The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-03-04
CHAPTER XIII.

NAH" He told them that the last time
he called at the Crows Nest to say
goodbye to Miss Denison and Sabbie,
he had found Carmen Herrera there
Miss Denison told me. sir, that Miss
Herrera had come to stay with Miss
Sable until you came back.
Tom laughed. She will be there for
a long time, Castles
Not too long for your aunt, sir. Miss
Denison has regular took to her, and
one day all three, with Canon Cooper,
come on board the old Bolivar, and l
made tea for them. And then L was
foolish enough to show them your
shark fishing gear in the hen-cOop, and
Miss Sabbie and the Spanish girl both
began to cry-and / felt as if l could
kick myself"
Just as Castles was going over the
side he said to Tom: IT wish L were
sailing with you, sir Do you think
Captain Grace would take me-the
skipper Of the Rotumah will be willing
to let me leave if you ask him"
Tom was only too delighted at the
suggestion. and telling the half-caste
to wait. he went below to Captain
Grace: in a few minutes he returned
with a beaming face.
TT is all right. Castles, and I'm COM
ing with you to see Captain Robert
SON.
naturally acceded to the half-caste's
request, paid him what wages were due
to him, shook hands, and wished him
and Tom goodbye, and whips OF
luck" as the Meg Merrilees was to sail
I'm the morning for Levuka.
Pohiri, who was much attached 10
Tom. eyed Castles at first with some
jealousy, but this soon wore of, espe-
ciaIly when the half-caste addressed
him in his own language, which he
spoke very fiuently, as he did many
other PoIynesian dialects, for in his
voyages throughout the South seas he
had had for shipmates natives of many
of the Pacific isles, from Easter island
to the far-away Pelews-
The Meg Merrilees sailed at noon on
the following day, and Denison looked
hack at the green mountains of beauti-
full UpOlu with a feeling of regret, for
during his months stay ne had made
many friends-e especially with the ma
tives-and formed a resolution that If
ever he did decide to settle down as a
trader, Samoa would run Rapa very
closely in his choice, although he had
not forgotten his promise to TOa and
the beautiful TerO.
The baruue made a splendid run from
Samoa to Levuka-the then capital of
FiIi-and dropped anchor among
number of vessels of all rigs and sizes,
with which the little Teef-bOund harbOr
was crowded. Grace went on shore to
the consul with his papers, leaving
Tom TO entertain a noisy and thirsty
host of visitors-planters, traders, mer-
chants and officials of the newly-estab-
Hshed government OF his majesty King
CacabOU. Some merely came to talk
and get free liquOr-Others to buy 1t,
and provisions, etc, and Tom had a
busy two hours ere the last of them de-
parted.
Shortly before lunch Grace returned,
evidently in a great hurry.
Tom" he said, as he entered the
cabin, hot and perspiring, I have some
news for you. First of all, though, I
must tell you that if you want to get to
sydney quickly you can leave here to-
morrow in that little brig lying asteTn
of us-the Tito. She sails in a couple OF
days"
I am in no hurry. captain. I will
stay with you. But I can write by her
and tell my people that they will soon
see me-"
"Ah. do-for I want you to stay with
me. But I must tell you that the news
I have heard from the consul means
that We won't be in Sydney for the next
six months"
I don't mind that, captain. I mean
TO keep with you till the end of this
has changed your plans?
''I have Just met a man in Levuka
named Ross, who has offered me big
money for a four-mOnths' charter for
the barque He has found a big bed OF
pearl shell somewhere about New
Guinea. and came here with his Wlfe
and one native in a little bit OF cut
ter-a voyage of $500 miles, and most
of if beating against the southeast
trades. He has some friends here who
are backing him, and from what 1
gather he and they expect to make a
nile out of his discovery l have come
m terms with them, and agreed to
have the baTque ready for sea IN a
week from now. Where we are gong
TO exactly, 1 don't know, for Ross
he's an American-wOuld not tell me
aT1tbiDp more Just now. than that he
wanted me to proceed to somewhere
about , degrees 80 minutes south longl-
tude and 147 degrees east, but once
we are clear of Levuka he Will give me
exact sailing Instructions
81 see. I suppose he thinks you
might talk about it TO someone mere
@E,1a civ: and so said I would take
nv sailing directions from MN "le ea.
he chose to give Them Then ne went
ON to saw that Ross had told him that
tha natives of the island where the
nearl beds were situated were very
dangerous lot of savages, and the crew
Of fhe baruue would have 10 be doubled
and all well armed, and that IN addl-
tioD to this he would provide four brass
cannon. which would be brought on
hoard and mounted on the main deck
These guns had originally belonged TO
a sydney trading vessel, which mao
been wrecked in the Fiji group few
months previously. and. with an ample
el,DDIv of ammunition. had been bought
nv a German merchant in Levuka.
As quickly as possible Grace sold the
remainder of his cargo and IN a rev
davs began to prepare the ship in &C
cordance with Ross wishes Ross MN
seIf with his friends, had meanwhile
fo1nd ten good native seamen-Raro-
+onoans. Nuieans and two Samoalls,
rTbey were told that they were required
g.. boat work, and supposed, as dld the
-rbite residents of Apia. that the
barone was fitting out for labor
mise among the Solomon islands and
tho New. Hebrides group. In those days
,-aseels engaged in the labor trade, or
s.1,1a clzbirding' as it was termed, had
- he well armed to resist the deter
roined attempts sometimes made to