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Updated: June 22, 2025
However we managed, while our masters started off in one direction, to take an opposite one; and before long, as we moved cautiously through the wood, we caught sight of a cuscus. Macco was quickly up a tree, and soon captured the poor beast. Not long after we came up with a tree kangaroo, to which we gave chase.
At first I had some repugnance to eating a new animal. However, the steaks which Macco cut from the creature's fat sides looked so tempting that I did not refuse the portion he offered me, and found it very delicate. As the eggs were more likely to keep than the flesh of the animal, we agreed to preserve it for our morning's meal, cooking only one, which we divided amongst us.
Oliver and Macco must have heard them also, for directly afterwards they also started up, and looked about them with a somewhat startled expression of countenance. We sprang to the door of the hut. On opening it, we saw directly below it a number of dark-skinned savages, almost destitute of clothing, some of them having huge black mop heads, while others had simply thick woolly hair.
We again set to work with our bamboo spades, and dug away most energetically. Some moisture on the ground encouraged us to proceed, while the burning thirst from which we were suffering increased our anxiety for success. As we dug lower the ground became soft, and more and more moist, when Macco, putting down his hand, brought it up full of liquid mud.
It was barely sufficient to hold two people, and would certainly not contain three. "Jump in, Massa Walter jump in, Oliver!" exclaimed Macco. "Shove off; me find other canoe, and follow." Though it was broad daylight, the mist still hung over the ocean, and we could not see to any distance. The princess urged us by her gestures to follow the advice which Macco gave us.
She held up a branch between us and the men, and appeared to be expostulating earnestly with them. She used much gesture and spoke with vehemence. Gradually their countenances somewhat calmed, and their clubs, which had been raised, slowly descended to the ground. As they stood leaning on them she pointed to the animals we had killed. Macco had been watching both parties attentively.
Macco seemed far from satisfied with their appearance. "Me no like dem fellows," he said; "dey cut t'roat eat! eat!" "No fear of that," I observed. "She looks to me like a trading prow, though her men certainly would suit the deck of a pirate." However, we had no choice. It was now perfectly calm, and the prow rowed up to the raft, the men in her making signs to us to come on board.
Macco cried out to Oliver, "Come on! come on!" and taking his arm, he rushed down the bank and plunged into the stream, from which a vapour was ascending, as if it was already heated by the fire above.
Macco could not assist us, as he said he had seen nothing of the sort before. One thing we were certain of, that the mound was artificial. "I am afraid we are only wasting our time," I observed; "and it will be better to go back to the shore to look for turtles' eggs; and perhaps we may catch a turtle itself."
The shape of her canvas convinced me that she must be European, and not one of the mat-sail craft of those seas. Oliver thought I was right also. "Yes, yes!" exclaimed Macco; "no doubt, dat brig!" Our conductress stopped when she heard our exclamations, and also looked towards the sea. The vessel was standing towards the south, the direction we were going.
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