After remaining here, as near as I can recollect, three months, (for I had almost lost all remembrance of dates) the Indians separated. One party took me and William Doyley with them in a canoe; and George Doyley and Sexton stayed with the other party.
The party that took me along with them, set sail early in the morning, and about the middle of the day reached another small island to the northward, where we stayed a day and a night; it had a sandy beach. The next morning we left this island and went to another, which was very flat, and covered with low bushes; here we stayed a fortnight. We then sailed northward, stopping at other islands, as long as we could get food for the party; this food consisted of fish and wild fruits; our drink was water.
We came to one island where we stayed about a month, and from thence went to another, which the natives called Aroob, but which I afterwards learned was Darnley’s Island. This place I have very good reason to recollect; it was here that we were first treated with some kindness by the natives. After staying here about a fortnight, we again embarked, returning by the way we had come, to an island called by the natives Sirreb, situated near to Aureed.
Poor little William seemed to wish to stop on any of the islands where we landed; and cried for a long time after being on board the canoe, to return to them.
After remaining on this island rather more than a week, a canoe, with some of the natives of Murray’s Island, came there. They bought us of our captors for two bunches of bananas. We did not leave the island for three days after we were bought; but in that time went in the canoe with our new masters, who treated us very kindly. I was pleased to find that poor little William began to become more cheerful.
We returned by way of Darnley’s Island, stayed there a few days, and then went to Murray’s Island, where we afterwards lived until the period of our release by Captain Lewis, in the Isabella.
Upon our first landing on Murray’s Island, the natives flocked around us, wondering who we were. They began asking those who had brought us a great many questions, and speaking to us in a language very nearly like that of the other natives, and which I was just beginning to understand. Some of the children were very much frightened at us, and ran away as soon as they saw us.
I soon learned that the name of the person who bought me was Dupper; and little William was given into the care of a native called Oby, who lived near Dupper’s hut. This man soon got very fond of the little boy, as the child also became of him; indeed he seemed here to have quite forgotten his mother and father.
My name among these people, was Waki, and that of William, was Uass. I lived in the same hut with Dupper and his family, consisting of himself, his wife Panney, three sons, to all appearance young men, and two daughters, who were called Yope and Sarki.
In this place I was made as comfortable as I could expect, under the circumstances in which I was placed; my wounds had continued open during my wanderings, but they now began to heal, and my appearance soon altered for the better. I had now gone through all that could be called suffering; but still I constantly wished that some European vessel would touch at that shore, and take me once more to see my friends and country.