Dana, Richard Henry, 1815-1882; Sailors; Seafaring life; Voyages and travels
rather, carrying coals to Newcastle. So long as they had money,
they would not work for fifty dollars a month, and when their
money was gone, they would work for ten.
``What do you do here, Mr. Mannini?''[1] said the captain.
``Oh! we play cards, get drunk, smoke,-- do anything we're a mind
to.''
``Don't you want to come aboard and work?''
``Aole! aole make make makou i ka hana. Now, got plenty money; no
good, work. Mamule, money pau-- all gone. Ah! very good, work!--
maikai, hana hana nui!''
``But you'll spend all your money in this way,'' said the captain.
``Aye! me know that. By-'em-by money pau-- all gone; then Kanaka
work plenty.''
This was a hopeless case, and the captain left them, to wait
patiently until their money was gone.
We discharged our hides and tallow, and in about a week were ready
to set sail again for the windward. We unmoored, and got
everything ready, when the captain made another attempt upon the
oven. This time he had more regard to the ``mollia tempora
fandi,'' and succeeded very well. He won over Mr. Mannini to his
interest, and as the shot was getting low in the locker at the
oven, prevailed upon him and three others to come on board with
their chests and baggage, and sent a hasty summons to me and the
boy to come ashore with our things, and join the gang at the
hide-house. This was unexpected to me; but anything in the way of
variety I liked; so we made ready, and were pulled ashore. I stood
on the beach while the brig got under way, and watched her until
she rounded the point, and then went to the hide-house to take up
my quarters for a few months.
[1] The vowels in the Sandwich Island language have the sound of
those in the languages of Continental Europe.
CHAPTER XIX
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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