The Land of the Hibiscus Blossom
James Hume Nisbet (1888)
Country of origin: Australia
Available texts by the same author here
XX. Niggeree's Version of His Escapade (Continued).
"AT the end of a month I came back to the village, and found a full cargo of copra all ready, and that's how the mistake took place which cost me £85 at Cooktown."You see, Professor, Captain Smith had been before me, and had made a bargain with the natives to supply him with all the copra which they could get ready for the next twelvemonth. This arrangement the deceitful savages had never told me about; not, of course, that I took the trouble to ask them, nor would I have paid much heed to what they said, but it just happened to be one of them chances the Government had been waiting on to convict me and get me turned off the land.
"Well, the natives made a bit of a barney about letting me have it. However, after I had set a light to their big house, which the teacher owned was a good deed, as it was there all the mischief was hatched, and run amuck amongst their women--married and single--they gave in, and helped me with the cargo aboard, after which I up sails and away before the sun went down towards Moresby.
"I got rid of the copra to the store there, and was just having a bit of a spree, when in sails Smith with a mighty complaint to the Governor, who straightaway seizes my vessel and takes me in his own schooner over to Cooktown, to be tried for false possession; Smith being the only witness.
"When we got to Cooktown a friend of mine bailed me out, and, knowing Smith's inclinations, I hunted high and low till I came across him, half drunk, in a shanty.
"'Have a drink, Smith?' says I. 'Right you are, mate,' says Smith. So we sat down and had one or two nobblers, till I could see that he was as drunk as an owl. Then I began.
"'Smith, my boy, I'm sorry over that mistake about the copra, and I don't see the use o' going to law when we can settle it between ourselves.'
"'Well, mate,' hiccuped Smith, 'what do you consider settling this hash?'
"'What do you consider a fair price?'
"'Well, I consider sixty pounds none too much.'
"'There's your money, old boy,' says I, counting out the flimsies, which, as he sees to be all right, he takes with a 'Thank ye, Nig.'
"'Now, old man, just you sign this receipt and it's all square, and we'll have another shout.'
"I had a receipt dated back two months, so he signs it, and I felt pleased, and drunk him safely to bed.
"Well, I had a good man to look after me in court, for which I paid £20, and he saw me through it firstclass. The Governor calls on his witness, certain of having me in for a year or two, when no Smith turns up, much to his astonishment.
"'What is all this?' asked the magistrate.
"'Merely that a British subject has been wrongly accused, as this here dockiment will prove,' and he handed my receipt.
"Meantime Smith had been found, and took his stand.
"'Did the prisoner purchase your copra from you, Captain Smith?'
"'Yes,' said Smith, shamefaced, and not liking to look up.
"Then my man made a splendid speech about the rank injustice of the Queensland Government, and making me feel that noble that I wondered if it was me he was describing, or some imaginary person who was called by the same name. The Opposition papers also took up the case, and made out long leaders about honest traders who were obstructed and badgered by the present Government in their lawful calling. I was taken over to Cooktown in irons, and left it like a successful explorer.
"But for all that, when I went to renew my permit I was denied it, and told that if I remained twenty-four hours on shore after getting my ship ready, that it would be again seized by the Government, and me treated as a pirate.
"'All right, so be it,' said I, snapping my fingers, 'and that for your permit;' and I walked out, found Smith, who didn't show his face to the Governor, and got a passage to Moresby with him."
"How did you raise the eighty pounds, Niggeree?"
"Well, you see, I borrowed it from my Cooktown friend, and won it all back at cards from Smith, and ten more to the good, before we left Cooktown. Smith owned that copra cargo brought him bad luck, for he lost through it the friendship of the Government and £30 as well, and vowed he'd never more try to come between me and my rights.
"When I got to Moresby I assembled my boys, and sailed away to Moto-moto, where I did a little trade; then the wind changed, and I gets eastward to Dinner Island, and so on to Brooker, where I knew I'd be safe, as the natives there have a very bad name.
"Well, after I left Dinner Island I got to another island where I had left some natives, and they tells me that the bom-bom man was after me to hang me. That was the time I made up my mind to play my little trick. I goes over to the mainland in a canoe, after leaving my boys and vessel safely at the outer edge of the island, then I travelled overland till I comes to where they were lying, and, taking a canoe, I boarded.
"'Who are you?' axed the captain.
"'A hunter,' says I, giving one of the hunters' names whom I knew.
"'Do you know this part of the coast?'
"'As well as I do Burke Street.'
"'Have you seen a blackguard called Niggeree?'
"'Yes, captain; I know where to find him.'
"'Will you pilot us to him?'
"'How much will you give me?'
"'Ten pounds."
"'On the job?'
"'After we have found him.'
"'No, it must be now, or I won't go.'
"The captain was one of those mighty, fine-dressed, haughty, soft--headed gentry which the naval service are so choke-a-block with. I knew he had too little sense and too much dignity to condescend making a bargain with me, so I took this way of getting up his dander, and the cash out of him beforehand, and I was right; he just frowned majestically upon me and stalked aft to his cabin, sending the steward to pay me the money, as if it had been dirt.
"I guided them all right through the reefs, until we came to the inner side of the island, where my ship lay, and where I knew he'd take some trouble to get out of, and then he says,--
"'Is this the place, pilot?'
"'He was here, sir, last time I saw him; I'll go ashore and inquire.' And the softy let me go.
"I made my road straight over the island, got up my anchor, and, before we sailed, sent a line with a native to take to the haughty naval captain. That's how it happened."
"He vows he will shoot or hang you for the trick," replied the professor.
"He must catch me first," said Niggeree, laughing at his own cleverness.
"Do you know he was very nearly stranded that time after you left?"
"So they told me."
"However, I shall speak well for you when we return from our expedition. When can you start?"
"Well, I am waiting on my consort. If she was in--"
"We shall leave word here that we have gone up the river, and they may follow and help."
"That will do--yes, I'll go when you like."
"To-morrow morning?"
"Yes, to-morrow morning we'll start at daybreak."