第17章

ladyishtreasures。Thegrossofthenativepassengersweremoreill-favoured：tall，powerfulfellows，welltattooed，andwithdisquietingmanners。Somethingcoarseandjeeringdistinguishedthem，andIwasoftenremindedoftheslumsofsomegreatcity。

Onenight，asduskwasfalling，awhale-boatputinonthatpartofthebeachwhereIchancedtobealone。Sixorsevenruffianlyfellowsscrambledout；allhadenoughEnglishtogiveme’good-

bye，’whichwastheordinarysalutation；or’good-morning，’whichtheyseemedtoregardasanintensitive；jestsfollowed，theysurroundedmewithharshlaughterandrudelooks，andIwasgladtomoveaway。IhadnotyetencounteredMr。Stewart，orIshouldhavebeenremindedofhisfirstlandingatAtuonaandthehumoristwhonibbledattheheel。Buttheirneighbourhooddepressedme；andI

felt，ifIhadbeenthereacastawayandoutofreachofhelp，myheartwouldhavebeensick。

Norwasthetrafficaltogethernative。Whilewelayintheanchoragetherebefellastrangecoincidence。Aschoonerwasobservedatseaandaimingtoenter。Weknewalltheschoonersinthegroup，butthisappearedlargerthanany；shewasrigged，besides，aftertheEnglishmanner；and，comingtoananchorsomewayoutsidetheCASCO，showedatlasttheblueensign。Therewereatthattime，accordingtorumour，nofewerthanfouryachtsinthePacific；butitwasstrangethatanytwoofthemshouldthusliesidebysideinthatoutlandishinlet：strangerstillthatintheowneroftheNYANZA，CaptainDewar，Ishouldfindamanofthesamecountryandthesamecountywithmyself，andonewhomIhadseenwalkingasaboyontheshoresoftheAlpesMaritimes。

Wehadbesidesawhitevisitorfromshore，whocameanddepartedinacrowdedwhale-boatmannedbynatives；havingreadofyachtsintheSundaypapers，andbeingfiredwiththedesiretoseeone。

CaptainChase，theycalledhim，anoldwhaler-man，thicksetandwhite-bearded，withastrongIndianadrawl；yearsoldinthecountry，agoodbackerinbattle，andoneofthosedeadshotswhosepracticeatthetargetstruckterrorinthebravesofHaamau。

CaptainChasedweltfarthereastinabaycalledHanamate，withaMr。M’Callum；orrathertheyhaddwelttogetheronce，andwerenowamicablyseparated。Thecaptainistobefoundnearoneendofthebay，inawreckofahouse，andwaitedonbyaChinese。Atthepointoftheopposingcorneranotherhabitationstandsonatallpaepae。Thesurfrunsthereexceedingheavy，seasofsevenandeightfeethighburstingunderthewallsofthehouse，whichisthuscontinuallyfilledwiththeirclamour，andrenderedfitonlyforsolitary，oratleastforsilent，inmates。HereitisthatMr。

M’Callum，withaShakespeareandaBurns，enjoysthesocietyofthebreakers。HisnameandhisBurnstestifytoScottishblood；butheisanAmericanborn，somewherefareast；followedthetradeofaship-carpenter；andwaslongemployed，thecaptainofahundredIndians，breakingupwrecksaboutCapeFlattery。ManyofthewhiteswhoaretobefoundscatteredintheSouthSeasrepresentthemoreartisticportionoftheirclass；andnotonlyenjoythepoetryofthatnewlife，butcamethereonpurposetoenjoyit。I

havebeenshipmateswithaman，nolongeryoung，whosaileduponthatvoyage，hisfirsttimetosea，forthemereloveofSamoa；anditwasafewlettersinanewspaperthatsenthimonthatpilgrimage。Mr。M’Callumwasanotherinstanceofthesame。HehadreadoftheSouthSeas；lovedtoreadofthem；andlettheirimagefasteninhisheart：tillatlengthhecouldrefrainnolonger-

mustsetforth，anewRudel，forthatunseenhomeland-andhasnowdweltforyearsinHiva-oa，andwilllayhisbonesthereintheendwithfullcontent；havingnodesiretobeholdagaintheplacesofhisboyhood，only，perhaps-once，beforehedies-therudeandwintrylandscapeofCapeFlattery。Yetheisanactiveman，fullofschemes；hasboughtlandofthenatives；hasplantedfivethousandcoco-palms；hasadesertislandinhiseye，whichhedesirestolease，andaschoonerinthestocks，whichhehaslaidandbuilthimself，andevenhopestofinish。Mr。M’CallumandI

didnotmeet，but，likegallanttroubadours，correspondedinverse。

IhopehewillnotconsideritabreachofcopyrightifIgivehereaspecimenofhismuse。HeandBishopDordillonarethetwoEuropeanbardsoftheMarquesas。

’Sail，ho！Ahoy！CASCO，FirstamongthepleasurefleetThatcamearoundtogreetTheseislesfromSanFrancisco，Andfirst，too；onlyoneAmongtheliterarymenThatthiswayhaseverbeen-

Welcome，then，toStevenson。

PleasenotoffendedbeAtthislittlenoticeOftheCASCO，CaptainOtis，Withthenovelist’sfamily。

AVOIRUNEVOYAGEMAGNIFICAL

Isourwishsincere，Thatyou’llhavefromhereALLANTSURLAGRANDEPACIFICAL。’

ButourchiefvisitorwasoneMapiao，agreatTahuku-whichseemstomeanpriest，wizard，tattooer，practiserofanyart，or，inaword，esotericperson-andamanfamedforhiseloquenceonpublicoccasionsandwittytalkinprivate。Hisfirstappearancewastypicaloftheman。Hecamedownclamoroustotheeasternlanding，wherethesurfwasrunningveryhigh；scornedalloursignalstogoroundthebay；carriedhispoint，wasbroughtaboardatsomehazardtoourskiff，andsetdowninonecornerofthecockpittohisappointedtask。Hehadbeenhired，asonecunningintheart，tomakemyoldmen’sbeardsintoawreath：whatawreathforCelia’sarbour！Hisownbeard(whichhecarried，forgreatersafety，inasailor’sknot)wasnotmerelytheadornmentofhisage，butasubstantialpieceofproperty。Onehundreddollarswastheestimatedvalue；andasBrotherMichelneverknewanativetodepositagreatersumwithBishopDordillon，ourfriendwasarichmaninvirtueofhischin。HehadsomethingofanEastIndiancast，buttallerandstronger：hisnosehooked，hisfacenarrow，hisforeheadveryhigh，thewholeelaboratelytattooed。ImaysayIhaveneverentertainedaguestsotrying。Intheleastparticularhemustbewaitedon；hewouldnotgotothescuttle-

buttforwater；hewouldnotevenreachtogettheglass，itmustbegivenhiminhishand；ifaidweredeniedhim，hewouldfoldhisarms，bowhishead，andgowithout：onlytheworkwouldsuffer。

Earlythefirstforenoonhecalledaloudforbiscuitandsalmon；

biscuitandhamwerebrought；helookedontheminscrutably，andsignedtheyshouldbesetaside。Anumberofconsiderationscrowdedonmymind；howthesortofworkonwhichhewasengagedwasprobablytapuinahighdegree；shouldbyrights，perhaps，betransactedonatapuplatformwhichnofemalemightapproach；anditwaspossiblethatfishmightbetheessentialdiet。SomesaltedfishIthereforebroughthim，andalongwiththataglassofrum：

atsightofwhichMapiaodisplayedextraordinaryanimation，pointedtothezenith，madealongspeechinwhichIpickedupUMATI-thewordforthesun-andsignedtomeoncemoretoplacethesedaintiesoutofreach。AtlastIhadunderstood，andeverydaytheprogrammewasthesame。Atanearlyperiodofthemorninghisdinnermustbesetforthontheroofofthehouseandataproperdistance，fullinviewbutjustoutofreach；andnotuntilthefithour，whichwasthepointofnoon，wouldtheartificerpartake。

Thissolemnitywasthecauseofanabsurdmisadventure。Hewasseatedplaiting，asusual，atthebeards，hisdinnerarrayedontheroof，andnotfaroffaglassofwaterstanding。Itappearshedesiredtodrink；wasofcoursefartoogreatagentlemantoriseandgetthewaterforhimself；andspyingMrs。Stevenson，imperiouslysignedtohertohandit。Thesignalwasmisunderstood；Mrs。Stevensonwas，bythistime，preparedforanyeccentricityonthepartofourguest；andinsteadofpassinghimthewater，flunghisdinneroverboard。ImustdoMapiaojustice：

alllaughed，buthislaughterrangtheloudest。

Thesetroublesofservicewereatworstoccasional；theembarrassmentoftheman’stalkincessant。Hewasplainlyapractisedconversationalist；thenicetyofhisinflections，theeleganceofhisgestures，andthefineplayofhisexpression，toldusthat。We，meanwhile，satlikealiensinaplayhouse；wecouldseetheactorswereuponsomematerialbusinessandperformingwell，buttheplotofthedramaremainedundiscoverable。Namesofplaces，thenameofCaptainHart，occasionaldisconnectedwords，tantalisedwithoutenlighteningus；andthelessweunderstood，themoregallantly，themorecopiously，andwithstillthemoreexplanatorygestures，Mapiaoreturnedtotheassault。Wecouldseehisvanitywasontherack；beingcometoaplacewherethatfinejewelofhisconversationaltalentcouldearnhimnorespect；andhehadtimesofdespairwhenhedesistedfromtheendeavour，andinstantsofirritationwhenheregardeduswithunconcealedcontempt。Yetforme，asthepractitionerofsomekindredmysterytohisown，hemanifestedtothelastameasureofrespect。Aswesatundertheawninginoppositecornersofthecockpit，hebraidinghairsfromdeadmen’schins，Iformingrunesuponasheetoffoliopaper，hewouldnodacrosstomeasoneTahukutoanother，or，crossingthecockpit，studyforawhilemyshapelessscrawlandencouragemewithaheartfelt’MITAI！-good！’Somightadeafpaintersympathisefaroffwithamusician，astheslaveandmasterofsomeuncomprehendedandyetkindredart。Asillytrade，hedoubtlessconsideredit；butamanmustmakeallowanceforbarbarians-CHAQUEPAYSASESCOUTUMES-andhefelttheprinciplewasthere。

Thetimecameatlastwhenhislabours，whichresembledthoseratherofPenelopethanHercules，couldbenomorespunout，andnothingremainedbuttopayhimandsayfarewell。Afteralong，learnedargumentinMarquesan，Igatheredthathismindwassetonfish-hooks；withthreeofwhich，andabraceofdollars，Ithoughthewasnotillrewardedforpassinghisforenoonsinourcockpit，eating，drinking，deliveringhisopinions，andpressingtheship’scompanyintohismenialservice。Forallthat，hewasamanofsohighabearing，andsolikeanuncleofmyownwhoshouldhavegonemadandgottattooed，thatIappliedtohim，whenwewerebothonshore，toknowifheweresatisfied。’MITAIEHIPE?’Iasked。Andhe，withrichunction，offeringatthesametimehishand-’MITAI

EHIPE，MITAIKAEHAE；KAOHANUI！’-or，totranslatefreely：’Theshipisgood，thevictualsareuptothemark，andwepartinfriendship。’Whichtestimonialuttered，hesetoffalongthebeachwithhisheadbowedandtheairofonedeeplyinjured。

Isawhimgo，onmyside，withrelief。ItwouldbemoreinterestingtolearnhowourrelationseemedtoMapiao。Hisexigence，wemaysuppose，wasmerelyloyal。Hehadbeenhiredbytheignoranttodoapieceofwork；andhewasboundthathewoulddoittherightway。Countlessobstacles，continualignorantridicule，availednottodissuadehim。Hehadhisdinnerlaidout；

watchedit，aswasfit，thewhileheworked；ateitatthefithour；wasinallthingsservedandwaitedon；andcouldtakehishireintheendwithaclearconscience，tellinghimselfthemysterywasperformedduly，thebeardsrightfullybraided，andwe(inspiteofourselves)correctlyserved。Hisviewofourstupidity，evenhe，themightytalker，musthavelackedlanguagetoexpress。HeneverinterferedwithmyTahukuwork；civillypraisedit，idleasitseemed；civillysupposedthatIwascompetentinmyownmystery：suchbeingtheattitudeoftheintelligentandthepolite。Andwe，ontheotherhand-whohadyetthemosttogainorlose，sincetheproductwastobeours-whohadprofessedourdisabilitybytheveryactofhiringhimtodoit-wereneverwearyofimpedinghisownmoreimportantlabours，andsometimeslackedthesenseandthecivilitytorefrainfromlaughter。

CHAPTERXIV-INACANNIBALVALLEY

THEroadfromTaahaukutoAtuonaskirtedthenorth-westerlysideoftheanchorage，somewhathighup，edged，andsometimesshaded，bythesplendidflowersoftheFLAMBOYANT-itsEnglishnameIdonotknow。Attheturnofthehand，Atuonacameinview：alongbeach，aheavyandloudbreachofsurf，ashore-sidevillagescatteredamongtrees，andthegutteredmountainsdrawingnearonbothsidesaboveanarrowandrichravine。Itsinfamousreputeperhapsaffectedme；butIthoughtittheloveliest，andbyfarthemostominousandgloomy，spotonearth。Beautifulitsurelywas；andevenmoresalubrious。Thehealthfulnessofthewholegroupisamazing；thatofAtuonaalmostinthenatureofamiracle。InAtuona，avillageplantedinashore-sidemarsh，thehousesstandingeverywhereintermingledwiththepoolsofataro-garden，wefindeveryconditionoftropicaldangeranddiscomfort；andyettherearenotevenmosquitoes-noteventhehatefulday-flyofNuka-hiva-andfever，anditsconcomitant，theislandfe’efe’e，areunknown。

ThisisthechiefstationoftheFrenchontheman-eatingisleofHiva-oa。Thesergeantofgendarmerieenjoysthestyleofthevice-