The canoes, seeing us safe on board, turned aside and paddled for the shore. Whether or not they had had any intention of attacking the boat, this showed us that they believed the schooner was able to defend us.
Harry said that he had been compelled to be very strict with them, although he had hitherto remained on good terms. He had held to his rule of allowing only a few men to come on board at a time, and he had made these leave their arms in the canoes, while, as soon as evening drew on, he compelled all on board to return to the shore. When I told him of the warning Hogan had given us, he replied that he had brought the natives into such good order that he did not think they would attempt any act of treachery.
“That is just what Sam was afraid of,” I observed. “Their object, by pretending to be quiet and friendly, is to throw us off our guard. However, now that the schooner’s crew is strengthened by our arrival, perhaps they’ll abandon their designs.”
He told me that he had been arranging with a chief for leave to cut down a tree from which to make a mainmast. “It will take some time,” he continued, “but it must be done, and as the natives cannot cut down the tree, we must manage to do it ourselves. It did occur to me that, while we were thus engaged, they might think it a favourable opportunity to attack us, unless we are on our guard.”
“From what Hogan told Sam, we were much afraid that they might attempt to cut you off even before our arrival,” I observed. “The old sailor had, by some means or other, gained intelligence of their designs, although he acknowledged that he was very uncertain whether he should be able to put you on your guard in time to save you.”
“One thing is positive, that we cannot leave this harbour till we have obtained a mast. And we must have it, therefore, at all risks,” said Harry.
“I advise that we should get hold of a chief, or some other person of influence, and keep him as a hostage on board, while our people are working on shore,” said Charlie Tilston. “The wildest savages know what that means, and will not venture to attack us while we have a chief in our power.”
“A capital idea!” said Harry; “but the question is, how are we to bell the cat, or rather, get hold of a chief?”
“I will go on shore with Sam Pest, and try to induce one of them to come off,” said Charlie. “It would be useless to take either the New Zealander or the Sandwich Island man, as neither of them speak a word of the language of these people, but Sam can make himself understood.”
Harry thought that there was much risk in the undertaking, but Sam, when told of the plan, was ready enough to go, and I begged that I might accompany Charlie, as I did not like the idea of his going alone. We were all to be well armed, and to be on the watch to prevent any savage from getting behind us—this, should they have any treacherous intentions, they were sure to attempt doing. Charlie proposed carrying a few articles to present to the chief, with the promise of others, in exchange for provisions and such things as we should require, if he would come to receive them. This was considered more politic than carrying on the trading first, and promising the presents afterwards, as the chief might doubt whether they would be delivered. From what we gleaned from Sam, they had more than once before been tricked by white men, who had come into their harbour, and were therefore likely to be suspicious of our intentions.