{"id":"01KG8AM8KNX5FN9J113M7Z4B69","cid":"bafkreibkyc7cyonvucs5u2c76klrs2ovyi7jamamshi3p6ft6pjghly4yu","type":"chunk","properties":{"end_line":4913,"extracted_at":"2026-01-30T20:48:25.200Z","extracted_by":"structure-extraction-lambda","label":"Chunk 1","source_file":"01KG89J1JYRSHWXR7JM0HYS9D4","start_line":4847,"text":"CHAPTER FOURTEEN\r\n\r\nA GREAT EVENT HAPPENS IN THE VALLEY--THE ISLAND TELEGRAPH--SOMETHING\r\nBEFALLS TOBY--FAYAWAY DISPLAYS A TENDER HEART--MELANCHOLY\r\nREFLECTIONS--MYSTERIOUS CONDUCT OF THE ISLANDERS--DEVOTION OF\r\nKORY-KORY--A RURAL COUCH--A LUXURY--KORY-KORY STRIKES A LIGHT A LA TYPEE\r\n\r\n\r\nIn the course of a few days Toby had recovered from the effects of\r\nhis adventure with the Happar warriors; the wound on his head rapidly\r\nhealing under the vegetable treatment of the good Tinor. Less fortunate\r\nthan my companion however, I still continued to languish under a\r\ncomplaint, the origin and nature of which were still a mystery. Cut off\r\nas I was from all intercourse with the civilized world, and feeling the\r\ninefficacy of anything the natives could do to relieve me; knowing,\r\ntoo, that so long as I remained in my present condition, it would\r\nbe impossible for me to leave the valley, whatever opportunity might\r\npresent itself; and apprehensive that ere long we might be exposed to\r\nsome caprice on the part of the islanders, I now gave up all hopes\r\nof recovery, and became a prey to the most gloomy thoughts. A deep\r\ndejection fell upon me, which neither the friendly remonstrances of\r\nmy companion, the devoted attentions of Kory-Kory nor all the soothing\r\ninfluences of Fayaway could remove.\r\n\r\nOne morning as I lay on the mats in the house, plunged in melancholy\r\nreverie, and regardless of everything around me, Toby, who had left me\r\nabout an hour, returned in haste, and with great glee told me to cheer\r\nup and be of good heart; for he believed, from what was going on among\r\nthe natives, that there were boats approaching the bay.\r\n\r\nThese tidings operated upon me like magic. The hour of our deliverance\r\nwas at hand, and starting up, I was soon convinced that something\r\nunusual was about to occur. The word ‘botee! botee!’ was vociferated in\r\nall directions; and shouts were heard in the distance, at first\r\nfeebly and faintly; but growing louder and nearer at each successive\r\nrepetition, until they were caught up by a fellow in a cocoanut tree a\r\nfew yards off, who sounding them in turn, they were reiterated from a\r\nneighbouring grove, and so died away gradually from point to point, as\r\nthe intelligence penetrated into the farthest recess of the valley. This\r\nwas the vocal telegraph of the islanders; by means of which condensed\r\nitems of information could be carried in a very few minutes from the\r\nsea to their remotest habitation, a distance of at least eight or nine\r\nmiles. On the present occasion it was in active operation; one piece of\r\ninformation following another with inconceivable rapidity.\r\n\r\nThe greatest commotion now appeared to prevail. At every fresh item of\r\nintelligence the natives betrayed the liveliest interest, and redoubled\r\nthe energy with which they employed themselves in collecting fruit to\r\nsell to the expected visitors. Some were tearing off the husks from\r\ncocoanuts; some perched in the trees were throwing down bread-fruit\r\nto their companions, who gathered them into heaps as they fell; while\r\nothers were plying their fingers rapidly in weaving leafen baskets in\r\nwhich to carry the fruit.\r\n\r\nThere were other matters too going on at the same time. Here you would\r\nsee a stout warrior polishing his spear with a bit of old tappa, or\r\nadjusting the folds of the girdle about his waist; and there you might\r\ndescry a young damsel decorating herself with flowers, as if having\r\nin her eye some maidenly conquest; while, as in all cases of hurry\r\nand confusion in every part of the world, a number of individuals kept\r\nhurrying to and fro, with amazing vigour and perseverance, doing nothing\r\nthemselves, and hindering others.\r\n\r\nNever before had we seen the islanders in such a state of bustle and\r\nexcitement; and the scene furnished abundant evidence of the fact--that\r\nit was only at long intervals any such events occur.\r\n\r","title":"Chunk 1"},"relationships":[{"peer":"01KG8AJQ7N942MRV9G2GWR758Q","peer_type":"chapter","predicate":"in"},{"peer":"01KG89J1JYRSHWXR7JM0HYS9D4","peer_type":"file","predicate":"extractedFrom"},{"peer":"01KG89HMDZKNY753EZE1CJ8HZW","peer_type":"collection","predicate":"collection"},{"peer":"01KG8AM8K3A8HGD2CSS2B8YCKW","peer_type":"chunk","predicate":"next"}],"ver":2,"created_at":"2026-01-30T20:48:31.349Z","ts":"2026-01-30T20:48:37.438Z","edited_by":{"method":"manual","user_id":"01KFF0H3YRP9ZSM033AM0QJ47H"}}