The poor little "home-made" boat threw the blacks into a perfect frenzy of astonishment, and they concluded that I must have come from a very distant part of the world in so enormous a "catamaran." As a matter of fact, from that moment they looked upon me as most certainly a kind of Supreme Spirit from another world; they may have had doubts before.

Next I showed them the wreck, which was now only a bare skeleton of rotting woodwork, but still plainly discernible among the coral rocks.

I tried to explain to them that it was in the larger boat that I had come, but they failed to understand me.
On returning to the hut I put on my clothes for their benefit, whereupon their amazement was so great that I seriously contemplated discontinuing my list of wonders, lest they should become absolutely afraid to remain with me.

The clothes they considered part of myself--in fact, a kind of secondary skin! They were terribly frightened and distressed, and not one of the four dared approach me.
The blacks did not build themselves any place of shelter, but merely slept in the open air at night, under the lee of my hut, with a large fire always burning at their feet.

I offered them both blankets and sails by way of covering, but they refused them, preferring to lie huddled close together for warmth.