Upon the afternoon of the day we caught sight of them in our boat, they had sighted a cluster of low islands, which put them in no small panic, because of their resemblance to those where the massacre had taken place.  Whereas, they must have been full five hundred leagues from that fearful vicinity.  However, they altered their course to avoid it; and a little before sunset, dropping the islands astern, resumed their previous track.  But very soon after, they espied our little sea-goat, bounding over the billows from afar.

This they took for a canoe giving chase to them.  It renewed and augmented their alarm.

And when at last they perceived that the strange object was a boat, their fears, instead of being allayed, only so much the more increased.  For their wild superstitions led them to conclude, that a white man’s craft coming upon them so suddenly, upon the open sea, and by night, could be naught but a phantom.  Furthermore, marking two of us in the Chamois, they fancied us the ghosts of the Cholos.  A conceit which effectually damped Samoa’s courage, like my Viking’s, only proof against things tangible.  So seeing us bent upon boarding the brigantine; after a hurried over-turning of their chattels, with a view of carrying the most valuable aloft for safe keeping, they secreted what they could; and together made for the fore-top; the man with a musket, the woman with a bag of beads.  Their endeavoring to secure these treasures against ghostly appropriation originated in no real fear, that otherwise they would be stolen:  it was simply incidental to the vacant panic into which they were thrown.  No reproach this, to Belisarius’ heart of game; for the most intrepid Feegee warrior, he who has slain his hecatombs, will not go ten yards in the dark alone, for fear of ghosts.

Their purpose was to remain in the top until daylight; by which time, they counted upon the withdrawal of their visitants; who, sure enough, at last sprang on board, thus verifying their worst apprehensions.

They watched us long and earnestly.  But curious to tell, in that very strait of theirs, perched together in that airy top, their domestic differences again broke forth; most probably, from their being suddenly forced into such very close contact.

However that might be, taking advantage of our descent into the cabin, Samoa, in desperation fled from his wife, and one-armed as he was, sailor-like, shifted himself over by the fore and aft-stays to the main-top, his musket being slung to his back.  And thus divided, though but a few yards intervened, the pair were as much asunder as if at the opposite Poles.

During the live-long night they were both in great perplexity as to the extraordinary goblins on board.  Such inquisitive, meddlesome spirits, had never before been encountered.  So cool and systematic; sagaciously stopping the vessel’s headway the better torummage;—­the very plan they themselves had adopted.  But what most surprised them, was our striking a light, a thing of which no true ghost would be guilty.  Then, our eating and drinking on the quarter-deck including the deliberate investment of Vienna; and many other actions equally strange, almost led Samoa to fancy that we were no shades, after all, but a couple of men from the moon.