At school in the Cannibal Islands

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COPYRIGHT DEPOSITS

The Pacific Series

Preface

In the fourth volume of The Pacific Series,” “At School in the Cannibal Islands,” the author tells of further adventures of the characters described in the preceding volumes.

A school has been established on Harding Island, at which, besides our old friends — Jack, Charley, and Harold — three other white lads and some six Polynesian lads are enrolled. The masters are Captain Harding and Doctor Parsons, and an assistant, a Mr. Clarkson, who has come to the South Pacific in order to study the Polynesian language so as to permit him to begin his lifework as a missionary to the people in this part of the world.

While all the ordinary school branches are taught at the Harding School, yet by reason of the position of the island, the opportunities afforded for studying the life of the land and sea, as well as the ripe knowledge of the captain and the doctor in natural history, resulted in the special teaching of some of the more interesting branches of zoology.

During the progress of the story much information is given concerning natural history. Like the other books of the series^ however, the facts of natural science, no matter how interesting, are not permitted to crowd out those more interesting scenes of fun and

PREFACE adventure that young readers naturally look for in a book of this character.

As the name, “ At School in the Cannibal Islands,” indicates, there is given in this volume an account of the many exciting experiences that both the people of Harding Island, as well as the boys of the Harding School, had when the island was invaded by a fleet of cannibal canoes with an army of warriors greatly exceeding in number the forces on Harding Island. The manner in which the invading army was practically isolated on Twin Island No. i, and how it was finally routed by the people on Harding Island when aided by the warriors of Mahinee and Otoa are told. It was in this connection that Harding Island, together with the four islands of its lagoon, have been rechristened The Cannibal Islands.”

Philadelphia, June, 1909,

E. J. H.

Contents

Chapter ^

Page

I. On Parker Cliffs 1 1

CHAPTER I On Parker Cliffs “ Can you still see it? ”

“ No; I lost sight of it a few minutes ago.’^

Then try my glasses. You can still see it through them.”

The speakers, two lads of about fifteen and a half years, were standing near the edge of a limestone cliff on the northeastern part of a fairly large coral island, or atoll, in the South Pacific. They were looking through field-glasses at some object near the northwestern horizon. A beautiful collie dog, standing near them, was gazing up into their faces and wagging his tail as if begging to be noticed.

The island, one of the Paumotus, is the Harding Island referred to in the second and third volumes of “ The Pacific Series.” The boys are our friends, Charles Young Pleasanton and Harold Arthur Harding. The cliffs on which they are standing are the Parker Cliffs, the highest point of land on the island. The collie dog is our friend Rompey.

Though nearly two years have passed since we first saw these boys on a derelict brig in the Pacific, neither has increased much in height, as boys are so apt to do II at their age. They were the same good-looking, bright, merry, fun-loving boys that we became acquainted with in the other books of this series.

There is, however, a great difference in the clothing the boys now wore and that we saw on them while on the coral island. Instead of the old striped blue-andwhite bed-ticking they had been forced, after they had been some time on Harding Island, to make up into clothes that made them resemble escaped convicts, they were now clad in comfortable garments suitable for a tropical climate that had been fitted and made by the best tailors of London and Melbourne.

It was Charley who had handed his glasses to Harold. After his friend had looked through them for a few moments, he inquired :

“ How do you like my glasses, Harold ? ”

“ They beat mine all hollow, Charley. How is it I can see so much farther through your glasses than through mine?”

Although both boys were of the same age, Charley was the brighter of the two; and this is saying no little, for Harold was an unusually bright lad. Counting the time they had spent on the brig, on the coral island, in captivity with Mahinee, and in Europe and Australia, about two years had passed. During nearly all this time the boys had been almost constantly together, and Harold had learned by experience that Charley was generally able to answer all questions he put to him. He had fallen into the habit of asking Charley questions, that he often might have an- 12 swered himself if he had only taken the trouble to think. So, when he inquired how it was he could see so much better through Charley’s glasses than through his own, his friend replied :

“ It is because the big ends of my glasses are so much larger than yours, Harold. They take in more light and enable you to see farther.”

“ Although they are much bigger, Charley, they are awfully light. I don’t think they weigh as much as mine. Why is that ? ”

“ Because the tubes are made of a very light metal called aluminium,” was the reply.

The boys had been looking at a faint streak on the northwestern horizon that marked the position of a distant steamer. Every now and then Rompey would jump up and place his paws on Charley’s shoulders, wagging his tail and beginning a series of barks in an effort to attract his attention. He was satisfied, however, if his young master would only pet him a little.

At last Harold stopped looking at the distant steamer and handed his glasses to Charley without saying anything. From the expression on his face it was evident there was something on the distant vessel that was steaming away so rapidly toward the northwest, he greatly missed. Seeing this, Charley said :

“You’re sort of broken up, Harold, aren’t you? Well, I don’t wonder. I feel that way myself.”

“ Of course I feel broken up,” was the reply ; “ and I’m not surprised that you are. Our parents are on that steamer and we won’t see them again for at least six months.”

“That’s so, Harold,” replied Charley; “but don’t forget, both your parents and mine gave us the choice of remaining on Harding Island, or of going back with them to England and Australia. We chose to stay here, and I am sure if you again had the choice to make you would decide to remain.”

“ Of course I’d choose to stay,” replied Harold. “ Think of the jolly times we’ll have in the Harding School with Uncle Arthur and Doctor Parsons as teachers. Think of the fun we’ll have in the swimming-pool, in the boats on the lagoons, in the grotto, in the cabin of the brigantine, on the smaller islands in the lagoon, and all the other jolly things at which a fellow can have lots of fun. Of course I would again choose to stay, Charley. I don’t believe there are many people in the world who know how to teach natural history as well as Uncle Arthur, and I think that Doctor Parsons is, perhaps, almost as good.” With this opinion Charley fully agreed.

It should be mentioned here that both boys were very fond of natural history. Though young, they had obtained, either by actual observation, by the captain’s teaching, or by reading a choice collection of books in their library, a greater amount of information concerning such things than most boys of their age possess.

But by this time even Charley’s powerful glasses were unable to show any signs of the distant steamer.

So turning to Harold, and pointing to a group of people near them, who had also been looking at the steamer, Charley said :

“ Let us join the others. I see they are getting ready to leave the cliffs.”

For the sake of those who have not read the three preceding volumes of “ The Pacific Series,” it will be well to give a short description of each of them.

In “ Five Months on a Derelict ” are given the exciting adventures of two men and three boys on a derelict brig; i. e., a brig that, although abandoned by its people in the belief it was about ready to sink, yet continued to float for a long time afterward. The men and two of the boys had been passengers on a full-rigged ship, the Ketrel of London, bound for Japan. This ship was wrecked in the China Sea during a severe storm. All her crew, except those in a boat under the command of Lieutenant Harding, then the first mate of the ship, safely reached the coast of China.

In the boat commanded by Lieutenant Harding were four men and two boys ; two of the men were swept off the boat while it was battling with the storm. After they had left the vessel, on the night of the fifth day, their boat was wrecked by a derelict brig they safely boarded.

After they had been for some time on the brig, they picked up at sea a ship’s boat containing the dead bodies of four men, and a boy, Charley, who was almost dead from starvation and thirst.

The two men and the three boys had spent five months on that derelict brig in the different portions of the Pacific to which it was carried by the winds and the ocean currents.

The party on the derelict had many interesting and startling adventures until, at the end of five months, it was wrecked during a severe storm on a small coral' reef, situated a short distance off the shore of a coral island.

The second volume, Wrecked on a Coral Island,’' describes the adventures of the same people after they safely reached the island, and had transferred to it many things of value from the wrecked brig. They called the island Harding Island after their captain. The splendid times they had on this island, as well as the dangers they experienced, are told. Among other exciting incidents was the discovery in a clearing on one of the islands in the lagoon, of an old hut, in which was the skeleton of a man whose hand rested on a box containing a written sheet of paper giving information of a treasure of pearls they afterward succeeded in securing. This volume also tells of a fight with a huge octopus Charley and Harold had in one of the limestone grottoes of Parker Cliffs; of the dangerous voyage Charley and Harold had when they rescued the captain and Hiram from a lonely coral islet several days’ journey from Harding Island; and, finally, of the manner in which Charley and Harold were captured by savages who visited the island in a war canoe and carried them away to one of the islands of the Marquesas group.

i6

The third volume, In Captivity in the Pacific,’’ relates the exciting adventures of Charley and Harold while in the hands of the savages. The boys showed so little fear at being carried away that they excited the admiration and so gained the good-will of the savages. They were subsequently adopted into the family of Mahinee, king of the island, and became close friends with his only son, Kooloo.

It is the custom of the Polynesians to cover their faces and bodies with tattooings so as to give themselves an awful appearance. This they hope will frighten their enemies. Charley and Harold had much difficulty in escaping having their faces and bodies marked in this manner. It was only because Charley, who was a ventriloquist, made the islanders believe their gods had placed him and Harold under the protection of the taboo, a curious religious belief and custom in this part of the world, that they escaped being thus disfigured for life.

An account is also given in this volume of the wonderful adventures of Captain Harding, Hiram, and Jack, who take one of their boats and Rompey, and make the long journey to Mahinee’s island in order to rescue Charley and Harold.

The third volume also contains an account of how Charley, Kooloo, and a Polynesian interpreter, named Marbonna, were taken prisoners by the people of a neighboring valley on the Island of Captivity, the inhabitants of which were cannibals. Charley, Kooloo, and Marbonna barely escaped being killed and eaten by B ly these people. Aided by one of the high priests, a man named Miconareo, who they afterward discovered was the Doctor Parsons who, according to the log-book of the derelict brig, had been its passenger and had occupied the cabin, they finally made their escape. A battle was fought near the summit of one of the mountain peaks, and thanks to the timely arrival of Mahinee and his warriors, with the captain, Hiram, and Jack, they conquered their enemies.

In the battle Kooloo was dangerously wounded on the head by a blow intended for his father, Mahinee. Doctor Parsons saved the lad’s life by a surgical operation. The white people, together with Mahinee and Kooloo, returned safely to Harding Island.

While on the brig, the captain had adopted the plan of throwing overboard sealed bottles containing a description of the derelict, and requesting that if picked up they should be sent to George Harding, Harold’s father, at the British consulate at Tokyo. One of these bottles was picked up by a ship on board of which were Mr. and Mrs. Pleasanton. Mr. Pleasanton, a very rich man, in connection with Mr. Harding, chartered a steam yacht for the purpose of searching for the derelict brig. While on this search the}^ meet Waheatoua and Kapiau, two Polynesians, who had been on Harding Island, and who showed the yacht the way to that island.

The yacht took them all back to Australia and Europe, except the doctor, who was so disfigured by tattooings that he was unwilling to be seen in a civilized l8 community. Waheatoua and Kapiau, the Polynesians who had settled on Harding Island with their families, however, remained on the island with the doctor, only making short excursions in their canoes in the neighborhood.

The captain had taken with him to Australia and Europe a number of pearls the doctor had collected in the different islands he had visited, and also the Maddox pearls they had obtained from the wreck of the brigantine. The doctor had requested the captain to expend the money obtained from the sale of his pearls in the purchase of scientific instruments, books, household goods, food stuffs, and such other things as would enable him to live comfortably on the island. The money obtained from the sale of the Maddox pearls was divided by the captain in equal parts between himself, Hiram, Jack, Charley, and Harold. Since the captain had determined to return to Harding Island and join the doctor, he had expended his share of the money in the purchase of articles similar to those he had bought for him. He looked forward with great pleasure to his sojourn on the island with his old friend, since it would give him an opportunity of not only continuing his scientific studies, but would also permit him to take part in the preparation of the doctor’s great book, The Physical Geography of the Sea.”

Before leaving the island. Jack had asked the captain as a special favor to permit him, provided his guardian was willing, to return with him to the island and there continue his studies. The question then arose between the captain and the doctor whether, if this permission were granted, it might not be feasible to give regular lessons to Charley and Harold as well as to such other boys as might desire to enter the school. When the matter was presented to Jack’s guardian and to the parents of Charley and Harold, they willingly gave the boys the choice of going to a boarding-school in England or Australia, or going to live for several years on Harding Island.

It did not take either of them a long time to decide.

“ I will study with Uncle Arthur on Harding Island,” said Harold. ‘‘ I am sure I can learn more with him than at any regular school. I hope you will come with me, Charley. Think of the fun we can have,” he added.

“ Don’t worry about that,” said Charley laughing. “ Since father and mother have left the choice with me I shall certainly choose going to school with the captain and the doctor, for they are splendid, jolly men.”

The sum Hiram obtained from his portion of the Maddox pearls caused him to regard himself as very wealthy. He had therefore married and, returning to the island, had brought his wife with htm.

When the opening of a school on Harding Island had been decided on, Mr. Pleasanton and Mr. Harding, who were both rich, insisted on providing the materials for the erection of a schoolhouse and dormitories. They had purchased the steam yacht employed in searching the Pacific, and had returned in it to the island with the captain. Jack, Charley and 20

Harold, and Hiram and his wife. The materials for the construction of the schoolhouse and dormitories had also been brought over on the yacht.

While in Australia and Europe the captain had made arrangements for the entrance of two pupils from England and one from Australia, and had selected an assistant teacher, a Mr. Herbert Clarkson, a graduate of Oxford University, who was to come with the new boys on the ship that was to bring the furniture for the school and dormitories.

The parents of both Charley and Harold had only remained in the island for a few days, since both Mr. Pleasanton and Mr. Harding had important business that required their presence in Australia. They had left the island on the yacht. It was this at which the boys on the cliffs had been looking as related in the beginning of this chapter.

CHAPTER II More Old Acquaintances

But let us return to the two boys who are standing with Rompey on Parker Cliffs. Charley had just said :

Let us join the others, Harold. I see they are getting ready to leave the cliffs.”

The boys now approached a group of people who had also been observing the steamer through field-glasses. This group included more of our old friends, Captain Harding, Doctor Parsons, Hiram, and Jack. As the boys approached, the captain said :

“ Our friends are safely off, boys. I imagine you feel pretty blue parting with your parents, but six months will soon pass and you will see them again.”

I know that. Uncle Arthur,” replied Harold. And, as if he thought this would be a good time for making a request, he added : Uncle, I hope you will give the boys of the Harding School plenty of chances of being out in the open air, won’t you? ”

Charley said nothing but listened eagerly for the reply. Like Harold, he was especially fond of outdoor life.

Don’t worry about that, Harold,” was the reply.

One of the most important classes in our school will be that in natural history; but since Doctor Parsons 22 will have charge of that class, I will let him answer your question.”

There will be plenty of chances of your being in the open, my lads,” replied the doctor. “ In teaching natural history on an island like Harding Island, we will find it more convenient to go to our specimens than to attempt to bring them to the school. Of course we will prepare specimens for our museum, but most of our study of natural history will be outside the schoolroom. I intend that portions of at least three afternoons in every week shall be spent in the boats, or on different parts of the island.”

‘‘ Three cheers for that ! ” cried Charley. ‘‘ I was almost certain about the captain, but I did not know how you would feel, doctor. Both Harold and I are very fond of natural history, and intend making the most of our chance of having you as a teacher.”

And so shall I,” said Jack. ‘‘ I hope too, doctor, you will let me help some little in copying the manuscript of your great book, most of which I have already gone over with the captain.”

While the above conversation had been going on, Hiram said nothing; but when it was finished, turning to the doctor, he remarked :

Ef ye and the cap’n be willing, Hiram Higgenbotham would like to jine them classes. He kain’t larn things like the lads, but he kin help in gitting specimens and sich like.”

You shall certainly join the class, Hiram,” said the doctor.

Two Polynesians who had been standing some little distance off now joined them. They did not say anything, but the captain saw by the expression of their faces what they wanted to ask, and turning to the doctor, said:

I think you will find that Waheatoua can aid you no little in your out-of-door classes. Waheatoua has a far better acquaintance with the life of the ocean and the air in this part of the world than most people. He has spent so much of his life in his canoe, and has visited so many of the islands in the neighborhood, that he is well acquainted with the plants and animals of the water and the air.”

When Waheatoua heard what the captain said, he grinned and remarked:

'' Waheatoua know heap about such things. Waheatoua glad to help you in boat on ocean or on lagoon. You let Kapiau come along too ? ”

‘‘Yes,” was the reply; “both you and Kapiau can help us in our out-of-door work.”

“ Then,” said Charley, turning toward Hiram and the two Polynesians, taking off his hat and making a pretended reverential bow, “ I respectfully salute the outside professors of the Harding School.”

It was now about two hours before sunset, so they got ready to return to Jackson House.

Descending the sides of the cliffs to a part of Harding Channel near the ocean, they got into boat No. 13, and Waheatoua and Kapiau into their canoes, and soon they' were taking their boats along the northern shore 24 of the channel. Doctor Parsons began asking questions about the formation of the channel.

Did I not understand you to tell me, Harding,” he said, that this channel was formed while you were on the island ? ”

It was formed by an earthquake shock that visited the island a few months after we had been cast on it,” was the reply.

And did you not tell me that the place where the channel is now situated was then high land like the cliffs off which we are now rowing? ”

Yes, Parsons. But then you see the cliffs here had been so honeycombed by grottoes cut in them by the rain-water that the earthquake shock threw them down.”

But how does it happen,” inquired the doctor, “ that the water is so deep here ? I should think if the cliffs had been as high as these off which we now are, they would have left shallow water.”

They were higher,” replied the captain ; but they had been deeply undermined by the water.”

“ Tell the doctor about the big grotto in which Harold and I were attacked by the giant squid or devil-fish,” whispered Charley to the captain.

'' What’s that? ” said the doctor, who had very acute hearing.

The captain gave a brief description, not only of the condition in which he and his companions had found a portion of Parker Cliffs, but also of the grotto in which Charley and Harold had been shut up during a tide. He also referred to a grotto in which the boys had been in the habit of hiding their boat.

Is that last grotto still standing, Charley ? ” inquired the doctor. “ If so, show it to me.”

They were then almost directly opposite the grotto, so they soon entered it. On seeing it the doctor said :

“ Harding, during your absence in Europe, I have been thinking much about the curious formation of this part of Harding Island. Now that I have seen the grotto I should like to come here some day with you, Hiram, and the boys, and make a careful examination of this part of the coast. I see no reason why there should not be still other grottoes in the Parker Cliffs. Would you like to go with us, boys ? ” he said.

“ Try us, doctor,” said Charley laughing. ** Would it not be great fun, Harold ? ”

“ It would that,” was the reply.

After making a short examination of the grotto, the boat was taken through the channel toward Jackson House.

But what is this we hear? It sounds like the barking of a dog. It cannot be Rompey, for there he stands intently listening to the barkings he evidently recognizes. Charley and Harold have turned their glasses to the distant boat-landing, when Charley said:

There comes Flo. Don’t you see Flo, Rompey? ” he said, turning to the dog.

Rompey certainly acted as if he understood all that was said to him ; for, with glad barkings, he answered those of the distant dog.

As the boat drew near the landing a handsome full-blooded collie dog, somewhat younger than Rompey, was seen standing at the end of the boat-landing, barking a welcome to those in the boat. As soon as the boat touched the landing, Rompey jumped out and began a game of romps with her.

I am glad, Charley, you brought Flora with you from Australia,” said the doctor. She will be a good mate for Rompey.”

“ She is a pure breed of collie,” said Charley, and will be splendid company for Rompey.”

As already described in “ Five Months on a Derelict,” Rompey had a coat of long, flat, thick hair, a long tapering head, small partially erect ears, and a slightly curved tail. His ears and the back of his head were jet black, while his forelegs, the front of the face, a large portion of the neck, especially in front, and the tip of the tail was snow-white. The other parts of his body were jet black.

Flora, or, as she was called, Flo, on the contrary, was curiously reversed as to color. The portions of Rompey that were respectively black and white, were in her case white and black; for. Flora’s ears back of the head were snow-white, while her forelegs, front of the face, and much of the neck were jet black, while the rest of her body was snow-white.

After supper on their return from Parker Cliffs, the captain said to his companion :

'' We have so much to do, doctor, that I think we had better get Hiram and the boys help us unpack the 27 books and physical apparatus, and put them in the library and other rooms on the second floor.”

The goods referred to by the captain had been brought over on the steam yacht, but there had been so many other things to be done, before the yacht left the island with Mr. and Mrs. Pleasanton and Mr. and Mrs. Harding, that they had not yet taken them out of the packing cases.

There were many books to be unboxed, so that it was late before they were through. The captain had collected a magnificent library on physics, chemistry, botany, zoology, mineralogy, and allied subjects, but chiefly works on general natural history.

“ You have certainly picked out a splendid lot of books, Harding,” said the doctor, who could hardly be persuaded to go on with the work, so interested did he become when he opened one book after another, reading a bit here and a bit there, until the captain good-naturedly insisted on his aiding in getting all the books out.

It was but natural the doctor should act in this way. He was a well-educated man, who had formerly spent much of his time among books. During the absence of the captain and the others, he had spent most of his time in again eagerly reading the books his friends had rescued from the brig. It was therefore a great temptation as he opened one after another of the new books the captain had bought, and saw at a glance instance after instance in which old ideas had been replaced by new ones, that he should stop now and then to see how 28 far these changes went. However, recalled by the captain’s request to aid in the work of unpacking, he contented himself by saying :

“ It will be strange, Harding, if you and I don’t have a magnificent time in studying these books.”

The scientific apparatus was not unpacked until the next day. It included the more important devices employed in physics and chemistry, especially apparatus for measuring the pressure and velocity of the wind, mercurial and aneroid barometers for measuring air pressures, various sounding apparatus for determining the depth of water, apparatus and chemicals for a complete chemical laboratory, together with several splendid cameras and a complete equipment for the photographic darkroom.

The next morning they continued unpacking a great lot of goods, much of which appealed especially to Hiram. These were some forty or fifty kegs of wrought-iron nails and spikes of all sizes, as well as several hundredweight of pieces of iron and steel of such shapes and sizes as would especially increase their value to the eyes of the natives, as being suited for the heads of spears, lances, hooks, and other similar devices. Then followed an assortment of cotton goods and groceries. Nor had the captain forgotten to bring with him a collection of such trees, plants, bulbs, and seeds as he thought, from his knowledge on the subject, would thrive in the rich moist soil of the islands of the South Pacific.