That night we slept like logs, trusting to our teak door which we barricaded, and to Tommy, who was a most excellent watch-dog, to guard us against surprise.  At any rate we took the risk.  As a matter of fact, nothing happened, though before dawn Tommy did growl a good deal, for I heard him, but as he sank into slumber again on my bed, I did not get up.  In the morning I found from fresh footprints that two or three men had been prowling about the ship, though at a little distance.

We rose early, and taking the necessary precautions, bathed in the pool.  Then we breakfasted, and having filled every available receptacle with water, which took us a long time as these included a large tank that supplied the bath, so that we might have at least a week’s supply in case of siege, we went on deck and debated what we should do.  In the end we determined to stop where we were and await events, because, as I pointed out, it was necessary that we should discover whether these natives were hostile or friendly.  In the former event we could hold our own on the ship, whereas away from it we must be overwhelmed; in the latter there was always time to move inland.

About ten o’clock when we were seated on stools smoking, with our guns by our side—­for here, owing to the overhanging cliff in which it will be remembered the prow of the ship was buried, we could not be reached by missiles thrown from above—­we saw numbers of the islanders advancing upon us along the beach on either side.  They were preceded as before by women who bore food on platters and in baskets.  These people, all talking excitedly and laughing after their fashion, stopped at a distance, so we took no notice of them.  Presently Marama, clad in his feather cloak, and again accompanied by priests or medicine-men, appeared walking down the path on the cliff face, and, standing below, made salutations and entered into a conversation with us of which I give the substance—­that is, so far as we could understand it.

He reproached us for not having come to him as he expected we would do.  We replied that we preferred to remain where we were until we were sure of our greeting and asked him what was the position.  He explained that only once before, in the time of his grandfather, had any people reached their shores, also during a great storm as we had done.  They were dark-skinned men like themselves, three of them, but whence they came was never known, since they were at once seized and sacrificed to the god Oro, which was the right thing to do in such a case.

We asked whether he would consider it right to sacrifice us.  He replied: 

Certainly, unless we were too strong, being gods ourselves, or unless an arrangement could be concluded.  We asked—­what arrangement?  He replied that we must make them gifts; also that we must do what we had promised and cure him—­the chief—­of the disease which had tormented him for years.  In that event everything would be at our disposal and we, with all our belongings, should become taboo, holy, not to be touched.  None would attempt to harm us, nothing should be stolen under penalty of death.