ours received, and requesting that boats should be sent that
evening to convey his gifts to the ship. Within a few hours after the
chief had returned to the shore, many hundreds of stalwart natives were
seen carrying baskets of provisions down to the beach, and piling them
in heaps in readiness for the boats. Melton, at this stage, seemed to
have some sort of suspicion in his mind about sending the boats ashore
after dark, for he gave the mate instructions not to despatch them until
he gave orders. The mate, however, who had been smitten by the beauty of
a Tongan girl who had expressed her unqualified approval of his fighting
capabilities in a very unconventional manner, had the utmost confidence
in the good will of the natives, and took it upon himself to disobey
his captain's commands; consequently two boats were sent off just as
daylight was breaking, and whilst the skipper lay asleep in his cabin.

Within a couple of hours the smaller of the two boats returned, loaded
with yams, "gnatu" (tappa cloth), baked pigs, and fish. She was steered
by the beachcomber, Doyle, and was rowed by two of the ship's boys,
instead of the four men who had taken her ashore; these boys, it must
be mentioned, had formed part of the crew of the larger boat, and had
remained on the beach whilst the men had gone into the village at the
invitation of Doyle and his fellow-conspirators. They, therefore, knew
nothing of what had kept their shipmates from returning to the boats,
when Doyle appeared and said he wished to go off to the ship, and that
the others would follow later on.

Accompanying the boat was a flotilla of canoes, filled with hundreds of
savages, who were allowed to come alongside, though the girl Morey
was so terrified by their savage aspect that she begged her lover
to instantly recall the rest of his men and heave up anchor. Melton,
however, although he was now in a state of suspense owing to the
non-appearance of his boats' crews, answered her calmly enough.

"The two boys and Doyle say that the hands went up to the chiefs house
to see a native dance," he said. "I'll punish them for it when they
return."

Meanwhile the boat was unloaded, and again sent on shore with the
two boys, and Doyle's native friends clambered up on board from any
accessible part of the ship. The beachcomber himself, a wild-looking,
dark-skinned ruffian, who had clothed himself in a shirt and trousers,
now came aft and again assured the captain that