{"id":"01KG8AKSKJQNZCM4QJNZ8NPD4J","cid":"bafkreifvodqp4amie422zzpjewvtojkh7kr2cmhkesgzzq2fwjq65vqqfq","type":"chunk","properties":{"end_line":719,"extracted_at":"2026-01-30T20:48:15.149Z","extracted_by":"structure-extraction-lambda","label":"Chunk 1","source_file":"01KG89J1H7Y803CZ7X80F0QFHZ","start_line":651,"text":"CHAPTER V.\r\nWHAT HAPPENED AT HYTYHOO\r\n\r\n\r\nLess than forty-eight hours after leaving Nukuheva, the blue, looming\r\nisland of St. Christina greeted us from afar. Drawing near the shore,\r\nthe grim, black spars and waspish hull of a small man-of-war craft\r\ncrept into view; the masts and yards lined distinctly against the sky.\r\nShe was riding to her anchor in the bay, and proved to be a French\r\ncorvette.\r\n\r\nThis pleased our captain exceedingly, and, coming on deck, he examined\r\nher from the mizzen rigging with his glass. His original intention was\r\nnot to let go an anchor; but, counting upon the assistance of the\r\ncorvette in case of any difficulty, he now changed his mind, and\r\nanchored alongside of her. As soon as a boat could be lowered, he then\r\nwent off to pay his respects to the commander, and, moreover, as we\r\nsupposed, to concert measures for the apprehension of the runaways.\r\n\r\nReturning in the course of twenty minutes, he brought along with him\r\ntwo officers in undress and whiskers, and three or four drunken\r\nobstreperous old chiefs; one with his legs thrust into the armholes of\r\na scarlet vest, another with a pair of spurs on his heels, and a third\r\nin a cocked hat and feather. In addition to these articles, they merely\r\nwore the ordinary costume of their race—a slip of native cloth about\r\nthe loins. Indecorous as their behaviour was, these worthies turned out\r\nto be a deputation from the reverend the clergy of the island; and the\r\nobject of their visit was to put our ship under a rigorous “Taboo,” to\r\nprevent the disorderly scenes and facilities for desertion which would\r\nensue, were the natives—men and women—allowed to come off to us freely.\r\n\r\nThere was little ceremony about the matter. The priests went aside for\r\na moment, laid their shaven old crowns together, and went over a little\r\nmummery. Whereupon, their leader tore a long strip from his girdle of\r\nwhite tappa, and handed it to one of the French officers, who, after\r\nexplaining what was to be done, gave it to Jermin. The mate at once\r\nwent out to the end of the flying jib boom, and fastened there the\r\nmystic symbol of the ban. This put to flight a party of girls who had\r\nbeen observed swimming toward us. Tossing their arms about, and\r\nsplashing the water like porpoises, with loud cries of “taboo! taboo!”\r\nthey turned about and made for the shore.\r\n\r\nThe night of our arrival, the mate and the Mowree were to stand “watch\r\nand watch,” relieving each other every four hours; the crew, as is\r\nsometimes customary when lying at an anchor, being allowed to remain\r\nall night below. A distrust of the men, however, was, in the present\r\ninstance, the principal reason for this proceeding. Indeed, it was all\r\nbut certain, that some kind of attempt would be made at desertion; and\r\ntherefore, when Jermin’s first watch came on at eight bells\r\n(midnight)—by which time all was quiet—he mounted to the deck with a\r\nflask of spirits in one hand, and the other in readiness to assail the\r\nfirst countenance that showed itself above the forecastle scuttle.\r\n\r\nThus prepared, he doubtless meant to stay awake; but for all that, he\r\nbefore long fell asleep; and slept with such hearty good-will too, that\r\nthe men who left us that night might have been waked up by his snoring.\r\nCertain it was, the mate snored most strangely; and no wonder, with\r\nthat crooked bugle of his. When he came to himself it was just dawn,\r\nbut quite light enough to show two boats gone from the side. In an\r\ninstant he knew what had happened.\r\n\r\nDragging the Mowree out of an old sail where he was napping, he ordered\r\nhim to clear away another boat, and then darted into the cabin to tell\r\nthe captain the news. Springing on deck again, he drove down into the\r\nforecastle for a couple of oarsmen, but hardly got there before there\r\nwas a cry, and a loud splash heard over the side. It was the Mowree and\r\nthe boat—into which he had just leaped to get ready for\r\nlowering—rolling over and over in the water.\r\n\r","title":"Chunk 1"},"relationships":[{"peer":"01KG8AJG70E1M3AMCAS69C6AAH","peer_type":"chapter","predicate":"in"},{"peer":"01KG89J1H7Y803CZ7X80F0QFHZ","peer_type":"file","predicate":"extractedFrom"},{"peer":"01KG89HMDZKNY753EZE1CJ8HZW","peer_type":"collection","predicate":"collection"},{"peer":"01KG8AKSKJBJ4YFS7PMDQNBE6Q","peer_type":"chunk","predicate":"next"}],"ver":2,"created_at":"2026-01-30T20:48:15.986Z","ts":"2026-01-30T20:48:22.541Z","edited_by":{"method":"manual","user_id":"01KFF0H3YRP9ZSM033AM0QJ47H"}}