Читать книгу Mutiny on the Bounty. Historical Novel онлайн

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I was then given a young coconut to drink—my first taste of this cool, sweet wine of the South Sea—and a broad leaf was spread beside me, on which the young women laid ripe bananas and one or two kinds of fruit I had not seen before. While I set to greedily on these delicacies, I heard a shout go up from the crowd, and saw that the Bounty’s launch was coming in through the surf, with Bligh in the stern sheets. My host sprang to his feet. “O Parai!” he exclaimed, and, as we waited for the boat to land, “You, me, taio, eh?”

Hitihiti was the first of the Indians to greet Bligh, whom he seemed to know well. And the captain recognized my friend at once.

“Hitihiti,” he said as he shook the Indian’s hand, “you’ve grown little older, my friend, though you’ve some grey hairs now.”

Hitihiti laughed. “Ten year, eh? Plenty long time! By God! Parai, you get fat!”

It was now the captain’s turn to laugh, as he touched his waist, by no means small in girth.

“Come ashore,” the Indian went on emphatically. “Eat plenty pig! Where Captain Cook? He come Tahiti soon?”