y, as if intending to do us any harm: possibly
he was so well-pleased with his victory that he was inclined to treat us
more kindly than he would otherwise have done. We were, however,
doomed, we found, to captivity; and I naturally supposed that they would
keep so strict a watch over us that we should have no chance of
escaping.

"I do not despair, however, of doing that," said Harry, when we were
talking over the subject. "They are not aware that I understand what
they say, and I shall thus be able to learn what they are about; so we
may be able to get off by watching an opportunity. From what I
understand, the southern end of the island is tabooed, having belonged
to a chief who was looked upon as a priest, or sacred character of some
sort. He, before setting out on an expedition with all his people, from
which he never returned, threatened to visit with the most fearful
curses any who should take possession of his territory during his
absence. Oamo and his people had therefore been afraid to occupy it,
and thus we were allowed to remain there so long unmolested. I thus
hope that if we can once get across the stream which divides it from
this region, we shall be safe."

Harry's remarks greatly raised my spirits, and I was better able to
endure the annoyances to which we were subjected than I should have been
had there been less hope of escape.

Day after day passed by, and we were treated much as I had before been
by Paowang and his people. We were not compelled, however, to go out
and fish, for the best of reasons--our captors had no canoes: indeed,
Harry learned that Paowang possessed but the one canoe, which had
captured us; and as Whagoo was dead, there was no one in the tribe to
command it, so that in all probability it was either laid up on shore or
kept in the harbour. This seemed at first to be a matter of little
consequence to us; but on further consideration we saw that, should we
find it necessary to escape in our boat, there would be little risk of
our being pursued.

As time went on, our captivity became more and more galling, though it
was a satisfaction to us to be allowed to remain together; and during
the evenings, when our work was over, I had a constant source of
amusement in endeavouring to impart such knowledge as I possessed to
Harry. I fortunately remembered portions of the Bible, and numerous
pieces of poetry and prose; and by repeating them to him, he also was
able to get them b