nfortunate
native, squatted on his haunches, anxiously awaiting deliverance from
the former haunt of his enemies, where I perceived the young vegetation
was already flourishing vigorously. We at once took the man aboard,
where, during our passage across to Cliff Island, I explained to him as
best I could the episode of the stolen punt--to the amazement of the two
seaman, who seemed to regard as wonderful the fact that in the course of
a year I had acquired a fairly fluent command of the natives' language.
I observed with satisfaction that, when Bowata and a considerable
company of the natives came down to the beach to greet us upon seeing
our boat heading for the landing-place, the two seamen looked more than
a trifle uneasy, fearing perhaps that I would seize the opportunity to
fulfil my threat to hand them over to the charge of the blacks; and I
was not sorry to let them see thus early what a powerful force of
auxiliaries I had behind me should they be meditating anything in the
nature of an undue assertion of independence. I designedly directed the
particular attention of Bowata and his followers to my new companions,
explaining who and what they were; but of course the shellbacks
understood nothing of what I was saying, and they made little or no
attempt to conceal their relief when I at length bade farewell to the
blacks and we made sail again upon our return to Eden.

On the following morning I resumed work upon the cutter; and I thought
that Van Ryn and Svorenssen looked somewhat disconcerted when, in
accordance with my arrangement with Bowata, a party of ten sturdy
natives arrived at the shipyard about 8 a.m. in the Chinese boat I had
given them, to lend us a hand as and when required. But the two seamen
turned to without demur, and I soon had reason to congratulate myself
upon my acquisition of them; for while Svorenssen revealed an almost
professional skill in the use of carpenters' tools, the Dutchman
explained that if I would cut out the cutter's sails he would undertake
to make them to my entire satisfaction. Both men did much more and far
better work than I in the least anticipated; and when at length we
knocked off work for the day, and I surveyed the result of that one
day's work, I felt that I might now at last begin to calculate, with
some approach to accuracy, the date at which our labours might be
expected to come to a successful conclusion. Two days later Van Ryn--
who was working at the new sa