Doctor Long Ghost and myself, however, never meddled with these preliminaries, but came to the feast itself with unimpaired energies.
Like all lank men, my long friend had an appetite of his own.

Others occasionally went about seeking what they might devour, but he was always on the alert.
He had an ingenious way of obviating an inconvenience which we all experienced at times.

The islanders seldom use salt with their food; so he begged Rope Yarn to bring him some from the ship; also a little pepper, if he could; which, accordingly, was done.

This he placed in a small leather wallet--a "monkey bag" (so called by sailors)--usually worn as a purse about the neck.
"In my opinion," said Long Ghost, as he tucked the wallet out of sight, "it behooves a stranger, in Tahiti, to have his knife in readiness, and his castor slung.".