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Updated: May 12, 2025
Only fancy Mrs Jarwin in a cocoanut-fibre petticoat with a palm-leaf hat, or somethink o' that sort! An', after all, it wouldn't be half so rediklous as some o' the canvas she's used to spread on Sundays." Jarwin evidently thought his ideas somewhat ridiculous, for he paused at this point and chuckled, while Cuffy sprang up and barked responsively.
Four weeks later, and Jarwin, with Cuffy by his side, stood, "himself again," on the quarterdeck of the Nancy of Hull, while the "Yo, heave ho!" of the sailors rang an accompaniment to the clatter of the windlass as they weighed anchor, Big Chief held his hand and wept, and rubbed noses with him to such an extent that the cabin boy said it was a perfect miracle that they had a scrap of nose left on their faces and would not be consoled by the assurance that he, Jarwin, would certainly make another voyage to the South Seas, if he should be spared to do so, and occasion offered, for the express purpose of paying him a visit.
"And pray who are you, that comes here to lecture us about our lingo?" cried one of the men fiercely, starting up and confronting Jarwin with clenched fists. "Why, mate," replied Jarwin, quietly folding back the cuffs of his coat, and putting himself in an attitude of defence, "I ain't nobody in partikler, not the Lord Chancellor o' England, anyhow still less the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Jarwin hesitated, but reflecting that there was no chance of his seeing the missionary at all if he did not give this promise, he consented. A week after that all the preparations were made, and four large canoes, full of well-armed men, set out for Raratonga. At the time we write of, the island of Raratonga had been recently discovered by the missionary Williams.
In a few seconds the topsails were backed and the boat lowered, manned, and pushed off. But Jarwin heard and saw nothing of all this. He was now far astern, for the vessel had been going rapidly through the water. On coming to the surface after his dive he caught hold of Cuffy, and, with a cheering word or two, placed him on his back, telling him to hold on by his paws the best way he could.
Jarwin had erected a rude hut, composed of boughs and turf, near the fountain where he had first landed. It was the home to which he referred.
"Kite right, kite right," replied Big Chief, with a deep sigh, "you say it am nat'ral. Good, good, so 'tis. Now, Jowin," continued the savage chief, with intense earnestness, "you's free to go when you pleases." "Oh, gammon!" replied Jarwin, with an unbelieving grin. "Wot is gammon?" demanded Big Chief, with a somewhat disappointed look.
By this time the hills of Raratonga were beginning to look less like blue clouds and more like real mountains; gradually as the canoes drew nearer, the markings on them became more and more defined, until at last everything was distinctly visible rocky eminences and luxuriant valleys, through which flowed streams and rivulets that glittered brightly in the light of the ascending sun, and almost constrained Jarwin to shout with delight, for he gazed upon a scene more lovely by far than anything that he had yet beheld in the Southern Seas.
It was of no use that several men, who objected to smoking from principle, and had themselves gone through the struggle and come off victorious, pointed out that if he went on at his present rate, it would cut short his life. Jarwin didn't believe that.
They therefore quietly got up and followed the big chief to his village, where they were received by a large concourse of savages with much excitement and curiosity. The sufferings which Jarwin with his little dog had hitherto undergone were as nothing compared to those which he endured for some months after being taken prisoner by the savages.
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