No other land was known to be near the shores of Orofena, which had never been visited by anyone except the strangers a hundred years ago or so, who were sacrificed and eaten.

Most of the island was covered with forest which the inhabitants lacked the energy, and indeed had no tools, to fell.

They were an extremely lazy people and would only cultivate enough bananas and other food to satisfy their immediate needs.

In truth they lived mostly upon breadfruit and other products of the wild trees.
Thus it came about that in years of scarcity through drought or climatic causes, which prevented the forest trees from bearing, they suffered very much from hunger.

In such years hundreds of them would perish and the remainder resorted to the dreadful expedient of cannibalism.
Sometimes, too, the shoals of fish avoided their shores, reducing them to great misery.