His own tribe, unaided, he did not consider strong
enough for this enterprise, but with the assistance of the friendly
cannibals, whom he invited to the banquet, he made no doubt that he
would easily be able to overcome us, particularly as we were to be
taken unawares. The plan was to invite us to the feast, which we would
be told was to consist only of fish, coconuts, and bananas, but, when
we were seated, at a given signal we would be massacred and eaten,
after which Vale Vulu would take possession of our ship and all that
belonged to us.
The poor girl, when she had finished her story, confessed she would no
doubt suffer death by torture for having betrayed the plot. I tried to
induce her to come on board with me, but she refused, saying that if
she did so an attack would be made upon us at once, where our ship lay,
helpless, in the lagoon. I could not but see the force of her argument,
and, as the matter was too urgent to admit of delay, I hurried on board
and informed Hartog of what I had heard.
Our plans were soon made. All hands were told to be in readiness to man
the boats in order to tow the ship out of the lagoon during the night,
when we would depend upon a breeze to escape from these bloodthirsty
savages.
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