These
white men knew some English, but lived, not as Christians, but as the
natives lived.
And after them came a great and aged chief named Haamanemane.[14] This
great chief went up to the "chief" of the ship, Captain Wilson, and
called out to him "Taio."[15]
They did not know what this meant, till Peter the Swede explained
that Haamanemane wished to be the brother--the troth-friend of Captain
Wilson. They were even to change names. Captain Wilson would be called
Haamanemane, and Haamanemane would be called Wilson.
So Captain Wilson said "Taio," and he and the chief, who was also high
priest of the gods of Tahiti, were brothers.
Captain Wilson said to Haamanemane, through Peter, who translated each
to the other:
"We wish to come and live in this island."
Haamanemane said that he would speak to the king and queen of Tahiti
about it. So he got down again over the side of the vessel into the
canoe, and the paddles of his boatman flashed as they swept along over
the breakers to the beach to tell the king of the great white chief
who had come to visit them.
All these things happened on the Sunday. On Tuesday word came that the
king and the queen would receive them. So Captain Wilson and all his
missionaries got into the whale-boat and pulled for the shore.
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