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Updated: May 2, 2025
Then, followed by Arguello's curses, the Irish captain went back to his brig and set sail for Callao, leaving Martinas to get the better of his wound and swoop down upon the natives of Easter Island six weeks later.
Therefore, if we can succeed in landing our boats' crews between the islet and the one next to it, we can cut off all chances of the natives escaping in that direction." "Good, Captain Martinas. But what if they escape into the forest?"
And then, unfastening a small bag tied round his naked waist, he advanced and emptied out a number of silver dollars. "What is that for?" said Martinas, who spoke a little English. The native laughed pleasantly. "Money, sir." And then he looked round the ship's decks as if seeking something. "Me want buy boat. Where all your boat, cap'en?
"The brave Captain Pedro is tender-hearted," sneered the young captain of the barque, showing his even white teeth under his jet-black moustache. "No words from you, Captain Martinas," retorted the Irishman. "I am prepared to go on now; but mind you and you know me the first man that I see lift a rifle to his shoulder, that man will I send a bullet through, be he black or white."
At Easter Island they seized nearly the whole population; at Nukulaelae, in the Ellice Group, they left but thirty people out of one hundred and fifty. "Let all the boats go round to the port side," said Martinas. "The canoes will board us on the starboard side, Senor Arguello, and once we get these people safely on board we shall still be in time to block the passage between the islets."
He and Martinas had hoped to get part of the landing party posted between the two islets before the natives could see the ships. * Three vessels were engaged in this nefarious business, a barque and two brigs. The most dreadful atrocities were committed.
The boats were quickly passed astern, and then hauled up alongside on the port side; and Martinas, having signalled to the brig to do the same with her boats, lest the natives, seeing armed men in them, should make back for the shore, quietly lit a cigar and waited. On came the three canoes, the half-naked, stalwart rowers sending them quickly over the ocean swell.
As for the main hatch, that was covered with a sail. "Good morning, cap'en," said the leader of the natives, a tall, handsome old man about fifty. "Where you come from?" "From California," answered Martinas, making a sign to one of his officers, who slipped away down to the main deck. "What you come here for, sir?" resumed the native amiably; "you want fowl, pig, turtle, eh?"
Ten minutes before Martinas had ordered two sentries who stood guard, one at the break of the poop and the other on top of the for'ard deckhouse, to disappear; and so, when the natives gained the deck there was nothing to alarm them. But at the heavy wooden gratings that ran across the decks, just for'ard of the poop and abaft the for'ard deckhouse, they gazed with eyes full of curiosity.
A bullet would have settled her," said Martinas. "She will easily get ashore now and alarm the whole village." Then, with a volley of oaths and curses, he ordered the rest of the boats away to the little strait separating the two islets.
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