This unique costume, in rotundity something like a farthingale,
added immensely to his large hulk; so much so that he fairly waddled
in his gait. But he was only adhering to the fashion of his fathers;
for, in the olden time, the "Kihee," or big girdle, was quite the
mode for both sexes. Bob, despising recent innovations, still clung
to it. He was a gentleman of the old school - one of the last of the
Kihees.
He now told us that he had orders to take us before the consul.
Nothing loth, we formed in procession; and, with the old man at our
head, sighing and labouring like an engine, and flanked by a guard of
some twenty natives, we started for the village.
Arrived at the consular office, we found Wilson there, and four or
five Europeans, seated in a row facing us; probably with the view of
presenting as judicial an appearance as possible.
On one side was a couch, where Captain Guy reclined. He looked
convalescent; and, as we found out, intended soon to go aboard his
ship. He said nothing, but left everything to the consul.
The latter now rose, and, drawing forth a paper from a large roll tied
with red tape, commenced reading aloud.
It purported to be, "the affidavit of John Jennin, first officer of
the British Colonial Barque Julia; Guy, Master;" and proved to be a
long statement of matters, from the time of leaving Sydney, down to
our arrival in the harbour. Though artfully drawn up so as to bear
hard against every one of us, it was pretty correct in the de-.
tails; excepting that it was wholly silent as to the manifold
derelictions of the mate himself - a fact which imparted unusual
significance to the concluding sentence, "And furthermore, this
deponent sayeth not."
No comments were made, although we all looked round for the mate to
see whether it was possible that he could have authorized this use of
his name. But he was not present.
The next document produced was the deposition of the captain himself.
As on all other occasions, however, he had very little to say for
himself, and it was soon set aside.
The third affidavit was that of the seamen remaining aboard the
vessel, including the traitor Bungs, who, it seemed, had turned
ship's evidence. It was an atrocious piece of exaggeration, from
beginning to end; and those who signed it could not have known what
they were about. Certainly Wymontoo did not, though his mark was
there. In vain the consul commanded silence during the reading of this
paper; comments were shouted out upon every paragraph.
The affidavits read, Wilson, who, all the while, looked as stiff as a
poker, solemnly drew forth the ship's articles from their tin case.
This document was a discoloured, musty, bilious-looking affair, and
hard to read.
