Part 23 (2/2)
The fire continued to blaze higher and higher, the , and the shouts and yells continued for about an hour, when I heard no ranted that my men were overcome, which was the case, as I afterwards found out; many were killed by the spears when on board, others when they leaped from the vessel to avoid the flames, and the remainder had been suffocated
As the sun rose above the horizon, a loud explosion took place, by which I knew that the flaazine, and that the shi+p had been blown to atoms I deter discovered Before I went, I made a hasty visit to the poor wounded woht, and I found that I had afforded succour to a very beautiful young girl, about sixteen or seventeen years old As she still appeared faint, I brought her soratitude with her eyes Exaes, which had slipped a little on one side, I replaced them, and then darted into the thickest of the underwood As I pressed on, bent half double,hard; I looked up, and found that it was the head of one of the islanders, as also forcing his way through the bushes, an i upon round He was followed by several others who came to his assistance, and all resistance was useless They pulled sorow in those countries, and bound e pole, they made me fast to it, and carried me away When they arrived at the beach, I was laid down onsun Left toto es and travels which I had read, I concluded that I was to be made a sacrifice of to their Gods I prayed to Heaven for ned myself to my fate, which appeared inevitable
The islanders had all assembled on the beach close to where I lay The dead bodies of their companions, who had fallen in the conflict, and the wounded, were carried into the canoes They formed a circle round the fire, which they had kindled, made several speeches, and danced a war-dance I turned round on my side, and perceived to my horror, that they had collected all the bodies ofthem What they did not feel inclined to eat, they packed up in baskets, and put into the canoes I anticipated that such would be my own fate--not at present, as they had more than they could consume--but that I should be reserved for a festival, after their arrival in their own country Nor was I incorrect in ether all the bones, which they carried with the me on board, hoisted their mat sails, and steered away for their own islands
On the third day we arrived, when I was carried on shore and confined in what I believe was a burying-ground They stuffed me every day with pork and other victuals to keep ood condition, but they never cast me loose from the pole to which I was bound I heard processions, shouts, and la, for I was now too weak to turn on ony arising frohtness of the ligatures was so great, that I called for death to relieve s; and when I once more found myself raised upon the shoulders offate, as I should have been, under other circuradually overpowered by the pain, which was so much increased by the renewed suspension ofplaced on the ground in a large circle--of the screams of a woman, and of a confused uproar, which followed When I ca upon soft mats, with fomentations applied toover me with an air of the tenderest solicitude, the beautiful savage, whoht of the affray I subsequently learnt, that when I had been brought into the circle, she had recognised me as the person who had assisted her; that she claies hich I had bound it up, and which were identified with the remainder, as part of the dress which I still wore
A council was held; and as it appeared that I could not have been with the party in the shi+p, for I had been taken prisoner in the woods, near to where the girl lay, after many speeches pro and con, it was decided that my life should be spared, and that I should beit She had carried ratitude which she had incurred
Owing to her unwearied kindness and attention, I soon recovered, and before I are that I was to be her husband I courted her by signs, and all the little attentions that could be suggested by gratitude and love As soon as I was supposed to be sufficiently recovered I was led into a large circle of the islanders, to be formally admitted into their society A venerable old ood one froth, and then several round, face doards, sat astride onneedles into the upper part of hs The pain was excessive; but as all the islanders were tattooed about the loins, I presumed it was an operation that I must submit to, and bore it with fortitude
”And pray what is that tattooing?”
”Tattooing,the skin with needles or sharp points--and then rubbing Indian ink or gunpowder into the wounds This leaves an indelible mark of a deep blue tint All the islanders in those seas practise it, and very often the figures that are drawn are very beautiful”
”Mashallah! Hoonderful is God! I should like to see it,” rejoined the pacha
”Allah forbid,” replied the renegade, ”that I should expose hness I know my duty better”
”Yes, but I must see it, yaha bibi, my friend!” continued the pacha, impatiently; ”never ade was a little at a nonplus, as he never had undergone the operation which he had described Fortunately for the support of his veracity, it happened that during one of his piratical excursions, in an idle fit, he had permitted one of his companions to tattoo a small mermaid on his arade; ”hness, and I had sooner that you should take it, than I would affront your august eyes with the exposure in question; fortunately I can gratify your highness's curiosity without offending decency--as, after they had finished the operation I was describing, they ure of their ade then pulled up his sleeve, and showed the figure of a lass in one hand and a cohness will perceive a specimen of their art This is a representation of their Goddess, Bo-gee In one hand she holds an iron rake, hich she tattoos those who are good, and the mark serves as a passport when they apply for adions of bliss In the other, she brandishes a hot iron plate, hich she brands those who are sentenced to be punished for their sins”
”Allah karim--God is merciful! And why has she a fish's tail?” inquired the pacha
”The people I a, inhabit a cluster of islands, and it is to enable her to swim from one to the other, as her presence may be required”
”Very true,” observed the pacha--”now you hness, they tattooed me without mercy; the operation lasted an hour, when they put ain Another speech was made, which I understood as little of as the former; they left me with my wife, and the ceremony was at an end
I must say I wished that I had not been naturalised and married both on the sa, that it ith difficulty I could, with the assistance of my wife, walk back to my hut However, by the remedies which she constantly applied, in the course of three days I felt no further inconvenience
I now considered myself settled for the remainder of my life I was passionately attached to Naka-poop, for such was the na e that her natural and unsophisticated , than is all the studied address of h rank in her own country, being nearly allied to the king; and for two years my life slipped away, in uninterrupted happiness and peace But, alas!--and the renegade covered up his face
”Come, Huckaback, you surely have been too much accustomed to lose your wives by this tie people,” observed the pacha to the vizier; ”they've a tear for every wohness ain, for I neverNaka-poop died in child-bed, and the island became so hateful to me, that I determined to quit it An opportunity occurred by an American vessel, which arrived with some missionaries”
”What are missionaries?” inquired the pacha
”People who caee was not a Goddess, and to persuade theht,” replied the pacha, ”there is but one God, and Mahoes, I was employed as an interpreter, but it was impossible to explain what the e of the islanders had not words that were analogous A council was held; and the anshich the missionaries received was as follows:--
”You tell us that your God rewards the good and punishes the wicked--so does Bo-gee We speak one language, you speak another Perhaps the naee in ours Then we both worshi+p the same God, under different nas and yao home”