AT FUTUNA, BECRUITING. 295 



they had in most cases omitted to fasten their canoes 

 securely when coming alongside, so that many of them 

 were now far out to sea. The distance to shore being 

 under three miles, that mattered little, as far as their 

 personal safety was concerned. 



This summary treatment was eminently successful, 

 quiet being rapidly restored, so that Tui was able to 

 select a dozen men, who he declared were the best in 

 the islands for our purpose. Although it seems some- 

 what premature to say so, the general conduct of the 

 successful candidates was so good as to justify Tui 

 fully in his eulogium. Perhaps his presence had 

 something to do with it ? 



We now had all that we came for, so that we were 

 anxious to be off. But it was a job to get rid of the 

 visitors still remaining on board. They stowed them- 

 selves away in all manner of corners, in some cases 

 ludicrously inadequate as hiding-places, and it was not 

 until we were nearly five miles from the land that the 

 last of them plunged into the sea and struck out for 

 home. It was very queer. Ignorant of our destination, 

 of what would be required of them; leaving a land of 

 ease and plenty for a certainty of short commons and 

 hard work, without preparation or farewells, I do not 

 think I ever heard of such a strange thing before. Had 

 their home been famine or plague-stricken, they could 

 not have evinced greater eagerness to leave it, or to 

 face the great unknown. 



As we drew farther off the island the wind freshened, 

 until we had a good, whole-sail breeze blustering behind 

 us, the old ship making, with her usual generous fuss, 

 a tremendous rate of seven knots an hour. Our course 

 was shaped for the southward, towards the Bay of 

 Islands, New Zealand. In that favourite haunt of the 



