“Dat him, dat him.”
“Do you know about these islands, Ohoo; for there are more than one?”
Then he told me the names of two of them. I could not understand his pronunciation, but the real names I learned later. Nukahiva he called Newkeva, and Roa Pona he called Row Pew.
“Newkeva be fine place—plenty good water, plenty everytin’ else. Row Pew, he fine place, but me no like him. Long ’go dey take Kanaka and eat him.”
“Cannibals?” I inquired.
“Me no know canny bells. Me know all ship bells.”
It was all clear now. The drinking water was almost unendurable, and every one from the captain down was longing for fresh food. There was no sign of scurvy, but scurvy might at any time appear. The Kanaka’s guess seemed reasonable, and the thought of having a drink of good water once more and a sufficiency of fruit and vegetables, as well as other things, was as pleasurable as the feeling that for once I had the opportunity of getting the better of Kreelman. The next morning I said to him:
“I say, Mr. Kreelman, shall we take on our recruits at Nukahiva or Roa Pona?”
I put an accent on “Mr.” and I spoke in a tone which indicated confidence in the statement.
“Who told you that we are goin’ to stop at them places—Lakeum or the captain?”