Lizzie proceeded with the greatest gravity, and evidently with an
overwhelming sense of self-importance, to put the required questions,
whilst we anxiously awaited her replies.
"Well, what they been say?" exclaimed Dunmore at last, when there was a
momentary break in the conversation.
I should imagine that the vernacular of the Hinchinbrook Islanders was not
pre-eminently adapted for the noble intricacies of diplomatic intrigue. In
the first place it contains but few words, and none representing any number
higher than five, so that even the courtly nobleman now presiding over
Foreign Affairs, would find the smooth flow of his amenities subjected to
rude shocks; and as for expressing any large number either in words or
figures - say, for instance, the Alabama indemnity of three millions - to
do so, would tax to the utmost the genius of the late Chancellor of the
Exchequer. Lizzie, in her first flash of pride, as representing a
plenipotentiary armed with extraordinary powers, had commenced negotiations
with the dignity and slowness of speech adapted to so exalted a personage.
But the shrill chorus which emanated from the audience was decidedly
antagonistic to grave deliberation, and the anxious curiosity of the woman
superseding the self imposed role of the diplomatist, our envoy lost the
pompous tone she had first adopted, and a volley of queries and replies was
exchanged so rapidly, and with such appalling shrillness, that we onlookers
ran a great risk of being either deafened, or driven out of our senses. At
the first slackening of the wordy warfare, Dunmore put his questions, and
then Lizzie said -
"Baal there been any white fellow along of here."
"You been sure, Lizzie, ask suppose they been see any big fellow canoe."
Again the same hideous noise now took place, but I will not tire my readers
with too minute a description of a scene with which they must now be pretty
conversant, suffice it to say, that what with the real or pretended
stupidity of the gins, and the imperfect English of our interpreter, we
were more puzzled at the conclusion of the debate than we had been at its
commencement.
"Had they seen a vessel?"
"Oh yes, big fellow, with wings like 'it bird."
"How long ago?"
"Plenty long time ago."
"One moon ago?"
"Yes, one moon ago."
"Sure it was one moon?"
"No, thought it must be one day ago, and plenty smoke sit down along of big
canoe."
Altogether the skein was too tangled for us to attempt to unravel it. They
had seen vessels evidently, both sailing ships and steamers, but whether it
was yesterday, or ten years back, there were no means of ascertaining; but
to make certain that we were not being deceived, we instituted a strict
overhaul of the gunyahs, in hopes of finding something that might give us a
clue to the fate of the missing men.
