CHAPTER LIII.

CHAPTER LIII.

We were never weary with caressing our dear Francis. We were very
anxious to learn from him all the particulars of the arrival of the
savages in our island, the seizure of his mother and himself, their
voyage, and their residence here, and who were the friends they had met
with: but it was impossible, his tawny majesty never left us for a
moment, and played with the boy as if he had been a child himself.
Francis showed him all the toys from our chest; he was extremely amused
with the small mirrors, and the dolls. A painted carriage, driven by a
coachman who raised his whip when the wheels turned, appeared miraculous
to him. He uttered screams of delight as he pointed it out to his
followers. The ticking of my watch also charmed him; and as I had
several more, I gave him it, showing him how to wind it up. But the
first time he tried to do it, he broke the spring, and when it was
silent he cared no longer for it, but threw it on one side. However, as
the gold was very glittering, he took it up again, and suspending it
from the handkerchief that was wound round his head, it hung over his
nose, and formed a striking ornament. Francis showed him his face in a
mirror, which royal amusement made him laugh heartily. He asked the
missionary if it was the invisible and Almighty God who had made all
these wonderful things. Mr. Willis replied, that it was he who gave men
the power to make them. I do not know whether Bara-ourou comprehended
this, but he remained for some time in deep thought. I profited by this
to ask the missionary what were the words which had terrified them so
when they wished to keep my son from me, and which had compelled them to
surrender him?

"I told them," answered he, "that the Almighty and unseen God, of whom I
spoke to them daily, ordered them, by my voice, to restore a son to his
father; I threatened them with his anger if they refused, and promised
them his mercy if they obeyed; and they did obey. The first step is
gained, they know the duty of adoring and obeying God; every other truth
proceeds from this, and I have no doubt that my savages will one day
become good Christians. My method of instruction is suited to their
limited capacity. I prove to them that their wooden idols, made by their
own hands, could neither create, hear them, nor protect them. I have
shown them God in his works, have declared him to be as good as he is
powerful, hating evil, cruelty, murder, and cannibalism, and they have
renounced all these. In their late wars they have either released or
adopted their prisoners. If they carried off your wife and son, they
intended it for a good action, as you will soon understand."

I could not ask Francis any questions, as Bara-ourou continued playing
with him, so turning to Ernest, I asked him what passed when the savages
joined him?

"When you left me," said he, "I amused myself by searching for shells,
plants, and zoophytes, with which the rocks abound, and I have added a
good deal to my collection. I was at some distance from the pinnace,
when I heard a confused sound of voices, and concluded that the savages
were coming; in fact, ten or a dozen issued from the road you had
entered, and I cannot comprehend how you missed meeting them. Fearing
they would attempt to take possession of my pinnace, I returned
speedily, and seized a loaded musket, though I determined to use it only
to defend my own life, or the pinnace. I stood on the deck in an
attitude as bold and imposing as I could command; but I did not succeed
in intimidating them. They leaped, one after the other, on deck, and
surrounded me, uttering loud cries. I could not discover whether they
were cries of joy or of fury; but I showed no fear, and addressed them
in a friendly tone, in some words from Capt. Cook's vocabulary; but they
did not seem to comprehend me, neither could I understand any of theirs
except _écroué_ (father), which they frequently repeated, and
_tara-tauo_ (woman). One of them had Fritz's gun, from which I concluded
they were of the party that had carried off Jack. I took it, and showing
him mine, endeavoured to make him understand that it also belonged to
me. He thought I wished to exchange, and readily offered to return it,
and take mine. This would not have suited me; Fritz's gun was
discharged, and I could not let them have mine loaded. To prevent
accident, surrounded as I was, I decided to give them a fright, and
seeing a bird flying above us, I took aim so correctly, that my shot
brought down the bird, a blue pigeon. They were for a moment stupified
with terror; then immediately all left the pinnace, except Parabéry; he
seemed to be pleased with me, often pointing to the sky, saying _mété_,
which means _good_, I believe. His comrades were examining the dead
bird. Some touched their own shoulders, to try if they were wounded as
well as the bird and Jack had been, which convinced me they had carried
him off. I tried to make Parabéry understand my suspicion, and I think I
succeeded, for he made me an affirmative sign, pointing to the interior
of the island, and touching his shoulder with an air of pity. I took
several things from the chest, and gave them to him, making signs that
he should show them to the others, and induce them to return to me. He
comprehended me very well, and complied with my wishes. I was soon
surrounded by the whole party, begging of me. I was busy distributing
beads, mirrors, and small knives when you came, and we are now excellent
friends. Two or three of them returned to the wood, and brought me
cocoa-nuts and bananas. But we must be careful to hide our guns, of
which they have a holy horror. And now, dear father, I think we ought
not to call these people _savages_. They have the simplicity of
childhood; a trifle irritates them, a trifle appeases them; they are
grateful and affectionate. I find them neither cruel nor barbarous. They
have done me no harm, when they might easily have killed me, thrown me
into the sea, or carried me away."

"We must not," said I, "judge of all savage people by these, who have
had the benefit of a virtuous teacher. Mr. Willis has already cast into
their hearts the seeds of that divine religion, which commands us to do
unto others as we would they should do unto us, and to pardon and love
our enemies."

While we were discoursing, we arrived at a spot where the canoes had
already landed; we were about to do the same, but the king did not seem
inclined to quit the pinnace, but continued speaking to the missionary.
I was still fearful that he wished to keep Francis, to whom he seemed to
be more and more attached, holding him constantly on his knee; but at
last, to my great joy, he placed him in my arms.

"He keeps his word with you," said Mr. Willis. "You may carry him to his
mother; but, in return, he wishes you to permit him to go in your
pinnace to his abode on the other side of the strait, that he may show
it to the women, and he promises to bring it back; perhaps there would
be danger in refusing him."

I agreed with him; but still there was a difficulty in granting this
request. If he chose to keep it, how should we return? Besides, it
contained our only barrel of powder, and all our articles of traffic,
and how could we expect it would escape pillage?

Mr. Willis confessed he had not yet been able to cure their fondness for
theft, and suggested, as the only means of security, that I should
accompany the king, and bring the pinnace back, which was then to be
committed to the charge of Parabéry, for whose honesty he would be
responsible.

Here was another delay; the day was so far advanced, that I might not,
perhaps, be able to return before night. Besides, though my wife did
not know we were so near her, she knew they had carried away Francis,
and she would certainly be very uneasy about him. Bara-ourou looked very
impatient, and as it was necessary to answer him, I decided at once; I
resigned Francis to the missionary, entreating him to take him to his
mother, to prepare her for our approach, and to relate the cause of our
delay. I told my sons, it was my desire they should accompany me. Fritz
agreed rather indignantly, and Ernest with calmness. Mr. Willis told the
king, that in gratitude to him, and to do him honour, I and my sons
wished to accompany him. He appeared much flattered at this, made my
sons seat themselves on each side of him, endeavoured to pronounce their
names, and finished by exchanging names as a token of friendship,
calling Fritz, _Bara_; Ernest, _Ourou_; and himself, Fritz-Ernest. Mr.
Willis and Francis left us; our hearts were sad to see them go where all
our wishes centred; but the die was cast. The king gave the signal to
depart; the canoes took the lead, and we followed. In an hour we saw the
royal palace. It was a tolerably large hut, constructed of bamboos and
palm-leaves, very neatly. Several women were seated before it, busily
employed in making the short petticoats of reeds which they all wore.
Their hair was very carefully braided in tufts on the crown of the head;
none were good-looking, except two daughters of the king, about ten and
twelve years old, who, though very dark, were graceful: these, no doubt,
he intended for wives for my Francis. We disembarked about a hundred
yards from the hut. The women came to meet us, carrying a branch of the
mimosa in each hand; they then performed a singular kind of dance,
entwining their arms and shaking their feet, but never moving from the
spot; this they accompanied with a wild chant, which was anything but
musical. The king seemed pleased with it; and, calling his wives and
daughters, he showed them his _tayo, Bara_ and _Ourou_, calling himself
Fritz-Ernest; he then joined in the dance, dragging my sons with him,
who managed it pretty well. As for me, he treated me with great respect,
always calling me _écroué_--father, and made me sit down on a large
trunk of a tree before his house; which was, doubtless, his throne, for
he placed me there with great ceremony, rubbing his royal nose against
mine. After the dance was concluded, the women retired to the hut, and
returned to offer us a collation, served up in the shells of cocoa-nuts.
It was a sort of paste, composed, I believe, of different sorts of
fruit, mixed up with a kind of flour and the milk of the cocoa-nut. This
mixture was detestable to me; but I made up for it with some kernel of
cocoa-nuts and the bread-fruit. Perceiving that I liked these,
Bara-ourou ordered some of them to be gathered, and carried to
the pinnace.

The hut was backed by a wood of palms and other trees, so that our
provision was readily made. Still there was time for my sons to run to
the pinnace, attended by Parabéry, and bring from the chest some beads,
mirrors, scissors, needles and pins, to distribute to the ladies. When
they brought the fruit they had gathered, I made a sign to Bara-ourou to
take them to see the pinnace; he called them, and they followed him
timidly, and submitting to his wishes in everything, They carried the
fruit two and two, in a sort of baskets, very skilfully woven in rushes,
which appeared to have a European form. They had no furniture in their
dwelling but mats, which were doubtless their beds, and some trunks of
trees, serving for seats and tables. Several baskets were suspended to
the bamboo which formed the walls, and also lances, slings, clubs, and
other similar weapons; from which I concluded they were a nation of
warriors. I did not observe much, however, for my thoughts were in the
future, and I was very impatient for our departure. I hastened to the
pinnace, and my sons distributed their gifts to the females, who did not
dare to express their delight; but it was evident in their countenances.
They immediately began to adorn themselves with their presents, and
appeared to value the mirrors much more than their husbands had done.
They soon understood their use, and employed them to arrange with taste
the strings of beads round their necks, heads, and arms.

At last the signal was given for our departure; I rubbed my nose against
that of the king. I added to my presents a packet of nails, and one of
gilt buttons, which he seemed to covet. I went on board my pinnace, and,
conducted by the good Parabéry, we took our way to that part of the
coast where the dear ones resided whom I so anxiously desired to see.
Some of the savages accompanied us in their own canoe; we should have
preferred having only our friend Parabéry, but we were not the masters.

Favoured by the wind, we soon reached the shore we had formerly
quitted, and found our excellent missionary waiting for us.

"Come," said he, "you are now going to receive your reward. Your wife
and children impatiently expect you; they would have come to meet you,
but your wife is still weak, and Jack suffering--your presence will soon
cure them."

I was too much affected to answer. Fritz gave me his arm, as much to
support me as to restrain himself from rushing on before. Ernest did the
same with Mr. Willis; his mildness pleased the good man, who also saw
his taste for study, and tried to encourage it. After half an hour's
walk, the missionary told us we were now near our good friends. I saw no
sign of a habitation, nothing but trees and rocks; at last I saw a light
smoke among the trees, and at that moment Francis, who had been
watching, ran to meet us.

"Mamma is expecting you," said he, showing us the way through a grove of
shrubs, thick enough to hide entirely the entrance into a kind of
grotto; we had to stoop to pass into it. It resembled much the entrance
of the bear's den, which we found in the remote part of our island. A
mat of rushes covered the opening, yet permitted the light to penetrate
it. Francis removed the matting, calling--

"Mamma, here we are!"

A lady, apparently about twenty-even years of age, of mild and pleasing
appearance, came forward to meet me. She a clothed in a rob mad of
palm-leaves tied together, which reached from her throat to her feet,
leaving her beautiful arms uncovered. Her light hair was braided and
fastened up round her head.

"You are welcome," said she, taking my hand; "you will be my poor
friend's best physician."

We entered, and saw my dear wife seated on a bed of moss and leaves; she
wept abundantly, pointing out to me our dear boy by her side. A little
nymph of eleven or twelve years old was endeavouring to raise him.

"Here are your papa and brothers, Jack," said she; "you are very happy
in having what I have not: but your papa will be mine, and you shall be
my brother."

Jack thanked her affectionately. Fritz and Ernest, kneeling beside the
couch, embraced their mother. Fritz begged her to forgive him for
hurting his brother; and then tenderly inquired of Jack after his wound.
For me, I cannot describe my gratitude and agitation; I could scarce
utter a word to my dear wife, who, on her part, sunk down quite overcome
on her bed. The lady, who was, I understood, named Madame Hirtel,
approached to assist her. When she recovered, she presented to me Madame
Hirtel and her two daughters. The eldest, Sophia, was attending on Jack;
Matilda, who was about ten or eleven years of age, was playing with
Francis; while the good missionary, on his knees, thanked God for having
re-united us.

"And for life," cried my dear wife. "My dear husband, I well knew you
would set out to seek me; but how could I anticipate that you would ever
succeed in finding me? We will now separate no more; this beloved friend
has agreed to accompany us to the Happy Island, as I intend to call it,
if I ever have the happiness to reach it again with all I love in the
world. How graciously God permits us to derive blessings from our
sorrows. See what my trial has produced me: a friend and two dear
daughters, for henceforward we are only one family,"

We were mutually delighted with this arrangement, and entreated Mr.
Willis to visit us often, and to come and live in the Happy Island when
his mission was completed.

"I will consent," said he, "if you will come and assist me in my duties;
for which purpose you and your sons must acquire the language of these
islanders. We are much nearer your island than you think, for you took a
very circuitous course, and Parabéry, who knows it, declares it is only
a day's voyage with a fair wind. And, moreover, he tells me, that he is
so much delighted with you and your sons, that he cannot part with you,
and wishes me to obtain your permission to accompany you, and remain
with you. He will be exceedingly useful to you: will teach the language
to you all, and will be a ready means of communication between us."

I gladly agreed to take Parabéry with us as a friend; but it was no time
yet to think of departing, as Mr. Willis wished to have Jack some days
longer under his care; we therefore arranged that I and my two sons
should become his guests, as his hut was but a short distance off. We
had many things to hear; but, as my wife was yet too weak to relate her
adventures, we resolved first to have the history of Madame Hirtel.
Night coming on, the missionary lighted a gourd lamp, and, after a
light collation of bread-fruit, Madame Hirtel began her story.

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