Omoo: Adventures in the South SeasMelville, Herman
General
Omoo: Adventures in the South Seas
Melville, Herman
Adventure stories; Polynesia -- Description and travel -- Fiction
By this time, our guide had informed us that he went by the name of
“Capin Bob” (Captain Bob); and a hearty old Bob he proved. It was just
the name for him. From the first, so pleased were we with the old man
that we cheerfully acquiesced in his authority.
Entering the building, he set us about fetching heaps of dry leaves to
spread behind the stocks for a couch. A trunk of a small cocoa-nut tree
was then placed for a bolster—rather a hard one, but the natives are
used to it. For a pillow, they use a little billet of wood, scooped
out, and standing on four short legs—a sort of head-stool.
These arrangements completed, Captain Bob proceeded to “hanna-par,” or
secure us, for the night. The upper timber of the machine being lifted
at one end, and our ankles placed in the semicircular spaces of the
lower one, the other beam was then, dropped; both being finally secured
together by an old iron hoop at either extremity. This initiation was
performed to the boisterous mirth of the natives, and diverted
ourselves not a little.
Captain Bob now bustled about, like an old woman seeing the children to
bed. A basket of baked “taro,” or Indian turnip, was brought in, and we
were given a piece all round. Then a great counterpane of coarse, brown
“tappa,” was stretched over the whole party; and, after sundry
injunctions to “moee-moee,” and be “maitai”—in other words, to go to
sleep, and be good boys—we were left to ourselves, fairly put to bed
and tucked in.
Much talk was now had concerning our prospects in life; but the doctor
and I, who lay side by side, thinking the occasion better adapted to
meditation, kept pretty silent; and, before long, the rest ceased
conversing, and, wearied with loss of rest on board the frigate, were
soon sound asleep.
After sliding from one reverie into another, I started, and gave the
doctor a pinch. He was dreaming, however; and, resolved to follow his
example, I troubled him no more.
How the rest managed, I know not; but for my own part, I found it very
hard to get to sleep. The consciousness of having one’s foot pinned;
and the impossibility of getting it anywhere else than just where it
was, was most distressing.
But this was not all: there was no way of lying but straight on your
back; unless, to be sure, one’s limb went round and round in the ankle,
like a swivel. Upon getting into a sort of doze, it was no wonder this
uneasy posture gave me the nightmare. Under the delusion that I was
about some gymnastics or other, I gave my unfortunate member such a
twitch that I started up with the idea that someone was dragging the
stocks away.
Captain Bob and his friends lived in a little hamlet hard by; and when
morning showed in the East, the old gentleman came forth from that
direction likewise, emerging from a grove, and saluting us loudly as he
approached.
Finding everybody awake, he set us at liberty; and, leading us down to
the stream, ordered every man to strip and bathe.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account