The dead trader...
...we see a guy trading trinkets for pearls with the native chief. Then we see him strung up dead. Do we know why he was killed?
shareDo we know why he was killed?
I don't think Charriere knows, and I'm not sure that we're meant to know either - presumably the trader tried to get over on the chief in some way. As a storytelling device I think that it just emphasizes the fact that Charriere is at the mercy of the natives, and it gives the tattoo scene a slightly dangerous edge. Plus, it sweetens the emotional payoff when Charriere realizes that he has gained the chief's trust. share