H.M.S. ROSARIO
As we pulled up alongside we saw her bulwarks forward crowded with the
blue-jackets. The Captain's quick eye, which nothing escaped, detected
among them the bronzed faces of Dan Gardiner and another trader whom he
had left at Providence Island.
"She's come to take me, sure enough," he said to me. "The moment I
looked at those two fellows they dropped back out of sight. Never mind,
come aboard and I'll see it through."
As soon as we gained the deck he advanced towards a group of officers
standing on the quarter-deck, and, raising his hat, said, "Good morning,
gentlemen. I am Captain Hayston of the brig _Leonora_, cast away on this
island in the earlier part of the year."
There was a moment's silence; then a tall man, the captain of the
cruiser, stepped out from the others, surveyed Hayston from head to
foot, and said, "Oh, ah, indeed! then you are the very man I am looking
for. This is Her Majesty's ship _Rosario_, and you are a prisoner, Mr.
Hayston!"
Hayston simply bowed and said nothing, retiring to the port side, where
he was placed under the charge of the sergeant-major of marines, who, as
also all others on board, looked with intense curiosity at the man of
whose doings they had heard so much in their cruises in the Pacific
Ocean.
The man-of-war captain then demanded my name, after which I was
considerably staggered by the announcement that he had instructions to
apprehend me on the charge of stealing the ketch _E. A. Wilson_, the
property of Messrs. Miller and Warne of Samoa.
Hayston at once came forward, and, addressing the captain, said that I
had simply brought that vessel to him at Millé, and could produce
written instructions from the owners to hand the vessel over to him. To
this no answer was returned, and silence was maintained, for the
_Rosario_ was now entering the passage, and so interested was I at the
novel surroundings of a man-of-war under steam, and so lost in
admiration of the perfect discipline on board, that for the time being I
forgot that the Captain of the _Leonora_ was a prisoner, and that I was
also apprehended on a serious charge.
Slowly and gracefully the great ship steamed through the passage, and
brought up within a cable's length of the king's wharf, where the anchor
plunged below to its resting-place on the coral bottom. No sooner had
the man-of-war come to anchor than Mr. Morland and the native
missionary, who followed him like a shadow, came on board, and were
received by Her Majesty's representative. A consultation took place,
after which I was separated from my companion, and, without being able
to exchange a word of farewell, was hurried down to the gun-room. As I
placed my foot on the ladder leading to the "'tween decks" I turned. He
waved his hand to me in farewell. _We never met again!_
While I was detained in the gun-room a midshipman told me that Captain
Hayston had been permitted to go on shore, under the charge of an
officer, to collect his personal effects and write letters, as he had
been informed that I would not be permitted to have any further
communication with him.
The midshipman said that Mr. Morland had seemed surprised at Captain
Hayston's not being put in irons, and was at that moment collecting
evidence in order to formulate a series of charges against him before
the captain of the _Rosario_. My informant added, "If Captain Hayston is
such a blood-thirsty ruffian as he is described to be he certainly shows
no indication of it."
Several of the warrant officers now gathered around and pressed me with
questions concerning Hayston. One of them jocularly inquired where the
Captain's harem was located, adding that it was a pity to separate him
from them, and that there was plenty of room on board the _Rosario_ for
ladies.
I was burning with anxiety to know on what particular charge Hayston had
been arrested, and how the captain of the _Rosario_ had heard of the
loss of the _Leonora_. They told me then that the _Rosario_ had been
searching for Hayston for some time, under instructions from the
Commodore of the Australian Station, to whom representations had been
made concerning alleged depredations committed by him (Hayston) in the
Line Islands. The _Rosario_ had visited a number of islands, and
endeavoured to obtain evidence against Hayston, but that it had resulted
in a failure, nearly every one, when it came to the point, declining to
make any statement against him. The captain of the man-of-war then
decided to proceed to Arrecifos, or Providence Island, which he knew to
be one of Hayston's depôts. On arrival he learned from the two white men
there that so long an interval had passed since his last visit that they
fancied that the _Leonora_ had been lost.
These two men were taken on board, and the _Rosario_ made for Strong's
Island. When within 400 miles she met the little _Matautu_, who
signalled a wish to speak. As soon as Captain Warner boarded the
man-of-war he informed the commander of the loss of the _Leonora_, and
of Hayston's presence on the island. He also handed in several written
charges made by himself against Hayston, and, as well as I can remember
from what I was told, was about to return to his schooner when the
_Morning Star_ hove in sight.
On board of the missionary brig was Mr. Morland, and a consultation then
took place between the two captains and this gentleman, who was, of
course, delighted to hear of the loss of the _Leonora_, and that Captain
Hayston was to be taken prisoner.
The _Matautu_ then bore away on her course, and the _Morning Star_,
after landing Mr. Morland at the weather side of the island, went on her
way, leaving him ashore, perfectly assured of his own safety and the
immediate presence of the _Rosario_ in Chabral harbour.
I could now understand the hints given me by the queen, as well as the
expression of triumph on the faces of the missionaries as they returned
from their interview with the king.
Presently an officer came down and asked me if I wished to obtain my
effects from the shore. I at once sent a message to Kusis to bring me a
small chest, in which were my worldly goods, as well as my power of
attorney and letters of instructions from former employers in Samoa. I
was going to make inquiries about Hayston, when the officer requested me
kindly enough not to ask him questions, as he could give me no
information. He told me, however, that the captain of the _Rosario_ was
at that moment engaged in hearing charges against Hayston made by the
king, Mr. Morland, and two or three of the traders from Pleasant Island.
Also that some of the crew of the _Leonora_ had been induced to come
forward and make statements. I also learned that Hayston had been taken
to South harbour in charge of an officer, for what purpose I could never
learn, unless it was to give him an opportunity of escaping, as he could
easily have written his letters in the king's house.
Two of the boats' crews were piped away, and I was told by an old
quarter-master, with a humorous grin, that some of the officers had gone
away in the boats to South harbour to have a look at the "pirate's
village, and bring away the unfortunate female captives." All this time
I was kept in close confinement, and the time passed wearily away. I was
growing tired of the ceaseless questions from every one that came near
me about Hayston, the _Leonora_, and our voyage from the Carolines till
the brig was cast away.
At night, however, the boats returned, and after the crews had been
piped down to supper the good old sergeant-major of marines, suspecting
the anxiety I was in as to Hayston's movements, startled me by telling
me that he had escaped from custody when at South Island harbour.
He told me that as soon as the boat reached the village they found the
place in a state of wildest confusion. A messenger had come down along
the coast and told the Captain's people that a man-of-war was at Lêlé,
and that Captain Hayston had been taken prisoner, put in irons, and was
to be shot or hanged at once. A number of Strong's Island natives
followed the man-of-war boats down from Chabral harbour, and these at
once attempted to rush and ransack the station, which they were only
prevented from doing by the presence of the blue-jackets.
Hayston was escorted to his station, where he was at once surrounded by
the girls belonging to the house and many others, among them being the
carpenter's, steward's, boatswain's, and Antonio's wives--all clinging
to him and impeding his movements.
Calling them all together, with such others of the natives as had not
fled from the village at the sight of the blue-jackets, he told them
that they need not be under any alarm, that he was going away in the
man-of-war, and might not return for a long time--perhaps many moons,
but that the supercargo, Hilary Telfer, would be with them shortly, and
they must be guided by him. Of course the Captain never for a minute
imagined that I was then under the closest surveillance, and therefore
would be utterly powerless to carry out his promises made to them.
He then quietly seated himself, and wrote a quantity of letters to his
agents in the different islands in the Line and Marshall groups. These
letters he directed and enclosed to me, together with a power of
attorney which he had previously drawn up, and a letter of
instructions--all of which he laid on the table.
He then told his captors that he was ready to return with them, when
(according to the statement made by the marines on their return to Lêlé)
he suddenly exerted his vast strength, and knocking several of them
down, sprang into the sea and gained the mangroves on the opposite side
of the harbour.
On my inquiring from the marine officer why he had not been pursued,
that gentleman winked at me, and replied, "No orders, my boy, no orders;
besides he swam like a beaver, and to search the mangroves for one man
would take a month of Sundays." Thinking the matter over, I came to the
conclusion that for some reason I could not fathom, the captain of the
man-of-war was not particularly anxious to keep Hayston a prisoner,
though I had heard him declare to Mr. Morland that the naval authorities
would at last rid the Pacific of this man, who was a source of terror
and dread from New Zealand to the China Seas.
When the boats returned from Utwé they brought up the man Jansen, whom
Hayston had beaten and disgraced. He called himself, and was recognised
by the captain of the _Rosario_ as the chief officer of the _Leonora_,
although he had long since lost his position on account of his rascally
conduct. He seemed brimful of evidence as to Hayston's misdeeds, and I
was afterwards informed that when brought into the ward-room of the
man-of-war the officers expected to have some thrilling stories of
rapine and bloodshed. However, they were disappointed, as his evidence
was little more than confirmatory of that of Captain Warner of the
_Matautu_, in reference to the taking of some gear from the brig
_Kamehameha the Fourth_.
Mr. Morland and Likiak Sâ appeared to be the leading spirits in
obtaining charges against the absent Hayston, for the commander of the
man-of-war was strictly neutral, and certainly not furiously indignant
at his escape. They succeeded in obtaining his approval of the
appointment of Jansen to take charge of the people and the station,
under the supervision of King Tokusar, at Utwé. It was at this juncture
that the letters written by Hayston to his agents, as well as the power
of attorney and letters of instruction to me, were produced by Mr.
Morland. How they came to be in that gentleman's hands I do not know. A
rough draft was made by him for the king's perusal, he said, and the
originals were then brought to me by one of the lieutenants, who also
handed me a bundle of papers which he said had been brought on board by
a native.
These papers were my power of attorney, to hand over the ketch _E. A.
Wilson_ to Captain Hayston, and also a letter of instructions in
reference to the crew--copies of which the reader has already seen.
Feeling confident that I had but to show these documents to Commander
Dupont to insure an interview and my instant release, I requested to be
ushered into the autocrat's presence. The Reverend Mr. Morland was
present, and greeted me with such a smile of active benevolence that I
longed to kick him.
When I presented the letter to Captain Dupont I was considerably
surprised when he denounced them as forgeries, calling me at the same
time a d--d piratical scoundrel and accomplished young villain, adding
that my cruel behaviour in aiding and abetting Hayston in his villainies
made him regret that he could not run me up to the yardarm as a
warning. He finished this tirade by tearing up my papers and throwing
them at me. Calling the sergeant of marines, he ordered me put in irons,
from which, however, I was released before the _Rosario_ put to sea.
Early next morning, much to my relief, there appeared on board the black
shining face of Johnny Tilton, the young negro, who among others of the
crew had been brought away from Utwé, in one of the man-of-war boats.
Johnny, with his shipmates, was taken below and examined by the captain
and Mr. Morland. But as there was nothing against him personally or the
Fijian half-caste Bill, they were permitted to return ashore. Before
leaving, Johnny requested to be allowed to see me, which was granted.
The moment I saw his face I knew he had something of importance to tell
me, for looking at the marine standing sentry over me, he said in
Samoan, "Le--alu ua sola i te po" (the Captain escaped in the night).
"Yes!" I replied, "I know that already."
"Ah! but I mean that he has taken the small boat and gone away
altogether. Listen, I'll tell you all about it. After the man-of-war
boats had gone away from Utwé, and the Captain had escaped into the
mangroves, a number of the Strong's islanders came down and said they
were going to loot the place. Then the king sent down word that the
captain of the man-of-war had declared that the station now belonged to
him (the king), and that he could do what he liked with the place. The
king forbade any of the people to go into the Captain's house till
Jansen came down with Likiak Sâ, as these two had been appointed by the
king and Mr. Morland to take charge. Well, there was a lot of us ran
away into the mountains at the very first when we heard the Captain was
taken prisoner. Bill Hicks and I were among them, also boy George and
Sunday. Before we left I went to the Captain's house and told the girls
that we were running away, and our wives were coming with us, and asked
them what they intended to do. Old Mary said she would wait and see
first if it were true about the Captain being taken prisoner.
"All the young women, too, though they were very frightened, said they
would stay. I got Hope Island Nellie to give me three Winchester rifles
and a bag of cartridges from the back of the big house. I cut a hole
through the side of the Captain's sleeping-place, and Nellie passed the
rifles out to me quietly. I told Nellie that we were going to hide in
the mountains till we saw whether the man-of-war wanted to catch us as
well as the Captain. If not we would return to Utwé.
"I took the rifles and wrapped them up in a long mat, and went down to
the lagoon, where I found a canoe and took it. Bill and the others were
waiting for me; they told me that the man-of-war boats were coming into
the harbour, and that the Captain was in one of them; we watched them
carefully and saw them go out of the harbour. Then Bill began to talk
against the Captain, and said he would be glad if he were shot. He asked
me if I was willing to make a dash into the village and help him to
bring away Nellie and Sara, as if the Captain was taken away in the
man-of-war he was going to have them for himself.
"I told him that until Captain Hayston was taken away or dead that I
intended to stick to him. So we nearly had a fight over it. Then Bill
said all of a sudden that he intended to have Sara and Nellie, right or
wrong. And as he had nothing to fear from the man-of-war, he would try
if he couldn't fool the captain, and pretend he could tell him all about
Captain Hayston robbing Captain Daly's station on the Line Islands.
"I told him I was not going to turn dog on the Captain, and he might do
his dirty work himself.
"So off he went, and we saw him cross over in a canoe to young Harry's
place, and knew he was going along the beach to Chabral harbour. Then I
talked to the others, and asked them what we ought to do, for I was
afraid we would not see the Captain any more. Boy George laughed, and
said he didn't care, but he meant to be beforehand with Bill and run off
with Sara; that if I had any sense I would run off with Nellie, and let
the other girls go adrift. He said we could easily live in the mountains
till the man-of-war was gone, and then go back to Utwé. But I said I
wouldn't do that, and that they would find that Sara would fight like a
wild cat if boy George or any one else tried to take her away.
"Boy George then said if she wouldn't come he would put a bullet through
her, and take Mila or Nellie instead. So then we had a row; he called me
a black thief and said I could go to h--l. He and the others cleared out
and left me alone.
"It was then very dark, and as everything seemed quiet, I walked across
the coral and got into the house on the point where some Strong's Island
people live, the one you were brought to when you were washed ashore.
The man and his wife Nadup were frightened at first; but they were good
to me, and gave me food, and then they told me Jansen was in charge of
the station; that the Pleasant islanders were fled into the bush, and
that the girls in the big house had run away when they saw him coming to
them, drunk, with a loaded rifle in his hand.
"Only Nellie and little Kitty and Toby stayed behind. Nellie had a
Winchester rifle and pointed it at Jansen, who was afraid to come into
the house. Then she, Kitty, and the little boy collected as many of the
Captain's things as they could carry, and taking a canoe, put out to
sea, intending to paddle round to Mout, where they thought they would
find you, who would tell them all about the Captain, and whether he was
killed or not.
"But, after they had gone four or five miles, the outrigger came off
and the canoe capsized. They swam ashore and then walked back to Utwé,
where they were told by some natives that you were also a prisoner on
board the man-of-war. And the last that had been seen of Nellie, Kitty,
and the boy, was that they started to walk to Chabral harbour to try and
see the captain of the man-of-war, as they were afraid that Jansen would
kill them.
"Well," continued Black Johnny, "when I heard that you were also a
prisoner I thought I would run away into the bush again, as I knew
Jansen would put a bullet into me whenever he saw me if I did not get
first shot. Just as I was thinking very hard what I should do, I heard
some one walking on the broken coral outside the house. I knew the
footstep; it was the Captain! I crept outside, and saw him standing up
leaning against a stone wall. He had two pistols in his sash and a
Winchester rifle in his hand. He seemed to be considering. I whistled
softly, and then spoke. He shook hands with me, and then raised his
rifle and pointed it at the head of the Strong's islander, who, with his
wife Nadup, had followed me. They ran outside and threw themselves on
the ground, and grovelled in the way they do to old Tokusar, and swore
they would not tell that the Captain had come back.
"We then had a hasty talk, and I told him about you being a prisoner.
But he said you would soon be set free again and would return to Utwé,
and I must stick to you and help to keep order; that after the
man-of-war had gone he would come back again. When I told him that the
station was broken up, and that Jansen was in charge of thirty Strong's
islanders, and that the girls had run away, he said it was a bad case,
and, picking up his rifle, he asked me where Jansen was sleeping. I saw
what he meant to do, and begged him to let things be as they were, and
not kill Jansen while the man-of-war was here.
"So he thought awhile, and then said if he could find a boat he would
get away, as he didn't think the man-of-war would follow him. By and by
he would come back again, when he hoped to find you and me here all
safe.
"The Strong's Island women then told us that the dingey had been brought
down from Chabral harbour by Jansen, and was then lying outside the
coral at anchor. 'She'll do,' said the Captain; 'lend me a hand, and
we'll bring her ashore.' But I made him lie quiet while I went for her;
and I can tell you I was in a terrible funk all the time about sharks as
soon as I began to swim out. Anyway I brought her in all right; and then
the man and his wife brought a lot of cocoa-nuts and cooked food, and
put it into the boat. I gave the Captain all the cartridges I had. He
told me that he got the pistols from the place in the bush that you know
of, and the rifle from young Harry, and that everything else there was
all right."
By this I knew that Hayston had visited a place in the bush where he had
secreted his bags of money, besides firearms and ammunition.
Going on with his talk the young negro said, "When everything was ready
the Captain told me he meant to sail round the lee side of the island,
and hide the boat in the mangroves till the man-of-war had gone, and
then he would return and wipe out Jansen and the traders.
"He told me, though (for he felt sure of your being set free again),
that if it so happened that he did not return in ten days you would know
that he had cleared out towards the north-west, and would try to reach
the Pelew Islands. He said if he reached there he would soon get a
vessel, as there were always plenty of small Spanish schooners about
those islands, and he could easily put his hand on one or two people in
the Pelews who would help him to take one. I asked him what we should do
if, when we came back to Utwé, you found that Jansen was too strong for
us? He said we should make no attempt to take forcible possession, but
go and live with your people at Mout. That as soon as the girls knew
where we were they would be certain to come to us with little Kitty and
Toby. That we must wait till he returned, as he would never desert us.
"Then," said Johnny, whose glistening eyes showed how deeply attached he
was to his Captain, "the poor fellow! he shook hands with me, and said I
was made of the right stuff, and that the Almighty made a mistake when
he gave me a black skin. Then, telling me to keep a stout heart, he got
in and hoisted the sail. It was very dark, but there was a good
land-breeze, and he sailed the dingey right along the edge of the reef
till he came to the passage, and disappeared in the darkness. I ran
across the strip of land on the sea-side of the lagoon and waited till I
saw him pass.
"In about half-an-hour I saw the little boat sailing along close into
the shore, just outside of the breakers, rising and falling like a
sea-gull on the top of the heavy seas. I could see the Captain's figure
in the stern, and every moment expected to see her lifted high up on a
roller and dashed on the reef. But though I shouted to him to keep
farther out, the white figure in the stern never moved, and my voice was
lost in the roaring of the surf.
"Then, as I saw him still keeping steady to the southward, just clear of
the last sweep of the seas before they curled and broke on the reef, I
remembered that only a few cables' lengths from the breakers there was
always a strong current setting to the north, and that with a light
breeze the boat would never stem it. That was why he hugged the shore so
closely. At last, as I kept running through the undergrowth following
the boat, I came to that place where there is a thick cane scrub. When I
got through it he was nearly out of sight, and I sat on a boulder and
watched the sail gradually covered up by the night."
Such, in effect, was the young negro's story. I could not help being
affected by his evident sorrow, and told him that I feared there was no
chance of me at least ever seeing the Captain again. Then, when the time
came to part, I shook his hand warmly, and advised him to sever his
connection with the _Leonora's_ crew; also to go and see the king, who
would not, at any rate, object to his remaining on the island to follow
out the Captain's wishes as far as lay in his power.
Soon after Black Johnny had bid me good-bye young Harry came to say
farewell, and with him Kusis and his family, and Lalia.
Harry told me that he saw the Captain after his escape, and urged him
not to think of returning to Utwé just then, as Jansen had a strong
force of natives with him, and would certainly try to take or shoot him.
But he was determined to find out how matters stood, and bidding Harry
good-bye, set out across the mangrove swamp that lined the shore from
Harry's station to the village at Utwé. He gave him the Winchester and
cartridges, and the Captain assured him that he would not fire a shot
except in self-defence.
I told Harry what I had learned from the young negro about the Captain's
final movements, and that I was being taken away as a prisoner. He
seemed very bitter against the other traders, whom he spoke of as
trembling like whipped hounds before the Captain's frown when he was
free, and who now, when he was a ruined and broken man, were loud in
their threats and vapourings.
He also told me that he had received a letter from the king and Mr.
Morland, commanding him to deliver up to Jansen all oil, casks, boats,
and other property in his possession belonging to Captain Hayston, and
threatening him with deportation from the island if he refused. To this
he sent a written reply to the effect, that unless the king and Mr.
Morland could back up their demand by a boat's crew from the
man-of-war, he would shoot the first man who stepped inside his fence.
They then appealed to Commander Dupont, who told them that as young
Harry was an American citizen, he could not force him to give up the
property, but advised the king and Mr. Morland to take the law into
their own hands.
Young Harry then armed his wives and native servants with rifles, and
telling them to make short work of any one attempting to seize Captain
Hayston's property, set out for Chabral harbour to interview the king.
He told me that when he reached the king's house he found there the
other traders, Mr. Morland, and the commander of the man-of-war. On the
latter gentleman inquiring who he was, and what he wanted, Harry
answered him very concisely by furnishing his name and nationality. He
then stated that he had not come to see him (Commander Dupont), but the
king, of whom he wished to ask by what right he dared to send him a
letter threatening him with deportation from the island unless he
consented to give up Captain Hayston's property. He warned him to be
careful how he interfered with an American citizen, as there was an
American cruiser now in the Caroline Islands. He (the king) would find
he had made a serious mistake if he committed any outrage upon a citizen
of the United States.
"You should have seen the look in the British officer's face," said
Harry, "when I stepped up to the old king, and nearly touching his face
with my hand, said, 'and I warn you, king, that the captain of an
American cruiser will listen to the tale and redress the wrongs of the
honest American citizen. He would think little of knocking your town
about your ears.'"
The old king never spoke, but glanced first towards the British officer
and then to the missionary, but as neither of them offered suggestions,
the poor old fellow could only mutter something to the effect that he
was like a little fish in a pool, afraid of the sea because of the
bigger fish, and afraid to stay lest the frigate birds should seize him.
Young Harry quite enjoyed relating the scene to me, and said that as he
was going away the king held out his hand and inquired in a shaky voice,
"I say, Harry, what you tink, what you do? Suppose Captain Hayston come
back, what become of King Tokusar? Oh! by God! now I be 'fraid every
day; think I hear Captain Hayston speak me; make noise like bullock; I
think better be poor native, no more king."
Harry refused to advise the king, and then taking a good look at the
white men present, said, "Well, good-bye, King Tokusar! I am going back
to my station--the station I am minding for Captain Hayston. I have six
men and four women all armed, and the American flag on a pole in front
of my door; and the first man that attempts to do me any mischief,
white, black, or yellow, _I'll shoot him_. You can ask the white men
from Pleasant Island if I am not a man of my word. They know me."
Harry then got into his boat and pulled on board the man-of-war, where
the first lieutenant very kindly allowed him to see me. I felt sincere
regret at parting with Harry, telling him to beware of the other
traders. I repeated what had been told me by Kitty of Ebon and Lalia.
He laughed, and said he was always prepared, and meant to do justice to
the trust reposed in him by Captain Hayston. "I'm the wrong man," he
said on leaving, "to abandon any station and property left in my
charge." Then, with oft-repeated wishes that we might meet again, after
hearing of the Captain's safety we parted.
Then came again good simple Kusis and his people with Lalia. She had
in charge little Kitty and Toby. Poor Toby clung to my legs and sobbed
as if his heart was breaking, when I told him that I did not know when
the Captain would come back again. If no one else loved his master Toby
did, and I tried in vain to assuage his grief. I was glad to hear from
Lalia that she was going to young Harry's place with the two
children. There I knew they would be well treated and cared for.
"Look!" said she, pointing to the little fellow, "the Captain had two
good friends besides yourself, young Harry, and the nigger Johnny, but
this little fellow has never ceased crying for 'Captin' since he left
the village in South harbour. Never mind, little Toby, we will wait and
the 'Captin' will be sure to come;" and then she stooped down, and tried
by kissing and coaxing to prevent him from giving utterance to his
doleful wails and sobs of grief.
Lalia told me, as with glistening eyes and trembling hands we said
farewell, that her one hope now was to be able to get back to her
distant home on Easter Island, that Captain Hayston would return with a
ship; and, if he went towards Samoa or Tahiti, take her with him for
that portion of the many thousand miles that lay between Strong's Island
and her native land. That he would do this she felt confident. "For,"
she said, "he once told me that he would stand by me if I was in
trouble--it was when we were all washed ashore together--you remember?
_and he never breaks his word_."
Whatever Lalia's past life had been, I could never help admiring her
many noble traits of character. I owed her life-long gratitude for her
heroic self-sacrifice on the fateful night of the wreck of the
_Leonora_; by me, at least, she will never be forgotten. Poor Lalia!
Brave, loving, lovely child of the charmed isles of the southern main!
reckless alike in love and hate, who shall judge? who condemn thee? Not
I!
Kusis, Tulpé, and Kinie clung to me as if they could not bear to say
farewell. I see before me often the honest, kindly countenance of Kusis
as, with his hand clasped in mine, he looked trustfully into my face and
made me promise that some day I would return and live with him once
more. And so freshly at that time came the remembrance of the happy days
I had passed in his quiet home, dreaming the hours away within sight of
the heaving bosom of the blue, boundless Pacific Ocean, so deliciously
restful after the stormy life of the _Leonora_ and her wild commander,
that I believe I really intended to return to Strong's Island some day;
but, as we used to say at Sydney college, "_Dîs aliter visum_."
Queen Sê sent me a letter as follows:--
DEAR FRIEND,--Kitty Ebon send Lalia to see you. We all very
sorry, but must not say so, because Mr. Morland very strong man
now. Where you think Captain Hayston go in little boat? I 'fraid
he die in boat. I very sorry for Captain--very kind man--but bad
man to natives sometimes.
QUEEN SÊ.
Enclosed were these pencilled lines from Kitty of Ebon:--
MY DEAR FRIEND,--All the people from Mout been to Mr. Morland
to ask why you are in prison, and he says you will be hung for
stealing a ship. We all very sorry, all Mout people love you
very much--and me too. Good-bye, dear friend, come back to Kusis
and Mout people, for I don't think you be hanged in
Fiji.--Your sincere friend,
CATHERINE EBON.
But when the light-hearted blue-jackets manned the capstan and merrily
footed it round to lively music, and the great steamer's head was
pointed to the passage, my thoughts were far away, where in fancy I
discerned a tiny boat breasting the vast ocean swell, while sitting aft
with his face turned to the westward, his strong brown hand on the
tiller, was the once dreaded Captain of the _Leonora_; the lawless rover
of the South Seas; the man whose name was known and feared from the
South Pole to Japan, and yet through all, my true friend and most
indulgent commander. With all his faults, our constant association had
enabled me to appreciate his many noble qualities and fine natural
impulses. And as the black hull of the _Rosario_ rose and fell to the
sea, her funnel the while pouring forth volumes of sable smoke, the
island gradually sunk astern, but the memories connected with it and
Captain Hayston will abide with me for ever.
Harry Skillings I never saw again, but heard that he went to Truk in the
North-west Carolines. Black Johnny was murdered in New Britain. The
other Harry with his native wife fell victims to the treacherous savages
of the Solomon Islands. Jansen died a few years since on Providence
Island. Some of the other traders and members of the crew I have heard
of from time to time, scattered far and wide over the Isles of the
Pacific. Lalia died in Honolulu about five years since, constant in
her attempts to reach her distant home on Easter Island.