{"id":"01KG8AKWR3FBM0QAC1MXS6XV2P","cid":"bafkreidyujc5w47xrfqfng3clijcz7f46jwj7i7hidx3nuzkm43xa6msy4","type":"chunk","properties":{"end_line":4176,"extracted_at":"2026-01-30T20:48:15.149Z","extracted_by":"structure-extraction-lambda","label":"Chunk 1","source_file":"01KG89J1H7Y803CZ7X80F0QFHZ","start_line":4101,"text":"CHAPTER XXXI.\r\nTHE CALABOOZA BERETANEE\r\n\r\n\r\nAbout a mile from the village we came to a halt.\r\n\r\nIt was a beautiful spot. A mountain stream here flowed at the foot of a\r\nverdant slope; on one hand, it murmured along until the waters,\r\nspreading themselves upon a beach of small, sparkling shells, trickled\r\ninto the sea; on the other was a long defile, where the eye pursued a\r\ngleaming, sinuous thread, lost in shade and verdure.\r\n\r\nThe ground next the road was walled in by a low, rude parapet of\r\nstones; and, upon the summit of the slope beyond, was a large, native\r\nhouse, the thatch dazzling white, and in shape an oval.\r\n\r\n“Calabooza! Calabooza Beretanee!” (the English Jail), cried our\r\nconductor, pointing to the building.\r\n\r\nFor a few months past, having been used by the consul as a house of\r\nconfinement for his refractory sailors, it was thus styled to\r\ndistinguish it from similar places in and about Papeetee.\r\n\r\nThough extremely romantic in appearance, on a near approach it proved\r\nhut ill adapted to domestic comfort. In short, it was a mere shell,\r\nrecently built, and still unfinished. It was open all round, and tufts\r\nof grass were growing here and there under the very roof. The only\r\npiece of furniture was the “stocks,” a clumsy machine for keeping\r\npeople in one place, which, I believe, is pretty much out of date in\r\nmost countries. It is still in use, however, among the Spaniards in\r\nSouth America; from whom, it seems, the Tahitians have borrowed the\r\ncontrivance, as well as the name by which all places of confinement are\r\nknown among them.\r\n\r\nThe stocks were nothing more than two stout timbers, about twenty feet\r\nin length, and precisely alike. One was placed edgeways on the ground,\r\nand the other, resting on top, left, at regular intervals along the\r\nseam, several round holes, the object of which was evident at a glance.\r\n\r\nBy this time, our guide had informed us that he went by the name of\r\n“Capin Bob” (Captain Bob); and a hearty old Bob he proved. It was just\r\nthe name for him. From the first, so pleased were we with the old man\r\nthat we cheerfully acquiesced in his authority.\r\n\r\nEntering the building, he set us about fetching heaps of dry leaves to\r\nspread behind the stocks for a couch. A trunk of a small cocoa-nut tree\r\nwas then placed for a bolster—rather a hard one, but the natives are\r\nused to it. For a pillow, they use a little billet of wood, scooped\r\nout, and standing on four short legs—a sort of head-stool.\r\n\r\nThese arrangements completed, Captain Bob proceeded to “hanna-par,” or\r\nsecure us, for the night. The upper timber of the machine being lifted\r\nat one end, and our ankles placed in the semicircular spaces of the\r\nlower one, the other beam was then, dropped; both being finally secured\r\ntogether by an old iron hoop at either extremity. This initiation was\r\nperformed to the boisterous mirth of the natives, and diverted\r\nourselves not a little.\r\n\r\nCaptain Bob now bustled about, like an old woman seeing the children to\r\nbed. A basket of baked “taro,” or Indian turnip, was brought in, and we\r\nwere given a piece all round. Then a great counterpane of coarse, brown\r\n“tappa,” was stretched over the whole party; and, after sundry\r\ninjunctions to “moee-moee,” and be “maitai”—in other words, to go to\r\nsleep, and be good boys—we were left to ourselves, fairly put to bed\r\nand tucked in.\r\n\r\nMuch talk was now had concerning our prospects in life; but the doctor\r\nand I, who lay side by side, thinking the occasion better adapted to\r\nmeditation, kept pretty silent; and, before long, the rest ceased\r\nconversing, and, wearied with loss of rest on board the frigate, were\r\nsoon sound asleep.\r\n\r\nAfter sliding from one reverie into another, I started, and gave the\r\ndoctor a pinch. He was dreaming, however; and, resolved to follow his\r\nexample, I troubled him no more.\r\n\r","title":"Chunk 1"},"relationships":[{"peer":"01KG8AJJFYZ37HSPDVFTEVEPDD","peer_type":"chapter","predicate":"in"},{"peer":"01KG89J1H7Y803CZ7X80F0QFHZ","peer_type":"file","predicate":"extractedFrom"},{"peer":"01KG89HMDZKNY753EZE1CJ8HZW","peer_type":"collection","predicate":"collection"},{"peer":"01KG8AKWR3ZSBH4RT9DYBA3GJ3","peer_type":"chunk","predicate":"next"}],"ver":2,"created_at":"2026-01-30T20:48:19.203Z","ts":"2026-01-30T20:48:26.702Z","edited_by":{"method":"manual","user_id":"01KFF0H3YRP9ZSM033AM0QJ47H"}}