{"id":"01KG8AM8EPQCZRZSA4M04VYTGM","cid":"bafkreicgenxclokaai3trh3gklc52ylrx4dtgne4nc6j2y23i7rbtdrnfm","type":"chunk","properties":{"end_line":10635,"extracted_at":"2026-01-30T20:48:25.203Z","extracted_by":"structure-extraction-lambda","label":"Chunk 4","source_file":"01KG89J1JYRSHWXR7JM0HYS9D4","start_line":10571,"text":"It was manned by five islanders, dressed in shirt tunics of calico. My\r\nfirst impression was that they were in the very act of pulling out from\r\nthe bay; and that, after all my exertions, I had come too late. My soul\r\nsunk within me: but a second glance convinced me that the boat was only\r\nhanging off to keep out of the surf; and the next moment I heard my own\r\nname shouted out by a voice from the midst of the crowd.\r\n\r\nLooking in the direction of the sound, I perceived, to my indescribable\r\njoy, the tall figure of Karakoee, an Oahu Kanaka, who had often been\r\naboard the ‘Dolly’, while she lay in Nukuheva. He wore the green\r\nshooting-jacket with gilt buttons, which had been given to him by an\r\nofficer of the Reine Blanche--the French flag-ship--and in which I had\r\nalways seen him dressed. I now remembered the Kanaka had frequently told\r\nme that his person was tabooed in all the valleys of the island, and the\r\nsight of him at such a moment as this filled my heart with a tumult of\r\ndelight.\r\n\r\nKarakoee stood near the edge of the water with a large roll of\r\ncotton-cloth thrown over one arm, and holding two or three canvas bags\r\nof powder, while with the other hand he grasped a musket, which he\r\nappeared to be proffering to several of the chiefs around him. But they\r\nturned with disgust from his offers and seemed to be impatient at\r\nhis presence, with vehement gestures waving him off to his boat, and\r\ncommanding him to depart.\r\n\r\nThe Kanaka, however, still maintained his ground, and I at once\r\nperceived that he was seeking to purchase my freedom. Animated by the\r\nidea, I called upon him loudly to come to me; but he replied, in broken\r\nEnglish, that the islanders had threatened to pierce him with their\r\nspears, if he stirred a foot towards me. At this time I was still\r\nadvancing, surrounded by a dense throng of the natives, several of whom\r\nhad their hands upon me, and more than one javelin was threateningly\r\npointed at me. Still I perceived clearly that many of those least\r\nfriendly towards me looked irresolute and anxious. I was still some\r\nthirty yards from Karakoee when my farther progress was prevented by the\r\nnatives, who compelled me to sit down upon the ground, while they still\r\nretained their hold upon my arms. The din and tumult now became tenfold,\r\nand I perceived that several of the priests were on the spot, all of\r\nwhom were evidently urging Mow-Mow and the other chiefs to prevent my\r\ndeparture; and the detestable word ‘Roo-ne! Roo-ne!’ which I had heard\r\nrepeated a thousand times during the day, was now shouted out on every\r\nside of me. Still I saw that the Kanaka continued his exertions in my\r\nfavour--that he was boldly debating the matter with the savages, and was\r\nstriving to entice them by displaying his cloth and powder, and snapping\r\nthe lock of his musket. But all he said or did appeared only to augment\r\nthe clamours of those around him, who seemed bent upon driving him into\r\nthe sea.\r\n\r\nWhen I remembered the extravagant value placed by these people upon the\r\narticles which were offered to them in exchange for me, and which\r\nwere so indignantly rejected, I saw a new proof of the same fixed\r\ndetermination of purpose they had all along manifested with regard\r\nto me, and in despair, and reckless of consequences, I exerted all my\r\nstrength, and shaking myself free from the grasp of those who held me, I\r\nsprang upon my feet and rushed towards Karakoee.\r\n\r\nThe rash attempt nearly decided my fate; for, fearful that I might slip\r\nfrom them, several of the islanders now raised a simultaneous shout,\r\nand pressing upon Karakoee, they menaced him with furious gestures, and\r\nactually forced him into the sea. Appalled at their violence, the poor\r\nfellow, standing nearly to the waist in the surf, endeavoured to pacify\r\nthem; but at length fearful that they would do him some fatal violence,\r\nhe beckoned to his comrades to pull in at once, and take him into the\r\nboat.\r\n\r","title":"Chunk 4"},"relationships":[{"peer":"01KG8AJRVDJBA69QAZAJFQP7KX","peer_type":"chapter","predicate":"in"},{"peer":"01KG89J1JYRSHWXR7JM0HYS9D4","peer_type":"file","predicate":"extractedFrom"},{"peer":"01KG89HMDZKNY753EZE1CJ8HZW","peer_type":"collection","predicate":"collection"},{"peer":"01KG8AM8EKX8WW815DJRF7BTSP","peer_type":"chunk","predicate":"prev"},{"peer":"01KG8AM8EP0AKJNZT1EZP1VPHK","peer_type":"chunk","predicate":"next"}],"ver":2,"created_at":"2026-01-30T20:48:31.190Z","ts":"2026-01-30T20:48:43.745Z","edited_by":{"method":"manual","user_id":"01KFF0H3YRP9ZSM033AM0QJ47H"}}