A TERRIBLE ADVENTURE

Tuapeka Times, Volume XVIII, Issue 1182, 23 September 1885, Page 3

A TERRIBLE ADVENTURE

[I>y F. A. J. Db Cosdb.] Chapter 111, " I held up a branch, which I had broken for its green hue and its sweet aromatic smell. I knew this was the emblem of peace with many savage races, and it had the desired effect ; for the canoe approached nearer to us, and the priest held up in his hands some fruit. He spoke to us in a low timid manner, and I answered him in English. You should have seen the expression of that holy man's face when 1 spoke ! He shrank back and stared with mouth wide open, and began handling his charms rapidly. He seemed more composed after this, though his followers were trembling with fear. He beckoned us to follow, and turned up the course of the stream. We followed, and in a few minutes more passed another point, when a very different scene greeted our view. A wide plain stretched eastward towards horizon, and there merged into a lofty range of mountains whose snow-clad summits shone through the blue ether like spotless alabaster.

" Close to the foot of the hills we had just left behind, on the north bank of the river, was a large native village, withbuildings of many fantastic shapes. In the centre of the village stood one building, like a huge rude tower. The savages came trooping down to the water like a swarm of bees as we approached, attracted by tha novelty of our boats, but at a sign from the priest they all fell down with their faces to the ground. We felt the dignity of our position, and rejoiced that, so far, all was well.

"We never thought for a moment how we sinned in allowing men to worship us, but even if we had, we could not have prevented it, as we could not Converse with them. I know that wicked thoughts rose in out* hearts which we should not have indulged. We thought that we would make this ignorant and barbarous people adore us as gods, and thus compel them to be our willing slaves. We thought to set ourselves over them, and rule them as we willed ; for, ah, the human heart is prone to evil and full of sinful imaginings. For a time we did hold them in awe, and we enjoyed every luxury they could secure for us. But our high position was short-lived, for the priest, who was a keen observer, soon found out that many of our acts were essentially human. We applied ourselves sedulously to acquiring some words of their language, and no sooner were we able to speak a few intelligible sentences than our influence began to wane.

"The high priest, watched us narrowly, and at length came to the conclusion that we were only men after all. He soon convinced his people ; and our knowledge of their language was put to severe tests. The first week in the village, Kolowapiti, as they called it, was one of eujoyinent. The largest and most beautiful house was given to us, and the servant of the chief supplied us with the choicest of fruits. The chief's guard of warriors preceded and followed us in all our wanderings. " The village was neatly and compactly built, and the streets were tolerably straight and wide, and the houses faced them in regular lines. Beautiful plots of gorgeous flowers were at the front of every house — this was the special care of the young and unmarried women. The streets were swept every morning before sun rise, after which time it was considered a breach of religious duty to allow any refuse matter to lie on them. .There were daily processions through the streets, headed by the priests, while the people following chanted doleful Bongs. " Well, as I said before, as long as we spoke in an unknown tongue we were considered gods, but as soon as we began to acquire their language we gradually sank in their estimation. This falling downward continued till we awoke one fine morning to find our high place broken down. A confused and mingled din greeted our dreaming ears, and we dressed hurriedly to ascertain what was astir. To our amazement we found that our house was completely surrounded, and the priests were savagely gesticulating, and haranguing the excited people. Suddenly, at a given signal from the hoary old fox, Malumbodjo, a band of armed men rushed upon us and bound us fast.

" Resistance was vain, and we could look for nothing but death at the hands of these savages, whom we had duped ; but we inwardly feared that we might be tortured to death. We were carried to a circular space' in the centre of the village, where all councils were held. A solemn council was called, and we were tried for a crime we knew nothing about, without any means of defence. We knew enough of the language by thia time to follow them as they pi-oceeded. " The first speaker was Maluinbodjo. He stated that it had been revealed to him that we were no gods, but iinposters, and that we belonged to a hateful tribe at enmity wifch Atoa, their god. And for polluting the Whaiatoa, or sacred River, and desecrating the Mati-Atoa, sacred vale, we must be sacrificed upon MakuAtoa, or the sacred tree. " This was at once assented to by the people, and the priests cast lots to find out which of us Atoa would accept first. The first lot fell upon Joe Smith. When this was announced Joe turiied to me and said,' ' l wonder if they' are going to put us to death, or is it ouly some religious ceremony of theirs ?'^ " ' Alas ! my comrade,' I answered, ' I fear the worst, but we cannot avert our fate whatever it may be.' \ "The next chosen was Jim, then Bill, and Harry, and Jack, and last d all, myself. We heard our sentence

passed wilh he.ivy hearts. We marvelled jit the inscrutable 7*ays of Providence, in permitting us to survive privations on the ocean, only to die by the hands of cruel barbarians. With stoical sulleuness we resigned ourselves to our fate, and resolved to wait, prepared for the worst.

" To our no small astonishment we were untied, aud conducted into the large house again, aud supplied ;with plenty of food. But an armed guard was stationed at the door, and we found their vigilance faultless. We were permitted at certain times of the day to leave our prison of clay, and walk about through the village ; and turn where we would, wo always found our footsteps dogged, so that escape was impossible.

" Well, thus we were kept close prisoners for throe weeks ; all our wauts attended to aud well supplied. At the expiration of that period, when the moon approached the full, we noticed a great stir in the village, and we felt that our time had arrived. Everybody seemed busy, as if preparing for some great festival. A great fleet of canoes was drawn up close to the village, aud men and women laden with provisions began to fill them. We were led forth, and ordered into the largest one, under a strong guard of armed warriors.

" The sun was just rising when 'all embarked, and Malumbodjo sang an in : cantation to the great Atoa, who could not be pacified when his sacred vale was desecrated by unconsecrated feet, except by shedding the blood of the perpetrators of the sacrilege

" All was still as death, as the deep solemn voice of the priest chanted the sacred hymn, but immediately it was finished a wild shout rent the air. Then the voyage began.

" In ominous silence the strange procession of war canoes began to ascend the river. There were about a hundred well-filled canoes, and the village was entirely deserted.

" We overheard from the natives that we were going to the Maki-Maku-Atoa, or the valley of the sacred grove. In vain we conjectured what this sacred tree might be, but we could not form an opinion. In spite of the unknown dread that hung over us, wo could not refrain from viewing the surrounding scenery. A wide, jungleclad plain lay before, unbroken for more than a hundred miles eastward, and Btretching away down to the horizon towards the north, and through ifc a broad majestic river rolled, from the bosom of the lofty mountaius, skirting it on the east, toward the ocean, now far behind us, and which we felt we would never see again. The river here was about a mile broad and delightfully clear, and myriads of sportive finny creatures were shooting through the water on all sides.

" As the suu ascended the heaven's blue arch the natives began to talk, and soon a discordant medley o£ voices terrified the jungle fowl, and sent them away screaming at every point.

" The black dandies rolled their eyes about, displaying the whites to advantage, as they gazed admiriugly upon the dark-eyed maidens, and made their chests vibrate again with the strength of their singing. As we sometimes passed close in shore, we thought of making ail attempt to regain our freedom, but the mysterious rustling of the tall reeds, and the rapid gliding of huge serpents into the thickets, caused us to shrink back. On the numerous sandbanks and reedy islands, which here and there studded the river, huge scaly monsters lay basking in tho sun, or turned upon us their cruel stoney stare as we passed.

" ' I should not like to pass a night iv the company of those gentlemen,' said Joe, with a grim smile, ' but perhaps it would be no worse than, what we have to encounter .'

" ' .Keep up, Joe, my brave lad,' said I. ' I don't dislike the appearance of matters so much now as I did at first. I hope that we may have nothing worse to endure than to make some offering, in turn, near this sacred tree they speak about, or perform some other act of expiation under the direction of old Malumbodjo, to remove the taboo which has descended upou us for entering that sacred vale of theirs.'

"'Do you think so?' interrogated Jim.

"' I do,' I answered. ' These are a queer people, wonderfully religious and horribly priest-ridden, but I don't think they are blood-thirsty.' "'I hope you may be right,' returned Joe, ' but I cannot cast off ominous feelings.'

" Towards sunset we approached an island with trees on it, the first forest we had seen since leaving the village, Here it was proposed to stay all night. We accordingly went on shore ; fires were kindled all around, and a number of men and women were chosen to keep them supplied with wood. The rest then soon wrapped themselves in their mats and fell asleep. We were placed in the centre of the camp, watched by a strong guard, so as to render escape impossible. " But, O God, had we known the terrible fate in store for us, we would have attempted our escape even to the death. We placed far too high a value upon the goodness of the natives ; but then, poor devils, they knew no better ; they thought they were doiug right."