and carry it there. The
task of cleaning, carrying on board, and storing this shell--including
the turning out of cargo and the discharge of ballast to make room for
it--occupied us another fortnight; consequently by the time that all was
done and we were ready to sail again we had been close upon two months
at the island. Then, upon a certain lovely morning, we loosed and set
our canvas and hove short; after which the crew of the _Kingfisher_,
Slocum included, were brought up on deck, ordered over the side into the
longboat, and transferred to their own vessel, one man being released
from his irons as soon as the transfer had been effected, in order that
he in turn might release the others. And while this was being done the
longboat returned to the _Martha Brown_ and was hoisted in; after which
we tripped our anchor, hove it up to the bows, and stood out to sea.

The ensuing three months were more or less pleasantly and uneventfully
spent in cruising hither and thither among the various groups of
islands, seeking sandalwood, some of the natives proving exceedingly
friendly and agreeable to deal with, while others were very much the
reverse. By the end of that time we had accumulated a very fair
quantity of the wood, and Brown had arrived at the conclusion that one
more call would about suffice to complete our cargo. The question which
then arose was, where should that call be made? for we had pretty well
completed the round of the islands and exhausted their capabilities of
supply, sandalwood happening to be rather scarce that year, while the
demand for it had been unusually brisk, a frequent experience of ours
being that other traders had been beforehand with us and had taken all
that the islanders had for disposal. Finally, while ashore one day on
the island of Tahiti, the skipper happened to overhear two men
discussing sandalwood together, one of whom remarked to the other that
there was still some wood to be obtained at the island of Roua Poua, one
of the Marquesas group; and two hours later we were under weigh, bound
for that same island.

Now at that time the Marquesas natives bore a somewhat shady character,
it being said of them that they were rather inclined to be treacherous
when the opportunity to be so was afforded them; therefore when, on our
fourth day out from Tahiti, we sighted Roua Poua, we approached the
island with all due precaution, every man of us being fully armed, with
orders to use his w