Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 3.djvu/196

186 the crafts; and this was done, all arriving safely on the island early in the morning. The natives, however, were very much chagrined and sullen for a number of days. But, plucking up courage and hope, went to work, and got some of the gum of the breadfruit, which made a pitch somewhat resembling maple wax, and with this filled the seams injudiciously made in hollowing out the canoe. The boat was also patched up as well as possible; and a second attempt was made. The sailors said "we shall choose our time for starting," and named the morning as best. To this the natives made little objection, and the start was made in much the same order as before.

They were accompanied down the bayou and across the flat and far out upon the lagoon by probably every soul on the island, the native canoes swarming precisely as they had done twelve months before when the shipwrecked sailors were brought to the interior. Finally the farewell was taken, the exit was. made from the lagoon, and the two crafts, the canoe and the boat, dropped off upon the deep sea. The day was nearly spent as they began their course upon the unknown ocean, and the sun was but an hour high. The sailors began to realize upon what a hazardous venture they had embarked, and discovered how frail and unseaworthy was their canoe. They had no chart or compass, and their venture was evidently fearfully perilous. They were in the region of unknown islands, and might soon drift into that portion of the South Sea known as "The Desert," from the infrequency of the ships visiting it. Moreover, the canoe, made without skill, went like a sawlog, bobbing up and down on the sea swells. "Never mind," however, they said, "w^e have started.' Just about as soon as the sun dipped