dull rainy morning, soon after daybreak, as the ship _St. George_ of
New Bedford was cruising for sperm whales between the islands of Tucopia
and Vanikoro, the look-out hailed the deck and reported a boat in sight.
The captain was called, and a few minutes later appeared and went aloft.

The boat was about three miles distant to leeward, and Captain
Elphinstone at once kept the ship away. The wind, however, was so light
that it took her some time to get within hailing distance, and then
it was discovered that the boat contained three natives--a man and two
young girls--who appeared to be greatly exhausted, for after
feebly raising their heads for a moment and putting out their hands
imploringly, they fell back again.

A boat was quickly lowered from the ship, and the sufferers brought on
board, and their own boat, which was a small, native-built craft much
like a whale-boat, but with an outrigger attached, was hoisted on board,
for she was too good to be turned adrift.

On board the _St. George_ was a Samoan named Falaoa. He was a native
of the island of Manua, and at once recognised the unfortunates as
country-people of his own. The man, who was in a dreadful state of
emaciation, and barely able to raise his voice above a whisper, was over
six feet in height, and appeared to be about five-and-twenty years of
age; his companions had evidently not undergone as much suffering and
did not present the same shocking appearance as he, for the sun had
burnt his skin to such a degree that that part of his tattooing which
was not covered by the scanty _lava lava_ of tappa cloth around his
loins had become almost black.

Under the kind and careful treatment they received from Captain
Elphinstone and his officers, all three soon recovered, and ten days
after they had been rescued, the following entry was made in the ship's
log:--"This day, at their own request, we landed the three Samoans at
the island of Nufilole, one of the Swallow Group, where they were well
received by the natives and a white trader. They were accompanied by one
of my crew named Falaoa, who begged me to let him go with them, having
become much attached to one of the young women. We gave them some arms
and ammunition, and some clothing and tobacco. They all behaved with
the greatest propriety during their stay on the ship. From where they
started in Samoa to where we picked them up in 12 deg. S. is a distance of
1,800 miles."

And here is their story, tol