whether they had died or
had been among those restored to their homes. So to Gallao be went, for
he was ever bearing in mind the grief of his children at the loss of
their dear "Tommy Topsail-tie" and "Jacky Waterwitch," and his promise
to them that if they and their Anaa companions were alive he would bring
them back.

But a bitter disappointment awaited him at Gallao--for the Consul, who
had been largely instrumental in forcing the Peruvian Government to
liberate the captured people, gave him absolute proof that none of the
four men had reached the Ghinchas, for he had obtained a great deal of
information from the survivors, all of which he had carefully recorded.

"Here is what Vili, a native of Nukulaelae, told me, Mr. Flemming. He
was one of those who were captured by the barque, and was rather well
treated by the captain on account of his speaking English, being put
into the mate's watch as he had been to sea for many years in whale
ships. He says:--

'After we of Nukulaelae had been on board the barque for about twenty
days, we came to an island in the Paumotus, where the captain tried to
capture two canoes full of natives but failed, though quite soon after
he seized four from a boat, and they were carried down into the hold
and ironed, for they had fought very hard and all were much hurt and
bleeding. I spoke to them and they told me that they had been out
fishing with the two sons of a white man, who was a trader on the
island. The captain did not hurt the two boys, but let them go. Then a
lot of canoes and boats came off and the ship fired her cannons at them,
and drove them away.

'Next day we met another ship, a small schooner, flying the German flag,
and her captain came on board our ship and had a long talk with our
captain, and presently an officer and six men came down into the hold,
and took the irons off nine men and drove them on deck. Among these men
were the four who were taken from the boat. The captain of the schooner
paid our captain money for them, and took them on board his vessel,
which then sailed away.'

"Now, Mr. Flemming," resumed the Consul, "that is all I can tell you.
I have written to the British Consul at Apia in Samoa, and at Levuka in
Fiji, asking them to endeavour to find out the schooner's name and trace
the nine men. I have no doubt but that she was some Fijian or Samoan
'blackbirder,' and that the poor devils are working on some of the
plantations in either Fiji, Samoa or