When it became dusk they knocked off work, and the men went off to their huts, for it seemed that each of them had a wife, brown skinned or white.

Seeing that nobody paid any attention to me, I went off to the little captain, who was making his way up to a hut of a better class than the others.
"'What is to become of me, captain ?' I asked.

'Ah! I had not thought of you,' he said; 'well, you can go up with me and get some supper, and you can have a blanket and sleep on my veranda for tonight; we will see where you can be lodged in the morning.' I followed him into his house, and was astonished as I entered at the luxury of the apartment, which far exceeded anything I had ever seen before.

The plank walls were concealed by hangings of light green silk, a rich carpet covered the floor, the furniture was most handsome and massive, and had no doubt been intended for the palace of the Spanish governor of some of the islands.

A pair of candelabra of solid silver stood on the table, and the white candles in them, which had just been lighted, threw a soft glow of light over the room and lighted up the table, on which was a service, also of solid silver, with vases and, lovely flowers.