They seem to be chewing on some kind of a long weed which looks similar
to a stalk of celery. This they had brought with them and during the
many hours they have been staying around with us, this seems to be all
they have had to eat.
While this has been going on, we have been examining some of their
arrows to see what they are made of. They are about four inches in
length, not much bigger than the old time match stick, and are made of
a twig with a feather-like leaf that acts like a balance. On one end of
each of these twigs a little volcanic rock or lava stone is stuck in;
something like the arrows on Earth are made. As for the instruments
which we previously were unable to recognize, they are similar to
an air gun. It is with these that the arrows are thrown. The person
blows through the gun and an arrow is shot forth at the target. When
an arrow blown through one of these instruments hits a fowl, it has a
tendency to bring on a mild state of paralysis that will wear off in
fifteen minutes, but they cannot kill it, as they show us by hitting a
bird flying overhead. And they certainly are experts at this kind of
shooting.
It hasn't been very long since we got through examining these weapons,
and the natives are all still sitting around chatting among themselves,
when we look up and see the white tribe from up the valley coming
towards us. Our fisherman friend is leading them. There are about three
hundred in all, young and old, men, women and children. As soon as the
dark tribesmen saw these white tribespeople coming towards us, they
rose to their feet to greet these newly arrived brothers, leaving their
weapons on the ground.
Once the white tribe got close enough, the fisherman greeted us through
signs, while to the dark natives he spoke in language. The reaction is
very joyous. Then a man clad in beautiful raiment stepped out of the
group. As he does, a very respectful silence falls over all gathered
here. He speaks to the entire gathering for a couple of minutes. We
don't understand his words but he must be saying something wonderful
about us for both groups are beginning to cheer us.
Now the cheering is over and we are taking the white folks to show
them our ship and all about it. These people, too, are very observant
of every detail and like the men of the dark tribe, are careful not to
touch anything with their hands.
The chieftain of the white folks, the one who had made the speech, is
now sitting down in the pilot's seat to see how it feels. His reaction
is one of great joy. Seeing this, we decide it would be a good idea to
take the ship up and with us as passengers, this leader of the whites,
the fisherman, and a few others including the leader of the dark people.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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