第19章

AssoonasIcametomyself，Iperceivedthethreeislandersstandingalittledistanceoff，andapparentlyengagedinsomeviolentaltercationrespectingme。

“Myfirstimpulsewastorunforit；but，inendeavouringtorise，Ifellback，androlleddownalittlegrassyprecipice。Theshockseemedtorallymyfaculties；so，startingtomyfeet，IfleddownthepathIhadjustascended。Ihadnoneedtolookbehindme，for，fromtheyellsIheard，Iknewthatmyenemieswereinfullpursuit。

Urgedonbytheirfearfuloutcries，andheedlessoftheinjuryIhadreceived-thoughthebloodflowingfromthewoundtrickledoverintomyeyesandalmostblindedme-Irusheddownthemountainsidewiththespeedofthewind。InashorttimeIhaddescendednearlyathirdofthedistance，andthesavageshadceasedtheircries，whensuddenlyaterrifichowlburstuponmyear，andatthesamemomentaheavyjavelindartedpastmeasIfled，andstuckquiveringinatreeclosetome。Anotheryellfollowed，andasecondspearandathirdshotthroughtheairwithinafewfeetofmybody，bothofthempiercingthegroundobliquelyinadvanceofme。Thefellowsgavearoarofrageanddisappointment；buttheywereafraid，I

suppose，ofcomingdownfartherintotheTypeevalley，andsoabandonedthechase。Isawthemrecovertheirweaponsandturnback；

andIcontinuedmydescentasfastasIcould。

“WhatcouldhavecausedthisferociousattackonthepartoftheseHapparsIcouldnotimagine，unlessitwerethattheyhadseenmeascendingthemountainwithMarheyo，andthatthemerefactofcomingfromtheTypeevalleywassufficienttoprovokethem。

“AslongasIwasindangerIscarcelyfeltthewoundIhadreceived；butwhenthechasewasoverIbegantosufferfromit。Ihadlostmyhatintheflight，andthesunscorchedmybarehead。Ifeltfaintandgiddy；but，fearfuloffallingtothegroundbeyondthereachofassistance，IstaggeredonaswellasIcould，andatlastgainedthelevelofthevalley，andthendownIsunk；andIknewnothingmoreuntilIfoundmyselflyinguponthesemats，andyoustoopingovermewiththecalabashofwater。“

SuchwasToby’saccountofthissadaffair。Iafterwardslearnedthatfortunatelyhehadfallenclosetoaspotwherethenativesgoforfuel。Apartyofthemcaughtsightofhimashefell，and，soundingthealarm，hadliftedhimup；andafterineffectuallyendeavouringtorestorehimatthebrook，hadhurriedforwardwithhimtothehouse。

Thisincidentthrewadarkcloudoverourprospects。Itremindedusthatwewerehemmedinbyhostiletribes，whoseterritorieswecouldnothopetopass，onourroutetoNukuheva，withoutencounteringtheeffectsoftheirsavageresentment。Thereappearedtobenoavenueopenedtoourescapebutthesea，whichwashedthelowerextremityofthevale。

OurTypeefriendsavailedthemselvesoftherecentdisasterofTobytoexhortustoadueappreciationoftheblessingsweenjoyedamongthem；contrastingtheirowngenerousreceptionofuswiththeanimosityoftheirneighbours。TheylikewisedweltuponthecannibalpropensitiesoftheHappars，asubjectwhichtheywereperfectlyawarecouldnotfalltoalarmus；whileatthesametimetheyearnestlydisclaimedallparticipationinsohorridacustom。Nordidtheyomittocalluponustoadmirethenaturallovelinessoftheirownabode，andthelavishabundancewithwhichitproducedallmannerofluxuriantfruits；exaltingitinthisparticularaboveanyofthesurroundingvalleys。

Kory-Koryseemedtoexperiencesoheartfeltadesiretoinfuseintoourmindsproperviewsonthesesubjects，that，assistedinhisendeavoursbythelittleknowledgeofthelanguagewehadacquired，heactuallymadeuscomprehendaconsiderablepartofwhathesaid。Tofacilitateourcorrectapprehensionofhismeaning，heatfirstcondensedhisideasintothesmallestpossiblecompass。

“Happarkeekeenonuee，“heexclaimed；“nuee，nuee，kikikannaka！-

ah！owlemortarkee！“whichsignifies，“TerriblefellowsthoseHappars！-devouranamazingquantityofmen！-ah，shockingbad！“

Thusfarheexplainedhimselfbyavarietyofgestures，duringtheperformanceofwhichhewoulddartoutofthehouse，andpointabhorrentlytowardstheHapparvalley；runningintousagainwitharapiditythatshowedhewasfearfulwewouldloseonepartofhismeaningbeforehecouldcompletetheother；andcontinuinghisillustrationsbyseizingthefleshypartofmyarminhisteeth，intimating，bytheoperation，thatthepeoplewholivedoverinthatdirectionwouldlikenothingbetterthantotreatmeinthatmanner。

Havingassuredhimselfthatwewerefullyenlightenedonthispoint，heproceededtoanotherbranchofhissubject。“Ah！Typeemortarkee！-nuee，nueemioree-nuee，nueewai-nuee，nueepoee-poee-

nuee，nueekokoo-ah！nuee，nueekiki-ah！nuee，nuee，nuee！“Which，liberallyinterpretedasbefore，wouldimply，“Ah，Typee！isn’titafineplacethough！-nodangerofstarvinghere，Itellyou！-plentyofbread-fruit-plentyofwater-plentyofpudding-ah！plentyofeverything，ah！heaps，heaps，heaps，heaps！“Allthiswasaccompaniedbyarunningcommentaryofsignsandgestureswhichitwasimpossiblenottocomprehend。

Ashecontinuedhisharangue，however，Kory-Kory，inemulationofourmorepolishedorators，begantolaunchoutratherdiffuselyintootherbranchesofhissubject，enlargingprobablyuponthemoralreflectionsitsuggested；andproceededinsuchastrainofunintelligibleandstunninggibberish，thatheactuallygavemetheheadachefortherestoftheday。

INthecourseofthefewdaysTobyhadrecoveredfromtheeffectsofhisadventurewiththeHapparwarriors；thewoundonhisheadrapidlyhealingunderthevegetabletreatmentofthegoodTinor。Lessfortunatethanmycompanion，however，Istillcontinuedtolanguishunderacomplaint，theoriginandnatureofwhichwerestillamystery。CutoffasIwasfromallintercoursewiththeworld，andfeelingtheinefficacyofanythingthenativescoulddotorelieveme；knowing，too，thatsolongasIremainedinmypresentconditionitwouldbeimpossibleformetoleavethevalley，whateveropportunitymightpresentitself；andapprehensivethaterelongwemightbeexposedtosomecapriceonthepartoftheislanders，Inowgaveupallhopesofrecovery，andbecameapreytothemostgloomythoughts。Adeepdejectionfelluponme，whichneitherthefriendlyremonstrancesofmycompanion，thedevotedattentionsofKory-Kory，norallthesoothinginfluencesofFayaway，couldremove。

Onemorning，asIlayonthematsinthehouseplungedinmelancholyreverie，andregardlessofeverythingaroundme，Toby，whohadleftmeaboutanhour，returnedinhaste，andwithgreatgleetoldmetocheerupandbeofgoodheart，forhebelieved，fromwhatwasgoingonamongthenatives，thattherewereboatsapproachingthebay。

Thesetidingsoperateduponmelikemagic。Thehourofourdeliverancewasathand，and，startingup，Iwassoonconvincedthatsomethingunusualwasabouttooccur。Theword“botee！botee！“wasvociferatedinalldirections；andshoutswereheardinthedistance，atfirstfeeblyandfaintly，butgrowinglouderandnearerateachsuccessiverepetition，untiltheywerecaughtupbyafellowinacocoa-nuttreeafewyardsoff，who，soundingtheminturn，theywerereiteratedfromaneighbouringgrove，andsodiedawaygraduallyfrompointtopoint，astheintelligencepenetratedintothefarthestrecessesofthevalley。Thiswasthevocaltelegraphoftheislanders；bymeansofwhich，condenseditemsofinformationcouldbecarriedinaveryfewminutesfromtheseatotheirremotesthabitation，adistanceofatleasteightorninemiles。Onthepresentoccasionitwasinactiveoperation，onepieceofinformationfollowinganotherwithinconceivablerapidity。

Thegreatestcommotionnowappearedtoprevail。Ateveryfreshitemofintelligencethenativesbetrayedtheliveliestinterest，andredoubledtheenergywithwhichtheyemployedthemselvesincollectingfruittoselltotheexpectedvisitors。Someweretearingoffthehusksfromcocoa-nuts；some，perchedinthetrees，werethrowingdownbread-fruittotheircompanions，whogatheredthemintoheapsastheyfell；whileotherswereplyingtheirfingersrapidlyinweavingleafenbasketsinwhichtocarrythefruit。

Therewereothermatters，too，goingonatthesametime。Hereyouwouldseeastoutwarriorpolishinghisspearwithabitofoldtappa，oradjustingthefoldsofthegirdleabouthiswaist；andthereyoumightdescryayoungdamseldecoratingherselfwithflowers，asifhavinginhereyesomemaidenlyconquest；while，asinallcasesofhurryandconfusionineverypartoftheworld，anumberofindividualskepthurryingtoandfrowithamazingvigourandperseverance，doingnothingthemselves，andhinderingothers。

Neverbeforehadweseentheislandersinsuchastateofbustleandexcitement；andthescenefurnishedabundantevidenceofthefact-

thatitwasonlyatlongintervalsanysucheventsoccur。

WhenIthoughtofthelengthoftimethatmightintervenebeforeasimilarchanceofescapewouldbepresented，IbitterlylamentedthatIhadnotthepowerofavailingmyselfeffectuallyofthepresentopportunity。

Fromallthatwecouldgather，itappearedthatthenativeswerefearfulofarrivingtoolateuponthebeach，unlesstheymadeextraordinaryexertions。SickandlameasIwas，IwouldhavestartedwithTobyatonce，hadnotKory-Korynotonlyrefusedtocarryme，butmanifestedthemostinvinciblerepugnancetoourleavingtheneighbourhoodofthehouse。Therestofthesavageswereequallyopposedtoourwishes，andseemedgrievedandastonishedattheearnestnessofmysolicitations。Iclearlyperceivedthat，whilemyattendantavoidedallappearanceofconstrainingmymovements，hewasneverthelessdeterminedtothwartmywishes。Heseemedtomeonthisparticularoccasion，aswellasoftenafterwards，tobeexecutingtheordersofsomeotherpersonwithregardtome，thoughatthesametimefeelingtowardsmethemostlivelyaffection。

Toby，whohadmadeuphismindtoaccompanytheislandersifpossibleassoonastheywereinreadinesstodepart，andwhoforthatreasonhadrefrainedfromshowingthesameanxietythatIhaddone，nowrepresentedtomethatitwasidleformetoentertainthehopeofreachingthebeachintimetoprofitbyanyopportunitythatmightthenbepresented。

“Doyounotsee，“saidhe，“thesavagesthemselvesarefearfulofbeingtoolate，andIshouldhurryforwardmyselfatonce，didI

notthinkthat，ifIshowedtoomucheagerness，Ishoulddestroyallourhopesofreapinganybenefitfromthisfortunateevent。Ifyouwillonlyendeavourtoappeartranquilorunconcerned，youwillquiettheirsuspicions，andIhavenodoubttheywillthenletmegowiththemtothebeach，supposingthatImerelygooutofcuriosity。

ShouldIsucceedingettingdowntotheboats，IwillmakeknowntheconditioninwhichIhaveleftyou，andmeasuresmaythenbetakentosecureourescape。“