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Updated: June 22, 2025
How Macco had contrived to explain this I could not understand, but he seemed very confident that they had comprehended him. Some of the party, armed with bows and arrows, started away into the woods, while the others collected sticks and lighted a fire. The hunters soon returned, bringing with them a tree kangaroo and a cuscus, with several large bats.
It looked somewhat, in its white, woolly covering, like a small, fat lamb; but it had short legs, hand-like feet, with large claws. "He make bery good dinner for us," observed Macco. "No fear of our starving. Dat good t'ing." Oliver and I were very glad, and thanked him very much for catching the creature.
The moon was still shining brightly over the waters, when Macco uttered an exclamation of surprise, and putting his hand on my shoulder, cried out, "O Massa Walter, look dere!" He pointed seaward, and there, just under the moonbeams, I caught sight of a white object. I looked more and more earnestly. Yes, I was almost convinced that it was the sail of a vessel.
At first I proposed making a dug-out, but Macco said he had often assisted in boat-building, and that a plank boat would be far superior. "But how are we to get the planks?" "Oh," he said, "I split some of de trees, and work dem down." "But that would take so very long," I observed. "Neber mind, Massa Walter. Long time come to end, and work done."
I made my way to the caboose, where Potto Jumbo was singing merrily, though the heat was sufficient to cook the dinner, one would suppose, without the aid of the fire. Macco had been appointed to attend on him as cook's mate. The arrangement appeared to please both parties, for Potto was always good-natured, and Macco obedient, and apparently anxious to learn his duties.
I observed, however, that Ali was constantly speaking to him, but I rather doubt that their words were very intelligible to each other, as English was the only common language they possessed. Ali knew it very imperfectly, and Macco still less. More than once I observed Ali's quick, piercing, fierce eyes fixed on him attentively, as he appeared to be endeavouring to impress some matter on his mind.
On passing through a more open part of the forest, our eyes were gladdened by seeing some large fruit hanging from the top of some palm-trees. "Cocoa-nut! cocoa-nut!" cried Macco. Yes; there was the long-coveted cocoa-nut; and apparently mature. Macco, as may be supposed, was very quickly at the top of the tree, and engaged in throwing down the nuts. "Stay!"
He scarcely stirred from his seat in the stern of the canoe. When he dropped off to sleep, the movement of the oar very soon awoke him. Few Europeans on such fare would have lived beyond the first ten days. Macco, however, when his rice was expended, began to scrape away the wood from the inside of his canoe. This, cut up fine, he ate, washing it down with water.
I was now much happier than before, having Macco as my companion; at the same time, I was very anxious to let my dear Emily know that I was safe. I told Macco of my anxiety. "Why, then, we not build canoe?" he said. "It take time, but it can be done." "But I have only my knife to do it with," I said. "But I have knife too," he said, drawing out a longish weapon from his belt.
Macco told us he was sure he could manufacture some fishing-lines and hooks; the latter out of the bones of birds, and the lines from some of the numerous creepers with which the island abounded. While this was being done, however, we should be starved; we therefore made the best of our way round through the path we had already made to the shore.
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