Captain T - - - was anxious to get
three or four of them to come on board the Pilgrim, as we were
so much diminished in numbers; and went up to the oven and spent
an hour or two trying to negotiate with them. One of them, - a
finely built, active, strong and intelligent fellow, - who was
a sort of king among them, acted as spokesman. He was called
Mannini, - or rather, out of compliment to his known importance
and influence, Mr. Mannini - and was known all over California.
Through him, the captain offered them fifteen dollars a month,
and one month's pay in advance; but it was like throwing pearls
before swine, or rather, carrying coals to Newcastle. So long
as they had money, they would not work for fifty dollars a month,
and when their money was gone, they would work for ten.
"What do you do here, Mr. Mannini?"(1) said the captain.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
1. The letter i in the Sandwich Island language is sounded
like e in the English.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"Oh, we play cards, get drunk, smoke - do anything we're a mind to."
"Don't you want to come aboard and work?"
"Aole! aole make make makou i ka hana. Now, got plenty money;
no good, work. Mamule, money pau - all gone. Ah! very good, work! -
maikai, hana hana nui!"
"But you'll spend all your money in this way," said the captain.
