Many of my men were weak, the whole party having suffered much from fever; in fact, we were completely helpless.
Our guide, Rabonga, who had accompanied us from M'rooli, had absconded, and we were left to shift for ourselves.

I was determined not to remain on the island, as I suspected that the boats might be taken away, and that we should be kept prisoners; I therefore ordered my men to take the canoes, and to ferry us to the main land, from whence we had come.

The headman, upon hearing this order, offered to carry us to a village, and then to await orders from Kamrasi as to whether we were to be forwarded to Shooa or not.

The district in which the island of Patooan was situated was called Shooa Moru, although having no connection with the Shooa in the Madi country to which we were bound.
We were ferried across to the main shore, and my wife and I, in our respective angareps, were carried by the natives for about three miles.
Arriving at a deserted village, half of which was in ashes, having been burned and plundered by the enemy, we were deposited on the ground in front of an old hut in the pouring rain, and were informed that we should remain there that night, but that on the following morning we should proceed to our destination.
Not trusting the natives, I ordered my men to disarm them, and to retain their spears and shields as security for their appearance on the following day.

This effected, we were carried into a filthy hut about six inches deep in mud, as the roof was much out of repair, and the heavy rain had flooded it daily for some weeks.