第4章

Ihavementionedtwofacts-thedistastefulbehaviourofourearliestvisitors，andthecaseoftheladywhorubbedherselfuponthecushions-whichwouldgiveaveryfalseopinionofMarquesanmanners。ThegreatmajorityofPolynesiansareexcellentlymannered；buttheMarquesanstandsapart，annoyingandattractive，wild，shy，andrefined。Ifyoumakehimapresentheaffectstoforgetit，anditmustbeofferedhimagainathisgoing：aprettyformalityIhavefoundnowhereelse。Ahintwillgetridofanyoneoranynumber；theyaresofiercelyproudandmodest；whilemanyofthemorelovablebutblunterislanderscrowduponastranger，andcanbenomoredrivenoffthanflies。AslightoraninsulttheMarquesanseemsnevertoforget。IwasonedaytalkingbythewaysidewithmyfriendHoka，whenIperceivedhiseyessuddenlytoflashandhisstaturetoswell。Awhitehorsemanwascomingdownthemountain，andashepassed，andwhilehepausedtoexchangesalutationswithmyself，Hokawasstillstaringandrufflinglikeagamecock。ItwasaCorsicanwhohadyearsbeforecalledhimCOCHONSAUVAGE-COCONCHAUVAGE，asHokamispronouncedit。Withpeoplesoniceandsotouchy，itwasscarcetobesupposedthatourcompanyofgreenhornsshouldnotblunderintooffences。Hoka，ononeofhisvisits，fellsuddenlyinabroodingsilence，andpresentlyafterlefttheshipwithcoldformality。

Whenhetookmebackintofavour，headroitlyandpointedlyexplainedthenatureofmyoffence：Ihadaskedhimtosellcocoa-

nuts；andinHoka’sviewarticlesoffoodwerethingsthatagentlemanshouldgive，notsell；oratleastthatheshouldnotselltoanyfriend。OnanotheroccasionIgavemyboat’screwaluncheonofchocolateandbiscuits。Ihadsinned，Icouldneverlearnhow，againstsomepointofobservance；andthoughIwasdrilythanked，myofferingswereleftuponthebeach。ButourworstmistakewasaslightweputonToma，Hoka’sadoptivefather，andinhisowneyestherightfulchiefofAnaho。Inthefirstplace，wedidnotcalluponhim，asperhapsweshould，inhisfinenewEuropeanhouse，theonlyoneinthehamlet。Inthesecond，whenwecameashoreuponavisittohisrival，Taipi-Kikino，itwasTomawhomwesawstandingattheheadofthebeach，amagnificentfigureofaman，magnificentlytattooed；anditwasofTomathatweaskedourquestion：’Whereisthechief?’’Whatchief?’criedToma，andturnedhisbackontheblasphemers。Nordidheforgiveus。Hokacameandwentwithusdaily；but，aloneIbelieveofallthecountryside，neitherTomanorhiswifesetfootonboardtheCASCO。

ThetemptationresisteditishardforaEuropeantocompute。TheflyingcityofLaputamooredforafortnightinSt。James’sParkaffordsbutapalefigureoftheCASCOanchoredbeforeAnaho；fortheLondonerhasstillhischangeofpleasures，buttheMarquesanpassestohisgravethroughanunbrokenuniformityofdays。

Ontheafternoonbeforeitwasintendedweshouldsail，avaledictorypartycameonboard：nineofourparticularfriendsequippedwithgiftsanddressedasforafestival。Hoka，thechiefdancerandsinger，thegreatestdandyofAnaho，andoneofthehandsomestyoungfellowsintheworld-sullen，showy，dramatic，lightasafeatherandstrongasanox-itwouldhavebeenhard，onthatoccasion，torecognise，ashesattherestoopedandsilent，hisfaceheavyandgrey。Itwasstrangetoseetheladsomuchaffected；strangerstilltorecogniseinhislastgiftoneofthecurioswehadrefusedonthefirstday，andtoknowourfriend，sogailydressed，soplainlymovedatourdeparture，foroneofthehalf-nakedcrewthathadbesiegedandinsultedusonourarrival：

strangestofall，perhaps，tofind，inthatcarvedhandleofafan，thelastofthosecuriositiesofthefirstdaywhichhadnowallbeengiventousbytheirpossessors-theirchiefmerchandise，forwhichtheyhadsoughttoransomusaslongaswewerestrangers，whichtheypressedonusfornothingassoonaswewerefriends。

Thelastvisitwasnotlongprotracted。Oneafteranothertheyshookhandsandgotdownintotheircanoe；whenHokaturnedhisbackimmediatelyupontheship，sothatwesawhisfacenomore。

Taipi，ontheotherhand，remainedstandingandfacinguswithgraciousvaledictorygestures；andwhenCaptainOtisdippedtheensign，thewholepartysalutedwiththeirhats。Thiswasthefarewell；theepisodeofourvisittoAnahowasheldconcluded；andthoughtheCASCOremainednearlyfortyhoursathermoorings，notonereturnedonboard，andIaminclinedtothinktheyavoidedappearingonthebeach。ThisreserveanddignityisthefinesttraitoftheMarquesan。

CHAPTERIII-THEMAROON

OFthebeautiesofAnahobooksmightbewritten。Irememberwakingaboutthree，tofindtheairtemperateandscented。Thelongswellbrimmedintothebay，andseemedtofillitfullandthensubside。

Gently，deeply，andsilentlytheCASCOrolled；onlyattimesablockpipedlikeabird。Oceanward，theheavenwasbrightwithstarsandtheseawiththeirreflections。IfIlookedtothatside，ImighthavesungwiththeHawaiianpoet：

UAMAOMAOKALANI，UAKAHAEALUNA，UAPIPIKAMAKAOKAHOKU。

(Theheavenswerefair，theystretchedabove，Manyweretheeyesofthestars。)

AndthenIturnedshoreward，andhighsquallswereoverhead；themountainsloomedupblack；andIcouldhavefanciedIhadslippedtenthousandmilesawayandwasanchoredinaHighlandloch；thatwhenthedaycame，itwouldshowpine，andheather，andgreenfern，androofsofturfsendingupthesmokeofpeats；andthealienspeechthatshouldnextgreetmyearsmustbeGaelic，notKanaka。

Andday，whenitcame，broughtothersightsandthoughts。Ihavewatchedthemorningbreakinmanyquartersoftheworld；ithasbeencertainlyoneofthechiefjoysofmyexistence，andthedawnthatIsawwithmostemotionshoneuponthebayofAnaho。Themountainsabruptlyoverhangtheportwitheveryvarietyofsurfaceandofinclination，lawn，andcliff，andforest。Notoneofthesebutworeitspropertintofsaffron，ofsulphur，oftheclove，andoftherose。Thelustrewaslikethatofsatin；onthelighterhuesthereseemedtofloatanefflorescence；asolemnbloomappearedonthemoredark。Thelightitselfwastheordinarylightofmorning，colourlessandclean；andonthisgroundofjewels，pencilledouttheleastdetailofdrawing。Meanwhile，aroundthehamlet，underthepalms，wheretheblueshadowlingered，theredcoalsofcocoahuskandthelighttrailsofsmokebetrayedtheawakeningbusinessoftheday；alongthebeachmenandwomen，ladsandlasses，werereturningfromthebathinbrightraiment，redandblueandgreen，suchaswedelightedtoseeinthecolouredlittlepicturesofourchildhood；andpresentlythesunhadclearedtheeasternhill，andtheglowofthedaywasoverall。

Theglowcontinuedandincreased，thebusiness，fromthemainpart，ceasedbeforeithadbegun。Twiceinthedaytherewasacertainstirofshepherdingalongtheseawardhills。Attimesacanoewentouttofish。Attimesawomanortwolanguidlyfilledabasketinthecottonpatch。Attimesapipewouldsoundoutoftheshadowofahouse，ringingthechangesonitsthreenotes，withaneffectlikeQUELEJOURMEDURE，repeatedendlessly。Orattimes，acrossacornerofthebay，twonativesmightcommunicateintheMarquesanmannerwithconventionalwhistlings。Allelsewassleepandsilence。Thesurfbrokeandshonearoundtheshores；aspeciesofblackcranefishedinthebrokenwater；theblackpigswerecontinuallygallopingbyonsomeaffair；butthepeoplemightneverhaveawaked，ortheymightallbedead。

Myfavouritehauntwasoppositethehamlet，wherewasalandinginacoveunderalianaedcliff。Thebeachwaslinedwithpalmsandatreecalledthepurao，somethingbetweenthefigandmulberryingrowth，andbearingaflowerlikeagreatyellowpoppywithamaroonheart。Inplacesrocksencroacheduponthesand；thebeachwouldbeallsubmerged；andthesurfwouldbubblewarmlyashighastomyknees，andplaywithcocoa-nuthusksasourmorehomelyoceanplayswithwreckandwrackandbottles。Astherefluxdrewdown，marvelsofcolouranddesignstreamedbetweenmyfeet；whichI

wouldgraspat，miss，orseize：nowtofindthemwhattheypromised，shellstograceacabinetorbesetingolduponalady’sfinger；nowtocatchonlyMAYAofcolouredsand，poundedfragmentsandpebbles，that，assoonastheyweredry，becameasdullandhomelyastheflintsuponagardenpath。Ihavetoiledatthischildishpleasureforhoursinthestrongsun，consciousofmyincurableignorance；buttookeenlypleasedtobeashamed。

Meanwhile，theblackbird(orhistropicalunderstudy)wouldbeflutinginthethicketsoverhead。

Alittlefurther，intheturnofthebay，astreamlettrickledinthebottomofaden，thencespillingdownastairofrockintothesea。Thedraughtofairdrewdownunderthefoliageintheverybottomoftheden，whichwasaperfectarbourforcoolness。InfrontitstoodopenonthebluebayandtheCASCOlyingthereunderherawningandhercheerfulcolours。Overheadwasathatchofpuraos，andovertheseagainpalmsbrandishedtheirbrightfans，asIhaveseenaconjurermakehimselfahalooutofnakedswords。

Forinthisspot，overaneckoflowlandatthefootofthemountains，thetrade-windstreamsintoAnahoBayinafloodofalmostconstantvolumeandvelocity，andofaheavenlycoolness。

ItchancedonedaythatIwasashoreinthecove，withMrs。

Stevensonandtheship’scook。ExceptfortheCASCOlyingoutside，andacraneortwo，andtheever-busywindandsea，thefaceoftheworldwasofaprehistoricemptiness；lifeappearedtostandstock-

still，andthesenseofisolationwasprofoundandrefreshing。Onasudden，thetrade-wind，cominginagustovertheisthmus，struckandscatteredthefansofthepalmsabovetheden；and，behold！intwoofthetopstheresatanative，motionlessasanidolandwatchingus，youwouldhavesaid，withoutawink。Thenextmomentthetreeclosed，andtheglimpsewasgone。Thisdiscoveryofhumanpresenceslatentover-headinaplacewherewehadsupposedourselvesalone，theimmobilityofourtree-topspies，andthethoughtthatperhapsatallhoursweweresimilarlysupervised，struckuswithachill。Talklanguishedonthebeach。Asforthecook(whoseconsciencewasnotclear)，heneverafterwardssetfootonshore，andtwice，whentheCASCOappearedtobedrivingontherocks，itwasamusingtoobservethatman’salacrity；death，hewaspersuaded，awaitinghimuponthebeach。Itwasmorethanayearlater，intheGilberts，thattheexplanationdawneduponmyself。

Thenativesweredrawingpalm-treewine，athingforbiddenbylaw；

andwhenthewindthussuddenlyrevealedthem，theyweredoubtlessmoretroubledthanourselves。

Atthetopofthedentheredweltanold，melancholy，grizzledmanofthenameofTari(Charlie)Coffin。HewasanativeofOahu，intheSandwichIslands；andhadgonetoseainhisyouthintheAmericanwhalers；acircumstancetowhichheowedhisname，hisEnglish，hisdown-easttwang，andthemisfortuneofhisinnocentlife。Foronecaptain，sailingoutofNewBedford，carriedhimtoNuka-hivaandmaroonedhimthereamongthecannibals。Themotiveforthisactwasinconceivablysmall；poorTari’swages，whichwerethuseconomised，wouldscarcehaveshookthecreditoftheNewBedfordowners。Andtheactitselfwassimplymurder。Tari’slifemusthavehunginthebeginningbyahair。Inthegriefandterrorofthattime，itisnotunlikelyhewentmad，aninfirmitytowhichhewasstillliable；orperhapsachildmayhavetakenafancytohimandordainedhimtobespared。Heescapedatleastalive，marriedintheisland，andwhenIknewhimwasawidowerwithamarriedsonandagranddaughter。ButthethoughtofOahuhauntedhim；itspraisewasforeveronhislips；hebeheldit，lookingback，asaplaceofceaselessfeasting，song，anddance；andinhisdreamsIdaresayherevisitsitwithjoy。Iwonderwhathewouldthinkifhecouldbecarriedthereindeed，andseethemoderntownofHonolulubriskwithtraffic，andthepalacewithitsguards，andthegreathotel，andMr。Berger’sbandwiththeiruniformsandoutlandishinstruments；orwhathewouldthinktoseethebrownfacesgrownsofewandthewhitesomany；andhisfather’slandsold，forplantingsugar，andhisfather’shousequiteperished，orperhapsthelastofthemstruckleprousandimmuredbetweenthesurfandthecliffsonMolokai?Sosimply，eveninSouthSeaIslands，andsosadly，thechangescome。