unknown as Tom had +supposed. I immediately told Harry, who at once proposed sending a boat +to assist in piloting her in, and pointing out a good anchorage should +she be a stranger. Tom offered to go, and I agreed to accompany him. +As we got round the point, we saw that the brigantine was shortening +sail, and before we were up to her she had dropped her anchor in mid +channel, as if she were not aware of the existence of a harbour, or at +all events had no intention of entering it. She was tolerably secure +where she lay, and had the advantage of being able to get out again with +less difficulty than if she had come into the harbour. We, however, +went alongside. She was a rakish-looking craft, and there appeared to +be a good many men on board. As we went up her side we saw a swarthy +fellow with big whiskers standing to receive us. + +"Hulloa, I did not know any other vessel was in here," he said, as we +gained the deck. "Where have you come from? What are you about?" + +"We hail from Brisbane; we are engaged in trading with the natives," I +answered. "And may I ask you in return where you come from, and what is +the object of your voyage?" + +"We come from Callao, and are engaged as you are," he answered. + +I did not like the tone of his voice or manner, and thought it useless +asking any further questions. As I looked round the deck it struck me +that the people I saw were as ruffianly a crew as I had ever set eyes +on, and that the sooner we took our leave the better. I therefore +merely observed that on seeing his vessel coming up the channel, +supposing that he intended to enter the harbour we had pulled out to +offer him our assistance, but that as he did not require it we would +wish him good evening. + +"I don't like the looks of those chaps," observed Tom, as we pulled +away. "They're after no good." + +"I do not suppose that they will interfere with us," I remarked. + +"I'm not so sure of that," said Tom. "They'll interfere with the +natives and spoil our trade; at all events it would be as well to keep a +watch on them, and the sooner we are out of their reach the better." + +Old Tom was not generally an alarmist; but I did not fancy that even out +in the Pacific, in the middle of the nineteenth century, any crew could +be found who would venture to commit an act of violence on an English +trader when they would be so surely discovered and brought to justice. +Still, I fancied that Harry, who was always prudent, would take all +necessary precautions. On hearing the account we gave of the trader he, +however, to my surprise, laughed at my apprehensions. + +"She may not be altogether honest, and I daresay her crew would not +scruple to ill-treat the natives; but they will not venture to interfere +with us, or to misbehave themselves while we are here to watch them," he +observed. + +He, however, afterwards, having had a conversation with old Tom, instead +of the usual anchor watch at sunset, ordered half the crew to remain on +deck, the guns to be loaded, and the small arms placed in readiness for +instant use. Sam Pest was in the first watch, and as I walked the deck +I spoke to him as I frequently did. + +"I have been hearing about the strange craft which came in this evening, +sir," he said, "and from what they say I think it's more than likely +she's the one I was aboard of some time ago. Strange pranks she played. +Her skipper was a regular rough one, never minded what he did, and +thought no more of a man's life than that of a dog. I mind what +happened once when we were away to the westward after sandal-wood, where +the black men of one island are always at war with those of another, and +when one side gains the victory never fail to kill and eat their +enemies. We had gone to one island where the natives were friendly, and +had got them to cut down and bring aboard a good quantity of the wood. +When they had cut down all that was to be found in that part of the +island, and we had shipped the best part of it, the skipper told them to +bring off the remainder in their canoes and he would pay them +handsomely. No sooner were they on board than he invited them down into +the hold to receive their payment, when he had the hatches clapped on +over them, and casting their canoes adrift made sail. He then told them +that he was going to take them to another island where there was plenty +of sandal-wood, and that when they had cut it down for him and shipped +it he would take them back to their own country. This quieted them, +though it seemed strange that they should have believed him. In three +or four days we got to the island he spoke of, when about half the crew +well armed landed with the black fellows, and soon set them to work on +the sandal-wood trees, which were some way from the coast. We were on +the watch all the time to prevent them or ourselves being attacked by +the natives, who kept at a distance, for they dreaded our firearms, as +we had shot three or four of them for coming too near. We made our +prisoners carry the sandal-wood on their shoulders down to the harbour, +when our boats took it on board. We went on in this fashion till we had +got a full cargo, notwithstanding which the skipper said he must have +the remainder of the wood cut down, and ordered our prisoners to go and +fetch it. As they knew the way they trudged on as they had done for +several days past. As soon as they were out of sight the skipper told +us to give them the slip and return to the boats. On getting aboard he +ordered the anchor to be hove up, and sail made, and stood out of the +harbour. Just then we saw the sandal-wood cutters come rushing back +waving and shouting to us. + +"`You must shout louder for me to hear you,' cried the skipper. `I +cannot stop for you.' + +"Presently we saw a whole army of natives with spears and clubs come +rushing out of the wood. They soon overtook the runaways, every one of +whom was struck down or speared through before they reached the beach. + +"That's an easy way of paying our debts," says the skipper, and that was +the only remark he made about the unfortunate wretches who were killed; +and as the people in those islands are all cannibals I have no doubt +were eaten by the next day. + +"This will give you, sir, some notion of the sort of man the skipper +was, and if the same man commands the brigantine out there, it's just as +well to be on our guard against him." + +When I went below to get some supper I told Harry what Sam had said. + +"I cannot take more precautions than we are now doing," he answered; +"and as soon as we get a breeze to carry us out of the harbour, we'll +put as wide a distance as we can between him and ourselves." + +It appeared after all, when morning came, that our precautions were +unnecessary, not a canoe nor a boat was seen in the harbour; indeed, +Harry said that even supposing the crew of the brigantine were the +greatest ruffians afloat it was very improbable that they would venture +to attack us. Only a few canoes came alongside bringing pearls or +oyster-shells. The natives said that if we would wait for a few days +they would procure a further supply from some beds at the other end of +the island. Harry, however, determined to sail as soon as possible. We +now only waited for a fair wind, without which it would have been +dangerous to attempt the passage between the reefs. + +Breakfast was just over when a boat was seen pulling towards us; she +evidently belonged to the brigantine. The guns had been secured, the +small arms placed out of sight, and the awning having been rigged, Mary +and Fanny were on deck seated with their work in their hands. Presently +the boat came alongside, and the skipper whom we had seen the previous +evening stepped on deck. Harry received him politely, and begged to +know the cause to which he was indebted for a visit from him. + +"Just come to learn what you are about, here," answered the skipper in a +gruff tone. "I am Captain Samuel Myers. My vessel is the _Wasp_, now +belonging to Callao." + +"I am happy to see you, Captain Myers; but I thought that my brother, +who visited you yesterday evening, had told you that we were on a +trading voyage, and about to return immediately to Brisbane." + +"What have you been trading in?" asked Captain Myers. "I should not +have thought there was much to be got in these islands." + +Harry frankly told him, adding, "We have, I believe, obtained all the +pearls the natives had collected." + +"Where those came from, others may be got," observed the skipper. "I +know a trick or two to make the natives work for me; and I should be +obliged to you, captain, if you'd show me some of those you have got, +that I may see whether they are worth having." + +Harry, not liking to refuse, as it would have shown want of confidence +in his visitor, told me to bring up one of the cases, as also some +specimens of the oyster-shells. I did not think it necessary to select +the finest. When Captain Myers saw them his eyes glittered. + +"I did not think there were such pearls to be got in these parts," he +observed. "Have you many of them, captain?" + +"Enough to satisfy me," answered Harry. "Indeed, as I said before, I do +not think there are many more to be procured at present." + +"We shall see about that," remarked Captain Myers, glancing his eyes +round the deck. They fell, I observed, on the guns, and he evidently +noted each man of our crew, who had come up to have a talk with the +strangers alongside. Harry had not invited any of the latter on board, +and I guessed had no intention of doing so. + +Captain Myers waited, as if expecting to be asked below to take +something, as is usual when one skipper visits another; but Harry, who +did not like his appearance more than I had done, apologised by saying +that, as the cabin was devoted to the use of the ladies, he could not +invite strangers into it; but not wishing altogether to be inhospitable, +he ordered the steward to bring up some wine and spirits and biscuits, +which were placed in a tray on the companion-hatch. Our visitor, +without ceremony, poured out for himself half a tumbler of rum, to which +he added a very small quantity of water. + +"I like a nip neat at this time of the morning," he observed, as he +gulped it down. "It sets a fellow up. Well, as you have got ladies +aboard, I won't trouble you with my company any longer," he added, +taking another look round the deck. "Good morning to you," and without +more ado he stepped back into his boat. + +I saw him surveying the schooner as he pulled away. As soon as he was +gone, Sam Pest came aft. + +"He's the very chap I thought he was, and as neat a villain as ever +lived," he said. "I knew him at a glance, but I do not know if he knew +me. If he did, he did not show it; but that's just like him, for he is +as cunning as need be, and, depend on it, will be up to some trick or +other if he thinks he can play it to his own advantage." + +I repeated to Harry what Sam Pest had said. + +"He must be very cunning to play us a trick while we are on our guard," +observed Harry. + +We noticed that the brigantine's boat pulled for the shore, her skipper +having apparently no fear of the natives. We were now waiting anxiously +for a breeze to get out of the harbour, but not a breath of wind stirred +its smooth surface. As we were not likely to be able to sail at all +events till the evening, when there might be a breeze, some of the men +asked leave to go on shore; but Harry, suspecting their object was to +have a talk with the boat's crew of the brigantine, refused, and told +Tom Platt to find work for them on board. + +Captain Myers did not pay us another visit during the day, but we saw +his boat pulling back to the brigantine in the afternoon. What he had +been about on shore we could not tell, but no more natives came +alongside with pearls or oyster-shells, though we saw several canoes +paddling out as if about to proceed to the _Wasp_. + +"If I was your brother I'd keep a look-out for any trick Captain Myers +may be inclined to play," said Sam Pest to me. "He may think that the +shortest way of getting a cargo of pearls will be to rob this here +schooner, and send her to the bottom." + +"You don't mean really to say that you think he is capable of so black a +deed," I said. + +"I tell you there's nothing he would stick at," answered Sam in a +positive tone. "I ain't very particular myself, but I've seen him do +things, besides the one I told you of, which made my blood curdle, and +heartily wish I was clear of him. I have seen him heave shot into +canoes, and sink them alongside the vessel, just to get rid of the +natives; and another time when we had some aboard who were somewhat +obstreperous when shut up in the hold, he shot them down as if they had +been a parcel of rats, and threw some overboard with life still in them. +If he does not meddle with us, he'll treat the natives in this place in +a way which will make them turn against all white men. For you see they +cannot distinguish one from the other; and we shall find it unpleasant, +to say the best of it, to remain here." + +I heartily thanked Sam for the warning, and assured him that my brother +would not forget his good intentions, even though Captain Myers might +not act as he thought possible. Of course I repeated what Sam had told +me to Harry, when the ladies were not within hearing, for it might have +made them unnecessarily anxious. Although my brother was inclined as +before to laugh at the idea of Captain Myers attacking us, he took the +same precautions as on the previous night. Tom Platt and I had the +first watch, with Dick Tilston, Tubbs the New Zealander, and three other +men; a couple of hands, besides the officer, would have been sufficient +on an ordinary anchor watch. We kept a look-out, by Tom's advice, not +only in the direction of the brigantine, but also towards the shore. + +"You cannot tell what dodge those chaps may be up to," he observed. +"They may come in their own boats, or just as likely aboard a number of +canoes, to make us fancy that they are only a party of natives coming +off to trade." + +Harry and Charles Tilston, with the rest of the men, had gone below, but +did not intend to take off their clothes, so that they might be ready to +spring on deck at a moment's notice. With all the precautions we had +taken I cannot say that I felt particularly anxious; indeed, I must own +that I should not have been very sorry if Captain Myers had made an +attempt to overpower us. I continued walking the deck, talking to Dick, +and occasionally exchanging a word or two with old Tom. The night was +calm, and the bright stars shining down from the clear sky were +reflected as in a mirror on the surface of the harbour. The only sound +heard was the low dash of the sea on the distant reefs, and occasionally +some indistinct noise from the shore. My watch was nearly over, and I +felt that if my head was on the pillow I should in a moment be fast +asleep. Suddenly, as I stopped in my walk, I fancied I heard the splash +of oars, but so far off that I could not be certain. I listened, +leaning over the bulwarks, with my hand to my ear. Again I heard the +sound, more distinctly than before, but though I peered into the +darkness I could see nothing. I went across the deck to tell Tom, but +he had not heard the sound. + +"It may be one of the _Wasp's_ boats, but that's no reason why she's +coming here," he answered. "However, we'll be on the watch for her, and +take precious good care that she does not come alongside for the purpose +of doing us harm." + +After this I listened, but could hear no sound, and at length fancied +that I must have been mistaken. It was just on the point of striking +eight bells, and I was leaning over the bulwarks, when I thought I saw +two objects through the gloom. I kept my eyes fixed on them. Dick was +close to me. + +"Look out, and tell me if you see anything," I whispered to him. + +"Yes; two boats, and I fancy there's another astern," he answered. + +"You're right," I said. "Run and tell the captain, and rouse up the men +for'ard; they're not coming at this time of night with any good +intentions." + +The men were prepared, and every one was on deck in less than a minute, +with cutlasses at their sides, pikes in their hands, and the guns cast +loose, ready for firing. Three boats now came in sight. + +The moment Harry saw them, he shouted at the top of his voice, "Keep +off, or we fire and sink you." + +Instead of dashing on, as they might have done, the crews of the boats +ceased pulling: the threat had had a good effect. They were near enough +even now to enable us to send a shot among them; but unless they had +given stronger evidence of their intentions of attacking us than they +had done, Harry was unwilling to fire. Still it was a critical time; +and from the number of men on board the brigantine, we knew that they +might possibly overpower us; at the same time, if our men behaved with +courage, it was more probable that we should beat them off. Still, it +might not be done without bloodshed, if they attacked us with +resolution. We had the guns in readiness pointed at them to fire, +should they again approach. Harry again shouted-- + +"We know what you are about; if you come on it will be at your own +peril." + +No answer was given; still the boats remained on the same spot without +advancing. + +"Let us give them a shot or two, sir," shouted Tom at the top of his +voice. "It will show them we are in earnest." + +Scarcely had he spoken when the dark objects receded, becoming less and +less distinct, till they disappeared in the darkness. Tom very seldom +indulged in a chuckle, but he did so on this occasion. + +"I thought as how it would have a good effect," he observed. "They +expected to take us by surprise, and had no stomach for fighting. Maybe +their skipper wanted them to come on, for he is ready for anything, but +the men would not. It's my opinion they are cowards at heart, though +boasting knaves when there's no danger." + +"What you say, Mr Platt, is very true," I heard Sam Pest remark. + +"Well done, Platt," said Harry. "Your words had a good effect. I don't +think they'll trouble us again to-night." + +"We must not be too sure, sir, of that," said Tom. "Perhaps the skipper +will think that towards morning we shall not be keeping so bright a +look-out, and may try to steal alongside to surprise us; but he'll find +himself mistaken." + +As I was very sleepy I went below and lay down, but heard old Tom say +that he should remain on deck till daylight. Next morning Harry told me +that the boats had appeared, but being hailed to keep off, they had not +come nearer, and that he had not thought it necessary to call up all +hands as he had done before. Being in the neighbourhood of a pirate, as +she was nothing else, was very disagreeable, to say the least of it. +Indeed, she in a manner blockaded us, for we could not venture to tow +the schooner out to sea lest her boats might attack us in some critical +position. Still Harry determined that should we get a leading breeze to +sail past her, taking the opportunity of doing so while her boats were +away. We saw them passing to the eastward, apparently going to compel +the natives to dive for oysters. The calm continued the greater part of +that day; but although towards the evening a breeze sprang up, it was +too light and not sufficiently favourable to enable us to run out of the +harbour. We therefore had to pass another anxious night. + +The ladies were not by this time entirely ignorant of what had occurred, +but Harry made as light of it as possible; saying that the fellows would +not really venture to annoy us, however willing they might be to get +possession of our pearls if they could do so without fighting. The +third night began; about the middle of the first watch the breeze +increased so much, that Harry, who had come on deck, consulted with Tom +whether we should get the schooner under weigh, and run past the +brigantine in the dark. + +"If there was a lighthouse at the end of the reef, and we had a pilot +aboard, I would not mind trying it, sir," said Tom. "But you see it +would be an awkward job if we were to run ashore; besides, it's just +possible that the _Wasp's_ boats may be on the look-out for us, and hope +to catch us napping this time, though they were wrong before." + +Harry said he felt pretty sure of the channel, but the last objection +was of more importance, and he determined therefore to wait till +daylight. It was settled, accordingly, that as soon as the _Wasp's_ +boats were seen going in the direction of the oyster-beds, we were to +heave up the anchor, and make sail. At the same time, as there might be +hands enough left on board the brigantine to attack us, we were to have +the guns loaded, and be prepared to defend ourselves if necessary. The +remainder of the night passed quietly away; we were thankful to find in +the morning a steady and favourable breeze still blowing, which would +enable us to run out of the harbour and pass the brigantine without +making a tack. + +We had just breakfasted, when we saw three boats cross the mouth of the +harbour, and, after pulling in to the shore and waiting for some time, +continue their course, accompanied by a number of canoes, to the +oyster-beds. As soon as they were out of sight, we hove up the anchor +and made sail, as had been arranged. Getting outside, we saw the +brigantine lying directly in our course. + +"With so many of her crew away, her skipper will not attempt to +interfere with us," said Harry. + +We were under all plain sail, and, as there was a good breeze, we ran +quickly through the water as before, with men on the look-out forward, +and the lead kept going. We could almost have thrown a biscuit aboard +the brigantine as we passed her. Besides the captain, there were very +few men on her deck. + +"Good day, Captain Myers," said Harry. "We'll report your whereabouts +at Sydney. Have you any message there?" + +I need not repeat the answer the skipper gave. It was such as might +have been expected from so thorough a ruffian. The next moment, +stooping down, he lifted up a musket and presented it at us. + +"If you fire so will I," I shouted; but before I could pull my trigger a +bullet whistled past my ear. Providentially no one was hit. My bullet +also flew wide of its mark; indeed, I was too much hurried to take aim. + +"Don't fire again," cried Harry. "The man must be mad." + +Probably no other musket was at hand, as the captain of the _Wasp_ did +not again fire. In a short time we were out of range, and we had too +much to do in attending to the navigation of the schooner to think just +then much about the matter. From the number of rocks close to which we +passed, I was thankful that we had not attempted to run out during the +dark. At length we were in the open ocean, and, with a fair breeze, we +steered to the westward. + + + +CHAPTER SEVEN. + +The breeze fell before we had entirely lost sight of the Pearl Islands, +and, indeed, from aloft I could still make out the masts of the +brigantine as she lay at anchor. It crossed my mind that Captain Myers +might even now follow us; but I saw no indication of the vessel getting +under weigh; still, daring ruffian as he appeared to be, he might be +tempted to try and possess himself of the rich freight we carried. I +did not mention the idea which had occurred to me to Harry, as there +would be no use in doing so, for we were carrying all the sail we could +set on the schooner, but our progress was very slow, and there was a +possibility of our being becalmed again during the night. As we could +see the brigantine, we also must still be visible from her mast-head, +and Myers was probably keeping a watch on our movements. Should we be +becalmed before sundown, it was possible that he might make another +attempt in his boats to capture us, hoping to catch us off our guard. + +"He shall not do that, at all events," I thought to myself. "I will not +say anything to Harry unless we are becalmed, and then I will tell him +the idea which has occurred to me." Our progress was so slow that I +fancied there must be a current setting against us, but of this I was +uncertain. The currents which set in various directions between the +islands of the Pacific are among the dangers which voyagers in those +seas have to encounter. I asked Tom what he thought about the matter. + +"There may be a current," he said, "but if there is one it is not of +much strength. You see we are moving but slowly through the water. +We'll heave the log presently, and you'll find that we are not going +more than two knots, if as much as that." + +Tom was right; with his practised eye he could always tell in smooth +water how fast the vessel was moving. We now went slower and slower, +till at length the canvas hung down from the yards emptied of wind, and +we had no longer steerage way on the vessel. Evening was drawing on, +and we might expect to remain becalmed all night. We had, however, we +supposed, plenty of sea room, and had no apprehension of being drifted +on any unseen coral reef; I thought, however, that it was time to tell +Harry of my apprehensions. + +"The same thing occurred to me," he answered. "However, I do not really +suppose that the fellow Myers, ruffian as he is, will make the attempt +after having found us before so wide-awake. Had we been unarmed the +case would have been different, as he would have been glad enough to +possess himself of our cargo, if he could have done so without the +certainty of getting some hard blows. However, we will be on the watch +as before, and ready to give his boats a warm reception if they attempt +to molest us." We enjoyed our usual pleasant evening meal, and +afterwards had music, reading, and lively conversation till bed-time. +The mate, meanwhile, kept watch, while I occasionally slipped up on deck +to see if there was any prospect of a breeze springing up. + +"Not an air in all the heavens," answered old Tom. "It is better than +having a westerly gale to drive us back towards the islands. Maybe we +shall get a breeze before the morning, and slip along merrily on our +course." + +"I hope so," I said. "The captain wishes you to keep a bright look-out +to the eastward, in case our buccaneering friends may be coming to pay +us a visit." + +"Trust me for that," said Tom. "I have not forgotten them, and the last +words the captain spoke to that fellow Myers will make him more than +ever eager to prevent our getting to Sydney. I don't mean to say that +he will take us, or that he has a chance of taking us, but he is very +likely to try it." + +After the ladies had retired to their cabins, Harry came on deck. + +"I have told them not to be alarmed if they hear us firing, for I am +determined should the pirates make their appearance to stand on no terms +with them, but, if I can, to send their boats to the bottom before they +get up alongside." + +"A very right way, too, of treating them, sir," observed Tom. "If we +can sink their boats it might be the saving of the lives of many of the +poor islanders, for, depend on it, when they have got all the pearl +shells they can, they will be carrying off as many of the people as the +brigantine can hold. I have seen something of the way those sort of +fellows behave, and Sam Pest has been telling me more about it." + +The watch on deck were all awake, and the men below had been warned that +they must be ready to spring up at a moment's notice; the guns were +loaded, and our other weapons were placed handy, ready for use. + +As old Tom observed, "If they do not come, there's no harm done; and if +they do, why they'll pretty soon find out that they've had their pull +for nothing." + +As Tom had been awake the whole of the first watch, Harry told him to go +below, observing that he and I would keep a look-out. + +"No, thank you, sir," answered Tom; "I will get my sleep by-and-by; I'd +like to be ready in case the pirates should follow us." + +"You, Ned, had better then go below, as you cannot do without sleep, and +you can be called if you are wanted." + +I was just about to do as he advised me, when old Tom, pointing to the +eastward, towards which our starboard broadside was turned, exclaimed, +"As sure as I'm an Englishman there come the boats, and I can make out +three of them pulling abreast; we shall see them more clearly +presently." + +The watch below, which had lately turned in, were soon roused up, and I +called Charlie Tilston, as he had begged me to do. + +"We will have the port guns over to the starboard side, and give the +fellows a salute which will show that we are not to be caught napping," +said Harry. "All ready, there?" + +He took charge of one gun, Tom of another, Lizard of the third, and I of +the last. We waited till the boats had got as far as we could judge +within range, and then fired together, aiming as carefully as we could. +We then immediately reloaded, to be ready for them should they make a +dash at us. Whether or not we had hit either of the boats we could not +be certain, they still appeared to be coming on. Just then Harry +exclaimed-- + +"Trim sails; here's the breeze." + +The helm was put up, the fore-topsail blew out, the mainsail filled. + +"Ease off the main-sheet," cried Harry, and the schooner began to glide +once more through the water. We watched the boats now right astern; +they still kept following us, hoping not to let their prey escape them. +We had two ports in the stern, through which our guns could be fired. +Harry had them dragged over for that purpose, and we at once began to +blaze away at our pursuers. For some time we could see them still +following us, showing that they had hitherto escaped our shot. The +breeze was freshening, the schooner ran faster and faster through the +water. + +"Hurrah! They have given it up," I shouted, as I saw them pulling +round. + +"One more parting shot," cried old Tom, and before Harry could stop him +he fired. + +"That was not a miss, at all events," he cried out. + +Almost immediately afterwards we could distinguish only two boats-- +evidence that one of them had been sunk. In a short time we had +completely lost sight of them, and all fear of pursuit was over. + +We had reason to be thankful that we had avoided a fight, for, desperate +as the fellows were, many of us might have been wounded, if not killed, +even though we had driven them back; the alternative of their succeeding +was too dreadful to contemplate. Harry at once hastened below to assure +Mary and Fanny that all danger was over. I now turned in, and though I +went to sleep in a moment I kept dreaming all the time that the pirates +were boarding us, that we were fighting desperately; sometimes Captain +Myers was on deck flourishing a cutlass, singing, "I'm afloat, I'm +afloat," and the "Rover is free," at others, with his cut-throat +companions, he was struggling in the water while old Tom was pelting +them with marline-spikes. + +I was very thankful when I went on deck to find the schooner running on +with a fair breeze, and no land anywhere in sight. Mary and Fanny, +though they had been naturally very anxious, soon recovered their +spirits, and everything went on as pleasantly as could be desired, +Charles Tilston was well-informed, and made himself very agreeable, and +though he had no intention of becoming a sailor, he soon learned how to +take an observation, and could work it out as well as Harry himself. He +was always ready also to pull and haul and be as useful as he could. He +spent a portion of every day in giving Dick instruction in mathematics +and other subjects in which his brother was somewhat deficient, and he +also kindly offered to help me with my studies. + +As Harry wished to obtain samples of such produce as the islands +afforded, he had settled to visit those which were at no great distance +from our course to the westward. + +The first island we sighted after leaving the Pearl Islands was of +considerable size, with a lagoon in the centre. We observed at the +south-east end a broad entrance, through which it appeared we might pass +without difficulty into the lagoon. Near one side was a village, and +the whole island appeared thickly covered with cocoanut and other trees. +As from this it seemed probable that we might obtain some palm-oil, the +schooner was hove to, and Charlie Tilston and I, with Tom Tubb and three +other men, pulled for the shore. As we approached we saw a number of +natives rushing down to the beach, all fully armed; but they were not so +savage in appearance as those who had prevented us from landing on the +islands we had before visited. They shouted and gesticulated, however, +making signs that we must not attempt to set foot on shore. + +We, however, still pulled on, and as we got closer, Tom Tubb hailed +them, and desired to know why they were so inhospitable. They +answered-- + +"We know why you have come. Not long ago a vessel appeared and carried +off a number of our people, and you will try to do the same; but we will +prevent you." + +Our interpreter tried to explain that our object was simply to trade +honestly; that if they had any cocoanut oil, we would give them a fair +price for it. + +"We will not trust you," was the answer. "Go away! Go away!" + +As we saw several of the people clothed in shirts, and some even in +trousers, we had no doubt that a missionary was among them, though we +could not distinguish him from the rest. It was, however, evident that +they had been visited by a kidnapping vessel, and some of their people, +probably Christians, had been carried off into slavery. Finding, +notwithstanding all our protestations that we were honest traders, that +the natives would not allow us to land, Charlie and I agreed that it +would be folly to attempt doing so, and therefore returned to the +vessel. + +Soon after this we came off another island totally different to any we +had before visited, being formed of corals that had been uplifted to the +height of upwards of two hundred feet, and surrounded by cliffs worn +into caverns. As no natives appeared, Harry did not wish to lose time +by landing. + +The islands of the Pacific present a great variety of forms, although +the larger number are either partly or entirely surrounded by coral +reefs. These reefs, however, vary in construction; some are called +encircling reefs, when they appear at a distance from the shore, and a +lagoon intervenes; others are called fringing reefs, which are joined to +the land, and extend out from it without any lagoon. Others are +denominated lagoon islands, when the reef itself, raised above the +surface of the ocean, forms the land generally in a circular shape, and +surrounds a lake or lagoon, which has sometimes a passage to the sea, +and at others is completely closed. Then there are atoll islands; these +rise within a large encircling reef, which is seldom perfect, having +passages here and there through it. Sometimes there are elevations on +the reef itself, forming islands; but frequently the reef is a wash with +the sea. Besides these, there are the great barrier reefs which extend +along the larger part of the eastern coast of Australia, part of New +Guinea, and New Caledonia. Some of these are several hundred miles in +extent. These countless reefs are all formed by the coral insect. The +difference of their appearance is owing to various causes: some by the +subsidence of the land; others by its elevation through volcanic agency. +The encircling reefs have been produced by the subsidence of the land; +they were originally fringing reefs, having been attached to the +coastline of the country or islands. As the land sank, the insects went +on building one generation above another; but they can only work in a +certain depth of water--below which they die; thus a wall has been built +up on the foundations formed by the original workers, who constructed a +fringing reef. After a time, the last architects have died, storms have +thrown up pieces of coral shells and other debris on the top of the +wall, birds have brought seeds of plants, the ocean has washed cocoanuts +and other palm seeds on to the top: thus vegetation has been commenced, +and finally groves of trees and shrubs have grown up. + +The barrier reefs have been formed in the same way. Where no vegetation +appears, the has probably sunk as rapidly as the creatures have built, +and the sea has continued to wash over it. Other groups have been +formed by the violent elevation of the land when the barrier reef has +been broken into and wide gaps have appeared. + +The last island we visited, surrounded by high cliffs, must have been +formed by the sudden upheaval of the earth beneath it, so that the whole +mass of coral was lifted above water. Such has been the origin of a +considerable number of islands. The most beautiful and picturesque, +like Tahiti and others in that group, owe their present shape to the +subsidence to the earth, they being merely the summits of mountain +ranges, probably of some vast continent, of which the lower land has +been submerged. The gaps or openings in the encircling reefs are always +found opposite to a river or stream. The coral insect can only build in +pure salt water; the fresh water running out from the river has, +therefore, prevented its upward progress; thus a gap in the wall has +been formed serving as a safe entrance to the inner lagoon. Knowing +these facts, it was easy to decide to which class the islands and reefs +we passed belonged. There was always, therefore, matter of interest +before us. + +Volcanic action has been the agent of many of the islands to the +westward, where several still active volcanoes exist. Many of those in +that direction are clothed with the richest vegetation. They are +inhabited by dark-skinned races; still the most savage among those of +the Pacific, such as the New Hebrides, Santa Cruz, Solomon Islands, and +New Ireland, to the eastward of New Guinea. They produce the finest +sandal-wood, and Harry determined to visit some of them, in order to +obtain a supply before returning home. He had, however, settled to call +first, as I have said, at the islands, where he hoped to be able to +purchase palm-oil. + +The first we reached after this was very similar to those already +described. The natives, as we appeared, came off to the schooner in +their canoes, and invited us to enter a secure harbour into which they +offered to pilot her. Several of those who boarded us were dressed in +shirts, and one of them spoke a sufficient amount of English to make +himself understood. He said that two native missionaries were settled +on the island, and that all the inhabitants were Christians. They had +also, he added, a good quantity of palm-oil, of which they would be glad +to dispose. Harry, therefore, without hesitation, accepted their +invitation, and we brought up within the outer reef, at no great +distance from the shore. + +None of the people now cared for the trinkets and other trumpery which +they formerly so greatly sought for, but desired to have cotton goods, +axes, knives, carpenters tools, fish-hooks, cooking utensils, and other +things required by a civilised community. They also asked for paper, +pens and ink, and copybooks. We had, unfortunately, no Bibles or other +books in their language, or we might have disposed of a good number, so +eager were they to procure them. They all behaved, when on board, in a +quiet and sedate manner, though they were evidently merry fellows, for +we saw them laughing and joking among themselves. Their huts were +larger and better built than any we had lately seen, and those we +visited were remarkably clean and tidy; yet one of the missionaries +whose acquaintance we had made, and who could speak a little English, +told us that the people a few years ago were as savage as any of those +in that part of the Pacific. We bought a dozen casks of palm-oil at a +fair price, calculating the value of the goods we gave in return. The +people said if we would come back they would have a further quantity +with which to supply us. + +We warned them about the _Wasp_, and gave them a minute description of +her, so that should she appear they might avoid being entrapped. They +replied that they had heard of such vessels cruising about to carry off +the natives, but that none had visited their island, and that they had +therefore doubted of their existence. They thanked us much for warning +them, and promised to be on their guard. We advised them to be cautious +how they went on board any vessels before being acquainted with their +character. + +The next island off which we called was also inhabited by Christian +natives, who supplied us with six casks of oil. + +I have not space more minutely to describe the islands we touched at. +Wherever missionaries were established, there the people were more or +less civilised, industrious, and happy. They had not ventured to lay +aside their weapons altogether, as they might be required to defend +themselves against the nefarious proceedings of lawless white men; but +as soon as they found that we came to trade honestly with them, they put +them by, and mixed among us without the slightest sign of fear, not even +attempting to keep their women out of our sight. + +When Mary and Fanny landed, the latter gathered round them, expressing +their wonder at their dresses and fair complexions, we felt indeed that +we were among friends who could be thoroughly trusted. + +Having obtained as much palm-oil as we required, we now steered to the +south-west for Vavau, one of the Friendly Islands, of which the +civilised King George is the ruler. We made it early in the morning, +and, the wind being fair and the harbour easy of access, without waiting +for a pilot we stood on, having two small islands on the eastern side, +and a larger one to the westward. Vavau appeared of uniform height. At +first we did not see many signs of fertility or cultivation; the cliffs +rose abruptly from the sea without a fringing reef; but the water had +worn the coral rocks, which stand out from the shore, into the shape of +huge mushrooms on their stalks. When once we were inside, however, +signs of the most industrious cultivation showed themselves. The +country was covered with woods, looking like one vast garden, while from +every village came the sound of the mallet, used by the women in beating +out the native cloth. At a wharf not far off were several large double +canoes taking in cargoes for another port; beyond could be seen a number +of comfortable-looking houses. Numerous huts of smaller dimensions +peeped out from among the trees, while at some distance apart were +buildings of considerable size, which we afterwards found to be +churches. Altogether we felt that we had come to a civilised country. + +Soon after we had dropped anchor, an old native gentleman came off in a +large canoe, and introduced himself as the Viceroy of Vavau, and begged +to know the object of our visit. Harry replied that he had come to +refit the schooner, but should be happy to trade if we could procure any +of the articles we required. The old chief said that the people would +be ready to receive money as payment for any of their produce, that they +had cotton, and palm-oil, and Beche-de-Mer, cocoanuts, native cloth, and +various other articles, and that they could supply us with an abundance +of hogs and goats, and vegetables of all sorts at a cheap rate. + +We were received, as we had been at Samoa, by the white inhabitants in a +very kind way, but as Harry was anxious to refit the schooner as soon as +possible, the two ladies, under the escort of Charlie Tilston, could +alone be much on shore. We, however, managed to see something of the +country--the roads in course of construction in all directions across +it, the cotton plantations and well-cultivated gardens, and many other +signs of the industry of the people. The greatest novelty was the +manufacture of the native cloth, or Tapa, formed out of the bark of the +paper-mulberry tree. The natives universally wear it for clothing, and +as it cannot stand any amount of wet and is easily spoiled, there is a +constant demand for it. It is manufactured entirely by the women. The +young tree is first cut down and the bark is stripped off; it is then +steeped in water for a couple of days, when the inner is separated from +the coarse outer rind. This is then beaten by a mallet, resembling a +square razor strop with small furrows on the under side, till it becomes +almost as thin as silver paper, and of course is greatly increased in +size. Even then it is scarcely a foot wide, but the edges are +overlapped and stuck together with arrowroot melted in water; it is then +again beaten till all the parts are completely joined. Pieces are thus +made of many yards in length. A mucilaginous dye is then used, both to +colour the cloth, and further to strengthen it, until large bales are +formed of a single piece, from which portions are cut off as required +for use. Some of those we saw were fifty yards long and four yards +wide. When thus formed, it is called Tapa or Taba, a name by which it +is generally known among all the islands of the Pacific. It is +afterwards beautifully coloured, sometimes by a stamp, at others by +painting it by hand, when it is known as Gnatu. A coarser kind, worn by +the common people, is made from the bark of the bread-fruit tree. + +A number of canoes came alongside, bringing turkeys, fowls, eggs, and a +variety of fruits and vegetables, among which were pine-apples, bananas, +yams, sweet potatoes, cabbages, and onions. Besides cotton, the natives +produce tobacco for their own use, and probably, before long, cotton +manufactures will supersede the Tapa. Although the former will be more +useful, it has not the elegance of the native cloth. + +We visited a chapel built in the native style; it was upwards of a +hundred feet long by forty-five wide, and nearly thirty high. It had a +high-pitched roof, with curved ends, and two rows of columns, each three +of the lower column supported a short beam, from which sprang a second +series bearing the ridge-pole. These, as well as the horizontal beam, +were beautifully ornamented with cocoanut plait, so arranged as to give +the appearance of Grecian mouldings, of infinite variety and delicate +gradations of colour--black, with the different shades of red and +yellow, being those employed. Altogether the effect was very artistic +and pleasing. + +The Tongans are said to be the best canoe builders and navigators in the +Pacific. One of the chiefs exhibited, with some pride, a large double +canoe, which consisted in the first place of a canoe a hundred feet in +length, and half a dozen or more in width; the second canoe was composed +of a tree hollowed out for the sake of buoyancy like the canoe, but was, +in reality, merely an outrigger. The large canoe was formed of planks +lashed together with cocoanut plait; beams were then laid between the +two, on which was erected a house for the stowage of provisions; above +this rose a platform surrounded by a railing, forming the deck of the +vessel. It had been built by Tongans in the Fijis, where suitable +timber could alone be procured. These vessels, frail and unwieldy as +they appear, are navigated in the face of the trade wind between two and +three hundred miles, the Tongans making voyages to Fiji and also to +Samoa. We were told that six years are required to build one. The +sail, formed of matting, is triangular, spread on a long yard. The +vessel is never tacked, but the sail is lowered, shifted over, and again +hoisted when beating to windward. + +We made the acquaintance of a young chief--greatly resembling our Samoan +friend Toa--who offered to show us some interesting caverns which exist +along the coast. The distance was too great for the ladies to venture, +as we had to perform the voyage in a small canoe, and should be away the +whole day; but Harry told Charlie and Dick Tilston, Nat and me, that we +might go. + +We started at daylight in two canoes, with an ample supply of provisions +on board, Nat and I accompanying the young chief Alea. He could speak a +little English, and gave us an interesting legend connected with one of +the caves. + +Years ago, a chief had rebelled against the king of the country, when, +being defeated, he and his family were condemned to death. He had a +very beautiful daughter, who had a lover belonging to another family. +Having gained intelligence of the intention of the king to exterminate +the family of his beloved, he hastened to her, and managed, without +being discovered, to carry her on board a small canoe which he had in +waiting. She asked how he could possibly hope to escape by such means +from the vengeance of the king, who would destroy him as well as +herself. He told her not to fear--that he had a place of concealment, +where, notwithstanding the most vigilant search which could be made for +her, she would never be discovered. They paddled away till they reached +a cliff which rose out of the water. + +"I see no cavern in which I can be concealed," she said. + +"Fear not; I will conduct you to one, notwithstanding," he answered, +and, taking her hand, desired her to leap overboard. + +Trusting him to the full, she obeyed; and, both diving, they swam for +some distance, till they rose in the centre of a large cavern with +rocks, free of water, on one side of which there was sufficient space to +rest. Here he told her that she might remain secure, and that he would +bring her food every night, till he could make arrangements for their +escape to Fiji. He had discovered the cavern, he said, not long before, +when diving for a turtle. He was unable to fulfil his promise till he +came, one night, and told her that a large double canoe, with friends of +his, was waiting outside. They were soon on board, and arrived safely +in Fiji, where they remained till the death of the king enabled them to +return to Vavau. From this legend Byron draws a romantic account of +Neuha's Cave in his poem of "The Island." + +As our friend had not described the first cave to which he took us, we +were surprised and delighted with it. The mouth was of considerable +width, sufficient to admit two or three boats abreast. Once inside, the +water was fully five fathoms deep. We here found ourselves amid columns +and stalactites hanging from the high-domed roof, resembling Gothic +arches. The bright sunlight streamed down through the wonderfully clear +water, and was reflected up from the sparkling stones and coral at the +bottom, with a beautiful series of light tints, and shades of delicate +blue and green, over every part of the walls and vaulted roof. We +agreed that it was the fit abode of the most charming of sea-nymphs and +mermaids; indeed, we almost expected to see some of the fair ladies +seated among the rocks, combing their hair. At the further end there +was an arched passage, sloping upwards till it reached an opening in the +roof above. Some of our companions landed, and made their way up it, +now appearing, now disappearing among the rocks, the effect in their +progress being singularly picturesque and scenic. On their return, +after visiting another smaller cave, we made sail for Neuha's cavern. +On arriving at the spot, we in vain looked for any sign of the entrance, +till the chief pointed out to us two poles placed crosswise, which, he +said, marked it. + +"Now, which of you would like to accompany me into the cavern?" he +asked. "You must be prepared for a long dive." + +Neither Charlie nor Dick Tilston were willing to venture, on hearing how +long they would have to hold their breath. At last I agreed to go, the +chief undertaking to keep hold of my hand, and to conduct me in safety. +On looking down, with our backs to the sun, we could see a darker patch +than usual among the coral-covered rocks, some eight feet below the +surface: this was the entrance. We had brought a long line, which was +secured to one of the canoes. A follower of the chief's, taking the +end, jumped overboard. By watching him carefully we saw him disappear +in the midst of the dark patch. He was absent for about ten minutes, +and he said that he had made the line secure in the inside of the +cavern. After he had rested a little while, the chief asked me if I was +ready, when, he and his follower taking me by the arm, we dived +downwards, the chief keeping the end of the line in his hand to guide +us. I held my breath and struck out with my feet, but my companions had +some difficulty in keeping me down sufficiently to avoid scraping my +back against the sharp points which project from the roof of the +passage. As the whole distance was thirty feet, I was so much exhausted +by the time I reached the surface inside the cavern that I could not at +first admire its wonders. My companions helped me to a ledge of a rock +just visible in the dusk, where we stopped to rest ourselves. The +subdued light within the cave was derived entirely from the reflection +through the mouth of the submerged passage, and I was at first afraid +that I should scarcely be repaid the exertion I had made and the risk +run. Suddenly, however, the chief leaped into the water, and began +swimming about, when the phosphorescent light produced by his movements +was more beautiful and brilliant than anything of the sort I had ever +seen. Wherever he went he was followed by a stream of liquid fire. +When both the natives were in the water, the light was sensibly +increased, so that I obtained some notion of the size of the cavern. It +was, however, at the best, a somewhat dreary place of captivity, and the +poor girl who inhabited it must have passed many an anxious hour, +uncertain whether her lover would be able to return and bring her her +daily allowance of food and water, and help her finally to escape. I +owned that, having once performed the feat, I did not feel that I should +be inclined to pay the cave a second visit. I therefore, as I sat on +the rock and pictured to myself how the lovely Neuha had passed her +time, took in every visible object; then, feeling rested, told the chief +that I was ready to return to the outer world. I own that I had some +slight apprehension of encountering a shark on the way; but I felt +tolerably satisfied that my companions would send it to the rightabout, +if they did not kill the monster. + +"Now I'm ready," I said. + +The natives then, seizing my arms as before, dived with me almost to the +bottom, and, while holding my breath, I felt myself carried along, this +time escaping the roof. With infinite satisfaction I saw the bright +sunlight overhead. We rose to the surface close to the canoe, and I was +hauled on board, pretty well done, however, to receive the +congratulations of my friends. The account I gave did not tempt them to +make the experiment. After landing on some rocks to discuss the viands +we had brought, we pulled back the way we had come, and late in the +evening got on board the schooner. + + + +CHAPTER EIGHT. + +We were now bound on a cruise among the islands of Melanesia, inhabited +by a dark-skinned race, differing very greatly from the people we had +previously visited. We hoped, however, to obtain a supply of +sandal-wood, and to establish friendly relations at different spots, so +that the schooner might return for another cargo, and bring back any +natives who might be willing to engage as labourers in Queensland. Had +time allowed, we should have been glad to touch at Fiji, the inhabitants +of which were by that time no longer to be dreaded--many, with their old +king, Thakombau, once a cannibal, having been converted to Christianity, +and partially civilised--but Harry was anxious to conclude the voyage, +which had already been longer than he had at first intended. + +We had been some days at sea when we came in sight of Cherry Island, +rising some three hundred feet above the surface of the ocean, and +thickly covered with vegetation, but only two miles and a half in +circumference. It appeared truly a little gem in the midst of the world +of waters. As there were no dangers off it, we were able to stand close +enough in to observe the fine sandy beach extending round it for a +considerable distance. Along the shore we saw no canoes, but a number +of natives appeared, waving green branches--emblems of peace. As we +watched them through our telescopes, we saw that they were of the +Polynesian, or brown race--fine-looking fellows, unlike the Papuans, who +inhabit the islands we were about to visit. As it was not likely that +they could supply us with either cocoanut oil or sandal-wood, we did not +communicate with them, but continued our course westward. + +The first island we made after leaving Cherry Island, was Varikoro, one +of the Santa Cruz group, but, as we were bound northward, we did not +heave to till we came off the small island of Lom-lom, where we saw a +number of canoes paddling towards us. The natives who manned them wore +rings in their ears and noses. Though their object was to trade, as +they brought off only a few bows and arrows, and a fruit in appearance +and taste resembling an apple, we soon concluded our transactions with +them. + +Thence standing on, and passing several other islands, the next day but +one we reached that of Nukapu, which has a melancholy interest, as it +was here that the excellent Bishop Patteson lost his life. The island +itself appeared to be about a couple of miles in circumference, and is +surrounded by a coral reef, extending, on its south-west side, as far as +a mile and a half from the shore, but in other places much nearer. The +island was covered with a dense bush, growing down to within a few feet +of the water's edge. As we were not aware at the time of the +treacherous character of the natives, while the schooner was hove to, +Charlie and I, with four men as a crew, pulled off in the gig, hoping to +open up an intercourse with them. We were well armed with muskets, +pistols, and boarding-pikes, in case we should be attacked. On +approaching the reef, we saw a number of canoes floating in the lagoon, +each containing three men. We found, however, that we could not get +over the reef, but we saw the people on the beach waving green branches, +inviting us to come on shore. We accordingly pulled in, believing that +we should meet with a friendly reception. As, however, we got near, the +savages commenced yelling and dancing in a curious fashion. + +"They wish to do us honour, I suppose," said Charlie. "It will be wise, +however, not to trust them too much." + +We pulled on till we got to within a hundred yards of the beach. + +"Look out; they mean mischief!" I shouted; and scarcely were the words +out of my mouth when a flight of arrows came whistling towards us, +though, fortunately, they fell short of our boat. In vain we tried to +make the natives understand that our object was peaceable, by waving +white handkerchiefs, and holding up our hands without exhibiting our +weapons. This only made them yell and dance more furiously than before. +We might have shot down a number of the natives, but we did not for a +moment think of doing that, and therefore at once returned to the +schooner. + +We now continued our course until, towards evening, we came in sight of +a lofty mountain, rising in a conical form out of the ocean. On turning +our glasses towards its summit, we could see dense volumes of smoke and +flame issuing forth, and as it lay in our course, and the wind was fair, +we passed close to it. When darkness came on, the whole summit of the +mountain appeared to be a mass of fire. Harry summoned Mary and Fanny, +who had gone below, on deck to enjoy the magnificent spectacle. Now +flames would shoot forth, rising high in the air; and then the +incandescent lava, flowing over the edge of the crater, would come +rushing down the slope of the mountain, finally to disappear in the sea. +Then again all was tolerably quiet. Now we heard a loud rumbling +noise, and presently the lava bubbled up once more, to plunge as before +down the mountain-side. + +"I'm very glad we are no nearer," observed Nat. "Suppose we were to be +driven by a gale of wind against it, we should run the double chance of +being burnt up by the lava or drowned among the breakers." + +"We'll take good care to keep away from it, then," said Harry, laughing. + +The following day we came off the island of Santa Cruz, the largest of +the group. When even several miles from the shore, a number of canoes +approached us, each generally containing three people, all of whom +showed an anxiety to trade. We stood into a small harbour, where we +brought up, when immediately more than a hundred canoes came around us, +loaded with mats, bows and arrows, and cocoanuts, which the islanders +willingly gave for bottles, pipes and tobacco, and for articles of +clothing. Whenever a shirt or a pair of trousers were to be had, the +islanders immediately slipped them on, not always as they were intended +to be worn, several putting the hind part before. They were an ugly +race--their skins nearly black, and their foreheads low and receding, +with high cheekbones and broad faces, their noses flat and mouths large, +while their heads were like black, curly mops. I cannot exactly say +that they were dressed, their only garment being a sort of apron, +fastened by a string tightly round the waist; but they wore +tortoise-shell rings hanging from their ears down to their shoulders, +and one large ring through the nose, which gave a most hideous +expression to their countenances. Some had on necklaces of human teeth, +and armlets of shells. Their habitations were low, small, and dirty +huts of a circular form, roofed with the leaf of the cocoanut tree, and +destitute of every description of furniture. They were altogether the +most ugly and diminutive race we had hitherto met with. + +As usual, Harry would only allow a dozen on board at a time, while a +strict watch was kept on all their movements, but as far as we could +judge, they had no treacherous intentions. As evening approached, we +made them understand that we wished to be left in quiet, though it was +somewhat difficult, without giving them offence, to get them into their +canoes. They then paddled on shore, promising the next day to return +with the sort of wood we required, of which we showed them a specimen. +We, of course, kept a strict watch during the night, and were ready at +any moment to defend ourselves; but not a single canoe was seen floating +on the surface of the harbour; we therefore supposed that the natives +had retired to their huts to sleep. + +Next day a chief came off, the distinguishing mark of his rank being a +breastplate of white shells, about nine inches in diameter. He brought +with him several large bundles of sandal-wood, and promised, if we would +come again some time afterwards, to procure for us as much as we +required. Savage as these people were, they seemed willing enough to +trade, and there is no reason to doubt that the blessings of +Christianity might be introduced among them. Such is the task +undertaken by the Melanesian Mission, about which Charlie Tilston often +talked to me. + +We soon after this came off Sugar-Loaf, or Mota Island, which is the +head-quarters of the Melanesian Mission; and, as Harry thought the +missionaries would be glad of an opportunity of sending letters by us, +he ordered a boat to be got ready to go on shore, while the schooner was +hove to. I went in her, with Charlie and Dick, Jack Lizard, Tom Tubb, +Jackie Potts, and Sam Pest. On approaching the beach, we found it was +rocky and rugged, while so heavy a surf was seething on it, that we were +afraid to attempt landing; we therefore pulled round, hoping to reach a +part where we might get on shore without danger. Rounding a point, we +lost sight of the schooner, and after going some distance, succeeded in +finding a sheltered nook, into which we ran the boat. + +Leaving Dick in charge of her, Charlie and I proceeded on foot in search +of the missionaries' houses. The walk was a much longer one than we had +expected, but we at last found them, and were courteously received. +They expressed themselves very grateful for the attention Harry had +shown them, and immediately set to work to write letters, while their +wives prepared some refreshments for us. They also insisted upon +sending some down to the boat. We in the mean time walked out to a spot +whence we expected to see the schooner, but when we got there, great was +our dismay at not being able to discover her. A dark cloud, sending +down a deluge of rain, was sweeping over the ocean, driven evidently by +a heavy squall. + +"We shall see her when it has passed over," observed Charlie; "for she +will then stand back should she have been driven away from the land." + +"I trust so," I said. "Harry is always cautious, and would have +shortened sail in time; otherwise the squall has strength enough to +capsize her or whip the masts overboard." + +"You should not allow such a fancy to enter your head," he observed, +wishing to comfort me, as I felt fearfully anxious. + +We kept watching the spot where the schooner ought to have been, +entirely forgetting the repast prepared for us. The cloud seemed to +increase in size, the rain grew thicker and thicker. + +"If the schooner is still afloat, she must be in the very midst of it," +I at length observed, with a groan. + +"Of course she is," said Charlie, "and running before it. She could not +possibly beat back in the teeth of such a squall. We shall see her when +it has passed." + +When we looked back landward, we saw, however, that the sun was already +sinking below the tree-crowned heights, and in that latitude darkness +comes on almost immediately after the sun has gone down. Still, we +could not tear ourselves from the spot. + +We were standing thus when we heard a voice saying, "I have been +searching for you, my friends, for a long time, and could not conceive +where you had gone." + +Charlie explained the cause of our anxiety, for I was too much agitated +to speak. + +"Trust in God's mercy, my friends," said the missionary. "We must hope +that your vessel has not suffered material damage, though you do not see +her. If she has been dismasted, which is possible, you would scarcely +discern her at the distance she must be off by this time. Her captain +must undoubtedly have perceived the squall coming, and would be prepared +to encounter it." + +All he could say, however, did not relieve my anxiety. He waited with +us till the gloom of evening, stealing over the eastern ocean, made us +abandon all hope of discerning the vessel. We then returned with him to +his house, where we were thankful to take the refreshment his wife had +prepared. We hurried it over, as we wished to get back as soon as +possible to the boat. + +"I have sent to say that you are delayed," remarked the missionary, "and +I must urge you not to attempt to put to sea till the morning. You +would very probably miss your vessel in the dark, whereas she is sure to +stand back to look for you at daylight. I must advise you to wait till +then. Have your boat hauled on shore, and let your people come up here +to pass the night, as this elevated position is more healthy than on the +lower ground; and I will take care that an efficient guard is placed to +protect her." + +This advice was so good that we were fain to accept it. We therefore +returned with the missionary to his house, while he despatched a New +Zealander, who spoke English, to bring up Dick and the men. Having a +guide, they were much less time reaching the station than we had been, +and soon arrived. Of course, Dick was very much grieved to hear of our +anxiety about the schooner. The missionaries and their wives did their +best to draw our thoughts away from our friends, by describing the +progress of the work they had undertaken. Their object was, they told +us, to collect young and intelligent natives from the different islands, +and to endeavour to instruct them in the truths of Christianity. When +their education was completed, if they exhibited a right missionary +spirit, they were sent back to diffuse the truths of Christianity among +their fellow-islanders. + +It was deeply interesting to see a number of natives brought from among +the most savage races, gentle and civilised, and apparently imbued with +true Christian principles. They were all clothed in shirts and +trousers, and looked as different as possible to the savages we had met +with, though of the same race, and a few years ago were exactly like +them. + +We sat up for some time, hoping against hope that we might hear a gun +fired from the schooner, as a signal to us that she was in the offing. +Several times we looked out over the ocean, now sleeping in calm repose, +but no sign of the schooner could be discovered. + +At last the missionary advised us to take some rest. He had a +guest-room in which, he said, beds were prepared for Charlie, Dick, and +me, while some shake-downs of leaves and grass were made up in an +outhouse for the crew of our boat. I kept continually starting up, +fancying that I heard a gun fire. Again when I slept I pictured to +myself vividly the schooner struck by the squall, and going down beneath +the surface. + +As soon as morning broke we were all on foot, and hurried to the +look-out place, whence we earnestly hoped that we might see the +schooner; but not a sail was in sight above the distant horizon. The +Christian converts were gathered for prayer, and we joined them, though +unable to understand what was said. When our early breakfast was over, +I again hurried out to look for the schooner. Still, as far as eye +could reach, there was no appearance of her. I felt that, as I was in +command of the boat, I must decide what was to be done, though I wished +to consult my companions and have their opinion. I proposed that we +should, without loss of time, proceed in the boat to some of the +neighbouring islands to search for her, believing it possible that she +had been compelled to take shelter in one of their harbours. I told +Charlie what I thought of doing. + +"Dick and I will be ready to accompany you, whatever you may decide," he +answered. + +"Then let us go at once," I said. "We have a sail in the boat, and, +though the distance between the islands is considerable, we may cross in +a few hours from one to the other." + +When we told the missionary what we intended to do, he strongly urged us +to remain with him for a day or two, in the hope that the schooner might +in the mean time return. + +"The vessel may be on one side of the island, and you may be passing on +the other and thus miss her," he observed. + +I thanked him very much, but still told him that I was too anxious to +commence our search to delay a moment longer than necessary. As the +schooner carried another gig, my brother was certain to send on shore, +should we miss each other, to inquire for us, and we agreed to return +should we fail to find him. + +"If you insist on going, I must beg you to allow me to supply you with +provisions and water," said our kind friend, "and I must advise you to +be very cautious in attempting to land on any of the islands. You must +remember that they are inhabited by treacherous races, on whom no +dependence can be placed. It will be better to endure hunger and thirst +than to run the risk of being clubbed, should you land among hostile +natives." + +I again thanked him heartily for his kindness, and assured him that we +would be as cautious as necessary. Bidding him and his companion and +their wives farewell, we went down to the boat, accompanied by a number +of natives carrying the provisions with which we had been furnished. +Our boat was launched, and we put to sea. + + + +CHAPTER NINE. + +We had what might prove a long and dangerous voyage before us, while we +were almost overwhelmed with the anxiety we felt about the fate of the +schooner. We could see the first island we intended to visit just +rising out of the water, blue and indistinct, and as it was calm we had +to depend upon our oars to reach it, but we hoped before long to get a +favourable breeze which would send us on our way. The sun struck down +on our heads with intense force, but we were too anxious to think about +it. I proposed that we should relieve each other at the oars, so that +we might continue pulling, if necessary, all day. Jack Lizard, Potts, +and Tubb declared that they would not allow us to do that. + +"If you like to change places now and again with Dick, and his brother +takes a turn with the oar, it is all very well; but we are born to it, +as it were, and it makes no difference to us if we pull on all day," +said Jack. + +Fortunately, after we had pulled a couple of hours and the island of +Mota was fading in the distance, a breeze sprang up, and we were able to +stand on under sail. At length, towards evening, we got near the shore, +and seeing a number of natives on the beach, we hoped that we might +obtain information from them as to what had become of the schooner; for, +had she been driven past the island, they must have seen her. + +"We take care," said Tubb, the New Zealander. "I not like dere looks; +dey not friends." + +The people had hitherto been quiet enough, and I had observed no signs +of hostility; no sooner, however, did we approach the shore than they +assumed a warlike attitude, dancing and gesticulating in the wildest +manner, while they yelled and brandished their weapons as a sign to us +that we were to come no nearer. As it would have been madness to have +attempted landing in the face of such hostile demonstrations, we put the +boat partly round, and pulled on parallel with the shore, but at a +respectful distance. As we did so, we saw the natives running along the +beach, every now and then making threatening gestures as a warning to us +not to land. + +"They may be savages," observed Charlie; "but they cannot be called +treacherous ones, or they would have allowed us to land and afterwards +murdered us." + +We continued along the coast, hoping to come to the mouth of some +harbour in which we might find the missing schooner. No harbour +appeared, and everywhere, whenever we stood in closer than before to the +beach, the natives, gathering in numbers, ordered us to keep off. We +had now no choice but to remain at sea during the night, for we could +not hope to reach the next island within several hours. We therefore +stood away from Inhospitable Island, as we called it. + +Fortunately the weather remained fine, and the coolness of the night was +pleasanter than the heat of day. A distant volcano, which threw up a +continuous column of flame, enabled us to steer a direct course, and, as +the breeze was very light, we did not expect to reach Aurora Island, +which we intended next to visit, till morning. Jack Lizard and I took +it by turns to steer, for I was rather afraid of trusting Charlie Dick +Tilston, lest a sudden squall might strike the boat and send us over. +Our minds were too much occupied with the thoughts of the schooner, or +rather of those on board her, to enable us to talk on any other subject +Charlie Tilston every now and then tried to get up a lively +conversation, but found that he could not succeed. All night long we +glided smoothly on. + +"I hope that we shall be treated in a more hospitable way by the +inhabitants of the next island we visit," he observed. + +"We cannot be very certain about that, sir," observed Sam Pest. "I have +been up and down these islands, and I have seen the way white men have +treated the blacks. No wonder they ain't friendly, for there's not a +village scarcely where some of the natives have not been carried off, +while others have been fired on and the people killed. We must make +them understand that we come as friends, or we shall have no chance of +getting anything out of them." + +By daylight we were close up to Aurora Island. The inhabitants had seen +our boat approaching, and had gathered on the beach to receive us. They +probably thought that our vessel was not far off, round a point to the +westward. + +"Come, I think we have a chance of a friendly intercourse with these +people," observed Charlie; "and if you like, I will land and try to have +a talk with them by signs. Neither Tubb nor Potts seem to understand +their language better than we do." + +Although the natives waved no green boughs, and kept a short distance +back on some high ground above the beach, yet, as their women and +children were with them, and as they made no hostile demonstrations, we +concluded that we might safely land. We therefore ran the boat on to +the beach, and Charlie, stepping out, moved a few paces from them, and +sat down on a rock. In a short time six or seven persons came down to +where he was sitting, apparently inclined to hold a palaver, Sam Pest +all the time watching them narrowly. + +"Take care, sir," he shouted, "or they'll play you some foul trick." +The next instant he added, "Jump up! Run for your life down to the +boat!" + +As he spoke I seized a musket, and old Sam took up another and presented +it at the natives, to cover Charlie and enable him to get back to the +boat. Just as he sprang up, I saw a young native in the act of lifting +a club as if about to strike him; but the suddenness with which Charlie +started up and retreated to the boat prevented the savage from dealing +the intended blow. Charlie springing on board, we shoved off, and lay +on our oars at a safe distance from the beach. This was a bad +commencement, and there seemed but little chance of our obtaining any +information from them. When the natives saw our guns pointed at them, +they quickly retreated, and though we did not fire, and made signs to +them to return, nothing would induce them to trust themselves near us. + +"I am afraid, from what Sam says, that we can expect no better reception +wherever we go. But we must not complain of the poor natives," observed +Charlie; "they are thorough savages, it is true, but would probably have +received white men with gladness, if the white men had from the first +treated them properly, and tried to win their regard." + +"That may be so," I remarked. "But we must not forget how the far less +savage inhabitants of the Friendly Islands treated the shipmates of +Mariner, and would, it is said, have treated Captain Cook and his +companions, if they had had the opportunity. Their conduct, in some +instances, is owing to debased human nature, rather than to a spirit of +revenge, though undoubtedly in many the white men have been the +aggressors." + +Finding that we were not likely to establish a friendly intercourse with +the natives, or to gain any information about the schooner, we pulled +away from the beach, and steered before the wind for another island +which we saw to the westward. Although our hearts were full of anxiety, +and our thoughts were occupied with the task in which we were engaged, +we could not help admiring the beauty of the islands amid which we were +sailing. We found the water very deep round the beach, from which the +hills rose abruptly, clothed with a dense vegetation. Cocoanut trees +grew in the greatest profusion, not only on the shores, but frequently +up the sides of the hills, and were seen in clusters at the bottom of +the valleys running inland. There were also many other fine timber +trees, while graceful ferns and flowering shrubs formed a dense +undergrowth over all the uncultivated parts of the country. The water +was so transparent that we could see the fish swimming about as we +looked over the side of the boat. We had, fortunately, some hooks and +lines, and as nearly anything served for bait, we were able to catch as +many as we could possibly eat. The difficulty was to cook them, as we +could not venture to land on any spot where there were natives. Our +fear also was that we might run short of water; thus, although in the +midst of abundance, we might perish of thirst, or by the hands of the +savages. + +"We must manage to land somewhere," cried Dick. "Perhaps if we were to +pull in to the shore towards evening, we might escape detection, and +have time to cook our fish and find water before the natives are down +upon us." + +"Although there may be some risk, I do not see what else we can do," +said Charlie. "We must, however, keep a strict watch while we are +cooking our food, and not attempt to sleep on shore. We shall probably +be able to obtain some cocoanuts in addition to the water, so that we +may keep at sea, without the necessity of landing again, for several +days." + +As this plan seemed feasible, we determined to adopt it. + +"The island out there, for which we are steering, is of considerable +size, and there must surely be some parts uninhabited," observed +Charlie. + +"I hope so," I said. "As there are a good many missionaries scattered +about, we may drop upon some island where one is established; and, if +so, we shall be better off than we should if we landed at an uninhabited +part; besides which, we may possibly gain tidings of the schooner." + +The breeze was light, but yet sufficient to enable us to run on under +sail. We had miscalculated the distance to the island, for, the hills +being high, it appeared nearer than it really was. We were still some +way off the shore when the sun set; the wind also fell, and we had to +lower the sail and take to our oars. This, however, was the best thing +we could do, as we had less chance of being seen, should there be any +people on the shore. The moon rose as we neared the land, and gave us +sufficient light to distinguish objects, so that we might pick out a +place into which we could run the boat. Seeing no fires or lights, we +began to hope that we should not meet with natives; we therefore pulled +in, placing Tubb ahead to look out for rocks. The part we first made +appeared too rugged to allow us to venture on; we therefore rowed along +the shore for some way, till a small sandy bay, just suited to our +purpose, appeared. We accordingly steered in for it, keeping, as +before, a careful look-out ahead. The ground rose abruptly almost +immediately beyond the beach, on which no surf was breaking; but I +fancied that I heard a rushing sound of water falling probably over the +cliffs close at hand, though a thick grove of tall trees concealed it +from our sight. + +"We could not have discovered a better place," said Charlie, in a +cheerful tone. "We may here remain securely till morning, and get some +sleep without being cramped up in the boat. I should not be surprised +either if those are cocoanut trees, and, if so, we may get a good +supply." + +We now rowed into the bay, Tom Tubb feeling the way with the boat-hook, +so that we might not run the risk of staving in the bows of the boat. +At length our keel grated on the smooth sand, and jumping out, we +quickly hauled up the boat. Tubb and Sam Pest then went on, the latter +carrying a musket, to survey the neighbourhood, and to ascertain if +there was any path by which an enemy might come suddenly down and +surprise us; they were also to look out for water. We meantime +collected driftwood and dry branches from under the trees to make a +fire. We placed a pile some way up the beach close to the grove of +trees, so that the flames might be concealed by the overhanging cliffs +and hills on either side, and thus, although there might be natives in +the neighbourhood, we might escape being seen. We had got our wood +ready to light when Sam and his companion came back. + +"There's only one part, away to the left, where anybody, unless they've +got wings, can come down," said Sam. "We must keep a look-out on it, +and we shall have time, if many of the savages appear, to get the boat +into the water and shove off before they can reach us. One of us had +better keep guard there, and we shall be safe enough." + +They had also discovered a waterfall, which came down over the rock at +an easily accessible spot, where we could fill the kettle we had brought +with us. We accordingly spitted the fish which we had caught in the +morning, though already they were not as fresh as we should have liked, +and put on the kettle to boil, to make some tea which the missionary had +given us. Following Sam's advice, we at once placed Jack Lizard on the +look-out at the spot he had mentioned; we then cooked and ate our +supper, and sent Tubb to relieve Jack. This done, we spread the boat's +sail on the oars and boat-hook, to make an awning under which we could +sleep; the sand was hot and dry enough so that we required no other +bedding. It was arranged that we should relieve each other every two +hours, and thus all might get a good spell of sleep. Had it not been +for our anxiety about the schooner, we should have enjoyed our +adventure. We had scarcely given a thought about ourselves, or what we +should do, should we not find her. Our only idea had been to return to +Mota; but from that island we were already at a considerable distance, +and bad weather might come on before we could reach it. A few years +before this, however, we should have been in much greater peril, for +there would have been no place for which we could steer with any +certainty of meeting with a friendly reception. It was sad to think +that generation after generation had passed away, during which these +beautiful islands had been inhabited by savages, to whom no one had +carried the light of the Gospel; and that, even now, only on a few +isolated spots were missionaries established, few of whom, owing to the +numerous difficulties in their way, had made much progress. + +As we had all been awake during the previous night, scarcely had we +thrown ourselves on the sand than most of us were fast asleep. It +appeared to me that I had scarcely closed my eyes when I was summoned by +Charlie to keep my watch. Although I might have excused myself, as +being in charge of the boat, I did not wish to do that. He told me that +he had heard no sounds to indicate that any savages were in the +neighbourhood. I took the musket which he handed me, and kept pacing up +and down on the top of a bare mound, beyond which the ground sloped +upwards towards the interior, as far as I could make out in the +darkness. I thought it prudent, however, to cast my eye towards the +other side of the bay, for it seemed to me that there was a way along +under the cliffs at low water. It was arranged that should the sentry +see any one coming, he was to shout to the rest of the party, who were +to launch the boat, while he made the best of his way to join them. +This might appear a very timid proceeding, but, considering the savage +character of the natives, it was the only safe mode of showing them that +we had no hostile intentions. We might thus also the better be able to +gain their friendship. + +Day broke while I was still on watch, and I could now distinguish the +nature of the country. It was thickly wooded in all directions, with +hills, or mountains, indeed, rising to a considerable elevation; and I +was thankful, on looking at the grove, to see that the trees were loaded +with cocoanuts. However, I would not quit my post till I was relieved, +as it was far more important to keep a look-out now than it was during +the night. Looking towards our camp, I saw Charlie on his feet, +arousing the rest, and Dick soon joined me. I, of course, charged him +to keep a vigilant look-out, but on no account to fire, even although +the natives might appear with arms in their hands, and make threatening +gestures when they saw him. + +When I got back to the camp, Charlie proposed that we should push off +and catch some fresh fish for breakfast, as the remainder of those we +brought with us were no longer fit to eat. The boat accordingly shoved +off with the four men and Charlie, while I remained on shore with the +other musket in my hand, that I might be ready to assist Dick if +necessary. Much sooner than I expected, the boat returned with a +sufficient number of mullet and bream to afford us food for the whole +day. As we were all very hungry and I had made up the fire, we quickly +cooked them, and I was just about to send Jack Lizard to relieve Dick, +when the latter shouted-- + +"Here come some people; but there are only three or four fellows, and I +cannot make out exactly who they are." + +I quickly joined him, when I saw four men coming down the valley. Three +of them were undoubtedly savages, but the fourth had some clothing on, +and was taller and bigger than the others. He carried a huge knotted +club in one hand, and a spear in the other. The rest of the men were +also armed with spears. The first, from his dress and ornaments, was +apparently a chief, but I was puzzled at his general appearance. On his +getting nearer, though his skin was brown enough, I observed that it was +very much lighter than that of his companions. Dick and I stood with +the butts of our muskets on the ground, while we shook our handkerchiefs +with our other hands. As the strangers got nearer, to my surprise the +apparent chief shouted out-- + +"Hilloa! Who are you? What brings you here?" + +"We came in to get water and fresh provisions," I answered. "And now +I'd ask who you are." + +"Why, as to that, I'm Prime Minister, High Priest, and Doctor +Extraordinary to the king of this 'ere country," answered the man, who I +now saw had been a white man, though certainly I could not call him so +now. + +"Very glad to meet you, friend; for some of the people in these parts +are not very hospitable to strangers, and we have found it difficult to +land to cook our food and stretch our legs, without the risk of being +knocked on the head." + +"Couldn't say, if I had not been with them, but what my people here +might have treated you in the same way," answered the stranger, +"Howsomedever, I will come and have a palaver with you, and hear the +news, for I have not set eyes on any white chaps for I don't know how +long." + +Of course we told our new friend that we should be glad of his company, +and he, followed by the blacks, went with us towards the boat. + +"You don't happen to have any liquor aboard?" he asked. "It is a mighty +long time since I have tasted a drop." + +I was obliged to confess that we had no spirits, though we had still +some of the tea the missionaries had given us. He looked much +disappointed, and made a remark about the missionaries which I need not +repeat. They were evidently not in his good graces. + +He and his companions had seated themselves before the fire, when we +gave them some tea sweetened with sugar, which seemed to their taste. +They also condescended to eat the remainder of our fish, though the +white man told us they were precious badly cooked. I saw Sam Pest +looking at him while he was eating. At last Sam, seating himself by his +side, said-- + +"Well, Dan Hogan, you seem to have forgotten me." + +"No, I haven't, now you speak, though I do not know what I might have +done if you had not opened your lips." + +Though the two were old shipmates, they did not even shake hands, but +sat eagerly talking together for some time, regardless of the rest of +us. I could scarcely make out what they said. Sam, at last getting up, +came towards me, and said-- + +"This 'ere old shipmate of mine has given me some news which you will be +glad to hear for one thing, though not for another. The schooner has +got safe into port, and is not far off from this." + +"Safe!" I exclaimed, my heart bounding with joy, and I shouted the news +to Charlie and the rest. + +"Safe into port, but I did not say she was safe," said Sam. "In the +first place, from what he tells me, she's carried away her mainmast, and +seeing that she cannot put to sea, some of his black friends have made a +plot to get hold of her, and if they do, they'll not leave any of those +aboard alive. The captain, I know, keeps a sharp look-out; but they're +cunning rascals, and will try, if they can, to circumvent him." + +"How far off is she? How soon can we get there?" I asked eagerly. I +could feel my heart beating as I spoke. + +"He says about thirty miles, more or less, round the coast, though it is +little more than a quarter of that distance across country." + +"Then couldn't we go over land, and warn my brother?" I asked +anxiously. + +"Why, bless you, we should be knocked on the head by the first black +fellows we might meet," answered Sam. "Our only chance is to go round +by water, and I hope we may get there before any mischief is done." + +"Then we have not a moment to lose," I exclaimed. "But we must ask your +friend to exert himself, and try to save them. Perhaps, when they hear +that we are engaged in honest trading, they may be induced to abandon +their design." + +I spoke to Hogan, who, however, shook his head, as if he thought the +attempt would be useless, though he promised to do what he could. + +"You will understand, friend, that we shall be happy to reward you for +any service you can render us, and you must point out to the natives +that, should they commit any act of violence, they will be sure before +long to be punished. British men-of-war are about to cruise in these +parts for that very purpose, though, perhaps, the natives have never +seen or heard of them as yet." + +Hogan looked greatly astonished at hearing this, and exhibited some +alarm himself. He promised, however, to tell the people, though he +tried to persuade us that he could not be answerable for what they might +do. + +As every moment might be of importance, I wished him good-bye, and +ordered the men to launch the boat. I observed that Sam parted from his +old shipmate in a remarkably cold manner, as before, not even shaking +hands with him. We immediately shoved off, Hogan and his companions +standing on the beach, and watching us as we pulled out of the little +bay, and soon afterwards I saw them going back by the way they had come. +Hogan, I should have said, had minutely described the harbour in which +the schooner lay, so that I had no fear about finding the place, if we +could reach it before dark. + + + +CHAPTER TEN. + +Nearly two hours of daylight had already gone by, and as there was at +present a perfect calm, we should have to depend on our oars alone. I +explained to the men that it was a matter of life and death to arrive as +soon as possible. + +"Never fear, Mr Ned," answered Jack Lizard. "We'll make the boat fly +along as fast as our oars can send her." + +As Dick had a sharp pair of eyes, I stationed him in the bows to look +out for rocks; for, of course, to shorten the distance, we had to keep +close to the land, or, rather, just outside the breakers, which, as we +advanced, we found dashing on the shore. As we had had a good +breakfast, we did not stop to dine, but Charlie handed round a mug of +water, that the men might moisten their lips. As I sat in the +stern-sheets holding the yoke-lines, I felt as if I was steering in a +race; and so it was--a race against the machinations of the treacherous +savages; but I trusted that we should win, and be in time to warn Harry +of their evil intentions. I was pleased with the way the men behaved, +evidently exerting their strength to the utmost, and even old Sam did +not utter a complaint. As we pulled on, I eagerly looked out for each +point or headland, hoping that it might be the one beyond which we +should find the harbour. + +Everywhere the country was covered with trees. Sometimes there were +cliffs, and at others the land rose in bold slopes almost from the +water's edge; but nowhere did we see any coral reefs. This was owing, +Charlie said, to the existence of a volcano, which we observed somewhere +in the interior, sending forth clouds of smoke and ashes, occasionally +bright flames darting up, though scarcely visible in the sunlight. The +lava, he said, rolled down into the sea, and so heated the water that it +prevented the existence of the coral insects. Here and there were small +sandy bays, in which canoes were drawn up. On observing them, I feared +that some might come off and interfere with us. However, our boat was +so small an object, and being without a sail, the natives probably +scarcely observed her as we glided rapidly by. Perhaps they might have +taken her for some marine monster, or other fish which had just risen +above the surface. Occasionally we had to cross a broad bay, when we +were, in consequence, at a considerable distance from the land; but I +took care to examine it carefully, so as to be sure that the harbour we +were searching for was not within it. + +Night was drawing on. We had been pulling, we calculated, for not less +than seven hours, and must have been going at the rate of four knots an +hour. Charlie thought that there might have been a current against us, +or, perhaps, we had scarcely made good the four knots as I supposed, or +else that the distance was greater than Hogan had told us. As yet, +however, we had seen no indication of an opening. A tree-covered point +was before us; we steered for it. + +"Perhaps we shall find the harbour on the other side," said Charlie. + +The men had not lately been pulling as fast as in the early part of the +day; and no wonder, for their arms were becoming weary with their +exertions. Still they went on. + +"Never fear, sir," cried Jack Lizard. "We've got some go in us yet. +Cheer up, lads, cheer up; let us give way with a will again." + +The point was rounded when we saw what Charlie and I felt nearly sure +was the entrance to the harbour. We were already steering for it when +we made out half a dozen canoes, which had just rounded the opposite +point, and soon came paddling towards us. They might have had no +unfriendly intentions; but, at all events, we were anxious not to +encounter them. As we pulled on, we became perfectly convinced, by the +appearance of the land, that we had discovered the harbour we were in +search of. The canoes were coming up with us, and it seemed doubtful +whether we should get into the harbour before them. Our men, though +they had previously appeared too much fatigued to pull longer, redoubled +their efforts, and point after point was passed, when at length I was +gladdened by the sight of the schooner at anchor. + +I raised a shout of joy. "Hurrah, hurrah! There she is!" I exclaimed. + +"And there are the canoes!" cried Jack Lizard. "But we'll be alongside +her before they're up with us." + +Harry, who was on deck, saw us coming, and presently Mary and Fanny came +up, and Nat, and waved to us. We were quickly on board, and rapidly +exchanging accounts with each other. Harry had been as anxious about us +as we had been about him, for, as he could not tell whether we had put +off from Mota before squall came on, he feared that we might have been +exposed to its fury. + +The canoes, seeing us safe on board, turned aside and paddled for the +shore. Whether or not they had had any intention of attacking the boat, +this showed us that they believed the schooner was able to defend us. + +Harry said that he had been compelled to be very strict with them, +although he had hitherto remained on good terms. He had held to his +rule of allowing only a few men to come on board at a time, and he had +made these leave their arms in the canoes, while, as soon as evening +drew on, he compelled all on board to return to the shore. When I told +him of the warning Hogan had given us, he replied that he had brought +the natives into such good order that he did not think they would +attempt any act of treachery. + +"That is just what Sam was afraid of," I observed. "Their object, by +pretending to be quiet and friendly, is to throw us off our guard. +However, now that the schooner's crew is strengthened by our arrival, +perhaps they'll abandon their designs." + +He told me that he had been arranging with a chief for leave to cut down +a tree from which to make a mainmast. "It will take some time," he +continued, "but it must be done, and as the natives cannot cut down the +tree, we must manage to do it ourselves. It did occur to me that, while +we were thus engaged, they might think it a favourable opportunity to +attack us, unless we are on our guard." + +"From what Hogan told Sam, we were much afraid that they might attempt +to cut you off even before our arrival," I observed. "The old sailor +had, by some means or other, gained intelligence of their designs, +although he acknowledged that he was very uncertain whether he should be +able to put you on your guard in time to save you." + +"One thing is positive, that we cannot leave this harbour till we have +obtained a mast. And we must have it, therefore, at all risks," said +Harry. + +"I advise that we should get hold of a chief, or some other person of +influence, and keep him as a hostage on board, while our people are +working on shore," said Charlie Tilston. "The wildest savages know what +that means, and will not venture to attack us while we have a chief in +our power." + +"A capital idea!" said Harry; "but the question is, how are we to bell +the cat, or rather, get hold of a chief?" + +"I will go on shore with Sam Pest, and try to induce one of them to come +off," said Charlie. "It would be useless to take either the New +Zealander or the Sandwich Island man, as neither of them speak a word of +the language of these people, but Sam can make himself understood." + +Harry thought that there was much risk in the undertaking, but Sam, when +told of the plan, was ready enough to go, and I begged that I might +accompany Charlie, as I did not like the idea of his going alone. We +were all to be well armed, and to be on the watch to prevent any savage +from getting behind us--this, should they have any treacherous +intentions, they were sure to attempt doing. Charlie proposed carrying +a few articles to present to the chief, with the promise of others, in +exchange for provisions and such things as we should require, if he +would come to receive them. This was considered more politic than +carrying on the trading first, and promising the presents afterwards, as +the chief might doubt whether they would be delivered. From what we +gleaned from Sam, they had more than once before been tricked by white +men, who had come into their harbour, and were therefore likely to be +suspicious of our intentions. + +As soon as the plan was arranged, Charlie and I, with Sam, Jack Lizard, +and two other men, shoved off and pulled for the shore. As we +approached, we found a number of savages armed with clubs, collected on +the beach. We pulled slowly, looking out for one who, from the +ornaments he wore, and his general appearance, might prove to be a +chief. + +"That's the fellow we want," said Charlie, pointing out a man who wore +an ornamented head-dress and breastplate, with a necklace and rings +round his arms. We waved, and made signs to him to approach, and we +steered the boat directly towards where he stood. Charlie then held up +several articles he had brought. The chief seemed to understand our +object, and ordering his people to stand back, he advanced without +hesitation. We accordingly ran in the boat; Charlie and Sam stepped on +shore, while Jack Lizard and I sat with our muskets in our hands, ready +to cover them should they be attacked. Charlie then presented first one +article and then another, and Sam tried to explain, as far as his +knowledge of the language would allow him, our object to the chief, who +seemed highly pleased, and stepping back, exhibited the gifts he had +received to his attendants. Sam then gave him to understand that we had +many more of the same description on board. At first, I was afraid that +he would not consent to accompany us; but at length his cupidity +overcame his fears, and Sam, advising him to come lest others should +obtain the goods we had to dispose of, he stepped into the boat. + +As it was evident that she could not well carry more than one person +besides ourselves, Sam made signs to the others that we could not take +them on board, and at once pulled away from the beach. This showed the +savages that we had not come for the purpose of kidnapping them. The +chief, however, looked somewhat nervous, and I was afraid might, after +all, jump overboard, and swim back to the shore. I told Charlie, +therefore, to try and occupy his attention by showing him some of the +other articles which we had brought. What interested him most was a +telescope, through which, having adjusted the focus, we made him look at +his friends. He almost let it drop in his astonishment at seeing them +so near, and had not Charlie held it, it would have fallen overboard. +He looked through it again and again, each time expressing by signs his +wonder, and of course utterly unable to comprehend how the objects he +saw through it were brought so near. I was very glad when we got him +safe alongside. + +Stepping on deck, he gazed about him with almost as much astonishment as +he had exhibited when looking through the telescope. Harry stood ready +to receive him, and told Sam to say how happy he was to have him come on +board. We then showed him some of the articles which we had brought for +trading, and gave him to understand that a certain number of them should +be his, as soon as the mast was ready. Sam also was told to explain to +him that till then he must remain on board, and that, should his +countrymen offer any violence to our people, he would be the sufferer. +He seemed to understand this perfectly well. The difficulty, however, +was to let the natives know why we had carried him off, as we could not +allow him to return to tell them so. The only way of accomplishing our +object was to bring off one or two more natives, who might convey any +message he desired to send. After some persuasion, we induced him to go +down to a spare space in the hold, when some food likely to suit his +taste was placed before him, and the mate and Dick sat down to eat with +him. + +As soon as they were thus engaged, Charlie and I shoved off, and pulled +for the shore. At first the natives, though they had been eager to +accompany their chief, seemed unwilling to embark; but at last we +persuaded two to trust themselves with us. On pulling back we amused +them as we had the chief, and as soon as they got on board we conducted +them down below. We placed some food before them, and when their meal +was over, we got Sam to try and explain to them that we intended to keep +their chief as a hostage, while our people were on shore cutting down +the tree; that he would be well treated, and ample payment made to him. +They seemed to understand this clearly, and after they had had a +conversation with the chief, we told them that we would convey them back +to the shore. They appeared to be in no way dissatisfied with the +arrangement, and willingly got into the boat, leaving their chief on +board. + +"Please, sir, we must keep a sharp look-out on that chap," observed Sam, +"or maybe he'll jump overboard and swim ashore." + +"He'll lose the goods we promised him if he does," said Harry. + +"But he does not think so; for he knows the schooner cannot get away, +and he expects to take her some dark night, then to get hold of +everything on board." + +"We will not stand on any ceremony with him, then, but keep him safely +under hatches till we get the mast aboard," said Harry. + +We at once landed the two natives, who explained to the rest our object +in keeping the chief. This did not appear to surprise them, nor did +they show any unfriendly feeling towards us, but continued to bring down +fresh provisions, till we gave them to understand that we had as much as +we wanted. As there was no time to be lost, the carpenter, and men to +assist him, at once went on shore to cut down the tree. Charlie and I +accompanied them to superintend the operation. Notwithstanding the +pacific behaviour of the natives, we considered it prudent to go well +armed, and to keep a vigilant watch all the time on their movements. As +the tree we required was not a large one, it was quickly cut down, and +the branches and bark being chopped off, we commenced dragging it +towards the water. None of the natives, however, offered to assist us. +We had got to within about a hundred yards of the beach, when we saw a +number of natives collecting on either side, with clubs and spears in +their hands; and at the same time we observed, to our dismay, a fleet of +canoes paddling towards the schooner. We had too much reason to fear +that a simultaneous attack was to be made on us and her. +Providentially, our boat, which lay hauled up on the beach, had not been +touched, and we determined therefore to make a rush for her, and to try +and reach the schooner before the canoes could get alongside, as, if +once on board, we might hope to defend her against any number of +assailants. + +"Whatever we do, let us keep together," cried Charlie. + +Presenting our muskets at the natives, we ordered them to keep back, and +while he and I retreated with our faces towards them, the men rushed on +to launch the boat. Still the savages well knew that after we had +discharged our pieces we should be defenceless. They hesitated, +however, no one wishing to be shot, and we were able to get the boat off +and to leap into her. Still it seemed very doubtful whether we could +gain the schooner before the canoes. Scarcely, however, had we shoved +off from the shore, when I caught sight of a white sail appearing over +the point which formed the southern entrance to the harbour, and almost +immediately afterwards a large vessel appeared, steering directly for +it. The natives saw her; her appearance evidently disconcerted them, +for, instead of continuing their course towards the schooner, they +paddled away for the shore. + +The breeze being fair, the stranger came rapidly on, and, shortening +sail, brought up a short distance outside where the _Dainty_ lay. Harry +immediately sent me alongside to tell her captain what had occurred. I +found that she was a whaler, which had put in for fresh provisions and +water. As she carried four guns and a numerous crew, the captain said +that he had no fear of the natives; besides which, he well knew how to +deal them, though he confessed that he might have been deceived had we +not warned him of their treacherous conduct. The first thing to be done +was to get off the spar intended for our mast. He accordingly sent a +couple of boats well armed to assist us, and lent us his carpenters, who +quickly shaped it as it was required. Our captive chief, on being told +of the meditated attack of his countrymen, looked very much alarmed, +believing that we should in consequence put him to death. We gave him +to understand that we had no intention of doing so, and that, as we had +obtained the spar, we would pay him and send him on shore, hoping that +he would induce his countrymen to behave in a friendly way to white men +in future. This, as far as we could understand, he promised faithfully +to do. Landing him on the beach, we shook hands, and let him go his way +with the goods he had obtained. Next morning, he and a number of his +people appeared, loaded with provisions of all sorts, and before the day +was over the whaler obtained as much as she required. The natives kept +at a respectful distance during the time her boats crews were filling +the casks with water. With the assistance of the captain of the whaler +we got our mast stepped and rigged, and both vessels sailed together. + +We heard nothing more during our stay of Hogan, or what had become of +him. Probably he fell a victim to the jealousy of the natives--a common +fate of so many white men who have abandoned themselves to a savage +life. Parting from the whaler, we made the best of our way to Sydney, +where Harry immediately gave information to the authorities of the +piratical cruise of the _Wasp_. + +Having disposed of our cargo, we returned to Brisbane, where we found +that everything had been going on in a satisfactory manner. + +Charles Tilston, instead of going home, resolved to settle there, and, +as I had long suspected would be the case, made an offer to Fanny Amiel, +who accepted him. + +Dick and I, with old Tom Platt and Jack Lizard, made several successful +trips in the _Dainty_; but our sisters-in-law agreed that interesting as +had been their voyage, they did not wish ever to make another. I need +not say the adventures we met with have often since served us as +subjects of conversation, and I hope that we were all grateful for our +preservation from the many dangers we encountered. + +I must confess, before I conclude, that I was induced to write the +narrative of our voyage, not merely to amuse my readers, but to interest +them in the dark-skinned inhabitants of the almost countless beautiful +islands spread over the Pacific, and to induce them to give their warm +support to the missionary efforts now making to convey the blessed light +of the gospel to those savage races so long plunged in the utter +darkness of heathenism. A wonderful work has already been accomplished. +Thousands and tens of thousands of the Pacific Islanders have become +civilised and enlightened; but much--very much--remains to be done, and +I would remind my readers that they should consider it a privilege to +help with their subscriptions to send men forth who are willing to +engage in the noble and glorious undertaking. + +THE END. + + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's The Cruise of the Dainty, by William H. G. 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