CHAPTER X.

Waikato Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 2000, 2 May 1885, Page 1 (Supplement)

CHAPTER X.

My baik was tossed upon the se» ]}y winds and wa\o» of destiny : At times it seemed that all was o'er, That never it would make tho shore ; But safe it reached this place of rest, Tins Ifland of tho glorious West ; And far fiom storms, in sunshine hero I pass my life from yeai to year. "On that ship I was almost a stranger. I seldom spoke to any one, and communed with my own thoughts. And they were very bitter, for the fate of that poor girl was to me a heavy ourden. Still I had hopes all would go well, and that the trading vessel would arrive at the island in good time. For alt that I felt that the poor girl's agony at the loas of her only brother muat be terrible. The very day after wo left the ialand and headed, with all sails spread, for San Francisco, a terrible gale came on, which forced us to reef and drive before it. The next day the gale died out as suddenly as it came, and an extraordinary calm succeeded. The ship was shifted merely by the swell that, of course, was heavy after such a distusbance. On the third morning when dawn came we saw we were near a strange "island, one whose coast rose precipitous from the water to a great height. It was indeed an unuaual sight in this ocean of atolls, coral islands, and the like. Some great convulsion had forced it up out of the bed of the sea to thia height. Tho calm continued, but we were able to guide the vessel past the treacherous coast. It was not until we had half circumnavigated the island that we were conscious of an extraordinary phenomenon. The vessel absolutely made no way, but steadily drifted to the shore. In vain every expedient was tried ; the fatal drift continued, accelerating every moment. The panic that seized upon the crew was terrible. It is a trite saying that sailors are superstitious, and ours had a load of guilt upon their souls. Some cried and raved, others tried to pray, many insisted that as death was at hand the spirit room should be opened. Even the captain's faco grew white and blanched with fear. At last the speed became tremendouß, the ship turned round, head on to the coast, in spite of all efforts, and it was plain, destruction was a matter of a few minutes. It was then that the captain declared the true cause of thia phenomenon. " There can be no doubt of it now," I heard him say to my mate ; " We have been sucked into a whirlpool. I have heard old sailors on these seas apeak of thorn, and of the mysterious disappearance of vessels. We have but one resource, tbe boats. Our strength may resist the current." Rushing away from my mate he gave the order to lot go the boat, and he waa obeyed with alacrity. The only two men who were perfectly cool and self possessed wero Henry, (my mate) and myself. For mo I really did not care whether I died or not, for I felt convinced that I waa forsaken by God and man, and doomed. Aa well die now, and swiftly and suddenly, than linger out a life of wretchedness. My Monte Christo dreams were vain. Henry was calm from quito a different reason. He was studying for what was the best to do to escape the impending fate. If ho knew no code of morals, if he waa heartless, if he thought only of self gratification, Imustdohim the justice to say he did not know what fear was. Perhaps the fact that he utterly disbelieved in a future state partly explained thia. His quick eye and quicker mind took in at onco the position. I also saw it very clearly, though the excited men did not. To attempt to launch a boat waa madness. Whatever slender chance those who remained on deok had, no strength of arm could breast that current ; and tho boata would be inevitably dashed against tbe rocks. There was a obanoe, a very slight one, by remaining on board. The vessel would not at once be dashed to pieces, and in the meantime perhaps an escape could be made.

At such times self alone rules, and no o/ie thious of another. The captain did shout to H n nry before ho went into his boat, but he did not wait. " They are mid," said Henry. We watched them — we wcie ncaring the coast, and its rugged outline rose in all its terrors before us. The boats spun on the water like cockleshells, tbp oars in rao3t instances breaking as the men desperately attempted to pull out of the fated circle. •' All ig lost," paid Hanry'a deep voice : "We have not got in a whirlpool, but into a cave, through which the water rushes to the other side of the island." And he blasphemed as I never heard man blaspheme, and curbed his M j ,ker and himself. I looked. Right in front of us was a hugo yawning abyia, into which the vessel was rushing with, I mi^ht say, the epstid of a bullet. Before we could realise we were in total darkness, rushing on with tho speed of an express train. Just before we entered we saw the boats dashed to pieces, and the awful cry of the perishing men sounded like our own death knell. To you who who have gone through the ordeal, it ia not necessary to describe the passage of tbe gulf. You, too, oan easily undcratand the revuhion of feeling when wo were shot out into the peaceful lake amid its fairy isles. The vessel happened to come in right in the centre of the channel, and, the water keeping it in one place, it escaped destruction against the sides. The roof of the gulf is high enough to take in the tallest vessel. For my part, when I saw myself thus reserved from a terrible death, I was full of gratitude to the great Ruler, and I earnestly thanked him for his mercy, resolving never aeiin to doubt His purpose. From the momeut I saw the light after that dreadful passage I became a changed man. I forgot my fisndish feeling of revenge. I saw with clearer eye 3 that I alone was to blame, and I resolved to lead a new life, and never again to entertain those feelings that for months had made a hell of my heart. What Henry thought I cannot tell hia face expressed emotions of frantic joy and* relief, but none of thankfulness. He waa not, perhaps, to blame ; he did not believe in a Supreme Being, or, rather I should say, a Prime Mover, the author of all law. We had no power to manage the ve w sel, and before long it waa drawn in between two islets, and the passage being narrow, stuck fast. The islota were not then as you see them, but there were wild fruits on them, and these we enjoyed. It was not long before we saw at a distance some canoes or dug-outs, in which we could Bee, by the aid of our glasses, a tall, strong dark people. Our situation at once became changed, and we were now confronted with dangers of a new kind. We had no reaaon, however, to beafraiJ. To shorten my story, and make it less tedious, I may as well anticipate and give the information which oame to U 3 by slow degrees. The island waa peopled by a race which had drifted into this paradise in the same manner as we did. They had some faint and distorted traditions about the land from whence they came, and one of these was that some day a great ruler would come from that land. When we arrived they at once concluded we were the promised rulers, and they prepared to receive us with honor, in fact, to worship us. The people were an extremely easy, happy-go-luoky lot, aa all natives of these latitudes are, simple and innooent in their way, with few bad traits, save when when roused by gesat events, but without a scintilla of morality ; just the people to Henry's heart. At the time wo arrived they were under the dominion of the ablest man on the island, and — it is cften a coincidence— the greatest rascal. Hia name was Marambola, which means the Inventable, and it was a correct one. This old villain could not reaist the superstitions of his people, whose superior he was immeasurably in intellect, but from the first he laid a plot for our destruction, for he could not brook to be an inferior whore ho had been supreme. By signs we soon managed to understand eaoh other, and Henry and I were treated like princes. Henry was assigned one island — we had no desire to be with one another— where he at once gave way to his propensities — >and I another. Shrewd as Henry ever was in adversity, in times of peril, when his energies were oalled forth, he was a very Capuan when the opportunity presented. It waa different with me. Trouble had so subdued me that I was another man. I knew better than to trust savages. Familiarity breeds contempt, and I knew that when the natives discovered that we were only men, our danger would be great. I was never deceived by Marainbola, crafty savage as he was. I did not fear but that I could live peaceably here if I did not aspire to dethrone the chocolate chieftain, but I knew Henry would soon imperil our lives. His excesses would disgust the natives, and his first aim would be to depoae Marambola, and to reign in bis stead — and I felt I had to dread that contingency. He, no more than Mararabola, would brook a superior or an equal. I therefoie set about providing for my safety. In other days my favourite pursuit, when I could spare time for it, was science, especially electricity ; indeed, neglecting my proper business, and experiments helped to accomplish my ruin. However, when I quietly reflected on the matter now, I saw I could make science my salvation. Our ship contained everything that I required. But what is of even greater importance, I was allotted a number of young men and women aa attendants, who were the best people in ttie island, and whom I managed to warmly attach to myeelf. By means of a magio lantern I made myself looked upon as a god. Throughout the island my fame spread, and my name was a terror and an object of adoration. At night I would make displays of natural magio that struck terror into all hearts, and I was soon known as a being whom it would not be wise to offend. Everymorningcanoos thronged my island with offerings. I wa3 consulted like an oracle, and, of course, my answeis were oracular. I soon learned their language — I had a gift that way— and was at home with them. In fact, I had not been a month on the island when I was acknowledged supremp, and my word was law. Henry and Marambola were rendered frantic by this, and much as they hated one another, joined together to destroy me. Mustering their forces they stole upon my islet one night, about two months after our arrival, and attacked me. But my spies — the islandors were now divided into two parties, and mine was the most devoted— had given me information of the raid, and I was prepared. Antioipating this result, I had worked bard to encircle the island with an electrical fence, so to say. You must have noticed it. I fixed a oopper wire, of which they were abundance in the vessel, round the island, with wires rising up like a chevau r dc /rise, crossed with other wires to keep them in place. Then I had a small steam engine removed from the pbip, and with it generated electricity. I suppose you have made groat advances in the world in electrical science, but I can say that I believe I have anticipated many of your discoveries. When I turned on tho current it was impossible for anyone to land. As for my own people, nothing would persuade them to touch the mooroogooroo, or magio. So when my assailants came up with shouts and war cries, and attempted to land, the moat laughable results followed. Those who touched the wires could not let go or even scream, and their ooropanions beat a retreat, leaving them to drown. Once more, however, my mate, who had persuaded them I was an impostor, urged them on. This time I turned on the full force of the current, and thcTs'S who

touched the fatal wires were struck dead. Then with yells and screamn of horror the rest turned thoir canoes and fled. I had two or three splendid magic lanterns, and I favored them with a display that farly frightened them out of their wits. Their screams and cries of yorovaro (mercy), and mooroogooroo (magic), made a teinble din. That wag the last attempt at rebellion on thia island. From that time I havo been supreme. Rebellion waa rendered impossible.