I used to sail in, Tandy, was as honest as it ispossible for such a ship to be, and I never saw natives ill-treated byany of our crew, though more than once we had to fight in self-defence.The reason was this. Many ships that had agreed to bring the blacksback home, broke their promise, which, perhaps, they had never intendedto keep. When they returned to the islands, therefore, to obtain morerecruits, bloodshed was almost certain to ensue. If one white man waskilled, then the revenge taken was fearful. At a safe distance thewhites would bring their rifles and guns to bear upon the poor savages,and the slaughter would be too dreadful to contemplate. If the unhappywretches took shelter in their woods or jungles, these would be set onfire, till at last a hundred or more of them would fling their armsaway, hold up the palms of their hands in token of submission, or as onappeal for mercy, and huddle together in a corner like fowls, and justas helpless. The whites could then pick and choose volunteers as theypleased, and it is needless to tell you there was nothing given inexchange.
"Our trouble took place when we returned to an island, having found itimpossible to bring the natives we had taken off back with us. Thisthey looked upon as cheating, and they would rush to arms, compelling usto fire upon them in self-defence.
"Well, we were constantly on the search for new islands. The natives onthese might threaten us for a time, but the `call-crows' soon pacifiedthem. The beads and presents we distributed, coupled with the glowingaccounts of life in Queensland which the `crows' gave these poorheathen, did all the rest, and we soon had a cargo."
"And this species of trade was, or is, called black-birding, I think,"said Tandy.
"It was, and _is_ now, _sub rosa_.
"But I was going to tell you of a volcanic eruption. Before I do so,however, I propose that we order the main-brace to be spliced. For thisis an auspicious night, you know, and I have not heard a jovial song onboard the _Sea Flower_ for many and many a day.
"Janeira!"
"Yes, sah. I'se not fah away, sah."
And Janeira entered, smiling as usual, and as daintily dressed as astage waiting-maid.
"Pass the word for Fitz, Janeira, like a good girl."
"Oh, he's neah too, sah. At you' service, sah!"
Fitz had been in the pantry eating plum-duff, or whatever else camehandy. The pantry was a favourite resort with Lord Fitzmantle, andJaneira never failed to put after-dinner tit-bits away in a corner forhis especial delectation.
"Now, Jane, you shall draw some rum, and, Fitz, you must take itfor'ard. Here is the key, Jane; and, Fitz, just tell them for'ard todrink the healths of those aft, and sing as much as they chooseto-night."
"Far away then, Tandy and Nelda," said Halcott, resuming his narrative,"to the west of this island, farther away almost than the imaginationcan grasp, so solitary and wide is this great ocean, there used to be asmall island called Saint Queeba. Who first found it out, or named it,I cannot tell you, Tandy, but I believe our own brig was the first thatever visited it in a black-birding expedition.
"The population seemed to be about three thousand, and of these we tookaway at least one hundred and fifty. The poor creatures appeared tohave no fear of white men, and so we concealed our revolvers and enteredinto friendly intercourse with them.
"The island was a long way from any other, and this probably accountedfor its never having been black-birded before.
"We returned from Australia almost immediately again after landing ourrecruits, and I for one felt sure the natives would welcome us.
"So we brought extra-showy cloth and the brightest beads we couldprocure.
"They did welcome us, and we soon had about half a cargo of realvolunteers.
"We were only waiting for others to come from the interior; for the windwas fair just then, and we were all anxious to proceed to sea.
"The very evening before the arrival of the blacks, however, the windwent suddenly down, although, strangely enough, at a great altitude wecould see scores of small black clouds scurrying across the sky.Finally, some of these circled round and round, and combined to form adark blue canopy that gradually lowered itself towards the island.
"Soon the sun went down, a blood-red ball in the west, and darknessquickly followed. It was just then that we observed a fitful gleamarise from the one and only mountain the island possessed. Over this aball of cloud had hung all day long, but we had taken little notice ofit.
"`I've never seen the like of that before, mate,' said the skipper tome, pointing at the slowly descending pall of cumulus.
"`Nor I either, captain,' I replied.
"I couldn't keep my eyes off it, do what I would, for dark though thenight was that strange cloud was darker. It seemed now to be sendingdownwards from its centre a whirling tail, or pillar, which the gleamsthat began to rise higher and higher from the developing volcano lit up,and tongues of fire appeared to touch.
"`It's going to be a storm of some kind, Halcott,' said my skipper.`Oh, for a puff of wind, for, Heaven help us, lad! we are far too nearthe shore.'
"`I have it,' he cried next minute. `Lower the boats and heave up theanchor.'
"I never saw men work more willingly in my life before. Even the blackswe had on board lent a hand, and no sooner was the anchor apeak thanaway went the boats, and the ship moved slowly out to sea.
"We had got about three knots off-shore, when, happening to look back, Isaw a sight which I shall remember to my dying day.
"The black and awful whirling cloud had burst. If one ton of water camedown like an avalanche, a million must have fallen, with a deafeningroar like a thousand thunders.
"It seemed as if heaven and earth had gone to war and the first terrificshot had been fired.
"For a time the mountain was entirely enveloped in darkness; then upthrough this blackness rose high, high into the air a huge pillar ofsteam. This continued to rise for over an hour, with incessant thunderand lightning around the base of the hill. Rain, almost boiling hot,fell on our decks, and hissed and spluttered on the still water aroundthe ship, compelling us to fly below or seek the shelter of tarpaulins.
"This ceased at last, and now we could see that the volcanic fire hadgained the mastery; for the flames, with huge pieces of stones androcks, were hurled five hundred feet at least into the starry sky.
"For many hours the thunderings and the lightnings over that devotedisland and around the hill were such, Tandy, as I pray God I may neversee or hear again. There were earthquakes, too; that was evident enoughfrom the strange commotion in the water around us, and this wascommunicated to the ship. The best sailors on our brig could scarcelystand, far less walk. Towards morning it had partially cleared,although the lightning still continued to play, fork and sheet, abovethe base of the volcanic hill. We could now see streams of molten lavapouring down the mountain's side, green, crimson, and violet.
"Very lovely indeed they were. But ah! then I knew the fate of thoseunhappy inhabitants was to be a terrible one. It would be a choice ofdeaths, for in less than half an hour the isle was one vastconflagration. We saw but little more of it even next day, for the lavawas now pouring into the sea and a cloud of steam enveloped the scene oftragedy.
"Our decks were covered with dust and scoriae, and this fell steadilyall that day.
"We had managed by means of the boats to work off and away fully fifteenmiles. This was undoubtedly our salvation; for presently we were struckby a terrible tornado, and it required all our skill to keep out of thevortex.
"While it was still raging around us, an explosion away on our portquarter, where the island would be just then, seemed to rend the wholeearth in pieces. Many of our crew were struck deaf, and remained so fordays. Our ship shook, Tandy, fore and aft, quivering like a dying rat.She seemed to have no more stability in her then than an old orange box.
"An immense wave, such as I had never seen before, rose in the sea andswept on towards us. The marvel is that it did not swamp us.
"As it was we were carried sky-high, and our masts cracked as if
theywere about to go by the board. Smaller waves followed, and the galethat brought up the rear drove us far away from the scene of theterrible tragedy before the sun rose, redder than ever I had seen itbefore, for it was shining through the dust and debris of that broken upisland.
"I left the trade soon after this, Tandy. I was tired and sick ofblack-birding.
"But in my own ship, two years after this, I visited the spot. Theisland was gone; but for more than a mile in circumference the sea wasstrangely rippled, and gases were constantly escaping that we were gladenough to work to windward of.
"But listen! our good little crew is singing. Well, there is somethinglike hope in that--and in the sweet notes of Tom Wilson's violin. He'sa good man that, Tandy, but he has a history, else I'm a Hottentot.
"Well, just one