Page:Paine--Lost ships and lonely seas.djvu/445

397 His countenance fully described the indignation he felt at the treacherous behavior of his own men and he asked why our people did not shoot them? He begged that if they or any others should dare again to attempt to plunder the vessel they would be shot at once and he should take it upon himself to justify the punishment to the king.

The only ornament worn by Raa Kook was a polished bracelet of bone, which he explained to be a mark of high distinction, conferred by the king upon his own family, officers of state, and military men of commanding rank. It was readily perceived that such a decoration had precisely the same significance as the ribbon of the order of the Bath or the Garter as conferred by English royalty.

All of which is no more extraordinary than the exemplary behavior of the crew of the Antelope. Captain Wilson called his officers together and suggested that no more liquor be drunk in camp. It made the men quarrelsome, interfered with their work, and was likely to cause trouble with the natives. The officers approved, and the boatswain called all hands next morning to hear the verdict. The seamen agreed to go without their grog, and offered to go on board the wreck and stave in every cask of spirits that could be found. This they scrupulously did, and it is a fair comment that "circumstanced as these poor fellows were, nothing but a