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diff --git a/40691-0.txt b/40691-0.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..ecd5305 --- /dev/null +++ b/40691-0.txt @@ -0,0 +1,2873 @@ +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 40691 *** + +Kidnapping in the Pacific, by WHG Kingston. + +________________________________________________________________________ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +________________________________________________________________________ +KIDNAPPING IN THE PACIFIC, BY WHG KINGSTON. + +CHAPTER ONE. + +"You want a yarn. You shall have one," said a young friend of mine, a +midshipman, who had just returned from a four years' cruise in the +Pacific. "I am not a good hand at describing what I have seen, but I +can narrate better the adventures of others which they have told me:--" + +We had visited a good many islands in the Pacific, engaged in settling +the disputes of the natives or trying to settle them, punishing evil +doers, supporting the consuls and missionaries, surveying occasionally +hitherto unknown harbours, and endeavouring to make the British flag +respected among the dark-skinned inhabitants of those regions. + +I with another midshipman and a boat's crew had landed on a beautiful +island of the Western Pacific to bring off a cargo of cocoa-nuts and +breadfruit with which the natives had promised to supply us. Two of our +men had straggled off against orders into the interior. While waiting +for them we saw the signal made for our return. Unwilling to leave them +behind, we ourselves unwisely started off to look for them. The natives +gave us to understand that they were a little way ahead, so we pushed on +hoping to come up with them and bring them with us. + +A considerable time longer than we expected was thus occupied, and when +having at length overtaken them we got back to the beach, we found that +a strong breeze had set in, and that so heavy a surf was breaking on the +shore that it would be extremely dangerous passing through it. Still +the signal was flying and the order must be obeyed. + +We shoved off, but had not pulled many strokes before a succession of +tremendous rollers came roaring in, turning the boat right over and +sending her back almost stove to pieces on the beach. Had it not been +for the natives who swam to our rescue, we should probably have lost our +lives. + +Wet through, and half-drowned, we were dragged on shore. It would have +been madness to have again made an effort to get off. All we could do, +therefore, was to haul our sorely battered boat out of the reach of the +surf and to collect the portion of our cargo washed up on the sands. + +Although it was tolerably hot we felt that we should be more comfortable +than we were if we could shift our wet clothes. The garments worn by +the natives could assist us but little, seeing that most of them wore +only somewhat narrow waist clothes. They made us understand, however, +that not far off we should find the house of a white man, who would +perhaps afford us accommodation. Why he had not yet hitherto made his +appearance we could not tell, but we determined to visit him and claim +his hospitality. Led by the natives, we proceeded some distance along +the beach when we came in sight of a hut, larger and more substantially +built than the other habitations around. Just inside a porch at the +entrance of the hut, an old white man, dressed in shirt and trousers, +with a broad-brimmed straw hat on his head, was seated in a roughly made +easy-chair with his feet resting on the trellis-work before him. A +large wooden pipe was in his mouth, from which he was smoking lustily. +He seemed scarcely to notice our approach, and when we addressed him he +enquired in a gruff voice where we came from and what we wanted. We +told him what had happened, and asked him if he could give us shelter, +and lend us some garments while our clothes were drying. + +"As to that, young gentlemen, you shall have a shirt and a pair of duck +trousers apiece, and such food as there may happen to be in my +store-house," he answered, seeing by our uniforms who we were. "Your +men shall be looked after also." + +We were soon seated round his cooking stove inside the house, rigged out +in the garments he had provided while our own clothes were hung up to +dry. A native girl attended us, obeying with alacrity the old man's +commands. We supposed her to be his daughter, and spoke of her as such. + +"No, you are wrong in that, I have no child," he observed. "She is my +wife. That," pointing to a thick stick which rested on a stool near +him, "served as my marriage lines, it makes her as sharp and attentive +as I can wish, and keeps her in good order." + +I had suspected from the appearance of the old fellow that he was a +ruffian; I had now no doubt that he was a thorough one; and I felt sure +that had he dared he would not have scrupled to hand us over to the +natives should they by chance demand our lives. A man-of-war in the +offing, though she might be driven away for a few days, afforded us +perfect security with such a character. + +At first he was not disposed to be communicative; he kept beating about +the bush to ascertain apparently whether we knew anything about him, and +had come to call him to account for any misdeeds of which he might have +been conscious. When he discovered that we were not even aware that a +white man resided on the island, he opened out more freely. I was +curious to know something about him, and, concealing the opinion I had +formed of his character, tried to induce him to talk of himself; that he +was an old sailor I could see at a glance. + +"You were long at sea, I suppose," I observed. + +"First and last pretty nigh sixty years," he answered. + +"I was a small boy when I first ran off from home, and I never lived on +shore many weeks together from that time up to within a few years ago. +I have served on board every sort of craft afloat, and have seen a good +many curious sights, as you may suppose." + +I resolved not to interrupt him, unless he should get a hitch in his +yarn with which a question might help him through, so I let him run on, +and, once having begun, he seemed nothing loth to allow his tongue full +play. Probably he had not had auditors who could understand him for +many a long day. + +"The first craft I shipped aboard was bound for the coast of Africa. In +those days not a few vessels belonging to Liverpool were engaged in one +way or another in the slave trade, either in supplying the slavers with +goods, and stores, and provisions, or in actually running cargoes of +blacks, which though the most profitable was a dangerous business to +engage in. + +"I understood that we were to bring back gold dust and ivory, but +instead of that we began to load with negroes, and soon had pretty nigh +three hundred stowed away below hatches. We had hoisted the Spanish +flag, and had a Spanish captain, and fresh papers, for it was, I fancy, +a hanging matter for an Englishman to command a slaver, though a few +years back it had been all lawful and shipshape, but things change, you +see, and what seems right one day is wrong the other. We had to keep a +bright look out for English cruisers, who were on the coast to put a +stop to the business. + +"I heard some curious yarns of the way the slaves are taken. Some +powerful tribes make it a regular business, and attack their weaker +neighbours for no other purpose than to capture them, and then to sell +them to the slave dealers. They generally steal on a village at night, +surround and set fire to it, and seize all the inhabitants who rush from +their huts to escape the flames. Parties go out to pick up others +wandering in the woods, or travelling from one place to another. The +inhabitants of the West Coast of Africa must have an uncomfortable life +of it, I suspect. With our living cargo on board we made sail for South +America. + +"Before we were many leagues from the shore, an English man-of-war hove +in sight. Should we be taken we should not only lose the vessel and our +expected profits, but it would go hard with the English part of the +crew. All knew that, and were ready to do anything to escape. We made +all sail, but for a wonder the British man-of-war was a fast craft, and +soon began to overhaul us. Our skipper, and most of the officers and +crew, swore fearfully at the stranger, and some declared that sooner +than be taken they would blow our vessel, with all the niggers on board, +as well as the English cruiser, into the air. + +"I observed the captain and officers talking together, and there was a +fierce determination in their looks which showed they meant what they +said. I had no fancy to be blown into the air, and was considering what +I could do to save myself. + +"As the cruiser drew near I saw some of our men go below, and presently +up they came with a black fellow. They led him aft and lowered him +overboard. + +"`Don't be frightened, all you have to do is to swim to yonder ship, and +she will pick you up,' said the mate. + +"I don't fancy the negro understood him, still blacks are as fond of +life as other people, and I saw him striking out boldly for the ship. +He was seen. The ship hove-to, a boat was lowered, and he was picked +up. Our people laughed at the success of the plan, for we had increased +our distance from the enemy. + +"Evening was coming on. The great thing was to keep ahead of her till +darkness would allow us to alter our course without being perceived. + +"In a short time, as soon as we saw that the boat was hoisted up, +another negro was hove overboard. He was a strong swimmer, and struck +out boldly. He, too, was seen on board the man-of-war, and by another +cruiser of the deep also, a huge shark. The monster made towards him, +he swam bravely on for his life, but it was of no avail. Before long he +disappeared, and I fancied I could hear the shriek he uttered, even at +the distance he already was from us. + +"We should have sacrificed half our cargo rather than be taken as long +as there appeared any probability of the man-of-war heaving-to to pick +up the unfortunate wretches, but the breeze falling light, we had an +advantage over the heavier vessel, and darkness coming on, we at length +lost sight of her. We immediately altered our course, knowing that she +would do her best to fall in with us in the morning. We escaped her, +however, although we lost fifty or sixty blacks on the passage; that was +a matter of no consequence, considering that we landed the greater +portion and made a large profit by the venture. Our success was so +satisfactory that it was not long before we were again back on the +coast, and as our craft was a remarkably fast one we managed again to +escape the British cruisers. + +"We made altogether eight or ten trips, now and then we narrowly escaped +capture, but we were too clever for our enemy, and they were not up to +our various dodges. + +"I had by this time become well accustomed to the work, and, though at +first it had gone somewhat against me to see the blacks dying by scores +during the middle passage, yet now I saw them hove overboard with as +little compunction as if they had been so many sheep. + +"We had a precious rough crew, about as villainous a set of cut-throats +as well could be collected together. It does not do for tender-hearted +fellows to sail aboard a slaver. + +"I had meantime grown into a big stout lad, and could hold my own +against any of them. + +"How it was I don't know, but I should not have liked at that time to +have done the things that some of them did. We had a black cook aboard, +whether or not sitting before a hot fire had softened his heart, I +cannot tell, but he was not as bad as the rest; he had consequently a +hard life of it amongst them. One day he was detected by the mate +carrying a mess below to some of the sick blacks, they were people of +his own tribe, and I suspect relations. The mate swore that he intended +to raise a mutiny among them, it may be to let them loose to murder us +all. Poor Sambo declared that he had no thoughts of doing anything of +the sort, but that the people were ill, and that he hoped what he gave +them would do them good and save their lives. He was a sensible fellow, +and must have known that from where we were, about mid-channel, they +could never have found their way back again to the coast of Africa, and +that if they had murdered the crew they themselves must also have +perished. The captain and mate would not hear his excuses, and began +belabouring him with thick cudgels till they had nearly knocked the +breath out of his body. I felt very indignant, for black though he was +I had a liking for the man, and determined to speak out. + +"`I tell you what, Ringdon, if you don't belay your jaw-tackles you will +be treated in the same way!' exclaimed the captain, turning on me. + +"`Sambo had no bad intentions, I will answer for that,' I cried out. +`If any of us were sick and dying we should expect one of our +countrymen, if he had the means, to help us, and I don't see that Sambo +intended to do more than that.' Sambo gave me a glance, as much as to +say if I have the chance I'll render you a service some day; and, +bobbing his head, as the mate made another blow at him, escaped forward. +The two then turned on me, and I thought were going to try their +cudgels on my head. I stood up boldly and faced them. + +"`Now,' I asked, `what have you got to say to me?' + +"`Look out for squalls, Master Boas, that's all,' growled the mate. + +"`You will some day wish that you had kept your opinions to yourself,' +said the captain, but neither he nor the mate ventured to strike me. I +turned round and walked forward, leaving the two talking together. I +was sure by the glances they cast at me that they meant mischief, so I +determined to be on my guard. + +"Several days passed away, and things went on much as usual. Sambo got +many a kick and cuff from the captain and mate when he could not help +coming near them, but he kept out of their way as much as he could +within the caboose, and cooked our meals without uttering a complaint. + +"I had heard say that the pitcher which often goes to the well gets +broken at last, and I could not help fancying, notwithstanding our long +run of success, that such would be the fate of the slaver. + +"Perhaps the owners thought the same, for we had received orders to +proceed round the Cape to the East Coast of Africa, where the Portuguese +slave dealers had agreed to supply us with a cargo--that coast at the +time being less watched by the English cruisers. + +"We were some way off the Cape, on our passage eastward, when, while it +was blowing hard and a pretty heavy sea was running, I fell from aloft. +I had been a good swimmer from my boyhood, and when I came to the +surface I struck out for my life, expecting to see the schooner heave to +and lower a boat to pick me up. Instead of her doing so, what was my +horror and dismay to observe that she was standing away from me. I +caught sight of the captain and mate on the poop, and by the looks they +cast at me I felt sure that they intended to leave me to my fate. I +shouted loudly to them, asking if they were going to allow a +fellow-creature to perish. Again and again I cried out, doing my utmost +to keep my head above the foaming seas. + +"A number of huge albatrosses had been following the vessel, sweeping +round and round her, now soaring upwards, now plunging down into the +waters to pick up anything which had fallen overboard. You may fancy my +dismay when I found that instead of chasing the vessel as before, they +were gathering round my head. Every moment I expected to see them +darting down towards me, and I knew that a blow from one of their sharp +beaks would have easily pierced my skull and struck me lifeless in a +moment. Nearer and nearer they drew. I could distinguish their keen +eyes watching me, and had I remained quiet for a moment I felt convinced +that they would have dashed at me. I continued, therefore, striking out +with my feet and beating the water with my hands, which I lifted up as +often as they came near to keep them at bay. Still I knew full well +that the struggle must soon cease, for I could not possibly much longer +exert myself as I was then doing. I had had very little enjoyment in +life, but yet I had no wish to go out of it; my hopes of escape, +however, were small indeed; the only chance I could see was that the +crew, indignant that one of their number should be left to perish, would +insist on the captain heaving-to, and would lower a boat to come to my +rescue. + +"Further and further the vessel sailed away from me. I was beginning at +last to think that I should be left to perish, when a hail reached my +ears, and I saw about midway between myself and the vessel, a black head +rising above the foaming seas. I shouted in return, and redoubled my +efforts to keep the albatrosses at a distance, while I struck out to +meet my friend, whom I recognised as Sambo the black cook. I found that +he was towing after him a spar, which, though it had impeded his +progress, would support us both. I was soon up to him. + +"`Neber fear, Boas, my son!' he cried out as he assisted me on the spar, +`we better here dan in slave ship.' I could not see that exactly, +though I thanked him for risking his life to save mine. `Risk not so +great as you tink,' he answered, `I make out big ship, she steering dis +way when I was aloft, and she soon come and pick us up.' + +"I hoped that he was right, but still it was very likely that we should +not be seen; if so he would lose his life as I should mine. I told him +I was very sorry that he should do that. + +"`Neber fear, Boas,' he answered. `Nothing bery sweet in life for me. +You saved my head from de blows of the captain and mate, I save your +life or die wid you.' + +"We could not talk much however. On his way he had picked up a couple +of pieces of wood, and armed with these we were able to drive the +albatrosses off. They are cowardly birds, and when they found that we +were living men and not pieces of offal, they left us alone and flew +after the schooner. + +"The time went slowly by, but at last I could distinguish the sail of a +ship rising above the horizon. She was standing towards us; of that I +felt certain, so did Sambo. This enabled us to keep up our spirits. We +watched her narrowly, her topsails, then her courses appeared, at length +her hull itself came in sight, and we made out that she was a frigate, +probably English. I was inclined to curse my fate, for one of the +things I dreaded most was having to serve on board a man-of-war. Once +or twice I felt almost inclined to let go, but Sambo laughed at my +fears. + +"`Can't be worse off dan on board slaver, and you better live, and den +when we have a chance we may run from de ship.' + +"His arguments prevailed, and once when it seemed to me she was altering +her course, I began to fear that after all we might not be seen. +However, as it was, she stood directly for us, and passed within a half +a cable's length of where we floated on the spar. We shouted together, +she immediately hove-to, and a boat being lowered we were picked up and +taken on board. She was an English frigate bound out to the East +Indies. We had not thought of agreeing to any story, and therefore when +we were questioned as to the character of the craft ahead of us, we had +nothing to do but to tell the truth. I could not help hoping that the +schooner would be overtaken, when we should be amply revenged, but +before we could get up with her night came on. The next morning she was +nowhere to be seen. + +"I had heard enough about men-of-war to make me expect pretty rough +treatment. Things, I must own, were not so bad as I thought. I had no +choice but to enter as one of her crew. Sambo did the same, and was +rated as cook's mate. He seemed much happier than before, and told me +it was the luckiest thing that ever happened to him in his life. When +we got out to Bombay, the first place we touched at, I asked him about +running from the ship. `Don't be a fool, Boas,' he answered; `you stay +where you are; you only fall from de frying-pan into de fire if you +attempt to run.' + +"I still, however, thought that I would try it some day, but so sharp a +look-out was kept whenever we were in port, that I gave it up as +hopeless. + +"Four years passed away. We had a few brushes with the Chinese and some +boat service in looking after pirates, and at length the frigate was +ordered home. I had had a taste of the lash more than once for getting +drunk, and had been put in irons for insubordination, and had no mind to +join another man-of-war if I could help it. + +"As soon as the frigate was paid off, after I had had a spree on shore, +I determined to make my way to Liverpool and ship on board another +trader. I tried to persuade Sambo to accompany me. `No, no, Boas, I +know when I well off; I serve my time, den bear up for Greenwich, get +pension and live like a gentlemen to the end of my days. You knock +about de world, get kicked and cuffed and die like a dog.' + +"I felt very angry and parted from him, though I could not help thinking +that perhaps he was right. + +"Well, after that I served on board several merchantmen, now sailing to +the West Indies, now to the East, once in a fruit vessel to the Azores, +and two or three times up the Mediterranean. I was wrecked more than +once, and another time the ship I was on board was burnt, and I and +three or four others of the crew escaped in one of the boats. I could +not help thinking sometimes of what Sambo had said to me, but it was too +late now, and as I had not saved a farthing and had no pension to fall +back on, I was obliged to continue at sea. + +"I had found my way once more back to Liverpool, when the crimps, who +had got hold of me, shipped me on board a vessel while I was drunk, and +I was hoisted up the side not knowing where I was nor where I was going +to till next day, when the pilot having left us, we were standing down +the Irish Channel. I then found that I was on board a large armed brig, +the `Seagull,' bound out round Cape Horn to trade along the coast of +Chili and Peru. + +"I had sailed with a good many hard-fisted skippers and rough shipmates, +but the captain and mates and crew of the `Seagull' beat them all. The +mates had ropes' ends in their hands from morning to night, and to have +marling-spikes hove at our heads was nothing uncommon. I had been at +sea, however, too long not to know how to hold my own. My fists were +always ready, and I kept my sheath-knife pretty sharp as a sign to the +others that I would have no tricks played with me. But the boys among +us did have a cruel life of it; one of them jumped overboard and drowned +himself, and so would another, but the captain had him triced up and +gave him two dozen, and swore he should have three the next time he made +the attempt. + + +"We had a long passage. I have a notion that the skipper was no great +navigator. I have seen tall large-whiskered fellows like him who could +talk big on shore prove but sorry seamen after all. + +"After trying for a couple of weeks to get round Cape Horn we were +driven back, and being short of water, the captain, by the advice of the +second mate, who had been there before, determined to run through the +Straits of Magellan. We had been two days without a drop of water on +board when we managed to get into a harbour in Terra del Fuego. We lost +no time in going on shore in search of water to pour down our thirsty +throats. Scarcely had we landed than we caught sight of a party of the +strangest-looking black fellows I ever set eyes on. Talk of savages, +they were indeed savages by their looks and manners--hideous looking +little chaps with long black hair and scarcely a stitch of clothing on +their bodies. We had muskets in our hands, the use of which they, I +suppose, knew, for they behaved in a friendly manner, and when we made +them understand that we wanted water, they took us to a pool into which +a stream fell coming down from the mountain, where we could fill our +casks and roll them back to the boats. As soon as we caught sight of it +we rushed forward, and dipping down our heads drank till we were nigh +ready to burst. I thought that I had never tasted such water before. +Had the savages been inclined they might have taken the opportunity of +knocking us on the head, but they didn't. After we had loaded the boat, +some of us walked on with them to their village, which was not far off. +I cannot say much for their style of building. Their huts were just a +number of sticks run into the ground, and tied at the top in the shape +of a sugar-loaf--branches were interwoven between the sticks, and the +whole was covered with dry grass. A few bundles of grass scattered +about on the ground was their only furniture. These people, as far as +you could see the colour of their skin through the dirt, were of a dark, +coppery brown. The women were as dark and ill-looking as the men, but +they were strong little creatures, and, as well as we could judge, did +all the work. + +"The men had bows and arrows and spears and slings. They had among them +a number of little fox-like looking dogs, savage, surly brutes, which +barked and yelped as we came near them. They were almost as ugly as +their masters, but ugly as they were, they were clever creatures, for we +saw them assist to catch fish in a curious fashion. A number of the +little brutes swam out to a distance, and then, forming a circle, turned +towards the shore, splashing the water and yelping as they came on. +They were driving before them a whole shoal of fish towards the net +which the Fuegeans had spread at the mouth of, a creek. As soon as the +fish got into shallow water, where they were kept by the dogs, the +savages rushed in with their spears, and stuck them through, or shot +them with their arrows. In this way, by the help of the dogs, a number +were caught. The dogs also are used to catch birds. This they do while +the birds are sleeping, and so noiselessly do they spring upon them, +that they can carry off one after the other without disturbing the rest, +when they bring them to their masters. Useful as they are, the dogs get +hardly treated, being constantly cuffed and beaten, and never getting +even a mouthful of food thrown to them. They know, however, how to +forage for themselves, and will take to the water and catch fish or +pounce down upon birds whenever they are hungry. + +"Savage as these people are, they can build canoes for themselves, +sometimes of birch bark, and sometimes they hollow out the trunks of +trees by fire. They make them in different parts, which they sew +together with thongs of raw hide, so that when they wish to shift their +quarters, they can carry their canoes overland. + +"They have got some stones in their country which give out sparks, and +they use a dry fungus as tinder, so that they can quickly make a fire. + +"As to cooking, their only notion is to make a fire, heat some stones, +and put their food in among them. + +"They are about the dirtiest people I ever fell in with; and all the +time we were among them we never saw any of them washing themselves. + +"In summer, when they can get fish and seals, which they catch with +their spears, they have plenty of food. In winter, they are often on +short commons. We heard it said that when it has been blowing too hard +for them to go on the water, and they can catch neither fish nor seals, +they are given to eat their old women, who they say can be of no further +use, instead of killing their dogs, which they know will be of service +to them when the summer again comes round. + +"While we were on their coast, a whale was stranded near the mouth of +the harbour. The news spread, and canoes were seen coming from all +directions. In a short time the canoes gathered round the body of the +monster, and the little coppery-coloured chaps were soon hard at work +cutting off the blubber with their shell knives. The water was shallow +between where the whale lay and the shore, and when one of the little +fellows had cut off a large piece of blubber, he made a hole in the +middle, through which he put his head, and thus brought his cargo to +land, generally munching a piece of the raw fat on his way. + +"The most curious things we saw were masses of stuff growing on the +beech trees, of a red colour, something like mushrooms. Though this +stuff has no taste, the people were very fond of it, and, for my part, I +preferred it to raw whale-blubber. + +"Having replenished our stock of water and wood, we made our way +westward, sailing only during the day, and keeping the lead going. We +were glad, however, to get clear of those high rocky shores, and the +snow-storms which frequently came down on us. We kept away from the +land for some time, and made it again not far from the town of Callao on +the coast of Peru. + +"The captain's manner didn't improve during the passage. Half his time +he was drunk, and he was never on deck but that he was cursing and +swearing at the crew, rope-ending every one who came within his reach. +I could not help wishing that I had followed Sambo's advice and stuck to +the navy; though there was flogging enough at times when men would get +drunk, still there was something like justice. A man had only to be +sober and keep a quiet tongue in his head, and he need have no fear of +the cat. On board the `Seagull,' a man had reason to think himself +fortunate if he escaped without a cracked skull. It was easy to tell +what the fate of the brig would be, and I resolved to run from her on +the first opportunity. + +"Though we made the land in the forenoon, we were still at a +considerable distance from it when the sun went down. We, therefore, +after standing on for some time, hove-to, hoping to enter the harbour of +Callao the next day. When morning broke we could see the snow-capped +tops of the Cordilleras rising up in the far distance, but still the +lower land appeared a long way off. + +"We had to wait till the sea breeze set in, and it was nearly nightfall +before we came to an anchor off Callao. + +"It is the chief port of Peru, a short distance from Lima, the capital. +As the captain expected to get rid of a good part of his cargo, I knew +that the brig would remain some time. I, however, didn't wish to lose a +moment in getting free of her. As soon as the anchor was dropped, I +watched my opportunity for a run. I intended, if possible, to escape in +a shore boat, when there would be less chance of being traced. That +night, however, only the Custom House and health boats came off to us. +I had to wait, therefore, the whole of the next day. I could not help +fancying that the first mate suspected my intention, and was watching +me. I showed myself, therefore, more active and attentive to the work I +had to do than usual. + +"A number of boats during the day came off to us with fresh provisions, +especially all sorts of fruits. To throw the mate off his guard, while +I saw that he was looking towards me, I bought some fruit; at the same +time I tried to make the Chilian understand that if he would come again +in the evening I would buy more of him. I then began eating some of the +fruit and carried the rest below. After this the mate seemed to take no +more pains to keep an eye on me. + +"My friend returned just before sunset. I told him to hand me up some +of the fruit, and paid him for it, letting him understand that if he +would wait a little, and I liked what he had brought, I would take some +more. It rapidly grew dark, and I returned on deck with a melon under +my arm, which I pretended was rotten, and intended to have changed. +Seeing the boat still alongside, holding the melon I slipped down into +her, and was followed by the owner, who had been trying to sell more +fruit on deck. Sitting by him, I began to talk in my fashion, and when +no one was looking slipped a dollar into his hand and pointed to the +shore. He at once nodded to show that he understood me. We waited, and +I pretended to be bargaining about the melon while it grew darker and +darker, and then when no one was looking over the side, lay down among +the fruit baskets, pulling some of them over me. My friend continued to +remain alongside, and I daresay if anyone had enquired for me, he would +have handed me back, but as good luck would have it, I was not missed, +and at last, he and his men shoved off and began to paddle towards the +shore. Even then I did not feel safe, for I feared that the mate might +miss me and send a boat to overhaul all the shore boats which had +visited the brig, and I knew if I fell into the captain's hands, he +would clap me into irons and keep me there till we were at sea again. + +"After we got some distance, the Peruvian crew began to pull faster. At +length we reached the shore. The master, when we landed, shook my hand, +to show that he intended to be my friend, and led me away to his house, +which was at some distance from the shore. I made him understand that I +did not wish to go back to the ship. He replied that it would be safer +for me at once to go into the interior, where the captain would not +think of looking for me. I saw the sense of this, and after I had had +some supper we set out. I gave my friend another dollar, which pleased +him mightily, and I told him by signs that I was ready to work in his +garden, or anything of that sort on shore, not that I at any time had a +fancy for digging. + +"We travelled for some hours on muleback, till we reached a farm on the +side of a mountain. I found that it belonged to my friend's brother. +After matters had been explained to him he received me very kindly, and +I was soon at home in his house. I helped him about the place as I had +promised, and had a tolerably easy life of it; for though I worked twice +as hard as anyone else, that was not much, seeing that the Spaniards are +not addicted to over-tire themselves. My host had a daughter, though I +cannot say much for her beauty, for she had a dark skin, and was short +and fat, but she took a fancy to me, and so thinking I could not do +better, I offered to splice her. Her father, who was glad to get me to +assist him, and wished to keep me, consented. + +"Accordingly, we were married in the church they went to. The priest +asked me if I was a Catholic, and I said I was ready to be anything he +liked, on which he replied he would soon make me one. There was a grand +festival, and a number of priests and people collected, and they took me +in among them and made the sign of the cross upon me, and so I was +turned into a Catholic. I suppose that I was a very good one, for I +used to attend church with my wife and go to confession to the priest, +though as I told him all my sins in English, not a word of which he +understood, he could not have been much the wiser; but that, I suppose, +didn't matter, as he absolved me notwithstanding. I was thus looked +upon with great respect by our neighbours, and got on very well with my +wife." + +CHAPTER TWO. + +"I had been a good many months in the place when my father-in-law, +thinking I was securely moored, began to give me more and more work, +which I didn't like. However, I lived on pretty contentedly, but still +I had a wish for a sniff of the sea air, and to feel myself once more on +the moving ocean; not, to be sure, that I had not felt the ground move +under me, for we had had two or three earthquakes, when not a few houses +had been thrown down, and the ground tumbled and tossed, and here and +there opened, as if ready to swallow us up. + +"I took French leave of my wife, for I was afraid she would stop me; but +when I reached Callao I sent word to her by her uncle that I hoped to be +back soon, after I had collected no end of dollars to buy her a new +dress, and keep the pot boiling. + +"I hadn't made up my mind what to do when I saw a whaler in the harbour. +I thought if she was likely to remain in the Pacific for some time, and +she wanted hands, I would make a trip in her, on condition that I was to +be landed at Callao before she returned home. + +"She was an American, only out a few months, and having lost several +hands, the captain was very glad to get me. I hadn't been long on board +before I began to wish myself back with my wife. It was much harder +work than I expected, especially when we got into the southern ocean +among the icebergs. Those spermaceti whales, too, are savage monsters, +and will often turn on a boat and try to capsize her. + +"I was pretty well nigh losing my life on one of those occasions as +several of my shipmates did theirs. We had chased a big bottle-nose +right up to an iceberg, and had stuck two harpoons into his back when he +sounded. He was making for the berg, we thought, and if he got under it +we should have to cut the lines, and lose him and the harpoons. +Presently the lines slackened, we hauled in upon them, when suddenly up +he came not half a cable's length from us, blowing away with all his +might. We dashed on, when round he turned, and with open mouth came +towards us. + +"`Back all,' was the cry, but before we could get out of his way he +struck the bow of the boat with his nose, sending it up in the air, and +jerking several of us overboard. The next moment with his huge jaws he +made a grab at the boat. Seizing a stretcher I sprang as far as I could +out of his way, and struck out for my life. The shrieks of my shipmates +and the cracking of the ribs and timbers of the boat sounded in my ears, +but I had enough to do to take care of myself, even to turn my head for +a moment. I swam on as fast as I could. Fortunately for me, the +accident had been seen from the ship, and another boat was coming to our +assistance. It's a wonder the savage whale didn't attack her, but +probably he had had enough of it, while the harpoons in his back must +have troubled him not a little. I was soon picked up, and two others +were found floating, but the rest of the boat's crew had either sunk or +been crunched to death between the whale's jaws. He had been watched +from the ship, which made sail in the direction he had taken. In the +evening a spout was seen in the distance, the boat shoved off, and +before nightfall we had the very whale which had attacked us in the +morning, fast alongside with tackles hooked on, and the blanket pieces, +as we called the blubber, being hoisted on board. + +"That trying-out is curious work to those who have never seen it. Along +the decks were the huge tripods, with fires blazing under them, and the +crew standing round begrimed with smoke and oil, putting in the blubber, +while others, as soon as the oil was extracted, were filling the casks +and stowing them below. All night long the work went on, and there was +no stopping till the huge monster had been stripped of his warm coat, +and we had bailed the oil out of its big head, which had meantime been +made fast to the stern. + +"`Dollars are pleasant things to pick up, but I must find some +pleasanter way for gathering them than this,' I said to myself. +However, for more than two years I hadn't a chance of returning to +Callao. When at last the whaler put in there and landed me, I found +that an earthquake had occurred, and the ground opened and swallowed up +my father-in-law, and my wife with all her family. My wife's uncle, +however, had escaped, and he received me very kindly, and more so that, +as I had made a good voyage in the whaler, my pockets were full of +dollars. They, however, went at last. + +"One day I was thinking what I should do next, when he told me that +several vessels were fitting out in the harbour, to make a cruise among +the islands of the Pacific, just to pick up some labourers for the +mines. `It's pretty hard work up in the mountains there, and most of +our native Peruvians who used to work in them have died out,' he +observed. `There's a merchant in our city who is going to make a grand +speculation, and as Englishmen have shares in most of the mines, of +course he is assisted with English capital, which our country could not +supply. Now if you like to ship on board one of these vessels, you will +find the pay good, the voyage short, and but little risk.' + +"I thought to myself that I could not do better. I had served too long +on board a slaver to think much of the work proposed. There was no +difference that I could see between a black skin and a brown skin, and +as I had assisted to carry some thousands of black men across to the +east coast of America, I did not scruple to undertake to carry as many +brown men as could be picked up to the west coast. To be sure, the +natives of those bright and sunny islands, unaccustomed to work, might +not find it very pleasant to be carried away to labour high up among the +rocks and snows of the Andes, but that was no business of mine. + +"I accordingly shipped on board one of several vessels fitted out by the +enterprising merchant I spoke of. The `Andorinha' carried thirty hands +besides the captain and mate, and we had four guns and plenty of small +arms. Our orders were to proceed direct to the nearest islands, and to +carry off as many of the inhabitants as we could get on board, but we +were to try stratagem first, and by every means in our power induce them +to, visit the ship. As soon as we had collected as many as we were +likely to entice on board, we were to put them below and shut down the +hatches, and sail away with them. + +"The plan was simple, and I thought it would succeed. Should they +object to make the voyage and attempt to regain their liberty, we had +our arms, and were to use them, but we were advised not to kill more +people than we could help, as each was likely to fetch fifty or sixty +dollars on shore. + +"Before sailing, the merchant who had fitted out our vessel came on +board with several friends, and the crew being called on deck, he +addressed the captain and us, telling us that we were about to engage in +an enterprise likely to prove of great value to Peru, but all was to be +done by fair and honourable means. That we were to visit various +islands, and to engage the industrious inhabitants to come and labour in +our beautiful country for good wages, where they would also have the +benefit of being instructed in the Christian faith and become good +Catholics, to the great advantage of their souls. We were to treat them +kindly and gently, and to give them the best of everything, so that they +would not fail, by their gratitude, to show how highly they valued the +service we should render them. + +"I could not help grinning when I heard this, knowing the way that +matters were really to be managed. The speech was made just to hoodwink +the authorities, and for the benefit of the merchant's friends, who, if +they were not to profit by the adventure, might have found some fault +with the way in which it was really to be carried on. + +"The `Andorinha' was a large vessel, and we calculated that we could +stow away five or six hundred people on board her. + +"Seven other vessels being fitted out, we sailed together in company, +our first destination being Easter Island, which lies in latitude 27 +degrees South and 109 degrees West, some distance from the coast of +Chili. + +"Light winds detained us, but at length we made the island, which is +high and rocky and about thirty-six miles in circumference. The +inhabitants, of the same race as the rest of the Eastern Pacific, and +somewhat less savage than most of them, were living in villages, at +peace among themselves. + +"As soon as our fleet came to an anchor, the boats were lowered and +manned, and a strong party of us landed. The inhabitants, not liking +our appearance, hid themselves in their houses. We immediately marched +to the nearest village, which we surrounded, and entering house after +house, dragged off the people, and sent them, with their hands bound +behind their backs, to the boats. They did not attempt to resist, for +as we had firearms and they had none, it would have been of no use. As +soon as the boats were loaded they took them off to the vessel, and then +returned for more. We, meantime, kept watching the village, so that no +one could escape. Having carried off all the inhabitants, men, women, +and children--for even the youngest children were of some use to us--we +proceeded to the next village. These we treated in the same way, +leaving a few old men and women who were not worth carrying off. + +"Before evening we had shipped nearly every human being we found on the +island. None escaped us, for they had no mountains to fly to, and no +caves or other places where they could hide themselves. We then +collected all the pigs, poultry, and such other provisions as we could +find, and sent them on board. + +"Before returning to our vessels, we burned down a considerable number +of the houses. + +"We stowed away all our captives on board two of our larger vessels, +which at once returned to land them on the coast of Chili, while we +proceeded on our voyage. + +"The first land we made was one of the Society Islands, to the north of +Tahiti. We could not venture to that island itself, because the French +were there, who might have objected to our carrying off the people. For +the same reason we avoided the Hervey, and other islands to the south, +where we knew a number of English missionaries were stationed, and they +might have complained of our proceedings, and taken means to put a stop +to them. Here, however, we hoped to make a good haul, and be away +before we were discovered. + +"The schooner did not bring up, but stood off and on the land under +English colours, while a boat was sent on shore to invite the natives on +board. I went in her. As soon as we landed, I, with another man, who +pretended to be the supercargo, proceeded to the house of the principal +chief. It was a large hut, the framework formed of slight poles placed +at intervals, bending somewhat inwards, and joined with horizontal poles +of the same thickness secured to them, the whole being covered with a +neat thatch. We found the chief reclining at his ease on one of several +mats which covered the floor, with his wife and other females of the +family seated near him. He had thrown aside his robe of native cloth, +and was dressed only in his maro or girdle round his waist. We told him +that the vessel in the offing was an English trader, and had on board a +quantity of goods which were likely to suit him and his people, and we +invited him, and as many as he liked to bring with him, to come and +inspect them, hinting that the captain was of a generous disposition, +and would be glad, at all events, to make them presents to gain their +good will. We were in no hurry, we said, for payment, and would call +again for the cocoa-nut oil which he might agree to collect for us. He +seemed mightily pleased with the proposal, and promised to come off the +next morning. We then went to the house of other chiefs and principal +people, telling them the same tale. + +"In our rambles we saw a curious spectacle. Having reached another +district governed by a different chief, we found him seated on a mat in +front of his house, while a number of people were approaching bearing +hogs, and fowls, and breadfruit, and other articles of food. Among them +were three young women, whose bodies were swathed in a prodigious +quantity of native cloth made out of the paper mulberry tree. This +cloth and the food were being brought as presents to the chief, who had +had, we understood, a child just born to him by one of his wives. How +the girls could ever have got the cloth round them was a puzzle to me, +but my companion, who had been on these islands and acted as +interpreter, explained the matter. He said that the cloth being made +ready, the girl lies down on the ground and rolls herself over and over, +till the whole of the cloth is wound round her. She is then put on her +feet, and taking the end over her shoulder, is able to proceed on her +way. + +"The food having been presented, one of the damsels was led forward, +when she lay down before the chief, and began to unroll herself, while +one of his attendants gathered up the cloth; and thus she kept turning +round and round till the whole of the cloth was unwound, and she +remained in her own somewhat scanty garments. The next girl went +through the same process. + +"We pretended to be delighted with the cloth, and told the chief that, +if he would bring it on board, we would exchange it for all sorts of +articles. The news of the rich cargo the vessel contained spread among +the people, and large numbers promised to come off to us the following +morning. + +"Well content with the way we had managed matters, we returned on board. + +"The following day we took care to stand in towards the shore in good +time, when a number of canoes full of people were seen coming off to the +ship. As they arrived alongside we invited them on board, taking care +that they brought no arms with them. We had a few things spread out in +the hold, and as the people collected on board, the captain asked them +to step down below to see them. When there, the pretended supercargo +kept them engaged bargaining for the goods while others were arriving. +Having collected all who could be induced to come on board below, the +supercargo slipped up by the fore hatchway, saying that he wished to +consult the captain about the price of some of the articles. The +vessel, meantime, had been edging off the land. Our guns were loaded, +and we had all armed ourselves in case the natives might make any +resistance. All being ready, we suddenly clapped the hatches down upon +our visitors, and had them prisoners. The people in some of the canoes +suspecting that their friends were in danger, attempted to climb up the +sides to their assistance. We had, therefore, to sink the canoes by +throwing cold shot into them. As several other large canoes were +approaching which might prove troublesome, we fired our guns at them and +knocked them to pieces. This done, we made all sail, and stood away +from the island. When the natives below found themselves entrapped, +they, as may be supposed, created a considerable uproar, shouting and +shrieking, and demanding to be set at liberty. The hatches, however, +being fast closed down, they could not force their way out, and as they +were without food or water, and the air was pretty close, we knew that +they must soon come to their senses, and therefore took no heed of their +cries, though it was necessary, of course, to keep watch over them, lest +by chance they might make their way out. + +"When we had run the land out of sight, the fore hatch was partly +lifted, and a few at a time were allowed to come on deck. They looked +greatly astonished when gazing round to find that their native land was +not to be seen. Our interpreter then told them that, if they behaved +themselves, things would go well with them; but if not, they must expect +rough treatment. The first which had come up had their hands lashed +behind them, and were sent aft; and the rest, as they appeared on deck, +were treated in the same manner. Two or three, from the hot air and the +struggles they had made, had lost their lives; but that mattered little, +considering the number we had secured. + +"Having cleaned and fumigated the hold, they were again sent below, and +we stood for another island. + +"Of course the people complained of the way they had been treated; some +were weeping, others abusing us, while some refused to take the food we +offered them. They were told, however, that if they would not eat they +should be flogged, for we were not going to allow them to starve +themselves to death. In time we got them into pretty good order. As it +would not do for them to give way to despair, they were assured that, +after working two or three years in the country to which we were taking +them, if they were industrious and behaved themselves, and consented to +become good Catholics, they would be sent back to their native island +much the richer and happier for the trip. I don't know if they believed +us; they might possibly have had doubts about the matter. These people +had had missionaries among them, and most of them were Christians; but +the French had sent the missionaries away, and they had become somewhat +slack in their religion. Now, however, in their trouble they began to +pray again, and it was curious to hear them singing, and praying, and +repeating parts of the Bible which they had learned by heart. Our +interpreter said it made him somewhat uncomfortable; but the captain +laughed at him, and told him that he must not let such notions trouble +him, and that at best they were only heretics, and would now have the +chance of becoming real Christians. + +"We touched at several other islands in the neighbourhood, from which +canoes full of natives came off towards us to learn who we were, and +what we wanted. One canoe came alongside with an old chief, who +inquired eagerly whether we had a missionary on board, as he was +anxiously looking out for one who had promised to come and teach him and +his people to be Christians. The captain wanted the supercargo to pass +as the expected missionary, but he declined, saying he could not bring +his conscience to do it. The captain replied that the missionary was +sick below, but that if the chief and his followers would come up the +side, they should see him in the cabin. + +"The savages looked very much surprised when they came on deck, to find +themselves pinioned and handed down below. Two of them before they were +secured, attempted to leap overboard. One was caught and the other was +shot, their canoe being sunk alongside that she might not drift on shore +and tell tales. The people in some of the other canoes which came off +further on were more wary, and we had to use a great deal of persuasion +to induce them to trust us. At last, we got one canoe full of natives +to come near us. As she approached on the port side, we had two of our +boats lowered and manned ready on the starboard side. When, after +having in vain tried to get the people on deck, the boats pulled round, +and though the savages shoved off, we were too quick for them. There +was a fierce struggle, two or three men were knocked overboard, but we +captured the rest and quickly had them below hatches, while their +canoes, as usual, were sent to the bottom. + +"We were not always so successful. Three canoes, one day, were coming +off to us, and were nearly up to the schooner, when they took alarm. As +the captain did not wish to lose them, he ordered the guns to be fired, +which sank two of them, when the boats which were ready pulled away and +picked up most of the people, excepting two or three who had been killed +by the shot. The third canoe escaped, and we knew after this, there was +not much chance of getting any more canoes to come off to us from that +island. + +"From this place we sailed away for several days, till we sighted a +large coral island, with a lagoon in the centre, and numerous cocoa-nut +trees growing along the shore. We judged from this that it was +inhabited. We stood close in on the lee side, till we could distinguish +some low huts scattered about under the trees, and a considerable number +of natives scampering along the shore. They were a savage-looking +people, without a stitch of clothing, except belts round their waists, +and bracelets and shells on their arms and legs, their hair, as they +ran, streaming in the wind, while they shook their long thin lances at +us. As they had no canoes, we could not get them to come off to the +vessel. It was therefore necessary for us to land and try and catch +some of them. They looked so fierce and determined that we expected +they would give us more trouble than the inhabitants of Easter Island +had done. Two boats well armed were, however, sent on shore to make the +attempt. We were to proceed by fair means and to offer them trinkets, +knives, and glasses, and handkerchiefs. If they would not be induced to +trust us, we were to surround their village, and catch as many alive as +we could. + +"As we pulled in for the shore, a party of the savages, led by an old +chief, came leaping, shouting, and shrieking, and brandishing their +spears towards us. The chief was a terrible-looking old fellow, taller +than any of the rest, with high cheek bones, his hair and beard of long +grey hair plaited and twisted together, hanging from his head and around +his mouth like so many rats' tails. His companions imitated his +example, and there seemed but little chance of our being able to get +hold of any of them by peaceable means. We had our muskets ready to +bring them down should they come too near us. We held up the trinkets, +and handkerchiefs, and looking-glasses to try to make them understand +that we wished to be friendly, but it was of no use; they only shrieked +the louder and leapt the higher, and told us to be off, as they did not +want us or our goods. However, we remained steady, and they did not +venture nearer. + +"As our object was to catch them alive, dead savages being of no use to +us, we persevered. Having placed several of the articles on the ground, +we quietly retired to a distance, and at last we saw two or three of the +younger men approach and take the things up. They seemed well pleased +with them, and showed them to the rest. On this, we put some more on +the ground and again retired, then three of our men putting their +muskets on the ground advanced towards the savages, being well covered +by the rest of us, and putting out their hands, we presented at the same +time several more articles. By these means we began to gain their +confidence. We then made them understand that all we wanted was a few +cocoa-nuts, and that every man who brought one should be amply paid. In +this way after we had waited quietly on the beach, twenty young fellows +were persuaded to put themselves within our reach, and to sit down in a +circle near the boats. The old chief all the time kept shouting to +them, but they did not appear to heed him. While one party with loaded +muskets advanced towards the rest of the natives, we suddenly set upon +the lads who had brought us the cocoa-nuts, knocked them over, had their +arms pinioned, and they were carried to the boats before even their +astonished countrymen could attempt to come to the rescue. At last, led +by the old chief, the former made a dash at our men who remained, when +several were of necessity shot down, the rest taking to flight, and we +shoved off well content with having captured twenty stout young fellows, +who were likely to prove serviceable labourers at the mines. + +"Having at length got a full cargo, we returned to Easter Island, where +we landed our captives. There they were to remain under a strong guard +till carried away by smaller vessels and landed on different parts of +the coast of Peru. We meantime sailed for the westward. + +"During the trip we occasionally fell in with our former consorts, +engaged in the same business, and we found that they had succeeded in +capturing a number of natives from different islands much in the same +way that we had done. Some were enticed on board by stratagem, others +taken by force. No one engaged in the business was particular as to +what means were employed, provided they could succeed in the enterprise. +One vessel had taken a whole cargo off one single island, known as High +Island, the crew having landed and surrounded the villages one after +another, shooting down all who resisted. + +"The wealthy merchant who had fitted out the vessel must have been +highly satisfied, as must also the English shareholders who advanced him +the money. Possibly they may or may not have been fully aware of the +means employed to ensure success. + +"Whether these people, accustomed to an easy and luxurious life on their +sunny islands, would ultimately prove useful labourers in the dark +mines, and be able to carry loads of ore down the steep, rocky sides of +the mountains, I am not prepared to say. Our business was to catch +them--that of the merchant to sell them; while the overseers of the +mines had to see to the rest. If they died from hard work that was +their look out. + +"At length we arrived off Niue, or Savage Island, to which Captain Cook +gave that name because the inhabitants were then and for many years +afterwards fierce and barbarous in the extreme. Missionaries, both +native and English, I had heard say, had gone among them, and the people +had all become Christians and civilised. We could see that a well-made +road ran round the island, and at intervals there were white-washed +cottages, with gardens full of flowers, and neat churches peeping out +among the trees. + +"`These people,' the captain observed, `if we could get hold of them, +were likely to prove mild and submissive, and of far more value than the +savages we had taken from some of the other islands.' It was necessary, +however, to be cautious, or they might have suspected our intentions. + +"We hove-to off the island, and the supercargo going on shore inquired +for the English missionary. We found that his residence was on the +other side, and we therefore judged that this would be a good place to +carry on our operations. The supercargo, pretending that he was a +friend of the missionary, invited as many as were inclined to come off +to the vessel, saying that he had a present for the missionary and a few +trifles for the chiefs, and that he should also be glad to trade with +them for any articles they might produce. + +"Meantime the other boats were in readiness with arms stowed away out of +sight. A large number of canoes at once paddled off to us, some +containing ten, others four or five natives each. The people came on +board without hesitation, and while the captain kept them amused, +showing some cases which he said contained the presents for the +missionary and chiefs, bargaining for the few articles they had brought +with them, the boats pushed away rapidly for the shore. A large number +of people were collected on the beach, but even when they saw the boats +coming, not observing any arms in the hands of the men, they were in no +way alarmed. Their suspicions did not appear to be aroused, even when +our men formed on the shore. + +"Keeping our weapons as much as possible concealed, we marched a little +way inland, then suddenly wheeling, with a loud shout rushed down upon +the natives. They seemed utterly paralysed, and though some few fled, +the greater number stared at us as if wondering what we were next going +to do. We did not leave them long in doubt, but pressing round them, +tripped them over, bound their arms, and in a short time made sixty or +more prisoners. They offered little or no resistance, and we soon had +all we had caught safely in the boat. As we pulled towards the vessel +we saw several canoes making for the shore, but with only two or three +people in each, while her guns were playing on a few others which were +attempting to escape. We picked up several men who had jumped +overboard, and when we got alongside we found that fully a hundred had +been secured. Altogether we got a hundred and sixty people from that +island alone; some were old men, but most of them were young and active. +They were all neatly dressed in shirts and trousers, and looked very +intelligent indeed; there was not one among them who could not read in +his native tongue, and they all said that they were Christians. Our +supercargo told them that so were we, but that we were real ones, while +they, having only learned from the missionaries, were heretics. + +"As they might have proved troublesome, we clapped them all down below, +and kept the hatches on them. + +"Wishing to capture more people from the same island, we immediately +made sail, and stood along the coast, hoping to entice others on board +before the news of what had occurred had spread. We heard our prisoners +talking together, and soon they began knocking at the hatches, and under +the deck, and on the sides, shrieking to be let out, and entreating us +to put them again on shore. Two of our men were stationed at the +hatchway ready to shoot any who might break out. Still the people below +continued to make so much noise that the captain and mate became +enraged, and, with two other men, went below armed with boats' +stretchers, and began to lay about them right and left, to bring the +people to order. At last they were quiet, and we hoped that they had +learned a lesson they would not forget. In the evening we heard them, +instead of shouting and shrieking to be let out, singing hymns and +praying. Looking down into the hold, there we saw them all kneeling +together as if in prayer; then an old man among them got up, and while +they sat round him he began to speak to them, and the supercargo, who +understood their language, said he was preaching; and when he had +finished he stretched out his hands, and prayed to God to bless them. +After that they were quiet enough, and during the night gave us no +further trouble. + +"The next morning at daylight we stood in to another part of the coast. +We saw several canoes quietly engaged in fishing, and so we guessed that +the alarm had not spread thus far. We accordingly stood close in, when +several canoes came off to us. The captain, as usual, invited the +people on board. Some of them spoke English, which the captain did not +understand, and I was not inclined to answer them. As they might have +been alarmed had they seen armed men at the hatchway, those who had been +stationed there were withdrawn. The new arrivals spoke rather loudly to +each other; their voices were heard by their countrymen below, who, +making a sudden rush at the fore hatch, forced it off and sprang upon +deck. + +"The alarm was given immediately; those who had last come, as well as +our captives, began to leap overboard. We all rushed upon them, knocked +those we could catch down, and shut close the hatchway. The captain +then ordered us to fire on the people in the water swimming for the +shore, while the boats were manned and sent in pursuit of the fugitives. +Two or three were hit, some sank, and only a few succeeded in gaining +one of the canoes; the rest were all retaken. In the canoe which +escaped was one young man who was shot just as he got into it: his +companions, however, managed to paddle off. Those who had been retaken +were well beaten, and forced down below. + +"As there was no use remaining longer at Savage Island, we sailed for +Samoa. + +"We avoided the principal harbours, and kept cruising along the coast, +picking up several canoes which came off to us. Occasionally we went on +shore to obtain water and vegetables, always being on our guard lest our +business might be suspected, and we ourselves entrapped. At one place +where we landed for this purpose, we found the natives under an old +warrior chief preparing to attack a neighbouring tribe. `This is just +the opportunity for us,' observed our supercargo; `if we help the old +chief, we may bargain that we are to have all the prisoners.' The +supercargo on this began to talk to the chief about the arms and men we +possessed, and to hint that we might possibly be persuaded to assist him +in conquering his enemies. The old chief at once took the bait, and +promised us anything we might ask if we would assist him. The +supercargo replied that our captain would be very moderate in his +demands, and that we should be content if we might have all the +prisoners. We agreed to come on shore with ten men to help him. The +captain, however, had arranged to send all the boats, which were to keep +in the rear of the enemy, and, as soon as the battle began, the crews +were to land, and carry off as many warriors as they could lay hands on. + +"Early the next morning we landed with our muskets, and found the army +drawn up for battle. The warriors were armed with spears and short +clubs, and their hair dressed up in the strangest fashion, and stuck +full of feathers. They were almost naked, with the exception of kilts +round their waists. We kept in the rear, ready to advance when called +upon to act, and the warriors marched forward, singing songs and +shouting their war-cries. In a short time they came in front of the +enemy, who were seen drawn up in a wood. Both parties halted and began +abusing each other, our friends telling their enemies that they were +women, and would soon run away; and warning them that they only came to +be killed, if they dared to advance further. After this style of +compliment had been exchanged for some time, they rushed towards each +other grinning and making faces, when they once more halted, and began +throwing their spears. We on this advanced, and fired a volley, which +threw them into the greatest confusion. It was evidently totally +unexpected, and, before they could recover, our friends rushed in on +them, speared some and made others prisoners. We, meantime, were +loading, and, having done so, advanced and fired a second volley. The +enemy, though brave fellows, began to fly, when our friends dashed in +among them, and, with our assistance, a large number were captured. +Many of those who escaped were seized by the crews of the boats, and at +once dragged off. The victory was complete, and the old chief at once +handed over to us all the prisoners he had taken. This was an advantage +to them, for they would otherwise have been killed. + +"By this means we collected about forty men, whom we carried at once on +board. + +"`We may as well have some of our friends,' observed the supercargo, and +he accordingly returned on shore to invite the old chief, and as many +people as he chose to bring off to visit the ship, and receive some +presents which he was told we had prepared for him. The chief looked +highly pleased, and much to the satisfaction of the supercargo, accepted +his polite invitation. + +"Next morning the chief and several people came alongside. The chief +said he desired to thank us for the service we had rendered him, and to +present us with some cocoa-nut oil and rolls of cloth which would be +prepared in a day or two if we would wait for them. + +"The captain assured him of his friendship, and begged him to accept +some presents in return for those he intended to make, and invited him +and several of his principal attendants into the cabin to receive them, +while his people were asked by the crew to go down forward. No sooner +were our guests below than they were seized and lashed hand and foot +before they could give the alarm to those who remained on deck. All +hands then rushed on deck, and quickly knocked down the greater number +of those who were collected there; a few uttering loud cries of terror +leapt overboard, while those in the canoes, suspecting that something +was wrong, shoved off, and began to paddle away towards the shore. Our +shot sent after them caused such alarm that several of the canoes +returned, others escaped, two or three were knocked to pieces, and some +of the people in them drowned. + +"We considered this a good haul, but we had some difficulty in keeping +order between the new comers and their enemies whom we had before +captured; by going among them, however, with our clubs, and showing them +that we would stand no nonsense, we brought them into order. Again +making sail, we continued our course along the coast, here and there +capturing canoes, and occasionally landing and carrying off a few +people, though we were not again so successful as in the case I have +described. + +"In one small canoe we found a Portuguese with two Samoaians; the latter +we put below hatches, but the captain was afraid of detaining the white +man, who declined joining us, and allowed him to make the best of his +way to shore. + +"We found two of our consorts cruising off this coast, but in a short +time the suspicions of the people on shore were aroused, and we +therefore left it and proceeded on to visit certain groups of islands +lying 8 or 10 degrees south of the equator. From one of these islands +we got nearly a hundred people, and another vessel which followed us +captured several more, though most of the natives as soon as a sail hove +in sight ran off from the coast. + +"By various means, from one island or another, we captured fifty or +sixty more, till at length with a full cargo we steered eastward to put +them on shore, as before, on Easter Island. + +"Some disagreeable news met us here. We heard that the French +authorities at Tahiti were very indignant at our having carried off the +natives of islands under their protection, and that they had sent out +several cruisers to intercept us. One of our vessels, the `Mercedes,' +had been seized with a hundred and fifty natives on board. The vessel +had been condemned and sold, the captain sentenced to five years' penal +servitude, and the supercargo to ten. Besides her four or five other +vessels had been captured and carried into Tahiti, where they were +detained. One, having been taken without any natives, was allowed to +return to Callao after she had been compelled to dispose of all her rice +and other provisions, so as to make it impossible for her to proceed on +her voyage. Besides this, the French Governor of Tahiti had sent to the +Peruvian Government demanding that every native who had been taken from +islands under French protection should be delivered up, and heavy +damages paid for any who might be missing. However, as these formed but +a very small number of the natives captured, the matter in itself was +not of much consequence. The fear was that not only the French but the +English might send out cruisers and interfere in all directions with our +proceedings. The profit, however, and the demand for labour was so +great, that in spite of the difficulties to be encountered, the merchant +I spoke of resolved to persevere in the undertaking, although it would +be necessary to use even greater precautions than before. + +"This first voyage will give you an idea of two or three others which I +made shortly afterwards, when we collected our passengers much in the +same way as before, though we took care only to visit islands the least +frequented by European vessels, so that our proceedings might be kept as +secret as possible. + +"Ill luck, however, at length set against us. Some of our vessels were +wrecked, the natives rose and murdered the crew of one, the French +captured several more, and the Peruvian government, compelled to listen +to the complaints which were made, interfered, and considerable +difficulties were thrown in the way of landing the islanders. The +`Andorinha,' after her long career of success, was driven on a coral +reef, when the captain and supercargo and most of the crew perished. I +was washed on shore, more dead than alive. Fortunately for me, it was +near a village of Christian natives, one of whom found me on the beach, +and carried me to his hut, and fed and clothed me, and took care of me +till I recovered. He knew the character of the vessel, for we had some +time before carried off several natives from that very island, but I +told him that I was an Englishman, and compelled by the Spaniards to +remain on board. He replied that it mattered not who I was or what I +had been about, that I was suffering and in distress, and that his +religion taught him to feed and clothe the hungry and naked, and to do +good to his enemies--that as long as I chose I might remain, and that if +I wished to go I might depart in peace. I was sure he did not believe +the account I gave of myself, and I own I did not feel as comfortable as +I should have liked. He and his family had prayers and sang hymns +morning and evening; and on Sunday, as well as on other days in the +week, they attended a large chapel, where a native missionary preached. +The other people in the village did the same. All this did not suit me, +and I determined to get away as soon as I had the chance. No vessel +appearing, however, I told my host that I should like to see other parts +of his island, and that I would make a trip through it. He replied that +I might do as I wished, but that as some of the natives were heathens or +`devil's men,' as he called them, they might not treat me well. I +answered that I would run the risk of that, and as to their being +heathens, that was all the same to me. It only, indeed, made me the +more eager to be among them, as I thought I should have greater liberty +than with my psalm-singing friends. I accordingly walked away with a +stick in my hand, for I had no clothes except those on my back. +Wherever I went the natives received me kindly, and gave me such food as +I wanted. + +"After travelling some days, I found myself in a village where there was +no church and no school, and the people did not trouble themselves much +about clothing. I guessed by this that they were heathens. The chief, +a young man, invited me to stop with him, and assist him in his battles. +I soon showed him that I was a good hand with a musket, and he remarked +that before long the time might come when I could use it. He was just +then, however, with some of his friends, going to catch pigeons in the +woods. We had first a grand kava feast, the drink they make from +certain roots, which they first chew in their mouths. Each of the young +men had several trained pigeons, which are taught to fly round and round +in the air at the end of a long string, and to come back to their +masters when called. Each man had, besides, a small net fixed to the +end of a bamboo forty feet in length. On arriving at the wood a large +circle was cleared of bush, and a wall of stones built round it. Each +sportsman had also a small arbour of boughs erected, in which he could +sit hidden just outside the wall. In front of him sat his pigeon on a +perch stuck in the ground, while by his side rested his net, ready to be +raised in a moment. + +"When all was prepared, the decoy birds were let fly as far as the +string, forty or fifty feet in length, would allow them, when they +circled round and round, and to and fro, over the open ground. The wild +birds, on seeing them, collected from all quarters to learn what they +were about. The sportsmen then drew down their birds, when, as soon as +the wild birds came near enough, they raised their nets, and seldom +failed to capture one of the wild pigeons. In an instant the bird was +brought down. Bird after bird was caught in the same manner. Before +commencing the game, stakes were put in, and he who caught the greatest +number of pigeons won them. + +"We remained nearly a month engaged in this sport, spending the morning +in bird-catching, and the evening in feasting. I tried my hand at it, +but though, after a few days' practice, I managed to catch several +birds, I did not succeed as well as the young chiefs. This was more to +my interest, for had I beat them, perhaps they might have become jealous +of me. + +"Altogether, this sort of life suited me much better than that which I +led with the Christian natives. They were a hospitable sort of people, +and I had as much liberty as I could wish for. + +"Among other curious things I observed while I was among them, was the +way they manufactured the cloth with which they make their dresses. +They used the bark of the paper mulberry tree. The young tree is first +cut down, and the bark stripped off; it is then steeped in water for a +couple of days, when the inner bark is separated from the coarse outer +bark. This is then beaten until it becomes as thin as silver-paper, and +much increased in size. Even then it is scarcely a foot wide; but the +edges are overlapped, and stuck together with arrow-root melted in +water. It is then again beaten till all the parts are completely +joined. Pieces are thus made of many yards in length, such as I saw +during my first visit to these islands. They are afterwards dyed of +various colours, red, brown, and yellow, and patterns are put on with a +sort of stamp. + +"Though the heathen natives wore very few clothes generally, they at +times dressed up in robes formed of the cloth I have described, which +has a very handsome appearance. + +"I might tell you a good deal more about these people. I had made up my +mind to remain among them; but people, as you know, don't do always what +they intend. Such was my case in the present instance, as you shall +hear. But pass the grog-bottle. I must wet my whistle before I move +along." + +I was almost sick with listening to the account of the atrocities +witnessed if not perpetrated by the old ruffian, our host, and was +inclined to stop him, but his tongue once set going that was more than I +could do, and so on he went again. + +CHAPTER THREE. + +"One day a brig brought up in the harbour near which I happened to be +staying, and the crew came on shore. She belonged to Sydney, New South +Wales, and as they talked to me about that place I was seized with a +fancy to go there. Fearing that the chief would not let me get away, I +told him that I was just going on board to pay my countrymen a visit. I +kept below during the remainder of the day, and next morning the brig +got under weigh, and stood out of the harbour. She was the `Tickler,' +engaged in the sandal-wood trade, and had still several places to visit +to complete her cargo, which she was obliged to pick up here and there, +and often had a hard job to get it. The captain was in no way +particular how he managed. I was on board for some months and saw some +curious things done. + +"The wood mostly grows on the Western Islands, north and south of the +line. On one occasion we came off a place where the captain understood +it was to be procured from the mountains, some way in the interior. We +managed to entice the chief of the district on board by promising him +some presents, if he would come and fetch them. As soon as we had got +him, the captain told his people that unless they would bring twelve +boats' loads of sandal-wood off he would carry him away as a prisoner. +The savages exclaimed that the white men were very cruel and unjust, but +the captain did not mind that, as they were only savages, do you see; +and as they did not wish to lose their chief, they were obliged to +comply. The captain told him that it he didn't behave himself and hold +his tongue, he would double the quantity. The chief, seeing that the +captain was in earnest, ordered his people to go and fetch the wood, +when the whole neighbourhood had to turn out and cut it. In the course +of two or three days it was brought on board. + +"Having got the wood we sailed away to another place. These savages are +content with curious articles in exchange for their wood. Instead of +money the brig had on board a quantity of small white shells, the teeth +of sharks and other animals, as also pigs, cats, and goats. So eager +are they to possess these animals that they would sometimes give a ton +of sandal-wood for a goat or cat. One day a native came on board with a +small quantity of sandal-wood when our shells had run short. The mate +offered him some tobacco, which he did not want. He got angry and said +he must have a shell, when the mate without more ado pulled out his +revolver: it went off, and the native was shot dead. The body was +thrown overboard, and the sandal-wood remained with us, though the man's +friends wanted payment for it. The captain told the mate he should not +have been so careless as to shoot the man, and then thought no more +about the matter. + +"Our object, however, being to get sandal-wood, the captain cared little +as to the means. The lazy islanders in some places, where it grew +abundantly, would not take the trouble of cutting it, so the captain +devised a plan for obtaining what he wanted. We visited for this +purpose an island where the natives were friendly with the white men, +and enticed a number on board. When we had got them the captain told +them that he would give them their liberty if they would go on shore at +a place to which he would take them, and cut as much sandal-wood as he +wanted. Back we sailed to the island where the sandal-wood grew. We +then took them on shore, and landing with a strong party of armed men, +guarded them while they cut the wood, which the inhabitants seemed to +object to their doing. They worked well, for they were anxious to go +back to their own island. We had to shoot a few of the inhabitants who +came too close to us with their spears and clubs, but they were savage +black fellows, and terrible cannibals, and so to my mind there was no +great harm in shooting them. + +"The wood was cut and carried down by our natives to the boats. We had +now got pretty well as much as the brig would carry, but the captain +told them to go back and cut more. They said they were afraid, lest the +black fellows should kill them. The captain answered that that was +their look out, and that if they wanted their liberty the wood must be +cut. When we had got it into the boats we returned to the brig; the +captain then ordered the anchor to be hove up, saying that he could not +spare time to go back to the island from which the natives had come, and +that he had fulfilled his contract by giving them their liberty and +leaving them on shore. + +"As we sailed out of the harbour, we saw some of them running down to +the beach, and waving their hands to us, with the black fellows at their +heels. They were soon overtaken, and one after the other were knocked +over by the clubs of the savages, who, to my belief, ate the whole of +them; for the inhabitants of that island were well known, as I have +said, to be fearful cannibals. + +"Now, perhaps some people may think that the captain of the `Tickler' +didn't behave quite straightforward in the matter; but that's no +business of mine. What he had to do was to get a shipload of +sandal-wood as cheaply as he could, and he did his best to save expense. +To be sure, others who came after us might have suffered, because the +savages were not very likely to trust them. We ourselves were nearly +cut off on one occasion, when visiting a large island called New +Caledonia. Though we had seen a number of natives gathering on the +coast, we pulled in without fear, supposing that their clubs and spears +could not reach us, and a volley of small arms would soon put them to +flight. As we pulled on we heard them shouting to us, and shrieking +loudly. They were a jet-black, fine race of fellows. We could see that +some of them had long spears in their hands, but others seemed to be +unarmed. Suddenly, however, down there came upon us a thick shower of +stones, wounding two or three of our number, which was immediately +followed by a whole flight of spears, when more of us were wounded, +while several stuck in the boat. The order was given to pull round; and +glad enough we were to get out of their reach. + +"I afterwards heard that the natives of these islands use a sling, not +only for throwing stones, which they can send to a great distance, but +for casting their spears, which, as we found, far as they were off, came +rattling down upon us in a very unpleasant manner. + +"One of our men was killed. When at a safe distance we fired two or +three volleys in return, and probably killed some of them; but they +quickly got under cover. We then once more pulled in, thinking that +they had taken to flight; but they were up again in an instant, and the +whole shore appeared lined with warriors. We therefore came to the +conclusion, that instead of carrying them off as labourers, they were +more likely to kill and eat us, should we land on their island. We +pulled away and steered for another place, where we expected to find the +natives more peaceably disposed or more easily captured. + +"I afterwards heard that several vessels went there, some of which had +the crews of their boats murdered on going on shore, while in two or +three cases the vessels themselves were attacked, and every one on board +put to death. All I can say is, that whatever people may think of our +doings, we were not worse than others. I heard of several things which +will prove this. Among others, a sandal-wood trader had called at the +island of Mare, when three young men swam off to her, wishing to trade +on their own account. They were bargaining with the captain, who +offered to give them less than they wanted for their sandal-wood, which +they had piled up on shore, ready to embark. They grew angry, and +declared that they would keep their sandal-wood. On this, without more +ado, he drew out his revolver and shot two of them dead on the deck; the +other leaped overboard, and the captain ordered the crew to fire at him. +He had got some distance, when a shot struck him, and he sank. The +captain then sent a boat on shore, and brought away the sandal-wood. +Another captain was on a sandal-wood cruise, when he put in not far from +Erromanga, where he found the people at war with another tribe some +distance round the coast. As abundance of sandal-wood grew on the hills +in the distance, he tried to persuade them to bring him a supply down to +the beach. They replied that they could not do so then, as they were +engaged in war, when he told them that if they would supply him with the +wood, he would go and conquer their enemies for them. The people +thought this a fine thing, and agreed to the proposal. So the vessel +went round the coast, to where the opposing tribe resided. If he had +began to fire away at once on them, they would have escaped into the +woods, and he probably would not have caught a man. He therefore +pretended to be very friendly, and managed to entice a number on board. +When he had got them, his crew set upon them, and killed some on deck, +and shot others who had leaped overboard and were trying to make their +escape. One was taken alive, and another desperately wounded. Having +thrown the dead bodies overboard, he sailed back with the living +prisoner and the other man, who soon died, to his friends. By this time +they had the sandal-wood ready, so he made over the living and dead +prisoners into their hands, and received the sandal-wood in return. As +the people were cannibals, it was easy to guess what they did with their +prisoners. + +"It cannot be said that we did anything worse than this; but, bless you, +I might tell you a hundred other things which either we did or I heard +of done by sandal-wood traders in those parts. I was not over +particular, so didn't mind, but I wanted the voyage to be over, that I +might get to Sydney, and have a spree on shore. + +"We got there at last, and our cargo realised a large profit, as the +price was known to be up at the time in the China market, for which it +was destined. + +"I hadn't been there long, before I found my pockets pretty well cleaned +out of cash, and had to think of what I should do next. + +"I was sitting one day in a grog shop near the harbour, where I was +allowed to run up a score though my last shilling was spent, and I +didn't exactly know how I was to pay for it, when somehow or other I +lost my senses. I might have been asleep, or I might have been drunk. +When I came to myself, I was in the fore peak of a small vessel, and +when I went on deck I found that we were out of sight of land. It was +not the first time that such a thing had happened to me, and so I was +not going to make a fuss about it. I looked round on my new shipmates, +who were about as rough a lot as I ever set eyes on; may be I was not +very different from them, but we hadn't a looking-glass on board that +craft, so, do you see, I was not able to judge. I asked the name of the +craft, where we were bound for, and the object of the voyage. + +"My shipmates laughed. + +"`Where were you raised: you don't look as green as you would wish to +make us fancy,' said one without answering my question. + +"`I was raised in a country where they grow bull-dogs, which are more +apt to bite than to bark,' I growled out. `When I ask a question I +expect a civil answer. I was at sea, and crossed the line a dozen times +while most of you were still sucking pap, and so you will understand +that though I don't exactly know how I came to be aboard this craft, you +had better not try to pass off your tricks on me.' + +"I thought this would have made them bowse on the slack of their +jaw-tackles, but they were banded together, and fancied they could say +what they liked to me. One young fellow only, Bill Harding was his +name, I found stood aloof from them, and cried out that it was a shame +to attack an old fellow like me, though I might have got hocussed and +shipped on board without knowing it. On that one of them, Jos Noakes +they called him, goes up to Bill, and begins blackguarding him. He +stood as cool as a cucumber, with a smile on his good-looking face. He +was the only one among the lot who was not as ugly as sin. + +"Says Bill to Jos, `You had better not. I have floored many a man who +could beat you with his little finger, and so, Jos, to my mind, you will +get the worst of it.' + +"I pulled out my pipe and lighted it, for, d'ye see, there's nothing +like a bit of baccy for keeping a man cool, and cool I wanted to be just +then. This showed them more than anything else what I was made of. + +"There Bill stood waiting to see what Jos would do, while the rest +gathered round edging Jos on. Jos doubled his fists, getting nearer and +nearer to Bill, and at last made a hit at him. In a moment Bill's arms +were unfolded, and he struck out and caught Jos's ugly face a blow which +sent him reeling backwards, till he lay kicking like a turtle on his +back. + +"`Sarve you right, Jos,' cried out several voices, and now most of the +crew seemed to side with Bill. + +"Jos had had enough of it, and sneaked below to bathe his jaws in water. + +"I shook Bill by the hand and thanked him, and we were friends ever +afterwards. + +"Bill told me that the craft I had so curiously found myself aboard was +the `Catfish,' and that she was on a voyage round the islands to pick up +sandal-wood, cocoa-nut oil, or pearls, which he told me were to be found +among some of the low-lying coral islands to the eastward. + +"`I shall like well enough to go after pearls,' I observed; `for I know +their value and the price people on shore will give for them.' + +"`That made me ship on board the "Catfish,"' said Bill. `I remember my +mother used to wear such things in her hair, and that a small string of +them was worth some hundred pounds, and I thought that if I could get a +few I should be a rich man, and be able to go back to Old England, for I +am pretty well sick of this sort of life, though, mate, as you know, +when a man is down in the world it's a hard job to get up again.' + +"`Then I suppose, Bill, from what you say, you are a gentleman's son, +and you have come out to these parts to make your fortune,' I remarked. + +"`Yes, I am well born, and might have been very different from what I +am,' he answered with a sigh. `But I came away to sea because I was a +wild scamp, and no one could make anything of me at home. However, if I +can get hold of a few of those pearls, so as to start fair, I intend to +turn over a new leaf, and go back to my friends, provided I can do so +with a good coat on my back, and not like the ragged beggar I have been +of late. I have got a few articles to trade with, and I shipped on +condition that I should do what I liked with them.' + +"`I'll help you, my lad, as far as I can,' said I, for I had taken a +fancy to Bill, who might have been all he said of himself. To my notion +he was as brave and warm-hearted a fellow as ever stepped. + +"I have already described the various ways the sandal-wood traders +manage to obtain their cargoes. Our captain was in no degree more +particular than most of them, and played a few odd tricks among the +natives to get what he wanted. On one occasion we got a chief on board, +and the captain told him that he must make his people cut a dozen +boat-loads of sandal-wood, or we would carry him away as a prisoner to +Sydney. The chief refused, and declared that the wood was not to be +got. On this the captain called two or three of his people on board, +and then had him triced up and gave him a dozen, and told him that he +should have it every morning if the wood was not forthcoming. Still the +savage held out, and he was heard to tell his people not to bring any. + +"Next morning some of his people came off, when, as they brought no +wood, preparations were made to give him another dozen. On seeing this +his courage gave way, and he told his people to go back and get the +wood. He got his dozen though, for the captain was a man to keep his +word on those sort of matters. + +"Two or three boat-loads came off that very evening, and in a couple of +days all the captain asked for was supplied. The chief was then set at +liberty, and told to go about his business. + +"The captain observed that he was doing his duty to his owners, and +getting a cargo in the cheapest way he could; he seemed, indeed, to +pride himself on his cleverness. + +"As sandal-wood was becoming scarce in most of the islands, we took on +board, whenever we had the opportunity, as many casks of cocoa-nut oil +as we could collect; but pearls were our chief object, and we continued +our voyage till we reached the island I mentioned. + +"The natives were said to be friendly to white men, and therefore we had +no fear of them. They had a few pearls already, which the captain took +in exchange for some of the beads, cutlery, looking-glasses, and +trinkets we had brought to trade with. He then told the natives that +they must go off in their canoes to the reef where the pearl-oysters +were to be found, and be quick in bringing him as many as he wanted, +threatening them if they were not sharp about it he would carry off +their chiefs, cut down their cocoa-nut trees, and leave their wives and +children to starve. This made them all alive, though they grumbled a +little, and every evening they returned bringing a fair supply of +shells. They dared not refuse to work, seeing that they had no muskets; +and as their island was perfectly flat, they had no place to fly to and +hide themselves, so that by landing a few of our men we could, if we had +wished, have burned their huts, cut down their trees, and have carried +off as many of them as we wanted. + +"One day when they had brought fewer shells than usual, the captain sent +a party of us on shore, and having caught two of their chiefs, we +brought them on board, and kept them in irons, telling them that we +should carry them away unless their people would stir themselves. + +"Next day a double quantity was brought on board. The captain seemed +mightily pleased. + +"`Now, my boys, this shows what you can do,' he said, in the lingo the +savages spoke. `I am going to make a cruise to some other islands not +far off, and I shall take your chiefs with me. If, when I come back, +you have not got as many pearls as I want,' and he told them the +quantity he should require, `up go your chiefs to our yard-arms.' + +"I don't mean that he said this in as many words, but it was what he +wished the people to understand. + +"The other islands we visited could supply us only with cocoa-nut oil, +and though we had a quarrel now and then about it, we generally managed +to get what we wanted at the price we chose to give. + +"On our return we found the supply of shells the captain had ordered. + +"I thought that he would have allowed the chiefs to go on shore, but he +was too deep a hand for that. He had found the plan answer so well that +he determined to have some more pearls before sailing, so he pretended +that the natives had not brought him enough, and told them that they +must go off and collect more. They grumbled, declaring that they would +do no such thing, and demanded their chiefs back. + +"`You shall have them,' he answered, `but they shall swing at our +yard-arms first,' and he ordered the ropes to be rove to hang them by. + +"The chiefs were then brought on deck. They did not look much like +chiefs, half-starved and dirty as they were, for they had been kept +below during the voyage for fear of their jumping overboard, and making +their escape. The natives set up a loud yell when they saw them, and +made as if they would attack us, and try to rescue them. On this the +captain ordered us to present our muskets, and fire if they approached. +Bill was the only person who refused to obey, declaring that it was a +shame, and that he would sooner let the natives kill us than shoot one +of them. The captain, hearing this, threatened to trice him up with the +chiefs, and to my mind he meant what he said. The natives, however, +thought better of it, and paddled off to try to get more pearls. + +"`It's lucky for you, Bill, that the savages played us no tricks; but +I'll not forget you, my lad,' exclaimed the captain, shaking his fist at +him. + +"In a couple of days the natives appeared paddling towards us. They +kept, however, at a distance, and one canoe only with three men in her +came alongside, bringing a few pearls. They said they had got more, but +they had resolved to throw them into the sea unless their chiefs were +first delivered up to them. + +"The captain grinned at this, and replied that they should have one +chief, and when the pearls were brought they should have the other. The +natives after talking a long time were obliged to comply. The chiefs +embraced; they might have suspected that the one who remained would run +a great chance of swinging at the yardarm, notwithstanding the captain's +promise. At last he told the younger of the two that he might go, +thinking, probably, that he was of less consequence than the other. The +poor fellow was lowered into the canoe, and away his countrymen paddled +to the shore. + +"I thought that the elder man looked well pleased at the escape of his +companion, as he squatted down on deck, resting his head on his hands, +though he looked up every now and then at the rope hanging from the +yardarm, as if he expected to be dangling from it before long. + +"The same canoe returned in a couple of hours, bringing a further supply +of pearls, while the rest of the natives were seen gathering in the +distance. + +"Perhaps the captain thought that if he did not deliver up the chief-- +driven to desperation, they might attack the vessel, and that though +many might have been killed, we should not have got off scathless. The +natives were indeed in great numbers advancing closer and closer. He +therefore told the chief he might go. The old man rose, and with the +help of his countrymen got into the canoe, which immediately paddled +away towards the rest, advancing rapidly to meet him. + +"The breeze was fair out of the harbour. Sails were loosed, the anchor +tripped. There was no time to be lost, for some scores of canoes were +close up to us. + +"`Give the savages a parting volley to teach them that we are not to be +insulted with impunity,' cried the captain. + +"Several shots were fired at the canoes, and two or three of the savages +were hit. I cannot say whether all fired, but Bill did not. + +"The brig had gathered way, and we were distancing the canoes, and +though the captain ordered another volley to be fired, the shot fell +short of them. + +"`We have managed that pretty cleverly,' he observed, as he walked the +deck, rubbing his hands. `I never expected to get so many pearls, and +we have not paid dear for them either,' and he chuckled to himself as he +turned aft. + +"I asked Bill if he had got as many as he had hoped for. + +"`No,' he answered. `The skipper kept too sharp a look-out to allow me +to trade honestly as I had intended, and I'd sooner not have got a +single one, than obtain them in the vile abominable way he has done. I +wish that I was clear of the craft, and hope that I may never set eyes +on him again.' + +"I told Bill that he was too particular. + +"`No, no,' he exclaimed. `I am a vile wretch as it is, but I am not +sunk so low as to stand by and see such things done without exclaiming +against them.' + +"We had a quick run to the westward, and the captain was congratulating +himself on making a prosperous voyage. We had still room, however, for +some more sandal-wood, and he took it into his head to visit the place +where he had given a couple of dozen to a native chief for refusing to +bring off sandal-wood. He was mad, you will allow, to make the attempt. +He thought he could catch the chief, and play the trick a second time. + +"Bringing up before the place, and telling us to keep our arms ready for +use, and to let no native on board, away he went in the boat with six +hands well armed. The natives, instead of running off, came down to the +beach quite in a friendly manner, and welcomed him on shore. He +thought, I suppose, that they did not know the brig again, or that the +chief had forgotten his flogging. + +"We watched him from the deck, and he and two men advanced up the beach +towards the very chief himself, who came down to meet him. + +"The captain's idea was, I have no doubt, to seize the chief and bring +him off. + +"In another instant we saw one of the men running, and a party with +clubs and spears, who had remained hidden behind some rocks, rushing +towards the captain. Before he could escape, his brains were dashed +out, and his companion was struck to the ground. The other man reached +the boat with a spear in his back, and was hauled in just before the +savages got up to him. The boat shoved off and pulled away towards us, +a shower of spears following her. Another man was hit, for we saw an +oar dropped. The remaining three pulled away for their lives. We, +meantime, loosed the sails and got under way; and time it was to do so, +for we saw a number of canoes, which had been concealed behind rocks +along the shore, darting out towards us. As soon as the boat was +alongside, we hauled up the men, one of whom was pretty near dead by +that time, cut the cable, let the boat go adrift--we had no time to +hoist her up--sheeted home the sails, and stood away from the shore. + +"We had a narrow escape of it, for though we kept firing at the +advancing canoes, they were almost up to us; and it's my belief the +savages would have got on board in spite of all we could have done to +resist them, for they seemed resolved to have their revenge. As it was, +another man was hit, and our deck was covered with spears and darts. + +"We at last got clear of the land, and the mate, who took command, said +he would shape a direct course for Sydney, and have nothing more to do +with trading. We soon, however, began to suspect that he was but a poor +navigator, and Bill said he was sure of it. + +"Three or four days afterwards a gale sprung up from the westward. We +lost our topmasts, and were driven before it for a week or more. + +"Whether or not the mate was a bad navigator, we had no means of +proving, for one night he was washed overboard. Bill, who was the only +scholar among us, looked at the log; that had not been written up, nor +had our course on the chart been pricked off; so there we were, driving +before a heavy gale, and not knowing what island might be in our course +to bring us up. The brig also had sprung a leak, and we had to turn-to +at the pumps. Our provisions and water were running short. We were in +a bad case. Even had we sighted an island, we should have been afraid +to go ashore, for we had played so many tricks at different places, +that, after what had happened, we thought that we might be treated in +the same way as the captain had been. + +"The gale at length came to an end. Still we had to keep the pumps +going. Our last biscuit was eaten; we had not a drop of water in the +casks. Bill, who had been studying the chart, told us that if we would +keep up our spirits he hoped in another day or two to make an island to +the southward, where we had not before touched. That night, however, +there came on a dead calm. + +"When the sun rose the next morning the sea was like glass, with not a +sign of a breeze. + +"When men are starving they will eat anything. We began to stew down +our shoes and every bit of leather we could find about the ship. The +lockers were searched for biscuit crumbs, or lumps of grease, or +anything eatable, till nothing which could keep body and soul together +remained. + +"The men knew that Bill and I were friends. I heard them talking +together and casting looks at him. He was thin enough, poor fellow, by +this time; but the rest of us were thinner still, all bones and sinews. +Bill and I were on deck together, and I told him to keep by me when I +saw the rest of the men coming aft with a glare in their eyes, the +meaning of which I well knew. Telling Bill to keep behind me, I drew my +knife, and swore I would kill the first man who advanced. Jos Noakes +came on in front of the rest. He had not forgotten the knock-over Bill +had given him; still I had little hopes of saving my friend, for when +men are desperate they will do anything. Jos was close up to me, and +though I might have killed him the rest would have set on me; when just +then the sails gave a loud flap, and some of the men, looking round, +cried out that there was a fresh breeze coming. + +"`My lads,' cried Bill, who, though the moment before he expected +nothing but death, was suddenly himself again, `that breeze will take us +to the island we were steering for in the course of a few hours. You +may eat me if you like, but I don't think you will find your way there +without my help.' + +"The men saw the sense of this, and told him he had nothing to fear. +While he and I went to the helm, the rest trimmed sails, and we were +soon running at a brisk rate through the water. + +"Fortunately, some small casks of hams which had got stowed away under +the sandal-wood were discovered. This satisfied our hunger, though it +increased our thirst. The wind, however, brought rain, and we were able +to collect enough water to keep us alive. We thought all would go well, +in spite of the leak, which made it still necessary to keep the pumps at +work. + +"Bill and I had just come on deck at night for our middle watch, when +just as he had been telling me that he hoped next morning to make the +land, the vessel's keel grated on a coral reef which the look-out had +not discovered. On she drove, and I hoped might be forced over it, but +the grating, tearing sound which came from below told me that the sharp +points were ripping off her planks, and the rest of the crew, springing +on deck, cried out that the water was rushing in on every side. We +clewed up the sails, and got our only boat ready for launching. + +"The wind was increasing, and forcing us further and further on the +reef. As we could not tell in what direction to pull, we determined to +remain till morning, but before the morning arrived the wind increased, +and the sea broke over us. The mainmast went by the board, and most of +the men cried out that if we did not get the boat in the water we should +be lost. + +"Bill and I had gone forward. I heard some loud cries. My shipmates +had managed to launch the boat, but the next instant she had been +swamped alongside, and they were struggling for their lives in the +foaming sea. We clung on to the wreck. The sea was making a complete +breach over her, and the after part appeared breaking up. Suddenly she +swung round, and seemed to me to be slipping off the rock. At that +moment a sea took me, striking me on the head, knocking the senses out +of me; the next I found myself in the foaming waters, and looking up, +the moon bursting forth just then, caught sight of Bill making his way +up the fore-rigging. I sung out to him to heave me a rope and haul me +on board. The vessel appeared to have been brought up by a lower part +of the reef, and to be sticking there. Bill heard my voice, and +unreefing the fore brace, hove it to me just as a sea washed me back +towards the wreck. I caught hold of it when pretty nigh exhausted, for +though I hadn't had much enjoyment in life, I didn't wish to leave it, +and so clung on with all my strength, while Bill gradually hauled me up +to the fore chains. From thence I made my way into the top, where he +and I sat, expecting, however, every moment that the mast would go and +carry us overboard. + +"`Are the rest all lost, think you?' asked Bill. + +"`No doubt about it,' said I. `The boat could not have lived a minute +in such a sea as there is running. We are better off even here.' + +"`Terrible,' said Bill. `And you and I are left alone out of the whole +lot.' + +"`We may thank our stars for that,' said I. `And I say, Bill, if we +hold out till morning, and it comes on calm, maybe we shall find some of +the pearls, and after all it won't be so bad a job for us.' + +"`Don't talk of the pearls,' he answered, with a groan. `I wish that I +had never been tempted to try to get them. The captain and the rest +have got their deserts, and I would not touch one of them, gained as +they were by cruelty and fraud, if they were to be washed up into my +hands.' + +"`I only wish I could catch sight of some of the boxes with the chance +of getting them,' said I. `And if you were to do so, Bill, I would not +trust to your good resolutions.' + +"`I don't want to talk about the matter,' answered Bill, gloomily. +`What chance have we of getting away from the wreck? we may be miles off +from the shore, for what I know.' + +"`If the wind goes down, we may build a raft and reach the land, or may +be a vessel will pass by and take us off. If not, and it breezes up +again, we shall be in a bad case.' + +"Bill groaned again. + +"`I am not prepared to die,' he exclaimed. `I would give anything to +get on shore.' + +"`You haven't anything to give,' said I. `So you had better make up +your mind to brave it out, just as I mean to do. I wish that I could +get at some liquor, though; that would keep up our spirits better than +anything else.' + +"Bill groaned again. + +"`I don't want to die like a brute with my senses gone,' he answered. + +"`As to that, seamen have to go out of the world somehow, and for my +part I don't think myself worse than the rest,' I answered; `and with +regard to the things done aboard this craft, that was the captain's look +out, not mine, nor yours either; so cheer up, Bill, don't be +down-hearted. Daylight will soon return, and then, may be, we shall +find ourselves better off than we fancy.' + +"You see, I kept up my spirits, and tried to keep up Bill's; but he got +worse and worse, and began raving away so curiously, that I thought he +would throw himself into the sea and get drowned. + +"To prevent this I passed a rope round his body when he didn't see what +I was about, and lashed him to the top. + +"As the night drew on the wind dropped, and at daybreak my eyes were +gladdened by the sight of the land about two miles away, while between +us and it were numerous small rocks scattered about, by means of which +we might make our way, even if we had to swim for it. I remembered, +however, the sharks, so I determined to build a raft. Poor Bill could +not help me, so I set to work by myself. I was some time putting one +together to carry us both, and then, being very hungry, I thought I +would try to get hold of the keg of hams and the cask of water which +were stowed forward, and also that I might pick up some of the boxes of +pearls. I got the hams and water, but could not find the pearls. + +"I took some of the food up to Bill, but he would only touch the water. + +"At last I managed to lower him on to the raft, and, afraid that the +weather might again change, shoved off to make our voyage to the land. +It was slow work, for I had only a long pole and a paddle. If Bill had +been able to help, we should have got on much faster. At last we came +to a small island. I thought to myself I'll leave Bill here with some +ham and water for food, and go back and have another search for the +pearls. Bill made no objection; I don't think even then he knew where +he was. I got back with less difficulty than I expected. + +"The tide had now fallen, and the after part of the vessel was clear of +water. I cannot tell you how I felt when I caught sight of the boxes +where I knew the pearls had been stowed in the captain's cabin. There +were a couple of large chests, and in these were several more boxes, +with the captain's money, and some other things of value. I thought to +myself, if I turn out everything heavy, these boxes will float and serve +to preserve my treasures, even should the raft be capsized. I +accordingly, having prepared them as I proposed, put in the boxes of +pearls, and having lashed them securely, lowered them on to the raft, +loading it with a number of other articles, which I thought would be +useful. Shoving off, I made the best of my way towards the rock where I +had left poor Bill; it was time I did, for the weather was again, I +feared, about to change, and heavy rain was falling. Hoping that he +might have revived, I expected to see him looking out for me. + +"While making good way through the water, suddenly I found my raft touch +ground. The current striking against it drove it further and further on +to the reef. To prevent it capsizing, I had to stand up and press my +pole against the bottom. There I stood, the rain coming down faster and +faster. I shouted to Bill, hoping that he might hear me, and perhaps be +able to wade out to my assistance, but no answer came. I might easily +have got off by casting the chest and the other articles adrift, but I +could not bring myself to do that, not knowing where they and their +precious contents might be carried to. At last I thought of mooring the +raft, and trying to reach the rock by wading. I had a large axe which +would serve as an anchor. I made a rope fast to it, and stuck it +securely, as I thought, in a cleft of the coral reef. I then, with the +pole in my hand, made my way towards the rock. Reaching it at last, not +without difficulty, I looked about for Bill. What was my dismay not to +see him! The provisions and water, and the other things I left with him +were there, but he was gone. Whether he had fancied I was going to +desert him, and had attempted to swim to the mainland, or in his madness +had thrown himself into the sea, I could not tell. I climbed to the end +of the rock nearest to the shore, shouting at the top of my voice, and +still hoping to see him, but not a soul appeared on the beach. I had +taken a liking to him, and I felt more unhappy than I had ever felt +before, at the thoughts that he was lost. `It cannot be helped,' I said +to myself. `I'll go back and tow the chests one by one to the rock, and +so get the raft afloat, and in time reach the shore.' At once I went +back to the outer end of the rock, and began to wade towards where I had +left the raft. The breeze had got up, and there was some sea on. It +struck me that the water was deeper than at first. I hadn't made many +steps when, looking at the raft, I felt convinced that it was moving. I +tried to hurry on, but found myself floundering in the water almost up +to my neck, and had to scramble back to the rock to save my life. The +raft went faster and faster. I shouted, I shrieked to it to stop; the +pearls which would have made my fortune were every instant getting +further from my reach. Then a wave took it and turned it right over, +another struck it and dashed it against a rock, and away floated the +pieces with the chests in the direction the current was making. + +"On getting back to the rock I sat down and cried like a child. I felt +as if I was done for. At last I got better and began to hope that the +chests might be washed on shore, and that I might secure them after all. + +"How was I to reach the land? there was the question. I was a bad +swimmer, and if I had been a good one the chances were that I should be +picked off by a shark. My only remaining hope was that the natives +might not be cannibals, and that some of them coming off to fish might +see me, and carry me to their island. Still perhaps some days might +pass before any one might come out so far. I knew therefore that I must +husband my provisions to make them last me as long as possible. +Fortunately the rain had filled some hollows in the rock. I drank as +much as I wanted of that, and bailed the remainder into the cask I had +left with Bill. + +"The day passed by and no one appeared, and not only that day but +several others went by, and I was still on the rock. I had eaten up all +the ham and drunk up nearly every drop of water. I had no means of +striking a light, and if I had there was no fuel except my pole, and I +could not live long on the raw shell fish which stuck to the rock. + +"My last hour I thought was come. I lay down expecting to die, and soon +dropped off into a sort of stupor. I was aroused by hearing voices, and +looking up I saw a canoe with three brown girls in her, paddling up to +the rock. I just lifted my head and made signs that I was very ill; +they understood me, and instead of running away managed together to lift +me into their canoe. One poured water down my throat, and another fed +me with yam. They had been out fishing, and were returning home. They +took me to their father's hut, and fed and nursed me till I recovered. +My thoughts were running on the chests with the pearls, but I could hear +nothing of them, nor of poor Bill either, nor have I from that day to +this." + +CHAPTER FOUR. + +"I was just well, and thinking what I should do, when a South Sea whaler +put into a harbour close by for provisions and water. She wanted hands, +and I shipped aboard her. She was not long out from Sydney, to which +port she belonged. + +"While I served in her I was again nearly lost. We were after a big +whale which had already been struck when the creature caught the boat I +was in with its flukes, stove in the bows, and turned her right over, +while I and the rest of the crew were left struggling in the water. I +managed to climb up on the boat's stern, and hailed another boat which +was under sail, but so eager were those in her in pursuit of the monster +that they did not see for some time what had occurred. The rest of my +mates had sunk before she came up, and I was taken on board so exhausted +that I could not have hung on many minutes longer. + +"When the cruise was up the whaler returned to Sydney, and I thought +that I would stop on shore, and with the money I had saved try what I +could do for a living. My cash was gone, however, before I could well +look round; my old friends the crimps got most of it. + +"Remembering how I had before been shipped on board a craft without +knowing it, I determined that such a trick should not be played me +again. Perhaps the crimps thought I was too old to be worth much and +would not let me run up a score. + +"I was standing one day on the quay with my hands in my pockets, when +the skipper of the last sandal-wood trader I had sailed in came up to +me. He knew me and I knew him, and a bigger villain I never set eyes +on; still considering that my last shilling was gone, I could not be +particular about my acquaintances. + +"`Boas, old ship,' says he. `You know the South Sea Islands as well as +most men. I want a few fellows like you for a cruise which is sure to +be profitable, and you will come back in a short time with your pockets +lined with gold, and be able to live at your ease, if you have a mind to +do so, like a gentleman.' + +"I asked him to tell me what was the object of the voyage. + +"`I don't mind telling you the truth. If you were to ask at the Custom +House you would hear we were starting on a voyage after cocoa-nut oil +and sea slugs, but there's poor profit in that compared to what we are +really after. We do not call ours a slaving voyage, but our intention +is to get as many natives as we can stowed away in our hold, by fair +means or foul, and to run them across to Brisbane or some other port in +Queensland. The order we receive from our owner is to visit the +different islands, and to persuade as many natives as we can to come and +work for the settlers. They want labourers, and will pay good wages, +and the natives are only to be engaged for three years, and to be +carried back again at the end of that time if they happen to be alive, +and wish it, to their own islands.' + +"I told him that was very like the sort of trade I had been engaged in +some years before, when we collected natives and carried them to Peru to +work in the mines, and how the French didn't approve of our taking the +people from their islands, and had captured a number of our vessels. +`But,' says I, `as I suppose that there are no mines in Queensland, the +Indians will like Australia better than they did Peru, and won't die so +fast as they did there. But what does the Government say to the matter? +Maybe they'll call it slaving.' + +"`Oh we have got a regular licence from the Queensland Government,' +answered the skipper. `It's all shipshape and lawful, provided we treat +the natives kindly, and don't take them unless they wish to go, and make +them clearly understand the agreement they enter into.' + +"`If that's the case, Captain Squid, I'm your man,' says I. `I am not +over particular; but in my old age I have taken a liking to what is +lawful and right.' + +"`Very wise too,' says the skipper, giving me a wink. `You will find +all our proceedings perfectly lawful, and we run no risk whatever. If +the natives get harder worked than they like when they reach Queensland, +that's no business of ours.' + +"To make a long story short, I that evening found myself on board the +`Pickle,' schooner of about eighty tons. She hadn't much room for +stowage 'tween decks, but as the passage between Queensland and the +islands where she was to get the natives was short, and as I supposed +only a few at a time would be taken, I had no scruples on that score. +At all events, it could not be anything like the middle passage between +Africa and America. + +"Next morning we were at sea running to the eastward, after which we +stood away northward, towards the islands which extend between the line +and New Caledonia. The people are all blacks, a strong, hardy race, +and, as Captain Squid remarked to me, more likely to be caught, and when +caught better able to work than the brown-skinned natives to the +eastward, such as we used to take away to labour in the mines in South +America. + +"The first place we came to was the Island of Tanna, one of the +southernmost of the New Hebrides. We knew that missionaries were there +trying to turn the people into Christians--an odd sort of work to my +mind for white people to attempt. It would not do, however, to go near +where they were. We stood in, therefore, to a part of the island where +they were not. Having hove-to, we sent a boat on shore to invite the +people to come off with palm oil, telling them that we would pay a high +price for it. The second mate, who went in command of the boat with the +interpreter, was ordered to be very cautious lest the natives should +attempt to cut him off. + +"Having delivered his message, he returned to the schooner. To our +surprise, in a short time three canoes were seen coming off with a dozen +natives in them. They came alongside without fear, and told the +interpreter that they were Christians, and friends of the white men. +The captain invited them on board, and said that he would not only pay +them well for their oil, but would, if they chose, take them to a +country where they might soon become rich, and return home again in a +short time. They replied that they had no desire to leave their native +island, and wanted to receive payment for their oil. The captain said +they should have it if they would come down below, where he had got a +feast ready for them. An old man of the party advised them to remain on +deck till they had received the goods they had bargained for. Some +liquor on this was brought up, and they were asked to take a drop. The +old man again advised them not to touch it, and took hold of his oil-jar +as if he was about to lower it into his canoe. Notwithstanding what the +old man said, two or three of them tasted the grog, and then, first one +and then another, went down below. The old man cried out to them, and +was about to lower his jar into the canoe, when, at a word from the +captain, one of our people seized it, while another caught hold of him. +The interpreter at the moment appearing, declared that the oil had been +bought, and that he had no business to carry it away. By this time half +the natives were below. The old man struggled, he was knocked down, and +when his companions came to his assistance they were knocked down also. +Before they could get up again their arms were pinioned, while those who +were below were treated in the same way. The captain declared that the +savages intended to take the vessel, that he did not believe they were +Christians, and that in his own defence he was obliged to carry them +off. + +"`You will understand, my lads,' he said to us, `if any questions are +asked when we get to Brisbane that's the answer we must give.' + +"The canoes of the savages alongside were sunk, and letting draw the +foresail, we stood away along the coast, while the natives were stowed +snugly below. The captain seemed highly pleased with this successful +commencement of our voyage. + +"A short way further on, as we saw some natives on the shore, the boat +was sent in to speak to them. I went in her. As we approached the +beach, two young men were seen swimming off towing a quantity of +cocoa-nuts, which they told the interpreter they wished to barter for +any goods we had brought. They were invited to come into the boat, but +were timid, and replied that we might have the cocoa-nuts, but must hand +out in return what we had to give. A few articles were accordingly held +up, and they were invited to come and receive them. Fearing they might +escape us, the moment they came alongside they were seized by the hair +of their heads, and hauled into the boat. They cried out, saying that +they were sons of a chief, and that, if we would set them free, we might +have the cocoa-nuts. The mate laughed at them, and told them if they +would quietly come with us we would pay them handsomely. As they began +to struggle and tried to leap overboard, we had to hold them down. This +being seen from the shore, the people became alarmed, and put on so +threatening a manner, that we were afraid of going nearer. Having no +chance of getting more natives, we returned on board with the two young +men, leaving their friends raging and threatening us in vain. + +"The next place we touched at we were more successful, and got nearly a +dozen on board, who seemed well pleased at the thought of seeing the +world, and willingly agreed to sign the paper placed before them, though +I suspect they knew very little about the meaning of it. They were +deadly enemies of those we had first taken. The two tribes had been +accustomed to fight and eat each other, but, notwithstanding this, we +turned the last comers down below to make friends with the others. + +"We were standing away from the shore when two or three of the last +party happened to hear how the first had been taken, and, becoming +alarmed, attempted to leap overboard. Our men who had handspikes in +their hands hit at them to stop them doing this. The blows, however, +being somewhat heavy, two fell dead on the deck, while a third made his +escape to the shore. + +"It was a bad job, for we had hoped to obtain more labourers from the +same place. + +"We got several, however, both men and women, from the Island of Vate. +Here the captain had an agent, a clever fellow, who, for a musket and +tobacco, was ready to do anything. He persuaded the natives that if +they would go on board the schooner, they would be carried to a +magnificent country, where, after working for a few moons, they would +make their fortunes, and be brought back in safety to their own island. + +"The natives are almost as black as ebony, but tall and well-formed, +wearing a broad wrapper of matting round their waists, and their hair +gathered up into a bunch at the top of the head, and ornamented with +feathers; while the women wear a curious tail, which hangs down behind +them to the calves of their legs. The men also wear bands of shells +round their necks and arms, and rings in their ears. + +"They seemed pretty contented when they came on board. The captain, by +the agent's desire, gave each of them a present to send to their friends +on shore. + +"`Mind you take good care of them, captain,' said old Sneezer, the name +we gave the black agent. `Be very kind, and bring them back all right.' + + +"`Ay, ay, never fear,' answered Captain Squid, and he winked at the old +fellow. `We know how to treat people properly aboard here if they +behave themselves.' + +"You would have supposed by their looks that they were going on a party +of pleasure, but they soon changed their note, poor wretches! before +long. + +"We got a good many people from the Island of Erromanga, where old +Sneezer was very useful. The natives, I had heard say, had murdered +some missionary fellows--Williams, and Harris, and others--and of course +it was but right, the captain observed, that we should punish them, so +we need not be in any way particular as to how we got hold of the +savages. Old Sneezer used to go on shore in the boat, and talk to them, +and persuade them to come off to us, and in this way we got about thirty +or so without much difficulty. He tried to persuade one fellow he found +fishing in his canoe off the leeside of the island, and as he said he +did not want to leave home, Sneezer lugged him into the boat, and then +sunk his canoe. He shrieked out, thinking he was going to be killed; +but we told him he need not be alarmed, as we were only going to steal +him. Another black fellow we found on the shore alone, but he would not +come either, because he had got a wife and family at home, so Sneezer, +without more ado, clapped his arms round him, and we hauled him into the +boat, telling him that we were only just going to another island near at +hand, for a short time, and that he would then have his liberty. + +"While pulling along the coast of another island in the boat, three men +came off to us in a canoe. Sneezer told them, as usual, the good luck +in store for them. Two of them believed him, and agreed to come with +us; the third jumped overboard. The mate struck out at him with the +boat-hook, hooking him in the cheek, and hauled him on board. `Now, my +lad, come with us,' says he, `whether you like it or no.' We soon had +them on board, and stowed away below. + +"We had now a full cargo; indeed, we could not well take in any more. +The black with a hole in his cheek, and some others, didn't quite like +the treatment they received, and the first, making his way on deck, +insisted on being put on shore again. He was at once knocked back into +the hold again; he tried to get up, followed by others, some of whom had +their bows and arrows, which they had been allowed to keep, it being +supposed that they could do no harm with them. They began to shoot +away, and a general fight took place in the hold, when the captain, +thinking the blacks would gain possession of the vessel, ordered us to +fire down upon them. The supercargo, who was, I'll allow, a precious +villain, afraid that some of them might be killed, and that he should +lose part of his cargo, though otherwise not caring for their lives, +told us to shoot them in their legs, but not to kill them. It was all +dark below, so that we could not see in what direction to fire. Some +cotton was therefore fastened to the end of a long stick, and lighted; +and when this was held down into the hold, we could take aim. Three +savages were shot, and, being hauled upon deck, were thrown overboard: +two who were dead floated quietly away, but the third was alive, and we +saw him striking out towards the distant shore; but he soon sank, for +either a shark got hold of him or his wound prevented him swimming +further. + +"After this we hove up the anchor, and making sail shaped a course for +Brisbane. We had to keep a sharp look out after our passengers, and +make them fast whenever they came on deck, for fear they should leap +overboard and drown themselves. When in sight of land we had a hard job +to keep them quiet, and generally found it more convenient to make them +stay below. + +"Had the passage been long we should probably have lost a good many of +them; but as it was, only three or four died, and we landed the rest in +tolerable condition. The captain said that they had all come on board +of their own free will; that if they had changed their minds since, that +was no fault of his. They were soon engaged by the colonists, who +wanted labour at any price. He had no difficulty, in consequence of the +favourable report he made, of again getting a licence, and without loss +of time we sailed on another cruise. + +"We had kept more to the eastward than usual, when it came on to blow +very hard, and we had to run before the gale out of our course a +considerable distance, the captain being very much vexed at this loss of +time. The gale had somewhat moderated, but it was still blowing hard +when we caught sight of a sail which, as we neared her, proved to be a +large double canoe, with twenty or more hands on board. The captain +thought she would prove a good prize, as we might sink her and carry off +the people, and no one be the wiser. She consisted of two large canoes, +so to speak, some way apart, but united by a strong deck placed upon +them. Through the deck were cut hatches, to enable the people to go +below into the canoes, and above the deck was a square house with a +platform on the top of it. As we drew near, intending to run her down +old Sneezer advised us to let her pass, as she belonged to Fiji, and as +he said the people would give us more trouble than they were worth, as +they were savage fellows, and would neither work in their own islands +nor in Australia, and would very likely murder their masters. We +accordingly let them go, and away she flew close hauled on a wind, +though the supercargo sighed, as he thought of letting so many +fine-looking fellows escape us. The gale ceasing, we hauled up, and +stood back for Erromanga. + +"Old Sneezer was as useful to us as before. On his first visit to the +shore he persuaded a dozen natives to come off, by telling them that he +had plenty of pigs on board for a feast they were about to hold. Very +fat pigs they were, according to his account, and plenty of tobacco, so +that they might smoke from morning till night to their hearts' content. +We took them off in our own boat not to alarm the rest, by having to +sink their canoe. When they got on deck they asked for the pigs and +tobacco. The only answer they got was finding themselves shoved down +below. They shrieked and cried out till the mate went among them with a +thick stick and made them quiet. + +"We were not quite so successful at the next haul. Sneezer got off six +fellows as he had the former ones; but they heard the others cry out +before we had them secured, and tried to escape. Three were knocked +down in time, but the other three leaped overboard and swam to the +shore. The captain sang out for a couple of muskets; one however was +not loaded, and the other would not go off, and the men escaped. +Knowing that we should get no more labourers there, we had to make sail +and run to another place. After this we got several quite quietly, and +they were induced to put their marks to the paper shown to them, and to +believe all that Sneezer said. + +"One day we pulled in to the shore a few miles south of Dillon's Bay, +where the surf ran too heavily to allow us to land, but Sneezer caught +sight of four men on the shore, and hailing them, said he was their +friend, and had plenty of tobacco to give them if they would come off +for it. They all swam out to us, when in our eagerness we caught hold +of two of them somewhat roughly, perhaps, and hauled them into the boat; +the others, taking the alarm, swam back and escaped. + +"You see in this trade, as in every other, we have our disappointments. + +"We had heard of the skipper of a trading schooner, who somehow or other +got on very well with the Erromangians by treating them kindly, I +suppose, and paying them what he promised. So says Sneezer, `I will +tell them Captain Tom has got a new vessel, and this is her, and that he +wishes to see them.' + +"On this Sneezer went on shore, and nearly two dozen natives came off to +see their friend Captain Tom. They were then told that he was in his +cabin, when they were easily persuaded to step quietly down below. As +may be supposed, we didn't let them come on deck again. What they +thought about the matter, or what their friends on shore thought about +it, I don't know; perhaps the next time Captain Tom touched at that port +they might not have been inclined to be so friendly with him as before; +it's just possible, indeed, that they might have knocked him on the head +without inquiring whether or not he had paid them a visit a short time +back, and carried off some of their people. + +"The natives we had last got began moaning and groaning, and cursing +their folly, because their chief, who was a Christian, had warned them +beforehand, and told them that he feared some trick might be played, not +liking the looks of the vessel. + +"In this way, we managed, as before, to complete our cargo, and to land +them all, with the exception of a few who died, at Brisbane. + +"We after this made several successful trips, and I should think the +colonists must have felt very grateful to us for the free labourers with +whom we supplied them. + +"There were a dozen vessels or more engaged in the same trade, the +supercargoes of which mostly managed matters in the same way we did; if +they did not they must have had great difficulty in collecting +labourers. + +"The `Pickle' had, however, run her course. After we had got most of +our cargo on board we were caught in a heavy gale, and had to batten +down the hatches to escape going to the bottom. Our passengers must +have found it tremendously hot, for the gale lasted several days, and +all that time we had to keep the hatches on. When it moderated a +little, and we went below to inspect our cargo, we found some had broken +their arms and others their legs, tumbling about in the hold, while a +dozen more were dead or dying. + +"Things were bad enough, but they were to become worse. The gale came +on again, and while we thought we were clear of the land the vessel +struck on a coral reef. The sea beat over it, and we held on to the +rigging, but scarcely was she on the other side, where it was tolerably +smooth, than we found the water rushing in through a hole which had been +knocked in her bottom. We had just time to get out the boat and jump +into her, when down the vessel went, with all those under hatches. + +"It is said that a good many of the labourers who leave their native +islands never get back again; this accident will account for a hundred +or more, and of course the authorities in Queensland were not answerable +for it. + +"We managed to save our lives, and were picked up by a Sydney vessel. + +"Having found the business profitable, I shipped on board another craft +engaged to take natives to the Fiji Islands, where labourers were much +wanted. + +"Having touched at several places, we called at the Kingsmill Islands. +Here we got a good many natives in one way or another. + +"We were about making sail, when in the evening a black fellow came +alongside in his canoe to sell mats and fowls. We persuaded him, as it +was late, to sleep on board. As the wind was pretty fresh, he willingly +agreed. Next morning he was somewhat surprised to find that the +schooner had got under way during the night, and he found himself one of +a gang of seventy men and fifteen women, whom we had secured, bound for +Fiji. The supercargo, to quiet him, told him that we were only going +across to another island close by, and would land him there. The others +we kept pretty peaceable by similar tricks, though they kept asking +somewhat anxiously, when they were to be put on shore. + +"At last we reached one of the many islands of the Fiji group. I had +never been there before; but I had heard that the people were terrible +cannibals. So they were till the missionaries persuaded the king and +his chiefs, and most of his subjects, to give up the practice. A +considerable number of white men have of late years settled on several +of the islands, and have bought land to grow coffee and other things. +They find a difficulty in getting the natives of Fiji to work for them, +so they have to obtain labourers from other islands, and this was the +work our schooner was engaged in. Our cargo was quickly distributed +among the planters, some taking ten, some twenty, or as many as they +could get. + +"The natives of Fiji are black and fine big fellows. They wear their +hair frizzled out, and big turbans on the top of all; some of them, +indeed, wear great wigs over their own hair, for the larger a man's head +is, the more important he thinks himself. This makes them look very +tall; indeed, many of the chiefs are very fine men. They also wear +ornaments of all sorts, necklaces, and rings, and beads round their legs +and arms, and they stick into their ears huge ornaments, while large +brooches hang down over their breasts. The common people, however, wear +very little clothing at all, and many of the chiefs who have turned +Christians, dress something after the English fashion, as they fancy; or +at all events, cover their bodies with robes of their native cloth. + +"I found a number of English and Frenchmen, and people of all countries +settled on the islands, and there are a good lot of grog shops, so that +they may be said to have made some progress in imitating civilised +people. In some of the wilder parts of the country, however, the +natives are still cannibals, and do not scruple to kill and eat any +strangers they can catch. Not long ago they were addicted to that +unpleasant custom, so that any strangers wrecked on their coasts were +sure to be eaten. When they could not get strangers they ate each +other; sometimes a dozen, and sometimes even twenty slaves, were killed +for one great feast. Altogether from what I heard of the people, I had +no fancy to stop and live among them. + +"I must say this much for the missionaries, that they have cured them of +their worst habit. At some of the villages I visited, where the +missionaries have been long established, the people were as quiet and +decent, and well-behaved as any I have been amongst; too much, as I must +own, to my taste. + +"They are capital swimmers, and seem as much at home in the water as on +land. The women swim as well as the men. At one village I stopped at, +where, though they had given up eating human flesh, they did not pretend +to be Christians, I saw a curious sort of game played by the girls. A +stout post was stuck in the water some way from the shore. On the top +of it was laid the trunk of a large cocoa-nut tree, the base resting +near the shore, and the tip projecting beyond the post over deep water. +The fun was for the girls to run up the inclined tree at full speed, and +then to leap off from the point and swim back to shore one after the +other, as fast as they could go. Twenty or thirty girls could play at +the game together, and such shouting, and shrieking, and laughing I +never heard. + +"However, as the vessel I had come in, the `Thisby,' was returning to +Australia, I went in her. + +"We got a few natives from the Kingsmill Islands, the New Hebrides, and +other places, and carried them to Brisbane. + +"Our skipper having landed them in good condition without difficulty, +got another licence to bring back a further cargo of fifty natives--for +the Government officer didn't think the vessel had room enough to carry +more. Our captain and supercargo, however, had a different notion on +the subject. + +"We managed to pick them up much as we had done others. Of course it +was the same to the natives whether they went to Queensland or Fiji. +Instead of fifty, by the clever management of our supercargo and +interpreter, we got altogether a hundred. The captain said it would +never do to return with so many to Brisbane, and hearing that there was +still a great demand for labour at the Fijis, we shaped a course for +those islands. The accommodation for our passengers was not altogether +such as civilised people would have liked. We had run up a number of +shelves round the hold on which they stowed themselves at night. They +were all stark naked, and they had no mats to lie on, but we could not +of course expect these savages to be over particular. + +"We had a dead beat to windward for the best part of a month, and by +that time our cargo, as may be supposed, hadn't much improved in +appearance. + +"As ill luck would have it, when we arrived off the port we were bound +for, what should we see but a man-of-war at anchor. As we were short of +provisions and water, we were compelled to run in and make the best of +it. Before long the captain of the man-of-war came on board, and not +only rated our skipper and supercargo for the condition the blacks were +in, but declaring that our papers were irregular, which it must be +confessed they were, landed the blacks and took possession of the craft. +I and the rest of the crew lost our wages, and had to go on shore again +and look out for ourselves. + +"I hadn't been there long before a fine brig came in with only a dozen +natives. The owner was on board, and he and the captain had had a +quarrel because the latter had refused to receive any passengers who did +not come of their own free will, and sign the agreement with a full +understanding of the meaning. The captain, who was, I thought, a fool +for his pains, had to give up the command, and two or three of the men +who were of his opinion, were landed with him. I having no such +scruples was glad enough to join her as second mate. Most of her crew +were either Sandwich Islanders or Tahitians. The owner having got +another master who was accustomed to the trade, we sailed to the +northward to visit a number of islands lying on either side of the line, +intending also to cruise about the New Hebrides and Solomon Islands, +where we hoped before long to get a full cargo. + +"The owner said his vessel would carry three hundred at least, and that +number he was determined to obtain. + +"I have told you before how the vessels engaged in this trade are +accustomed to pick up their cargo. Our owner was a man for dodges of +all sorts, and there was not a device he left untried to obtain men. At +one place he pretended that the brig was a sandal-wood trader, and +offered to give double the price which had ever been given before, +provided it could be brought on board the next day. His hope was that a +number of natives would go and cut it, and that each man would come back +with the result of his labour. He was not disappointed. The next +morning we had a score of canoes alongside. He would only let one man +at a time come on deck, and as soon as he appeared he was invited below +to receive payment. The first two or three who came received even +double what the owner had promised, and were allowed to return to their +canoes. This made all the rest eager to come up, and as soon as they +had gone below they were gagged and pinioned, and passed into the hold. +By this means we got sixty men, even the very last not suspecting the +trick that had been played. The first three were also enticed on board, +supposing that their companions were receiving even more than they had. +We towed the canoes out to sea, where we sank them, and continued our +voyage. + +"When we approached a place where Christian natives were to be found, we +hoisted a missionary flag, and the interpreter going on shore told the +people that one of their dear missionaries was on board, when a number +eagerly came off to visit him, and were somewhat surprised when they +found themselves handed down into the hold. + +"This dodge answered so well that we tried it several times, generally +with the same success. The owner having heard that a bishop, or a man +of that sort, who wears a long gown and preaches, was in the habit of +visiting many of the islands, determined to find out where he had most +friends, hoping, by a dodge he had thought of, to make a grand haul. He +had had a coat and hat made which he said was just like the bishop's, +and another for the interpreter. Rigged in these they went one day on +shore, and began preaching to the natives who collected round in great +numbers. What they said I don't know, it must have been something +curious, I fancy; but the savages who had never had a visit from the +bishop before, though they had heard of him it seemed, were mightily +pleased. Some wanted to come off at once, but the owner replied that he +should be happy to see as many as chose to visit him next morning, and +that he had a number of things he should like to give them. + +"Pretty nearly a hundred came alongside the next morning in their +canoes; the difficulty, however, was to secure them. At last the +interpreter thought of a plan. He told them that the bishop was sick in +his cabin and that he could only see three or four at a time; but that +there were praying men in another part of the vessel who would be happy +afterwards to talk to them. By this means, a few at a time being got +below, the greater number were secured. At last the remainder began to +grow suspicious, and one of those below shouting out, they made a rush +to the side, and leaped overboard. A few were secured, but several made +their escape, when the owner ordered us to fire on them. Several were +hit and sank, but the rest reached the shore, thinking, I have no doubt, +that it was an odd way for a bishop to treat them, and vowing that the +next time they caught sight of him they would make him sorry for what he +had done. + +"We played a trick like this at several other places, but, as the bishop +was known, the interpreter, rigged as a parson, going on shore, told the +people that the bishop was ill on board, but would still be very glad to +see them if they would come off and pay him a visit. + +"By this and all sorts of other means we at last got a full cargo of +between two and three hundred people. + +"It seemed to me that we had a pretty large cargo already, but falling +in with another vessel belonging to our owner, he took out of her sixty +or seventy natives, and sent her to collect more, while we continued our +voyage. + +"Among the natives we had received on board were three young fellows +from the island of Anietium, the most northern of the New Hebrides, +which I once before had visited to get a cargo of sandal-wood. I +remembered making friends with one of the natives, a lad, and having +given him several articles, of no great value to myself I must own, +though they pleased him mightily. Of the three we had now caught, two +were perfect young savages, with their hair frizzled out, and sticking +up at the top of their heads in a curious fashion, and big ear-rings in +their ears, though with no clothing on, except round their waists. The +other was clad in shirt and trousers. I saw him looking at me, and +presently he put out his hand, and, taking mine, spoke to me in English, +and I found that he was the very lad I had before known. He had been to +New Zealand in the meantime, and had become a sort of missionary to his +countrymen. I told him I would do my best to help him while on board. +He said he didn't mind labouring, but thought it was his duty to remain +at his island to try to make the people Christians. The owner only +laughed at him, but remarked to me that if he had known he spoke +English, he would have let him alone, as he might be telling tales to +the authorities. + +"We were somewhat overcrowded, as may be supposed. It was bad enough +for the savages, but worse for a man who had seen something of civilised +life. I took my friend food, and let him remain on deck during my +watch, as he promised me that he would not leap overboard. + +"We were delayed by calms, and one day we drifted in close to the island +of Poru. How the blacks knew where we were I don't know, but somehow or +other they found out that we were near the shore, and, without a +moment's warning, they managed to lift off the hatches, and up they came +swarming on deck, with all sorts of things they had got hold of in their +hands. The owner and captain rushed out of the cabin, crying out to the +crew to assist them, and drive the savages down below again. I was at +the time at the bowsprit end at some work or other, and my missionary +friend was in the bows. Just as I looked round on hearing the noise, I +saw the owner and captain knocked down, and in a moment their heads were +almost cut off, and they were hove overboard. The first mate had come +up with his revolver, fighting for his life, and shooting the natives as +fast as he could right and left. By chance he had shot one of the crew +who had gone to his assistance, and the next instant he himself was +knocked down, and treated as the captain and owner had been. I had been +making my way into the bows to assist them, when my friend Maka seized +me by the arm, and dragged me down the fore hatchway. + +"`Their blood is up now,' he whispered. `Stay quiet till they cool +down, and I will save your life.' + +"I followed his advice, and he stowed me away under a heap of clothes in +the foremost bunk. + +"The native part of the crew didn't join the blacks, but I can't say +that they seemed to me to be doing much to help the owner and white men. + +"A strong breeze had sprung up off the land, which I guessed the vessel +was fast leaving. I had been hid away some time, when I felt as if I +was suffocating; and unable to bear it longer, I threw off the things +above me, and found that the fore peak was filled with smoke. I at once +knew that the vessel was on fire. I was nearly dropping back, when I +felt a hand seize me, though I could see nothing for the smoke, and I +heard Maka's voice, saying, `Come on deck, I will save your life.' He +dragged me up, and I sat down for a moment on the heel of the bowsprit. +Smoke was coming up through the hatchways, and flames were already +bursting out in the after part of the vessel. The blacks, seized with +terror, without stopping to get hold of anything to support themselves, +were leaping overboard, and striking out for the far-distant land. I +never before saw such a sight, three hundred of them in the water +together. It seemed to me that they would have very little chance of +ever reaching the shore, but their only thought was to get away from the +burning ship. + +"Maka had an axe in his hand, he put another into mine, and we set to +work to cut away whatever would serve to form a raft. We got hold of +several spars and ropes; we had little time to spare, for we expected +every moment to have the flames burst out beneath our feet. We at last +got our raft overboard. Maka had secured some meal and a small keg of +water. We had just time to lash ourselves to the raft, when the flames +burst out forward, and the ship was on fire fore and aft. + +"By this time we could just distinguish a dark line in the water, which +marked where the blacks were making their way towards the land. + +"`Poor fellows,' said Maka. `Very few swim so far.' + +"Our case was bad enough, for even with a couple of paddles, which we +managed to make while on the raft, out of some spars we had brought for +the purpose, we could scarcely hope, with the breeze against us, to +reach the shore. Our water and provisions would not hold out long, and +no vessel was likely to come near us. + +"It was near evening when the fire broke out. The sun went down, but +the flames of the burning vessel lighted up the ocean around us, and +then the full moon rose, and seemed to cheer us up a little. + +"Maka talked to me about my soul, for he didn't seem to think that we +should have much chance of escaping with our lives; but I begged that he +would not put gloomy thoughts into my mind. He sat and talked on; the +truth is, however, I couldn't understand what he was talking about, it +was all so new to me. + +"Towards morning the vessel burned to the water's edge, and then the sea +rushing in, down she went, and we lay floating, with only the light of +the moon to cheer us. + +"When the sun rose I found that we had drifted still further from the +land, which was no longer in sight. + +"It is not pleasant to think of the time I spent on that raft. Several +days went by, and we consumed all our meal and water. I thought I +should die, and at last was more dead than alive. I lay on my back with +my eyes shut, and a piece of wood under my head which Maka had put there +to prevent the water washing over me, while he sat up by my side singing +hymns, and keeping up his spirits in a way I could not have supposed +possible. + +"While I thus lay I heard him give a shout, and he helped me to sit up. +I saw the land which I didn't suppose we were near, and a canoe with +four natives close to us. I suppose they were Christians, for instead +of knocking us on the head, they took Maka and me on board, and welcomed +him as a friend, giving us food and treating us very kindly in their +village, to which they carried us. We there heard that of all the +savages which had been on board the brig, only thirty had reached the +shore. It's a wonder that even they managed to do it, considering the +distance. The rest had been drowned, or picked off by the sharks. + +"I had had enough of carrying labourers to work for the planters of +Queensland or Fiji--kidnapping, I fancy you call it; and so I determined +to remain where I was. However, as the customs of the Christian natives +didn't quite suit me, I came away here, where I took a wife and settled, +and intend to remain for the rest of my days. I am too old to knock +about at sea as I used to do. Maka went back in a missionary vessel to +his native island to labour on, as he told me, and try and make the +people Christians. I hope he will succeed if he wishes it, for he is an +honest fellow, I'll say that for him." + +The old fellow thus brought his yarn to a close. I am able to +corroborate most of his statements, observed my young friend, for we +visited many of the places he speaks of, and from the information we +received I am convinced that he in no way overdraws the atrocious +practices of many of the sandal-wood traders, or fellows engaged in +kidnapping the natives of the Pacific Islands. The villainous doings of +the African slave trade is an old story and known to all, but as far as +I can judge they do not surpass those of the kidnappers of the Pacific +at the present day. In the one case the white men merely received +slaves captured by their own countrymen, and conveyed them across to the +American coast; but in the Pacific we find white men, in some instances, +depopulating whole islands, and capturing indiscriminately by fraud or +violence, the natives of others, although nominally to labour as free +men, yet in reality to be reduced to a condition little superior to real +bondage. + +After I had heard old Ringdon's narrative, I felt more anxious than ever +to get hold of some of these kidnapping gentlemen. When, three days +afterwards, the ship standing in took me and the boat's crew off, and I +told the captain what I had heard, he sent to try to induce Ringdon to +come on board, and give further information which might help us in +capturing some of his former acquaintances, but the old fellow was not +to be moved. Indeed, I suspect that should he have the opportunity, he +would be very willing, for a sufficient consideration, to act as agent +to any kidnapping skipper who might think fit to employ him. + +I might mention several naval officers as well as consuls, missionaries, +and respectable merchants at Sydney, Brisbane, and elsewhere, who would +acknowledge that the main features of the account I have given are +perfectly true, however much they might be inclined to doubt the word in +ordinary matters of the old seaman who gave them to me. + +It should be clearly understood that old Ringdon's narrative refers to +times gone by. The Governments of Queensland and the Fiji Islands, now +annexed to England have passed enactments for the prevention of the +atrocious proceedings he describes. At the same time, as there are +numerous lawless white men living on the heathen islands of the Pacific +similar in character to Ringdon who would be ready to ill-treat the +helpless natives if they should have the opportunity, it is important +for the cause of humanity that men-of-war should continually cruise +among them to preserve order and to punish delinquents. + +The End. + + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's Kidnapping in the Pacific, by W.H.G. Kingston + +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 40691 *** |