The Hawaiian gazette., 1869-04-21

NUNsxR SIXTEEN.


in-shOre, We were unable 10 go TO ses, al
though quite prepared to do 50. The mate
took the opportunity to ~wOrk-up- jim
and myself. setting me to turning the grind
stone. for the carpenter. and Jim to slush-
ing down the foplASts, How We were
snubbed by oar shipulaies, sneered at and
grinnei at by the old black cook, and pass
ed by in ominous silence by the captain
and oficers-and how We gszei with long
ing eyes upon the pleasant shores Of Rewa,
in the dim distancs-but without hope oi
scain straying by the hanks Of the beAu;i-
fal rive5, benezih the groves Of eocoanuts,
b7ead-frpit And If trees, ind1lging. Resseau-
ike. in the romantic dreams of the saperi-
Ority Of enjoyment to be hAG in life Of
nature," auirammelled with the artificial
forms and usaces Of civilized life. Of such
stuff is boyiSh dreams made Of.
From the time the two deserters were
brOaghi on board, until the vessel sailde-
which was the next 6sy bat oue-noi :
cAnOe wss seen near Us, while before, there
was scarcely minute during the day that
there was not dozen or more alongside,
trading Of their vans. fowls. hogs and
fruit An Inieriict had undoubtedly been
iaid upon al visiting the brig, which jim
and myself interpreted 10 be on our &C
count as precaution sCainst cur attempi-
ing second escape. With view, per
haps, Of soaring Is ont Of any idea Of at
tempting 10 swim on shore-a distance Of
only quarter Of s rile-about dusk.
shArk-hoOk was baitei with = piece Of pork
and dropped over the stern. Twas set to
watch the line. and in very few minutes
in less time than l could swim $ dozen
var -s-A m0nstrOGs shark. Of the man
eater kind, vAS hooked. The creature
wzs ai least twelve feet in length. and as
it aoundered about and fairly made the
water boil. all the while saspping its huge
jaws and showing It's rows Of saw-like
teeth il was hOrrid object, and eonsti-
iuted sufficient practical argument to de-
ter NE frOm attempting 10 swim on shore.
had I entertained the thoaght-whieh /
had not Hsnled up slonsside. with its
head ont Of water, three muske; balls were
fred in succession down It's open throat.
and then il was hOisted il on deck and ca,
open In its paunch. among other mat
iers, Wss found the she'll Of large turtle.
and the hand and part Of the arm of
human being-apparently that Of 3 woman.
50 tenacious are these sharks Of life.
that some tine after the creature had been
disemboTelei, il BIT feroely at $ stick Of
wood inserted between It's jaws After
eating Of the head. for the purpose of
the teeth. and taking out the
hver 70 try it out, for lamp oil. the carcass
was thrown overheard. 1t hzd hardly
touched the water before there was s great
splzshing alongside, and in the moonlight,
two Or three fms Of sharks could be seen,
circlng about snd making an evening meal,
cannibal-like, of their late chum. don't
think there wzs gold enough ever dug
that could have tempted ne at that mo-
neni 10 have ventUred overheard.
On the following morning, the wind.
though light. was OF shore, and fair for Us
70 20 through the break in the reef and
50 We got under-weigh for the l2st tine in
Fiji But shortly after We had passed
beyOnd the boiling. laundering breakers
that line the entrance Of the Nukulau
passage. the wind almost failed Us. and what
Little there was had hauled into such quar-
ter as compelled Us to brace sharp up. and
standing aiong parallel with the reef. eb-
deaTOr to get an of5ng. Things began TO
look ominous for the safety Of the vessel
There was heavy swell from seawar5,
setting II TO the coral reef on which
the breakers rose as high ss our lower
m&sts- For every foot We wen. abead.
Ne went sideways two feet towards the
land The captain evidently saw and ap-
preciated the danger. for his eOa-tens0ce
wore an expression Of great anxiety. There
wss no use IL trying 10 anchor. for the va
ter vas probably hundred faihOms deep
under our keel ETery stitch Of canvas
that would draw was set, but vet she
s,iH edged down towards the reef. and il
seemed as though there was 10 hope for
Der. 4 dead silence reigned fore and sft.
Is al snxiouzIy watched the sails and pray
ed for the wind
Let ne here confess, that ! was wicked
and thOughtless enOagh. 70 look upon the
destruction Of the vessel With
savage eOuPlaeeDey- ASIDE from the
<retched malice Of the thO0ght. the folly
IF II vas stIH worse, for should the vessel
strike. # vas lot likely that single soul
on board would have lived to tel the tale
We Eers within about two hundred and
ifty yards Of the reef. when the silence
-1s broken by the captain. Is cOOsly and
n ss quiet tone Of voice Is If ordering
-.