A Russian discovery-ship which had been in this port a
few years before, had built a large oven for baking bread, and went
away, leaving it standing. This, the Sandwich Islanders took
possession of, and had kept, ever since, undisturbed. It was big
enough to hold six or eight men- that is, it was as large as a ship's
forecastle; had a door at the side, and a vent-hole at top. They
covered it with Oahu mats, for a carpet; stopped up the venthole in
bad weather, and made it their head-quarters. It was now inhabited
by as many as a dozen or twenty men, who lived there in complete
idleness- drinking, playing cards, and carousing in every way. They
bought a bullock once a week, which kept them in meat, and one of them
went up to the town every day to get fruit, liquor, and provisions.
Besides this, they had bought a cask of ship-bread, and a barrel of
flour from the Lagoda, before she sailed. There they lived, having a
grand time, and caring for nobody. Captain T--- was anxious to get
three or four of them to come on board the Pilgrim, as we were so much
diminished in numbers; and went up to the oven and spent an hour or
two trying to negotiate with them.
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