When We Rose Up, Many Of The Common People
Rushed In, To Pick Up The Crumbs Which Had Fallen, And For Which They
Searched The Leaves Very Narrowly.
This leads me to believe, that though
there is plenty of pork at these isles, but little falls to
Their share.
Some of our gentlemen being present when these pigs were killed and
dressed, observed the chief to divide the entrails, lard, &c. into ten or
twelve equal parts, and serve it out to certain people. Several daily
attended the ships, and assisted the butchers, for the sake of the entrails
of the hogs we killed. Probably little else falls to the share of the
common people. It however must be owned, that they are exceedingly careful
of every kind of provision, and waste nothing that can be eaten by man;
flesh and fish especially.
In the afternoon we were entertained with a play. Plays, indeed, had been
acted almost every day since we had been here, either to entertain
us, or for their own amusement, or perhaps both.[2]
Next morning produced some circumstances which fully prove the timorous
disposition of these people. We were surprised to find that none of them
came off to the ships as usual. Two men belonging to the Adventure having
staid on shore all night, contrary to orders, my first conjectures were,
that the natives had stripped them, and were now afraid to come near us,
lest we should take some step to revenge the insult; but in order to be
better satisfied, Captain Furneaux and I went ashore to Oreo's house, which
we found quite empty; he and all his family gone, and the whole
neighbourhood, in a manner, quite deserted. The two men belonging to the
Adventure made their appearance, and informed us that they had been very
civilly treated by the natives, but could give no account of the cause of
their precipitate flight. All that we could learn from the very few that
durst come near us, was, that severals were killed, others wounded by our
guns, pointing out to us where the balls went in and out of the body, &c.
This relation gave me a good deal of uneasiness for the safety of our
people gone to Otaha, fearing that some disturbance had happened at that
island. However, in order to be better informed, I determined, if possible,
to see the chief himself. Accordingly we embarked in our boat, having one
of the natives with us, and rowed along shore to the northward, the way we
were told he was gone. We soon came in sight of the canoe in which he was;
but before we could come up with her he had got on shore. We landed
presently after, and found he was gone still farther. An immense crowd,
however, waited our landing, who entreated me to follow him. One man
offered to carry me on his back; but the whole story appearing rather more
mysterious than ever, and being all unarmed, I did not choose to separate
myself from the boat, but embarked again, and rowed after him.
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