MARQUESAS ISLANDS. 53 



describe. The first officer goes to his stateroom 

 for the knives for the purpose of having the 

 top and top gallant masts scraped. He, without 

 giving any thought to our hostage, comes up 

 the gangway with the glittering knives, six of 

 them, in his hand, when, with a scream, our 

 hostage, the handsome boy, nude with the excep- 

 tion of tapa about his loins, springs into the 

 bow boat, and, with the agility of a cat, runs 

 on the outer gunwale into the waist boat, reaches 

 in and catches the end of the main clew garnet, 

 and putting a noose around his neck and on to 

 the outer gunwale of the waist boat, is ready for 

 a spring. 



Catching on to the situation in a flash, the 

 mate dropped the knives and held up both hands, 

 while our interpreter explained and persuaded 

 the hostage to unloosen the rope from about 

 his neck and come on deck. Then he told us 

 that as they had killed and eaten our man, he 

 supposed the knives were to be used to kill him, 

 and to be used in eating him. This boy 

 remained on the ship for a year or more, and 

 rowed the tub oar in the mate's boat. 



Reaching Nukahiva, the mate was ordered by 

 the captain to take two boats, provided with 

 trade, well-armed, and with the English inter- 



