Part 4 (2/2)

The next day, the weather being finer, many of the men went off in their canoes; Popo and the white boy being taken out in that of the chief.

Popo found that they were engaged in diving for pearl-oysters. The white lad appeared to be among the best of their divers. He fearlessly plunged overboard with a net and a small axe--the net being attached to the boat by a line; and when his net was hauled up it was invariably full of oysters. The chief made signs to Popo that he must do the same.

Though he was a good swimmer, he had never been accustomed to diving; but the white boy showed him how he could accomplish the feat, and after some practice he was able to go down, and succeeded almost as well as his companion.

Since he had been there, three vessels had come and purchased all the pearls which had been collected, when he and the white boy had been carried off some way from the sh.o.r.e, so that they might not communicate with the crews. After each visit paid by the pearl-traders, all the men in the village had become excessively tipsy; and on the first two occasions they, fearing that they might be ill-treated, had run off and hidden themselves, though they did not escape punishment. Popo had begun to learn his companion's language; which he spoke, however, in a way very different from the natives. They were thus able to communicate with each other.

Only the day before our arrival another trader had gone away, and at the present time every man in the village was drunk. As the old chief had on previous occasions beaten them, when he came to himself, for not having some pearls ready for him, they had come off in the canoe by themselves, and were engaged in fis.h.i.+ng,--for so it may be called,--when we found them.

Such is an outline of the account Popo gave me.

All the time I was talking to Popo, the lad had his eyes fixed intently on me, as if he was endeavouring to understand what we were saying.

”And you, Popo,” I asked; ”are you glad to escape from the savages?”

”Yes, ma.s.sa; dat I am,” answered Popo.

”And do you think your companion is the same?” I added, looking towards him.

”Yes, yes,” said the white boy, looking up at me.

”Why, you must be English; you have thoroughly understood what I said,”

I exclaimed.

”Me tink so too,” observed Popo.

The commander, who had been listening to what we had been saying, now called Tamaku aft, and desired him to try if he could understand the white boy, who after he had last spoken seemed abashed, and could not be got to utter a word. Tamaku at once began to ask him questions, which he answered with apparent readiness in the same language, differing but slightly in sound.

”Can you make out how he came to be among the natives?” asked the commander, when Tamaku and the boy had ceased speaking.

”He not know much,” answered the Kanaka; ”long time wid dem--say dey find him in a boat at sea, and bring him here and make him slavey.”

”Try and find out his name,” said the commander; ”whether it is Tom or d.i.c.k, or Jack or Harry.”

Scarcely had he uttered the last word when the boy exclaimed, ”Harry!

Harry! dat my name,” and seemed almost overcome by hearing it uttered.

”Well, Harry, my boy, can't you talk a little more English? Since you remember your name, tell us something about your father and mother, or any of your other friends,” continued the commander.

”Father--mother,” repeated the boy, with a look of pleasure, as if they were words once familiar to his tongue.

”Well done, my boy,” exclaimed the commander, pleased with the result of his experiment; ”you'll remember more words by-and-by, when you get on board. And we'll not yet pay your drunken friends a visit to let them wish you good-bye.”

It was difficult to say whether the boy understood him; but, at all events, the commander's kind tone of voice gave him confidence, and he seemed contented and happy.

As we had only just time to get round the island, the commander did not put on sh.o.r.e anywhere; also, with so small a party, he thought it imprudent to go among the natives, who might prove hostile--especially if they found that he was carrying off their slaves. Popo and the white boy appeared well-pleased at this; and it was evident that the latter had no great affection for those among whom he had lived so long.

Frequently during the remainder of the day we heard the boy saying to himself, ”Yes, yes--Harry--father--mother,” as if pleased with the sound of those long-forgotten words. Then I was nearly certain that I heard him muttering to himself a verse of a child's hymn; but the words were indistinct.

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