The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1879-04-22

Well, Graham, don't know but
what I'll go; should like to see some
thing of those Pacific Islands but don't
the natives eat up everybody they can
get their hands on p'
Well, what If they do ?" said Gra-
ham. Let 'em eat, we needn't care
curse as long as they don't eat us; and
we'll take the best care of that. You
see our fixln's here (pointing to the guns
and pistols); them's all for arguments
to persuade the natives to let us alone.
Come, now, want second mate; will
you goy''
"1'll go, yes but won't go as sec
ond mate, for Pm not schooner sailor.
Give me yards and square sails, and 1
know what I'm doing; but these fore
and-aft sails I'm not used to. I'll go as
supernumerary, If you like"
"No you won't go as supernumerary
or any other ary, not in this packet
We've got no real work to do till we get
among the islands. I'll stand on watch
with you myself till you get used to
schooner work, and you'll like It,"
l agreed to go, and two days later we
were bound away for Tanna Island, with
a fine breeze and a pleasant sky. Moth
ing worth noting occurred until we
reached the island. Here Graham found
his Interpreters of the previous trip,
and took them on board; and another
native, chief of some kind or other
among q tribe on one of the Kings
Mills Group, also got passage down to
his native island with us. This chief
or patriarch, or whatever he was, was
well known to Graham, who had pur-
chased sandal-wood of him on his previ-
Gus trip, and we were all particularly
careful not to annoy him on the passage
down from Tanna, as ne gave us to un-
derstand that he had as much sandal
wood as would load the schooner, and
we wanted Ii, of course.
Captain Graham knew the character
| of the natives, and told us that probably
the old chief had not more than few
boat loads, at most, which he magnified
much to make himself of consequence
among us and this proved to be the
| case
He had four boat loads, each boat car
rying about half ton and that we
bought for two or three knives and
about six yards of calico, with pound of
| of tobacco and handful beads thrown
in.
When we arrived at the island, we
put old Daisy las the sailors called the
the native) on shore at once, he promis-
ing to have the wood down to the beach
in the morning; and we then stood of
with the schooner till daylight should
come.
Pistols and cutlasses had been dis.
tributed among the crew, aud soon as
we sighted land ; and Graham and
spent the evening in carefully examin.
ing and loading the muskets and shot
guns, the latter being heavily charged
with buckshot.
With the first streaks of daylight we
stood in for the land, and brought the
schooner TO the wind about two miles
off. The boat, built something after tn,
style of whale-boat, but shorter ant
wider, was got ready the 'trade" being
slowed away in the bow and under thu
stern sheets. Each man had a revolvel
stuck in his belt; two cutlasses and on,
of the shot guns were laid down in th,
stern, and the largest of the double
barrels was stood up in the bow. A kel
of water and some biscuits and bee
completed our outfit, and soon afte
sunrise we pulled away for the shore
Captain Graham standing at the steer
ing oar, and four of us rowing,I pulling
the bow-oar.
We mad not pulled more than hal
way to the island from the schoone
when number of natives appeared ol
the flat white beach of little cove, TO
which Captain Graham headed tn
boat; and as we neared the shore tn
natives made signs to us where to LAND
When within about two hundred yard
of the beach, the skipper quietly r,
marked, half to himself and half to th
natives:
No you don't, not If know any
thing about it." And just as quietly b
gave the orders to us, "Hold water you
J port oars, pull round, starboard," {
the same time sweeping the boat wit
e the long steering-oar, till her head Ia
to seaward.
4 was somewhat surprised at thi
{ movement, for we could see several pre-