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Updated: May 21, 2025
The wind continued steady and fair, and the next day at sunset, we reached Anaa. Here we remained only long enough to enable Rokoa to obtain all the information to be had, that promised to throw any light upon the fate of his brother.
Rokoa, too, no sooner heard the first whispered conjecture of the identity of the place before us with Angatan, than he resolved to land, notwithstanding the evident reluctance of the crew, and the open remonstrances and warnings of Sinbad. I suspected, I scarcely know why, that he cherished a vague hope of being able to gain here some clue to the fate of his missing brother.
"The sounds which I had before heard, were now borne more plainly than ever to our ears upon the night breeze. As soon as Rokoa recovered his breath, he said that we had not a moment to lose, but must commence our flight at once.
The canoe was furnished with a small ship's compass, a present to Rokoa from the missionaries, but this had been broken, by one of our crew being thrown violently upon it during the storm, while Barton was consulting it.
"The chief of the party, who had acted as spokesman, was called Mowno. He was a young man, with a handsome, boyish face, expressive of good-nature and indolence. Rokoa walked apart with him to make inquiries, as I had no doubt, connected with the subject of his brother's fate.
But neither Barton nor I could eat anything: our thoughts were with Rokoa upon his perilous adventure. When the food had been removed, Mowno suggested that we should all go out into the inclosure, and walk a few times around the house in order that those who were on the watch might be satisfied that we were still there.
Nevertheless, our crew still refused to make any nearer approach, suspecting that more of the natives were lurking among the mangrove; ready to sally out upon us at the proper moment if we should venture to land. "Rokoa, finding all attempts to overcome the cowardice of our men unavailing, took a few trinkets in his hand, and springing overboard, swam through the surf to the shore.
Rokoa distributed among them some trifling presents, which they hastily concealed among the folds of their maros. A few moments afterwards Mowno himself emerged from the grove, attended by the remainder of the party we had seen in the morning.
"This seemed to me a wiser course than to undertake, at present, to fight our way to the boat; but Rokoa remained of his former opinion; he apprehended an attack upon our party at the shore during our absence, by which we might be cut off from all means of leaving the island. This certainly was a weighty consideration, and one that had not occurred to me.
"I think I shall like Rokoa," said Johnny, rubbing his hands together in token of satisfaction, "and I guess this is going to be an interesting story; there will be some fighting in it, I expect." "Of course, there will be plenty of fighting," said Max, "or else what is the meaning of this preliminary flourish of trumpets, about Rokoa's chivalrous courage, and all that?"
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