That evening when all were present John had the first opportunity to talk with the venerable chief of the town.
"How long have you been here?" he was asked.
He was silent for a moment and then answered: "Thirty years."
It must be understood that the questions and answers had to be translated and as the natives knew nothing about the division of time in months or years it was necessary to convert the time which was given by nature into terms of years and months.
Thus, they understood what a day meant, and they could calculate time, as all savages do, by the phases of the moon, and in many cases they were able to indicate time by the position of the sun, in which they recognized three phases only, namely, when the sun was directly above them, and when it reached the extreme northern and southern points.
"Why were you sent here?"
"Because I committed a crime."
John was almost startled at the frankness of the confession, which the old man made without the least perceptible show of feeling or shame.
"Would you like to go back again?"
"Go back where?"