That ship was the little Island Queen.
Just an hour after she had first been sighted, Ota, the king, called his prisoners before him.
A translation of the speech he made then would read somewhat as follows:
"White men people. King Ota is the biggest king in all the wide world. There is no end to his greatness or his glory. He has destroyed his enemies in many a bloody battle both by sea and land, and cooked and eaten them afterwards. Even the birds of the air fly round the head of King Ota when he takes his walks abroad, and scream their worship in his large and willing ears. And the dark frigate bird, the eewaoo, carries the story of King Ota's glory to the utmost regions of the earth. King Ota's arm is very strong, but King Ota's heart is as big and soft as a jeetee (the jelly fish). When Ota saw the poor white sailors land on his shore, his first thought was to club and eat them, after smearing his wives and little ones with their bright red blood. But his soft jeetee heart forbade; so he has kept them, and is very kind to them. But now behold a white man's ship has appeared in the bay, and they may want to take the king's dear prisoners away. But they must not know they are here. I must hide them in the innermost shades of the forest, and keep them secure until the ship departs. Away with them guards, and if they attempt to escape kill them, and we will feast ourselves on their bodies."
This was a sad sentence, but there was no relenting in King Ota, so they were marched away into the depths of a dark wood, and imprisoned in a bamboo hut, which was guarded by the spearsmen of the savage king.
* * * * * *
"Now, Frank," said Fred, "what is to be done first?"
That is what Captain Arundel, of the model yacht Island Queen said, as soon as the anchor was let go in the beautiful bay off the Isle of Ota.
"That's what I should like to know, Fred," was Frank's reply. "I'm ready to obey you in everything, and fight for you, and stick by you to the last; but, faith, Fred, I'm a poor hand at giving advice."
"I should say," said Mac, "we'd better first try to make friends with these black beggars."