86 Concealing South Sea Islands iv 



there were two small islands about a mile and a half 

 from us. We soon landed on one, in no small fear 

 of being eaten, but found that both of them were 

 uninhabited, though there were evident marks of 

 past cannibal feasts. We rigged up a sail for a 

 tent, lighted a fire, and did what we could, though 

 the rain was coming down in absolute torrents. The 

 boats went back to save what was left of the live- 

 stock and provisions, for we could find nothing 

 eatable except one another ; and then we rigged 

 up more tents and took it easy. Here we had to 

 stay for nine days. We were not quite sure where 

 we were. The captain tried to take an observation 

 when the sun gleamed out for a moment, but a great 

 sea-bird settled suddenly on the top of his head. 

 We were in constant dread of the natives, though, 

 as it turned out afterwards, there was little fear of 

 their disturbing us ; ^ but at last the weather 

 moderated, and we took the boats, and after thirty 

 hours, fortunately fell in with an English vessel 



1 ' We found out afterwards,' says Lord Pembroke in South Sea 

 Bubbles, p. 258, 5th ed., 'that our apprehensions on the score of 

 cannibalism were needlessly great. . . . Our sole informant and 

 authority on the subject was the South Pacific Directory, which 

 described the Fijians, and the Ringgold Islanders particularly (Nukum- 

 basanga was in the Ringgold Group), as the most ferocious cannibals.' 

 ' Where's the romance of this kind of thing ? ' he says again, shortly 

 afterwards, ' unless you call it romantic to hear the terns screaming on 

 the other side of the island in the middle of the night, and to creep 

 through the bush towards the place where they are crying, expecting 

 to find a canoe full of hungry, murderous savages, just landed, with 

 the head chief serving out sherry and bitters to give them an appetite 

 for supper.' 



