About a fortnight after I saw the ship pass, Hussey came with his master, on a visit. His disappointment was great, and we could only cheer each other, by hoping for the best, and wait patiently the pleasure of Heaven.
Hussey again left me, but we parted under less bodings of evil than before, for the kindness of the natives began to increase, and their suspicions to be allayed.
I will here acquaint the reader with some of the means that I was induced to make use of, to satisfy the cravings of appetite. As the Island now was in a state of almost entire famine, my daily subsistence not amounting to more (upon an average) than the substance of one half a cocoanut each day. The chief I lived with, having several cocoanut trees that he was very choice of, and which bore plentifully; I would frequently, (after the natives in the hut were all soundly asleep) take the opportunity and get out of the hut unperceived, and climb one of those trees, (being very careful about making the least noise, or letting any of them drop to the ground, whereby I might be detected,) and take the stem of one cocoanut in my mouth, and one in each hand, and in that manner make out to slide down the tree, and would then (with my prize) make the best of my way to a bunch of bushes, at a considerable distance from the hut, where I would have a sumptuous repast; and if any remained, would secrete them, until by hunger, I was drove to the necessity of revisiting that place.
I made a practice of this for some time, until the chief began to miss his cocoanuts, and keep such watch, that I, for fear of being detected, was obliged to relinquish that mode of satisfying my appetite.
A short time after this, I ventured to take a cocoanut off the ground where the natives had recently buried a person; a deed which is strictly against the laws of their religious principles, (if it can be said that they have any,) and a deed which the natives never dare to do, for fear of displeasing their God (Anit) under a certain length of time after the person had been buried, and then, the spot is only to be approached by males.
Not twenty-four hours had elapsed after I took the cocoanut, before they missed it, and coming immediately to me, charged me with having taken it, telling me that not a native on the Island would have dared so much as to handle it, for fear of the bad spirit, (Anit.)
I then told them that I had taken it, but pleading ignorance in the case, and promising never to do any thing of the like again, and making it appear to them that I was surprised at what they told me of the bad spirit, and also that I believed the same, they left me, after telling me that if I ever handled another of them, it would not only bring sickness and death upon myself, but would bring it upon the whole Island.
The reader will naturally suppose, that my mind was considerably relieved on their leaving me so soon, fearing that something serious might be the result.
After this I was very careful how I did any thing that I thought would in the least displease, or irritate them, and made myself content with the portion they saw fit to give me.
I frequently fired a musket to please them, by their request; and told them if they would let me have some powder, I would fire off the swivel, left by the Globe. They consented, and collected in great numbers, and after I had loaded the gun with a heavy charge, I told them they had better stand back. They said I must set her on fire, and tell them when she was going off, and they would run! I however, touched her off, when they instantly fell on their faces in the greatest panick. When their fears had subsided, they set up howling and yelling with ecstacy!