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Mauki was catholic in his tastes。 In the various smaller holes he carried such
things as empty rifle cartridges； horseshoe nails； copper screws； pieces of
string； braids of sennit； strips of green leaf； and； in the cool of the day；
scarlet hibiscus flowers。 From which it will be seen that pockets were not
necessary to his well…being。 Besides； pockets were impossible； for his only
wearing apparel consisted of a piece of calico several inches wide。 A pocket
knife he wore in his hair； the blade snapped down on a kinky lock。 His most
prized possession was the handle of a china cup； which he suspended from a
ring of turtle…shell； which； in turn； was passed through the
partition…cartilage of his nose。
But in spite of embellishments； Mauki had a nice face。 It was really a pretty
face； viewed by any standard； and for a Melanesian it was a remarkably
good…looking face。 Its one fault was its lack of strength。 It was softly
effeminate； almost girlish。 The features were small； regular； and delicate。
The chin was weak； and the mouth was weak。 There was no strength nor character
in the jaws； forehead； and nose。 In the eyes only could be caught any hint of
the unknown quantities that were so large a part of his make…up and that other
persons could not understand。 These unknown quantities were pluck；
pertinacity； fearlessness； imagination； and cunning； and when they found
expression in some consistent and striking action； those about him were
astounded。
Mauki's father was chief over the village at Port Adams； and thus； by birth a
salt…water man； Mauki was half amphibian。 He knew the way of the fishes and
oysters； and the reef was an open book to him。 Canoes； also； he knew。 He
learned to swim when he was a year old。 At seven years he could hold his
breath a full minute and swim straight down to bottom through thirty feet of
water。 And at seven years he was stolen by the bushmen； who cannot even swim
and who are afraid of salt water。 Thereafter Mauki saw the sea only from a
distance； through rifts in the jungle and from open spaces on the high
mountain sides。 He became the slave of old Fanfoa； head chief over a score of
scattered bush…villages on the range…lips of Malaita； the smoke of which； on
calm mornings； is about the only evidence the seafaring white men have of the
teeming interior population。 For the whites do not penetrate Malaita。 They
tried it once； in the days when the search was on for gold； but they always
left their heads behind to grin from the smoky rafters of the bushmen's huts。
When Mauki was a young man of seventeen； Fanfoa got out of tobacco。 He got
dreadfully out of tobacco。 It was hard times in all his villages。 He had been
guilty of a mistake。 Suo was a harbor so small that a large schooner could not
swing at anchor in it。 It was surrounded by mangroves that overhung the deep
water。 It was a trap； and into the trap sailed two white men in a small ketch。
They were after recruits； and they possessed much tobacco and trade goods； to
say nothing of three rifles and plenty of ammunition。 Now there were no
salt…water men living at Suo； and it was there that the bushmen could come
down to the sea。 The ketch did a splendid traffic。 It signed on twenty
recruits the first day。 Even old Fanfoa signed on。 And that same day the score
of new recruits chopped off the two white men's head； killed the boat's crew；
and burned the ketch。 Thereafter； and for three months； there was tobacco and
trade goods in plenty and to spare in all the bush villages。 Then came the
man…of…war that threw shells for miles into the hills； frightening the people
out of their villages and into the deeper bush。 Next the man…of…war sent
landing parties ashore。 The villages were all burned； along with the tobacco
and trade stuff。
The cocoanuts and bananas were chopped down； the taro gardens uprooted； and
the pigs and chickens killed。
It taught Fanfoa a lesson； but in the meantime he was out of tobacco。 Also；
his young men were too frightened to sign on with the recruiting vessels。 That
was why Fanfoa ordered his slave； Mauki； to be carried down and signed on for
half a case of tobacco advance； along with knives； axes； calico； and beads；
which he would pay for with his toil on the plantations。 Mauki was sorely
frightened when they brought him on board the schooner。 He was a lamb led to
the slaughter。 White men were ferocious creatures。 They had to be； or else
they would not make a practice of venturing along the Malaita coast and into
all harbors； two on a schooner； when each schooner carried from fifteen to
twenty blacks as boat's crew； and often as high as sixty or seventy black
recruits。 In addition to this； there was always the danger of the shore
population； the sudden attack and the cutting off of the schooner and all
hands。 Truly； white men must be terrible。 Besides； they were possessed of such
devil…devilsrifles that shot very rapidly many times； things of iron and
brass that made the schooners go when there was no wind； and boxes that talked
and laughed just as men talked and laughed。
Ay； and he had heard of one white man whose particular devil…devil was so
powerful that he could take out all his teeth and put them back at will。
Down into the cabin they took Mauki。 On deck； the one white man kept guard
with two revolvers in his belt。 In the cabin the other white man sat with a
book before him； in which he inscribed strange marks and lines。 He looked at
Mauki as though he had been a pig or a fowl； glanced under the hollows of his
arms； and wrote in the book。 Then he held out the writing stick and Mauki just
barely touched it with his hand； in so doing pledging himself to toil for
three years on the plantations of the Moongleam Soap Company。 It was not
explained to him that the will of the ferocious white men would be used to
enforce the pledge； and that； behind all； for the same use； was all the power
and all the warships of Great Britain。
Other blacks there were on board； from unheard…of far places； and when the
white man spoke to them； they tore the long feather from Mauki's hair； cut
that same hair short； and wrapped about his waist a lava…lava of bright yellow
calico。
After many days on the schooner； and after beholding more land and islands
than he had ever dreamed of； he was landed on New Georgia； and put to work in
the field clearing jungle and cutting cane grass。 For the first time he knew
what work was。 Even as a slave to Fanfoa he had not worked like this。 And he
did not like work。 It was up at dawn and in at dark； on two meals a day。 And
the food was tiresome。 For weeks at a time they were given nothing but sweet
potatoes to eat； and for weeks at a time it would be nothing but rice。 He cut
out the cocoanut from the shells day after day； and for long days and weeks he
fed the fires that smoked the copra； till his eyes got sore and he was set to
felling trees。 He was a good axe…man； and later he was put in the
bridge…building gang。 Once； he was punished by being put in the road…building
gang。 At times he served as boat's crew in the whale boats； when they brought
in copra from distant beaches or when the white men went out to dynamite fish。
Among other things he learned beche…de…mer English； with which he could talk
with all white men； and with all recruits who otherwise would have talked in a
thousand different dialects。 Also； he learned certain things about the white
men； principally that they kept their word。 If they told a boy he was going to
receive a stick of tobacco； he got it。 If they told a boy they would knock
seven bells out of him if he did a certain thing； when he did that thing；
seven bells invariably were knocked out of him。 Mauki did not know what seven
bells were； but they occurred in beche…de…mer； and he imagined them to be the
blood and teeth that sometimes accompanied the process of knocking out seven
bells。 One other thing he learned： no boy was struck or punished unless he did
wrong。 Even when the white men were drunk； as they were frequently； they never
struck unless a rule had been broken。
Mauki did not like the plantation。 He hated work； and he was the son of a
chief。 Furthermore； it was ten years since he had been stolen from Port Adams
by Fanfoa； and he was homesick。 He was even homesick for the slavery under
Fanfoa。 So he ran away。 He struck back into the bush； with the idea of working
southward to the beach and stealing a canoe in which to go home to Port Adams。
But the fever got him； and he was captured and brought back more dead than
alive。
A second time he ran away； in the company of two Malaita boys。 They got down
the coast twenty miles； and were hidden in the hut of a Malaita freeman； who
dwelt in that village。 But in the dead of night two white men came； who were
not afraid of all the village people and who knocked seven bells out of the
three runaways； tied them like pigs； and tossed them into the whale boat。