chap, x.] MANUEL'S FEARS. 253 



account, and declared that it was a regular thing every 

 year, and that it was necessary to keep a good watch and 

 never go out alone. I laughed at the whole thing, and 

 tried to persuade them that it was a mere tale, hut to no 

 effect, They were all firmly persuaded that their lives 

 were in danger. Manuel would not go out shooting 

 alone, and I was obliged to accompany him every morn- 

 ing, but I soon gave him the slip in the jungle. Ali was 

 afraid to go and look for firewood without a companion, 

 and would not even fetch water from the well a few yards 

 behind the house unless armed with an enormous spear. 

 1 was cpiite sure all the time that no such order had been 

 sent or received, and that we were in perfect safety. This 

 was well shown shortly afterwards, when an American 

 sailor ran away from Ids ship on the east side of the 

 island, and made his way on foot and unarmed across to 

 Ampanam, having met with the greatest hospitality on the 

 whole route. Nowhere would the smallest payment be 

 taken for the food and lodging which were willingly fur- 

 nished him. On pointing out this fact to Manuel, he re- 

 plied, " He one bad man, — run away from his ship, — no 

 one can believe word he say ; " and so I was obliged to 

 leave him in the uncomfortable persuasion that he might 

 any day have his throat cut. 



A circumstance occurred here which appeared to throw 

 some light on the cause of the tremendous surf at 



