us out before; but I suspect
that, for some reason or other, the southern end of the island is not
inhabited."

I could only account for the circumstance as Dick did; and I hoped that
Mudge would discover that there were natives on the island in time to
guard against them. Of course, I regretted much that he should have
divided our party, as I felt that, united, we might have held out
against them, or, at the worst, have escaped in our boats. However,
there was no use thinking of what had been done; and we must, I felt,
employ our energies in making the best of our situation.

I did my utmost to appear contented, as if I had no fear of our captors.
To show this, I walked about the deck and examined the structure of the
canoe. The separate lower portions, I found, were composed of two large
trees hollowed out, each having a raised gunwale about two inches high,
and closed at the ends with a kind of bulk-head of the same height; so
that the whole resembled a long square trough, about three feet shorter
than the body of the canoe. The two canoes thus fitted were secured to
each other, about three feet asunder, by means of cross spars, which
projected about a foot over the side. Over these spars was laid the
deck, made of small round spars placed close together. On it was a
fire-hearth of clay, on which a fire was burning; and I observed a large
pot suspended over it, with something boiling within which had a savoury
smell. The mast was secured to the deck by knees; the whole being fixed
to a cross-beam resting on the lower sides of the canoe. The sail,
which was composed of matting, was stretched on a lateen yard, the foot
being extended to a boom. The ropes were made of the coarse filaments
of the plantain-tree, twisted into cordage of the thickness of a finger;
and three or four such cords marled together served for shrouds. This
curious craft was steered by a long scull, the handle of which rose four
or five feet above the deck. In calm weather, as I afterwards observed,
the natives propel these canoes simply by sculling; a man standing
astern and working the scull with both hands--a very slow process. They
are, indeed, better fitted for sailing than paddling.

Beginning to feel very hungry, I made signs to our captors that I should
like to have some food; and I also pointed to Dick, wishing to make them
understand that he too required nourishment. One of them on this went
to the pot and stirred it with t