The remainder of the watch
fortunately concluded their carouse without any serious disorder.
A few bruises bestowed upon one another, more in clumsy horseplay
than real fighting summed up the casualties among them. By ten
o'clock that evening we had them all safely on board again, ready
for sore heads and repentance in the morning.
During the day I had evolved a scheme, which I had great hopes of
carrying out when our watch should be let loose on the morrow.
When morning came, and the liberty men received their money, I
called them together and unfolded my plan. Briefly, I proposed a
sort of picnic at a beautiful spot discovered during our wooding
expedition. I was surprised and very pleased at the eager way in
which all, with the sole exceptions of Tui and his fellow-
harpooner, a Portuguese, fell in with my suggestions. Without
any solicitation on my part, my Kanakas brought me their money,
begging me to expend it for them, as they did not know how, and
did not want to buy gin.
Under such favourable auspices as these, we landed shortly after
eight a.m., making a bee-line for the only provision shop the
place boasted. Here we laid in a stock of such savouries as we
had long been strangers to, both eatables and drinkables,
although I vetoed fire-water altogether.
Pages:
414
415
416
417
418
419
420
421
422
423
424
425
426
427
428
429
430
431
432
433
434
435
436
437
438