It was with feelings full of regret that we said good-bye to our black
friend at the end of a month; for by that time the want of fresh
specimens made my uncle say that it was time to be on the move. We
could have gone on shooting scarlet lories, nutmeg pigeons, and pittas
as long as we liked, but that would have been wanton work, and uncle
discovered that the neighbouring islands would, wherever we went, give
us fresh supplies and present to us birds and insects such as we had
never seen before, so at last we prepared to start, and with some little
difficulty made Mr Ebony understand that we wanted a good supply of
sago, fruit, and fish for our voyage.
At first he could not understand that we were going right away, but as
soon as he did comprehend our signs the poor fellow looked miserable,
for he had regularly attached himself to us all the time of our stay,
and he was inconsolable at the idea of our going.
He helped us, however, to load our boat, and would have given us fish
enough for twenty people would we have taken it; and at last, just after
an early breakfast, we bade farewell to the beautiful island, and waving
an adieu to the people, of whom we had seen very little, we turned to
shake hands with our black friend, both my uncle and I having ready a
present for him; mine being a handy little hatchet, my uncle's a large
two-bladed knife.
To our surprise, though, as we stood down on the sands he refused to
shake hands with us, looking very serious and glum, and when we gave him
our presents, thinking that they would bring a smile to his face, he
took them quickly and threw them into the bottom of the boat.
"It is a pity," said my uncle, "for I do not like the idea of parting
bad friends, Nat, my boy. I'd give something if I could speak to the
poor fellow in his own language and tell him that we are not ungrateful
for all his kindness."
"I often wish we could speak in their own tongue, uncle," I said.
"Yes, Nat, but it is next to impossible, for there are fifty or sixty
different dialects spoken. There, offer to shake hands with him again.
You two were always such good friends."
I offered my hand to the black chief, but he put his own behind him and
pointed to the boat, as much, it seemed to me, as to say, "There, you've
got all you want now; go away."
My uncle tried with no better success, and as the natives were gathering
about us we reluctantly got in where the beautiful canoe lay heaving on
the sands as the great rollers came in.
Everything was in readiness, our boxes snugly stowed, our provisions
ready, our guns in their waterproof cases, the sail lay ready for
hoisting, and all that was wanted now was to wait until a good wave came
in and then shove off and ride out on it as it retired.
The canoe was so large that I wondered whether we should be able to
manage it ourselves; but I had full confidence in my uncle's skill, and
it seemed to me that my help now ought to be of some use. So I seized
the pole that lay ready, and prepared to use it; but Mr Ebony, as we
had somehow got into the habit of calling him now, said something to the
little crowd on the sands, when, as he took the lead, eight or nine ran
into the water, seized the boat by the sides, and ran her right out
forty or fifty yards to where the water was up to their breasts, when,
giving us a final thrust, away we went upon the top of a roller, my
uncle hoisting the sail at the right moment, and we glided on.
I had seized a great paddle used for steering and taken care to keep the
boat's head right, laughing to myself the while, and wondering what my
uncle would say when he turned round, for he was hauling up the sail and
too busy to notice anything but his work.
When at last he did turn round, just as we had glided lightly a good
five hundred yards from the shore, he cried out: "Hallo!"
For there, just in front of me, squatting down upon his heels and with
all his white teeth displayed, was Mr Ebony, apparently quite at home,
and without the slightest intention of going back.
"Why, what does this mean?" said my uncle, and he pointed to the shore.
But Mr Ebony had no intention of going, and if we had not learned much
of his language, he had picked up something of ours, for he began to
shout, "No, no, no, no, no," till he was out of breath, and laying
himself down he took tight hold of one of the thwarts of the canoe, as
if to say that he meant to cling to that if we tried to throw him over.
"This is why he wouldn't shake hands, Nat," said my uncle. "He couldn't
swim ashore now, for the sharks, so I suppose he means to come with us.
Let's see."
My uncle pointed to the shore, but Mr Ebony shook his head, so Uncle
Dick pointed right ahead eastward, in the direction we were going, and
our black friend nodded, and jumping up danced about, grinning and
muttering excitedly the while.
"Well, Nat," said my uncle, "what's to be done? He wants to go with
us."
"Can't we take him, uncle?" I replied.
"Oh yes, Nat, we can take him," he replied; "and he would be very
useful. Only it comes upon me like a surprise. It is, of course, a
good thing to have a black with us, for it will teach the people we come
across that we are friendly, even if we cannot make them understand,
though, I dare say, Ebony here will be able sometimes to act as
interpreter."
"Ebo-Nee, Ebo-Nee, Ebo-Nee," cried our passenger loudly; and he began to
beat his chest to show that he comprehended whom we meant.
Then touching me on the chest he cried with great eagerness, "Nat, my
boy--Nat, my boy," looking delighted when we laughed; and to give
further example of his powers as a linguist, he next touched my uncle as
he had touched me.
"Ung-go-Dit, Ung-go-Dit," he cried, finishing off by slapping his naked
flesh, and shouting, "Ebo-Nee, Ebo-Nee."
"Very good, Master Ebo-Nee," said Uncle Dick; "since you are so apt at
learning, you may as well go on and pick up our words, for I quite
despair of learning yours."
The black was shrewd enough to see that we accepted his presence, and
upon this he shook hands with us both twice over and then took the great
paddle from my hand, steering and showing himself thoroughly skilful in
the management of our canoe.
My uncle pointed east as the course he wanted to go; but our crew, as we
called him, rose in mutiny directly, pointing south, and handing the
paddle back to me he grew very excited, saying, "Bird, bird," flapping
his arms like wings and uttering screeches, whistles, and cries, before
lifting an imaginary gun to his shoulder and uttering the word "Bang!"
"That is plain enough to understand, Nat," said my uncle.
"Yes," I replied; "he means that there are plenty of parrots and other
birds on some island where he will take us."
"Bird, bird," cried Ebo-Nee, as we called him henceforth, and he pointed
south-west.
"It does not much matter where we go, Nat," said my uncle, "so long as
we visit islands where naturalists have never been before, so I shall
trust to our friend here. We can get to New Guinea at any time now, for
it lies all along the north. All right, go on then," said my uncle to
Ebo-Nee, and he nodded and smiled, pointing to what looked like a mist
upon the water far away.
"Nat, ung, shoot," cried Ebo eagerly; "shoot, shoot, shoot."
"Why, we shall have quite an English scholar on board soon, Nat," said
my uncle laughing; and then in turns we held the sheet as the swift
canoe glided over the sunlit waves till the island we had left began to
grow dim in the distance and its mountains to sink, as it were, beneath
the wave, while the place to which we were going grew less misty and
indistinct.
It was evidently very high land, and as we drew nearer we could see that
right and left of it there were other islands apparently of goodly size.
Mid-day came and we made a hearty meal, the canoe, urged by the soft
brisk breeze, still gliding onwards till towards evening, when we were
sufficiently near the land we approached to make out that it was very
bleak and bare and sterile. There was a ridge of mountains in the
central portion, but as we examined the place with the glass it looked
as blank and uninviting as could be.
"Not a sign of an inhabitant," said my uncle. "I'm afraid we have made
a mistake, Nat; but perhaps one of the other islands may prove more
inviting."
He continued his inspection and went on talking. "There are plenty of
traces of sea-birds," he continued, "for the cliffs are covered with
guano; but it is not their breeding season, and I cannot see a single
bird. But he is not making straight for the sands. Why don't you try
to land there?"
Ebo shook his head, and then laughed and said, "No," steering the canoe
to the left of the island. And so we sailed on till it was so near
sunset that it would be dark in half an hour, when our crew, who had
evidently been here before, suddenly steered the canoe into a cove well
sheltered from the rollers, and lowering the sail we ran her up on the
soft sands quite clear of the sea, Ebo at once setting to work
collecting dry drift-wood to make a fire.
He pointed out a sheltered spot among some heaped-up rocks where the
sand had been blown up by tempests into a soft bed, and here, after a
very hearty meal well cooked over the fire Ebo had made, we lay down to
sleep; my uncle having climbed to the top of the rocks and swept the
island with his glass, returning to say that there was not a trace of a
human being.
We slept soundly and well out there in that little storm-swept island,
but no storms disturbed us, and the first thing I heard after lying down
was the crackling of wood as Ebo piled it up to make a good fire.
As soon as he saw me awake he beckoned me to go to the boat, and there,
taking the fish we had brought out of the basket, he smelt it, made me
do the same, and then threw all but one small silvery fellow into the
sea.
"Hullo!" cried my uncle, "isn't that waste, Nat?" for he had advanced
over the sands unheard.
"I think so, uncle, but he means to catch some fresh."
That was evidently Ebo's intentions, for he cut up the silvery fish into
scraps for bait, and then signing to us to help him, we launched the
canoe, paddled out half a mile, and then threw over a couple of lines,
Ebo showing his teeth with delight as he drew in quickly a couple of
good-sized mullet-looking fish, a couple more, and another soon coming
to my line.
But Ebo was not satisfied till we had caught five or six times as many
as seemed necessary. Then and then only did we paddle ashore.
It was soon evident why Ebo had wanted so many fish, for after cleaning
and setting enough for our breakfasts to roast, he prepared the rest and
put them to cook while we made a hearty meal.
This being ended my uncle rose.
"Well, Nat," he said, "this seems a terribly sterile place, but we may
as well have a look round; one finds good specimens sometimes in
unlikely spots. Let's get our guns."
Ebo was watching us intently all the time, evidently trying to
comprehend us and directly after he, to our utter astonishment, shouted
out: "no gun; no shoot; no gun; no bird. Boat, boat, boat, boat."
He pointed to the canoe, and then right to sea again, and seeing us
laugh he burst into a hearty fit himself, ending by dancing about and
putting the freshly cooked fish on board, where we followed him and once
more launched upon the tropic sea.
It was plain enough that this was only a resting-place upon our way, for
as soon as the sail was hoisted Ebo took the paddle and steered us
south-west, leaving larger islands to right and left though nothing was
visible ahead.
"I suppose we must trust him, Nat," said my uncle; "but it does look
rather wild work cruising these seas in an open canoe, quite at the
mercy of a savage whose language we cannot speak."
"But I think he must have been here before, uncle," I replied.
"No doubt about it, my boy."
"Nat, my boy," cried Ebo laughing, for he had caught part of my uncle's
speech.
"Yes, he has been here before, and probably has touched at some place
where he has seen, or thinks he has seen, plenty of birds. At any rate,
if the weather holds fair it will not be such a very difficult thing to
run for some island for shelter."
I had been thinking the same thing, that it seemed a very risky
proceeding to sail right out to sea under the guidance of this savage;
but there was so much romance and novelty in the idea of sailing away
like Columbus in search of a new land, that I thoroughly enjoyed it, and
the farther we sailed the more excited I grew.
It was now plain enough why Ebo had insisted upon a good supply of fish,
for we dined off it and then made our evening meal of the same, no land
being in sight, and when at last the lower edge of the sun seemed to
touch the crimson water, sending a path of light right to our canoe,
whose sail it seemed to turn to ruddy gold, there was still no land in
sight.
My uncle stood up and used the glass, gazing straight before him in the
direction that seemed to be our goal; but Ebo shook his head, and then
closed his eyes and made believe to sleep, pointing to us in turn.
"He wants us to lie down and sleep, Nat," said my uncle, "but it is out
of the question;" and he shook his head.
Ebo tried again and again to get us to lie down, but finding that we
would not, he sat there laughing and looking as merry as could be,
although there was no land in sight, and at last, when the sun was
disappearing, he placed the paddle in my uncle's hand, pointing
south-south-west as the course to be steered, after which he lay down
and went off fast asleep.
I sat talking to my uncle and holding the sheet, though the breeze was
so steady it seemed to be quite unnecessary, while he steered the canoe
onward through the darkness, taking the stars for his compass, till the
motion of the boat and the darkness combined to send me off into a deep
sleep. I had closed my eyes and started up several times before, but
this last time, when I opened my eyes again a was to see the black
figure of Ebo seated there steering, with the sun just above the
horizon, and my uncle stretched in the bottom of the canoe fast asleep.
Ebo grinned as I stared at him, and then as I looked about I found that
far away to the west there was land that we must have passed in the
night, but still we were sailing on as it were into space.
The water now was bright golden again, and the air felt delicious; but I
began to wish that we were at our journey's end, and pointing ahead I
tried to learn from our steersman how much farther he was going to take
us.
His reply was to point straight ahead, and we were still speeding on,
when, after five or six hours' sleep, my uncle jumped up into
wakefulness, ready to partake of the waiting meal of cold fish,
biscuits, and fruit; the coffee, which in a case like this I made by
means of a spirit-lamp, being kept in abeyance for a time.
"Well, Nat," he said, "is our wild-goose chase nearly at an end? Is
land in sight?"
"No, uncle," I said, after gazing carefully ahead. Just then Ebo
pointed to the telescope, and made signs to my uncle to use it.
"Look through?" he said to the black. "All right, my friend, I will;"
and placing it to his eye as he stood up in the boat he cried to me as I
eagerly watched him, "Land ahead, Nat, and apparently a wooded shore!"