"Martin of Nitendi"

In Short

This narrative pair features two contrasting tales of island life. The first follows Jim Martin, a brutal Australian ex-convict turned beachcomber on Nitendi. After leading a native massacre of a trading vessel, he finds his refuge shattered by a British gunboat bent on retribution. When his son is killed and his wife injured in the raid, Martin seeks revenge, only to face a final test of humanity when a young officer's life is threatened by a crocodile. The companion story shifts to a peaceful, sensory-rich journey up an island river, exploring the natural beauty and local customs of the region.

The Story

On the island of Nitendi, Jim Martin, a white man living as a native, watches from a high mountain boulder as a British gunboat lies anchored in the harbor below. The son of Australian convicts, Martin had been set ashore years earlier by a whaler due to mutinous conduct. Embracing a life of lawlessness, he integrated into the local native community, eventually leading them in tribal warfare and coastal piracy. Two years prior, he orchestrated the night massacre of the crew aboard the trading schooner Fedora for money and clout. However, a single Fijian survivor escaped to inform British authorities.

In response, Commander Lempriere of H.M.S. Terrier executes a surprise night landing guided by the Fijian survivor. Led by Lieutenant Chester, thirty bluejackets surround Martin’s village before dawn. An accidental revolver discharge prematurely alerts the villagers, initiating a brief, deadly firefight. Martin and his followers break through the lines into the mountain jungle, but seven natives are killed, including Martin's ten-year-old son. His wife, Nuta, suffers a shattered arm from a stray bullet. Commander Lempriere orders the village burned to the ground and fires rockets into the bush to disperse the survivors.

Seeking safety, Martin tends to Nuta’s injuries at a remote river pool. Meanwhile, Second Lieutenant Grayling and a midshipman named Walters lead a small landing party along the beach toward the same river to hunt for wild game. Reaching the deep pool, young Walters strips off his clothes and dives in for a swim. Hidden in the nearby brush, Martin watches the boy, well aware that the water is infested with dangerous crocodiles. Nuta, filled with hatred over her son's death, urges her husband to let the young white officer perish.

Despite his history as a hardened killer, Martin refuses to let the boy die. Taking aim with his single remaining cartridge, he shoots a huge crocodile charging toward Walters, saving the midshipman's life. The gunshot alerts the sailors on the opposite bank. Seeing Martin holding a rifle, two bluejackets open fire, striking him in the abdomen and breaking his spine. Grayling approaches the wounded man, initially assuming Martin was an enemy sniper. Before dying on the litter, Martin reveals that he fired to kill the crocodile, leaving the officer stunned by the renegade's final, contradictory act of mercy.

The narrative then transitions to "The River of Dreams," an evocative account of an inland expedition. The narrator, accompanied by local villagers Nalik, Seia, and the village chief Sru, journeys along a hidden river system to hunt wild pigs and fish for grayling. The group establishes a temporary camp, cooks their catch using traditional hot-stone methods, and reflects on the declining native population.

How It Unfolds

The ruins of the village From a high rocky outcrop, Jim Martin observes the smouldering remains of his home and native village, destroyed by bluejackets from H.M.S. Terrier. Clad in ti leaves and holding a Snider rifle, he calculates his chances of revenge while worrying for his buried stash of silver dollars.

The punitive raid Flashbacks detail how Commander Lempriere executed a stealthy landing to apprehend the perpetrators of the Fedora massacre. Guided by a native survivor, the landing party surrounded the village at dawn, resulting in a chaotic gunfight that claimed the life of Martin's young son and wounded his wife.

A fatal leap into the pool Fleeing into the interior, Martin tends to his wife near a secluded river pool just as a naval shooting party arrives downstream. Unaware of the lurking dangers, Midshipman Walters strips off his uniform and jumps into the water for a refreshing swim.

A final choice As a massive crocodile closes in on the swimming midshipman, Nuta urges her husband to watch the boy perish. Touched by a sudden impulse of pity, Martin ignores his wife's pleas and uses his last bullet to shoot the aquatic predator.

Death on the riverbank Mistaking his shot for an attack on the officer, two sailors fire across the water, mortally wounding Martin. As Lieutenant Grayling approaches, the dying renegade explains his true motive before succumbing to his injuries.

Journey to the upper river In the secondary narrative, the narrator embarks on a peaceful fishing and hunting trip with his native friend Nalik. They navigate dense jungle paths, set up camp under coconut palms, and share meals prepared through traditional South Sea techniques.

The People

• Jim Martin: A hardened, blood-stained beachcomber of convict lineage who abandoned civilization to live among the natives of Nitendi. Driven by criminal instinct and a desire for prestige, he orchestrates violent raids against trading vessels. However, his remaining spark of humanity leads him to sacrifice his own safety to save a young officer from a crocodile attack.
• Nuta: Martin's native wife, who harbors an intense, unforgiving hatred toward the white sailors responsible for the destruction of her home and the death of her young son. She seeks vengeance and openly encourages Martin to let the swimming midshipman die.
• Midshipman Walters: A ruddy-faced, fair-haired young officer from H.M.S. Terrier whose impulsive desire to swim in an unexplored river pool places him in deadly peril.
• Lieutenant Grayling: The officer leading the shore party, who misinterprets Martin's rifle shot as an ambush before learning the truth as the renegade dies.
• Nalik: A friendly, gentle-voiced native hunter who acts as a guide and companion during the river expedition, offering insight into island customs and forgotten history.
• Sru: The district chief who joins the fishing trip, preserving traditional customs while sharing food, drink, and hunting duties with the narrator.

In Its Own Voice

“Officers' shootin' party,” he muttered, as he watched the boat ground on the beach and three men, carrying guns, step out and walk up the beach--“officer's shootin' party. Christ A'mighty! I'd like to pot every one o' the swine."

Jim Martin watches from the mountain as British officers land on the beach near the burned village.

“What wouldst thou do, fool?” said the woman fiercely as she seized the weapon by the barrel; “think of thy son who died but yesterday... ah! ah! look! look!”

Nuta tries to stop her husband from firing his rifle to save the young midshipman in the water.

“'Tis a fair, good place this, is it not?” whispered Nalik, as he sat beside me--“a fair, good place, though it be haunted by the spirits.”

Nalik shares his thoughts with the narrator while sitting beside the quiet mountain pool.

What It's Really About

The narrative examines the fragile line between civilization and savagery in the isolated frontiers of the South Pacific. Through Jim Martin's brutal career and sudden impulse of self-sacrifice, the story explores whether moral redemption is possible for a man thoroughly ruined by violence and neglect. It contrasts the destructive reach of colonial authority and naval retribution with the enduring, quiet rhythm of island life. The secondary account emphasizes the deep connection between the native inhabitants and their natural environment, quietly lamenting the decline of indigenous populations following Western contact. Ultimately, the work asks whether human empathy can survive in a world defined by conquest, revenge, and racial hostility.

Why Read It Today

Readers drawn to maritime history, South Seas adventure, and unvarnished frontier drama will appreciate this direct, vivid portrait of the late nineteenth-century Pacific. Louis Becke writes with authentic first-hand knowledge of island geography, trade, and native customs, steering clear of artificial romanticism. The narrative moves at a brisk pace, capturing both the sudden violence of beachcomber feuds and the calm, sensory immersion of inland river journeys.

Modern readers should be prepared for period-specific language, unedited nineteenth-century racial attitudes, and graphic portrayals of colonial conflict and hunting. The prose reflects the gritty, often harsh realities of the Pacific frontier without sugarcoating the actions of either the outlaws or the naval landing parties. What remains with the reader is the striking contrast between the violent redemption of a ruined man and the tranquil, timeless beauty of the island interior.