Tonga. There is, therefore, good
reason for you to hope that you will succeed in your search. I shall
gladly give you all the assistance in my power to facilitate your
enquiries."

Returning to Anaa, Flemming, through the aid of the French authorities
in Tahiti, placed himself in communication with the British Consuls in
Fiji and Samoa, telling them the details of the capture of the four
men and of their transference with five others to another vessel, and
enclosing a sum of money--all he could spare--to be given to Tommy
Topsail-tie so that he and his three companions might be enabled to find
their way back to Anaa.

At the end of another long weary year of hopeful expectation, he
received replies from the Consuls, returning the money he had sent, and
saying that after most careful inquiries, they could learn nothing of
the nine men; but that they (the Consuls) had strong reason to believe
that the schooner to which they had been transferred was a notorious
German "blackbirder" named the _Samoa_, though the captain and the crew
swore they knew nothing of the matter.

"It is quite possible," they said in their joint report, "that some or
all of the men are on one of the German plantations in Samoa or Tonga,
and that you will yet discover them. But the German Consuls will give
us no assistance, and absolutely decline to permit us to send any one to
visit the plantations, unless the managers or owners are agreeable. And,
as you can imagine, the owners and managers are _not_ agreeable, and
have declined in terms of great rudeness to even supply us with the
names of any of their labourers, or the names of the various islands
from which they come."

But even in face of this Flemming did not despair, and told his wife and
children, who could not restrain their tears when they read the Consuls'
report, that he would not let the matter rest. He had several friends
in Samoa and Fiji--merchants, traders and ship captains, and to them he
wrote asking them to institute enquiries quietly, and let him know the
result.

After spending another five years on Anaa, during which time he had
heard nothing of the missing men, he determined to settle on Rarotonga,
where there was an excellent opportunity of making money. His eldest
boy by this time was almost a grown man, and was earning his living as a
supercargo of a trading vessel, running between Auckland in New Zealand
and the various groups of islands in the South Pacific.