We had returned one evening from an unsuccessful fishing. When we
reached the hut we found the Princess Serena in an evident state of
agitation. Looking cautiously around, she made signs to us that some
one was about to kill us, lifting up her hands as if they were holding a
club for the purpose of breaking our heads. There was no mistaking the
signs. We inquired of her what we were to do. She stopped to consider,
first pointing to the canoes. Then she seemed to advise a different
plan. Hurrying into her house, she brought us out some bows, and a
considerable supply of arrows. She then went in, and returned with
three baskets, which she showed us were full of sago, as also some dried
fish. She then made signs to us to eat as much as we could, putting
some kangaroo meat and sago-cakes before us.
We followed her advice. As soon as we had finished, going into her hut,
she returned with her child in her arms, wrapped up in a piece of
matting, which was secured round her waist, assisting to support the
little creature. She then beckoned to us to follow her. We did so in
Indian file, proceeding along the coast towards the south. As soon as
we had got well out of sight of the village, she led us along the beach
close to the water, where the tide would obliterate our footmarks. The
moon soon rose, and gave us ample light to see our way. It was a lovely
night. The water rippled brightly on the sand, while the moonbeams
played softly over the calm ocean. On the other side rose up the dark
forests with their curious tracery of creepers. Here and there our feet
struck against shells of rare beauty, such as would delight a collector
in England. Just then, however, we thought of little but making our way
as rapidly as we could from our captors. I asked Macco if he could make
out where the princess was leading us.
"Not know," he answered. "S'pose to friends."
"I suspect," observed Oliver, "that, from her appearance, she belongs to
some other tribe, and has been married to the chief of the people who
captured us, and that she is going to take us to her own relations."
This seemed the most probable explanation of her conduct.
"She can scarcely wish to lead us away, and then leave us to our own
devices," said I. "Perhaps she thinks we are such good hunters that we
should be able to support ourselves."
We travelled on the whole night as rapidly as we could move, close to
the edge of the water, which, rising, soon covered the impress of our
feet. Just before the sun rose, a thick mist came over the land,
completely hiding all objects, except those in our immediate
neighbourhood. Still the princess led on. Daylight at length stole
over the world; but the mist yet hung down upon us as much as ever. Our
conductress at length stopped. She was evidently somewhat weary, and
although Macco offered to carry her child, she would not allow it out of
her arms. She now made signs that we had better rest, putting her head
upon her hands as if to go to sleep. We were too glad to follow her
advice, for having been on foot the whole of the previous day, we were
completely worn out, and could not have gone many miles further. In
spite of the exercise we had taken, the damp air made us feel very cold.
She observed that we shivered, and instantly leading the way into the
woods, took us to a place where we could cut a quantity of long leaves--
a sort of fern, apparently, of gigantic size. With these, she
intimated, we could cover ourselves up while we slept, pointing to a
sheltered place under a bank which had been worn away into a sort of
cavern.
I suppose we had slept some time, though we felt very unwilling to get
up when the princess roused us, and made us understand that we should
take some food, and then proceed on our journey. We, of course, obeyed
her implicitly, and we proceeded on as we had done during the night.
Several times, when we came to an elevation of any sort, she looked
back, examining the line of coast along which we had come, as if to
ascertain whether we were pursued. Then, again, she came down with a
look of satisfaction on her countenance, and proceeded on as before. It
was towards the afternoon when she again stopped, the ground before us
rising, and jutting out into the sea, forming a lofty headland. She now
led the way inland, and showed us another hollow, signifying by her
gestures that she wished us to occupy it. As we, however, felt anxious
to explore the country, we continued wandering about. This seemed to
cause her much annoyance. First she caught hold of Oliver and led him
back, and then me, and then ran after Macco. At length, observing that
we did not seem disposed to keep quiet, she came and took me by the
hand, and led me cautiously up towards the top of the height, looking
round on either side, and keeping as much as possible under cover. On
reaching the summit, she pointed down below, where I saw, in a sheltered
bay, another collection of huts somewhat similar to the one we had left.
This at once accounted for her unwillingness to allow us to wander
about, lest we should be seen by the inhabitants. I expressed my thanks
to her as well as I could, and at once returned to the cavern.
She now, as before, made us collect a supply of fern leaves, as well as
a number of branches; and we having again taken some food, she covered
us up inside the cavern, fastening the branches in front, so as to
conceal the entrance, she herself going to a little distance, and
sitting down under a bank with her child. As we had had but little rest
the previous morning, we quickly fell asleep.
The shades of night had again stolen over the world, when we heard the
gentle voice of our conductress calling us; and once more she set out,
we following her in Indian file as before. We made a circuit,
apparently to avoid the village, and then descended to the sea-shore.
All night long, indeed, we went on. The journey was almost a repetition
of that of the previous night. The moon was still shining brightly over
the waters, when Macco uttered an exclamation of surprise, and putting
his hand on my shoulder, cried out,--"O Massa Walter, look dere!"
He pointed seaward, and there, just under the moonbeams, I caught sight
of a white object. I looked more and more earnestly. Yes, I was almost
convinced that it was the sail of a vessel. The shape of her canvas
convinced me that she must be European, and not one of the mat-sail
craft of those seas. Oliver thought I was right also. "Yes, yes!"
exclaimed Macco; "no doubt, dat brig!"
Our conductress stopped when she heard our exclamations, and also looked
towards the sea. The vessel was standing towards the south, the
direction we were going. I observed that she walked, after this, more
slowly, as if her thoughts were engaged on some matter of importance.
"Oh, if we could but manage to get off to her, or make some signal!" I
exclaimed.
"I am afraid that will be very difficult," said Oliver.
As may be supposed, our thoughts were occupied after this with all sorts
of plans for getting off to the vessel. The fog, however, which
constantly comes over the land before sunrise, concealed her entirely
from our sight. We rested, by the desire of the princess, among some
fallen trees in the forest, she having examined the place first,
apparently to ascertain if there were any snakes, or other creatures, to
hurt us. We, however, could scarcely go to sleep for thinking of how we
could reach the vessel we had seen. Still, sleep at length overcame us.
We were awoke by the voice of the princess, evidently in a state of
great agitation. Pointing to the sea-shore, she led the way there. She
took us down to the beach of a small bay, in which a canoe was hauled
up. It was barely sufficient to hold two people, and would certainly
not contain three.
"Jump in, Massa Walter--jump in, Oliver!" exclaimed Macco. "Shove off;
me find other canoe, and follow."
Though it was broad daylight, the mist still hung over the ocean, and we
could not see to any distance. The princess urged us by her gestures to
follow the advice which Macco gave us.
"But where is there another canoe?" I asked, not seeing one near.
"Never mind, Massa Walter," he answered; "shove off--shove off, I say;"
and running the canoe down to the water, he forced us both into it,
putting a paddle into the hand of each. "Dere, dere, you go off; I come
off in 'noder canoe! Go, go! I say, go!"
Hitherto we had been unable to ascertain the cause of the alarm
exhibited by the princess. At that moment we learned it too well, by
hearing some shouts in the distance. They became louder and louder, and
as they did so, her agitation increased. We endeavoured to thank her
for her kindness, but she seemed too anxious to get us off to take any
notice of our gestures. Trusting that we might discover the brig we had
seen on the previous night, we paddled away with might and main. My
heart misgave me, though, as to what would become of Macco. We saw him
still on the beach waving an adieu, till both his form and that of the
princess were almost hidden by the mist. The shouts increased in
loudness, and just then, glancing over our shoulders, we saw a number of
gigantic looking forms--gigantic they looked through the mist--rushing
down with uplifted clubs towards where our friends were standing. Life
was sweet to us; we could not help our friends, and we paddled away. A
shriek reached our ears, but the shadowy forms were no longer visible--
indeed, the whole land was concealed by the mist. On we paddled for our
lives. Every instant we expected to be pursued, for though our canoe
was the only one we had seen, we could not help fearing that there must
be others in the neighbourhood, into which the savages would certainly
get, and come in chase of us. As far as we could judge, we were pulling
directly out to sea. The shouts had died away. They had assisted us
somewhat in directing our course through the mist. We again heard them;
they seemed to be approaching.
"We are pursued," cried Oliver.
"Then we must pull away faster," said I.
Again louder and louder grew the shouts. Our hopes of escape began to
vanish.
"I am afraid we shall again be made prisoners," I observed to Oliver.
"Don't let us despair," he answered. "We have been preserved hitherto.
The same Power can still take care of us. See, see! What is that?"
Just then, the mist breaking, we saw appearing above it the topgallant
sails of a square-rigged vessel.
"The brig, the brig!" I shouted.
We paddled on with redoubled vigour. She was still at a considerable
distance. Behind us rose the fierce cries of the savages. The surface
of the water, which had hitherto been calm, now became somewhat
agitated. The mist rose. Before us appeared the brig, and turning
round our heads, we saw at almost an equal distance a couple of canoes.
On we dashed, shouting at the same time at the top of our voices. The
people on board the brig apparently heard us, for a boat was lowered.
The wind was moderate; but still a heavy surf rolled in on the shore.
At that moment the fragile canoe was lifted up by a sea, and then down
she came upon a bed of rocks, almost splitting in two.
"On, on!" I cried to Oliver, throwing off my jacket; "we must swim for
it!" and seizing him by the arm, I helped him to wade across the reef,
and then plunging into the sea, we swam off towards the boat. Her crew
perceived our danger, and with sturdy strokes pulled towards us. A
glance I cast behind showed me that one of the canoes of the savages had
met with the same accident that we had, and several dark heads were seen
floating in the water, and getting fearfully near us. One of our
pursuers, I saw, held a club in his hand. Had I been alone, I might
easily have kept ahead of the savages, as we had so much the start of
them; but Oliver not being so good a swimmer as I was, made but slow
progress. The other canoe, avoiding the reef on which we had struck,
made for an opening in it, and was only a short distance behind the
swimmers. I looked up. Oh, how long the boat appeared to be coming!
Still she was coming; and I urged Oliver to persevere. He redoubled his
efforts. How grateful I felt when at length the boat reached us. I
looked up, and there I saw the countenance of Dick Tarbox, of Roger
Trew, and the dark features of Potto Jumbo, expanded by excitement in
the most wonderful manner. There also were several others of my
shipmates. Was it a dream, or was it a reality? For an instant I
thought the whole must be a strange dream. Still, no, it must be a
reality, I said to myself; and crying out, urged my friends to take
Oliver on board, I meantime treading water alongside. They lifted him
up, and had just time to stow him in the bottom of the boat, when the
savages were upon us. One fierce fellow was close to me with uplifted
dagger. Roger Trew knocked it out of his hand with his oar, which the
savage then seized. Another savage was coming on with his club raised
in one hand, while with the other he tried to catch the stem of the
boat, when Dick Tarbox came down on his cranium with the blade of an oar
with such force, that the savage sunk beneath the sea. The others,
meantime, began to let fly their arrows; but Tarbox, settling the other
man who had hold of Roger's oar, in the same way as he had done the
first, and I being taken on board, the boat pulled rapidly towards the
brig.
I still could scarcely believe that I was not dreaming. "What!" I
exclaimed, looking up at Tarbox, "are you really alive, or is this all
fancy? I thought you were all lost when the mast went over."
"It is no fancy, but we are all alive and jolly," answered Tarbox.
"Thank Heaven, Roger Trew and I, and a few others of us, were able to
cling on to the mast. We thought you had been lost; and thankful I am
to find that we were wrong about you, as you were about us."
However, as may be supposed, there was no time to ask questions or get
answers. I was satisfied that I was really awake, and had
providentially escaped from the savages. The brig, for fear of the
reefs, had been unable to get nearer. Numerous other canoes were seen
coming off from the shore. The savages appeared determined to recapture
us; and, perhaps, finding that the brig did not fire, hoped to take her
also. Before, however, they could reach the boat, we were alongside.
I quickly sprang up on deck, and there, with open arms, stood to welcome
me, my dear sister Emily. Grace and Mr Hooker were behind her. They
greeted me cordially. As may be supposed, they had many questions to
ask me, and so had I to ask them. The brig, I found, had been fitted up
by Mr Hooker and Captain Davenport. The captain, I was sorry to hear,
was unable to come in her, and Mrs Davenport had remained behind at
Ternate to nurse him. Mr Thudicumb had come in command, with those of
the crew of the _Bussorah Merchant_ who had been left on shore.
The captain's object was to search for his lost ship. Mr Hooker had
the same object in view, as also to examine the various islands we were
likely to call at, for the sake of gaining information in natural
history. Emily had entreated to be allowed to come; and the captain,
after some hesitation, thinking that his daughter's health might be
benefited by the voyage, allowed her to accompany Grace. An old Dutch
woman, Frau Ursula she was called, who spoke a little English, and to
whom I was presently introduced, came as a sort of nurse, or governante.
The savages meantime were approaching; and Mr Thudicumb and his men
were making preparations for their reception, getting all the arms on
board loaded, including a couple of small brass swivel guns and two
six-pounders, which we carried on our quarters for making signals. The
land-breeze, however, freshened considerably, just before the leading
canoes got within bow-shot.
"Don't fire, Thudicumb, as long as we can help it," said Mr Hooker. "I
have no wish to injure these poor savages; and if we can avoid doing so,
it will be much better, both for ourselves and for any who may come
after us. I believe that many of the murders which have been committed
by the savages, on these and other coasts, have been caused by some
insult or injury, first inflicted by the white men, and they have simply
retaliated, fully believing themselves justified in so doing."
The sails were trimmed, and away we stood from the coast. I seized a
glass, and tried to examine the shore, in the hope of seeing either our
kind protectress or Macco; but neither were visible, and it seemed too
likely that both had been killed by the savages. When I had time to
tell Mr Hooker about Macco, he proposed standing back to try and hear
something of him, and to bring him off if he had escaped. The savages,
finding they could not overtake us, at length pulled back to the shore.
"And now, my good boys," said Mr Hooker, "you may as well rig
yourselves decently. You have been living so long among savages, that
you are scarcely aware of the uncivilised figure you cut."
I had nearly forgotten my scanty garments in the excitement of what was
taking place. Mr Hookers shirts were certainly rather large for Oliver
or me; but he insisted on our taking one apiece, as also a pair of
duck-trowsers. "I have no doubt that Roger Trew, and one of the other
men, will cut a pair for you into proper dimensions by to-morrow," he
said, laughing, as he handed us the garments. Some spare jackets, which
more nearly fitted us, were found among the men's things; and we were
thus able to appear in the cabin in rather more civilised costume than
we had come off in, and be presented to the Frau. She was a somewhat
portly dame, with a most good-humoured countenance, her little round
blue eyes appearing to be always laughing, while her mouth was
constantly wreathed in what Mr Hooker used to call full-blown smiles.
She had kind, sympathising feelings, and wept heartily when she heard of
the fate of the Princess Serena, which we described to her. Emily and
Grace, too, were much moved by it, and very sorry to hear that the
faithful Macco had also too probably lost his life in his anxiety to
save ours.
"I am so glad to see you, Massa Walter," said Potto Jumbo, as he shook
my hand when I went forward to the caboose, in which, in spite of its
small size, he appeared quite as happy as in the large one on board the
_Bussorah Merchant_; "only bery sorry to lose cook-mate. Poor Macco!
He bery good cook-mate!"
"Yes, indeed; he was a very excellent and sensible fellow," I observed.
"I trust he may have escaped, and that we may get him on board again."
I could not bear the idea of thinking that poor Macco had been murdered.
Potto Jumbo, however, said he had very little hopes on the subject, as
evidently, from the conduct of the savages, they were fierce, revengeful
fellows, and were certain to have wreaked their vengeance on those who
were still in their power.
Next day, we again stood in towards the coast, with a white flag flying,
hoping that the savages might understand it. No canoes, however, came
off. In my eagerness to try and recover Macco, I volunteered to go off
in a boat; but to this Mr Thudicumb would not consent. He said he was
sure that the savages would pursue us; and that the only two boats we
had in the brig were too heavy to give us any chance of escape. I
scanned the coast with a telescope all day long, on the chance of seeing
some signal from the shore, but none appeared; and at length, with much
sorrow, I gave up all expectation of recovering poor Macco.
The brig then made sail to the southward, to visit the Aru Islands,
which Mr Hooker was desirous of exploring. Some time passed before I
had an opportunity of asking Dick Tarbox how he and his companions had
escaped.
"Why, you see, Master Walter," he said, "after supper that day, some of
us old hands thought of putting some biscuits and ham in our pockets,
though we did not remember them till we were beginning to get very
peckish. When the mast fell, we still clung to it, except two poor
fellows, who were washed off much at the time that you were; and as they
have not turned up, I am afraid they must have perished. The rest of us
clung on for dear life. As you remember, soon afterwards the sea went
down, and we were able to stand up on the mast and look about us. It
was now we recollected the food we had stuffed into our pockets, and
lucky it was that we had done so, or we should have been starved: as it
was, we nearly died of thirst. Still, though we had a hard matter to
get the food down, with our throats so dry, yet we did manage it, and
held on to dear life. We were, howsomedever, almost giving up, when we
caught sight of a sail coming over the water to us. She was a native
craft; but whether or not the people on board her might knock us on the
head, we could not tell. Still, anything was better than staying where
we were. We had not our choice, though, for the people aboard the prow
caught sight of us, and came up to the mast. They were pretty
peaceable-looking fellows, though their skins were brown enough. We
managed to make them understand that our ship had been cast away:
indeed, our mast showed them that; and we were not long in tumbling on
board, and making our salaams to an old chap, who seemed to be their
captain. He was rather vexed when he could not understand what we said,
or we understand what he said to us. However, he observed that we might
rig ourselves in mats while our clothes were drying, and had some dishes
of rice and smoked fish put before us. When the sea went down, they got
out their sweeps, and pulled round where they supposed the ship had
struck, in the hopes of getting something up from her; and there were
some fellows on board who seemed to be well up to diving. However, they
were not successful; and suddenly they got out their sweeps, and pulled
away to the northward. A strange sail which appeared some little way
off was, we supposed, the cause of their doing this. Probably they took
her for a pirate."
"Very likely that was the craft we were on board," I observed. "It
would have been curious if we had come up with you."
"Well, for your sakes, I am rather glad you did not," said the
boatswain. "In a little time, our friends, who seemed bound to a
distance, began to think that our room would be pleasanter than our
company. They had a strange cargo on board,--bales of that
nasty-looking stuff, the sea-slug, and birds' nests, and mother-of-pearl
shell, and I do not know how many other odd things. Two or three days
afterwards, coming in sight of an island, they quietly made signs to us
to get into a boat; and though we at first talked of showing fight, and
declaring we would do no such thing, yet at last we agreed, seeing we
had no arms to fight with except our fists, that it would be better to
obey. To make a long story short, we were shoved on shore on a desolate
island; we supposing that we were to find some houses, and people to
look after us, but not a human being or a hut could we discover. There
was water and there were cocoa-nuts; and as we had our knives, we had a
chance of getting some shell-fish, if we could not find anything else.
Now, as it happened, not one of us had been on a desolate island before;
and there we were, six stout fellows, very little better off than babes
in the wood. We had short commons, I can tell you, Master Walter.
There were birds enough, and some of them with gay feathers, but we
could not catch them; and there were animals, but they got away from us.
At first we thought we were not going to find any water; but we did
come up to a spring, which bubbled up out of the earth--the only one
that we could discover on the island. That kept our throats moist. We
had a hard job to get a light. We hunted about for tinder out of the
rotten trees; but, then, there was the flint to be found: and no flint
could we fall in with. You may be sure we hunted in our pockets, and
looked about with our noses on the ground wherever we went. At last,
what should we see but a bit of a broken tea-cup. At first I thought it
was a bit of shell. How it could have come there I do not know, except
it was thrown overboard from some Chinese craft and washed up there.
Well, that bit of china was of more use to us than its weight in gold.
Taking it in my hand, and beginning to strike it against the back of my
knife, what was my joy to see a spark fly from it. It was but one; but
one little spark was, I knew, enough to kindle a great fire. Well, we
dried our tinder in the sun, and then began to strike away with the
flint and china. Roger Trew took it in hand first, and struck and
struck away; but though the sparks came, not one could he make go down
to the tinder. At last I took it; and didn't I feel pleased when I saw
there was a spark resting on the tinder. We blew, not too hard, you may
depend on it, and blew and blew, and the spark began to grow larger and
larger, and the whole of the tinder was on fire. Did not we bring dried
leaves in a hurry!--and, blowing them, up there sprung a flame in no
time. We soon collected a whole load of sticks, and in a few minutes
there we had a fire blazing away. We felt inclined to join hands and
dance round it. We did not, though. We quickly got our shell-fish, and
began roasting them. We thought them very good, though they were not
much for keeping body and soul together. Well, we did prize that piece
of old china, and I kept it carefully in one pocket, with my knife in
the other; and we made up a big fire, almost enough to roast an ox,
though we had nothing but a few cockles to cook by it. However, the
food, such as it was, put a little more spirit into us, and we set out
to see what sort of a country we had been left on. It was not very
large; but we saw a number of parrots and parroquets up in the trees,
and many other birds, but we had not much chance of getting them.
Still, we all agreed we would do our best.
"Well, we walked and walked along the shore, and now and then went
inland; but we could not make much way there, on account of the trees.
At last, looking up, I saw some tall palm-trees, and at the top of them
there were some cocoa-nuts. You may be sure we set to work to get up at
them; but it is pretty hard work climbing a cocoa-nut tree without
ropes, not like swarming up a mast. However, Roger Trew did haul
himself up; but then, you see, there are not many men who have got arms
like his, and they are better by half than legs for climbing trees.
That is why the monkeys have them so strong, I suppose. To be sure,
some of them have got tails to help them. Do you know, I have often
thought what convenient things tails would be to sailors, if they could
catch hold by them as monkeys do. Howsomedever, Roger got to the top at
last, and then he sent thundering down a dozen cocoa-nuts or more. Some
of our fellows thought they were to be eaten husk and all, and cried out
they did not think that would do them much good. At last we got them
broken open, and sucked away at the juice inside, which had begun to
turn almost into milk. They were more than ripe. It is said that young
cocoa-nuts have far more juice and are far better than the old ones.
Still, you may be sure, we were very glad to get these at any price; and
having found some trees, we had fair hopes of finding more. Still,
cocoa-nuts and shell-fish, though they may keep body and soul together,
after a time do little more than that; and we all became thinner and
thinner. I am not at all sure that we should have lived many weeks
longer, so thin and wretched did we get, when at last a sail appeared in
sight. Our hearts beat pretty quick when we thought that after all she
might not come near the island. Oh! how eagerly we watched her. Now
she seemed to be standing away; now, once more, she tacked, and stood
towards the island. There was a high rock near, running out into the
sea. We made our way to it; and one of our people tearing off his
shirt, we made it fast to it, to serve as a signal. You may be sure we
gave a shout of joy when up went a flag in return, and the brig stood
towards the island. She was no other than this little _Dugong_, as they
call her, and Mr Thudicumb, and your friend Mr Hooker, come to look
for us. We were all very glad to see each other; but we felt very sorry
when we thought that you and Oliver had been lost. And now, I'll tell
you, Master Walter, it was about the happiest moment in my life when I
got hold of you, and helped you into the boat safe from those savages."