下载辰思小说免费APP
resident，andhoiststheFrenchcoloursoveraquiteextensivecompound。AChinaman，awaiffromtheplantation，keepsarestaurantintherearquartersofthevillage；andthemissioniswellrepresentedbythesister’sschoolandBrotherMichel’schurch。FatherOrens，awonderfuloctogenarian，hisframescarcebowed，thefireofhiseyeundimmed，haslived，andtrembled，andsufferedinthisplacesince1843。Againandagain，whenMoipuhadmadecoco-brandy，hehasbeendrivenfromhishouseintothewoods。
’Amousethatdweltinacat’sear’hadamoreeasyresting-place；
andyetIhaveneverseenamanthatborelessmarkofyears。Hemustshowusthechurch，stilldecoratedwiththebishop’sartlessornamentsofpaper-thelastworkofindustriousoldhands，andthelastearthlyamusementofamanthatwasmuchofahero。Inthesacristywemustseehissacredvessels，and，inparticular，avestmentwhichwasa’VRAIECURIOSITE，’becauseithadbeengivenbyagendarme。TotheProtestantthereisalwayssomethingembarrassingintheeagernesswithwhichgrownandholymenregardthesetrifles；butitwastouchingandprettytoseeOrens，hisagedeyesshininginhishead，displayhissacredtreasures。
AUGUST26-Thevalebehindthevillage，narrowingswiftlytoamereravine，waschokedwithprofitabletrees。Arivergushedinthemidst。Overhead，thetallcoco-palmsmadeaprimarycovering；
abovethat，fromonewallofthemountaintoanother，theravinewasroofedwithcloud；sothatwemovedbelow，amidteemingvegetation，inacoveredhouseofheat。Oneitherhand，ateveryhundredyards，insteadofthehouseless，disembowellingpaepaesofNuka-hiva，populoushousesturnedouttheirinhabitantstocry’Kaoha！’tothepassers-by。Theroad，too，wasbusy：stringsofgirls，fairandfoul，asinlessfavouredcountries；menbearingbreadfruit；thesisters，withalittleguardofpupils；afellowbestridingahorse-passedandgreeteduscontinually；andnowitwasaChinamanwhocametothegateofhisflower-yard，andgaveus’Good-day’inexcellentEnglish；andalittlefartheronitwouldbesomenativeswhosetusdownbythewayside，madeusafeastofmummy-apple，andentertainedusasweatewithdrummingonatincase。Withallthisfineplentyofmenandfruit，deathisatworkherealso。Thepopulation，accordingtothehighestestimate，doesnotexceedsixhundredinthewholevaleofAtuona；andyet，whenI
oncechancedtoputthequestion，BrotherMichelcounteduptenwhomheknewtobesickbeyondrecovery。Itwashere，too，thatI
couldatlastgratifymycuriositywiththesightofanativehouseintheveryarticleofdissolution。Ithadfallenflatalongthepaepae，itspolessprawlingungainly；therainsandthemitescontendedagainstit；whatremainedseemedsoundenough，butmuchwasgonealready；anditwaseasytoseehowtheinsectsconsumedthewallsasiftheyhadbeenbread，andtheairandtherainateintothemlikevitriol。
Alittleaheadofus，ayounggentleman，verywelltattooed，anddressedinapairofwhitetrousersandaflannelshirt，hadbeenmarchingunconcernedly。Ofasudden，withoutapparentcause，heturnedback，tookusinpossession，andledusundissuadablyalongaby-pathtotheriver’sedge。There，inanookofthemostattractiveamenity，hebadeustositdown：thestreamsplashingatourelbow，ashockofnondescriptgreeneryenshriningusfromabove；andthither，afterabriefabsence，hebroughtusacocoa-
nut，alumpofsandal-wood，andastickhehadbeguntocarve：thenutforpresentrefreshment，thesandal-woodforapreciousgift，andthestick-inthesimplicityofhisvanity-toharvestprematurepraise。Onlyonesectionwasyetcarved，althoughthewholewaspencil-markedinlengths；andwhenIproposedtobuyit，Poni(forthatwastheartist’sname)recoiledinhorror。ButI
wasnottobemoved，andsimplyrefusedrestitution，forIhadlongwonderedwhyapeoplewhodisplayed，intheirtattooing，sogreatagiftofarabesqueinvention，shoulddisplayitnowhereelse。Here，atlast，Ihadfoundsomethingofthesametalentinanothermedium；andIheldtheincompleteness，inthesedaysofworld-widebrummagem，forahappymarkofauthenticity。NeithermyreasonsnormypurposehadIthemeansofmakingcleartoPoni；Icouldonlyholdontothestick，andbidtheartistfollowmetothegendarmerie，whereIshouldfindinterpretersandmoney；butwegavehim，inthemeanwhile，aboat-callinreturnforhissandal-
wood。Ashecamebehindusdownthevalehesoundeduponthiscontinually。Andcontinually，fromthewaysidehouses，therepouredforthlittlegroupsofgirlsincrimson，orofmeninwhite。
AndtothesemustPonipassthenewsofwhothestrangerswere，ofwhattheyhadbeendoing，ofwhyitwasthatPonihadaboat-
whistle；andofwhyhewasnowbeinghaledtothevice-residency，uncertainwhethertobepunishedorrewarded，uncertainwhetherhehadlostastickormadeabargain，buthopefulonthewhole，andinthemeanwhilehighlyconsoledbytheboat-whistle。Whereuponhewouldtearhimselfawayfromthisparticulargroupofinquirers，andoncemorewewouldheartheshrillcallinourwake。
AUGUST27-ImadeamoreextendedcircuitinthevalewithBrotherMichel。Weweremountedonapairofsobernags，suitabletotheserudepaths；theweatherwasexquisite，andthecompanyinwhichIfoundmyselfnolessagreeablethanthescenesthroughwhichIpassed。Wemountedatfirstbyasteepgradealongthesummitofoneofthosetwistedspursthat，fromadistance，markoutprovincesofsunandshadeuponthemountain-side。Thegroundfellawayoneitherhandwithanextremedeclivity。Fromeitherhand，outofprofoundravines，mountedthesongoffallingwaterandthesmokeofhouseholdfires。Hereandtherethehillsoffoliagewoulddivide，andoureyewouldplungedownupononeofthesedeep-nestedhabitations。Andstill，highinfront，arosetheprecipitousbarrierofthemountain，greenedoverwhereitseemedthatscarceaharebellcouldfindroot，barredwiththezigzagsofahumanroadwhereitseemedthatnotagoatcouldscramble。Andintruth，forallthelabourthatitcost，theroadisregardedevenbytheMarquesansasimpassable；theywillnotriskahorseonthatascent；andthosewholietothewestwardcomeandgointheircanoes。Ineverknewahilltolosesolittleonanearapproach：
aconsequence，Imustsuppose，ofitssurprisingsteepness。Whenweturnedabout，Iwasamazedtobeholdsodeepaviewbehind，andsohighashoulderofbluesea，crownedbythewhale-likeislandofMotane。Andyetthewallofmountainhadnotvisiblydwindled，andIcouldevenhavefancied，asIraisedmyeyestomeasureit，thatitloomedhigherthanbefore。
Westrucknowintocovertpaths，crossedandheardmorenearathandthebickeringofthestreams，andtastedthecoolnessofthoserecesseswherethehousesstood。Thebirdssangaboutusaswedescended。Allalongourpathmyguidewasbeinghailedbyvoices：
’Mikael-Kaoha，Mikael！’Fromthedoorstep，fromthecotton-
patch，oroutofthedeepgroveofisland-chestnuts，thesefriendlycriesarose，andwerecheerilyansweredaswepassed。Inasharpangleofaglen，onarushingbrookandunderfathomsofcoolfoliage，westruckahouseuponawell-builtpaepae，thefirebrightlyburningunderthepopoi-shedagainsttheeveningmeal；andherethecriesbecameachorus，andthehousefolk，runningout，obligedustodismountandbreathe。Itseemedanumerousfamily：
wesaweightatleast；andoneofthesehonouredmewithaparticularattention。Thiswasthemother，awomannakedtothewaist，ofanagedcountenance，butwithhairstillcopiousandblack，andbreastsstillerectandyouthful。OnourarrivalI
couldseesheremarkedme，butinsteadofofferinganygreeting，disappearedatonceintothebush。Thenceshereturnedwithtwocrimsonflowers。’Good-bye！’washersalutation，utterednotwithoutcoquetry；andasshesaiditshepressedtheflowersintomyhand-’Good-bye！IspeakInglis。’Itwasfromawhaler-man，who(sheinformedme)was’aplentygoodchap，’thatshehadlearnedmylanguage；andIcouldnotbutthinkhowhandsomeshemusthavebeeninthesetimesofheryouth，andcouldnotbutguessthatsomememoriesofthedandywhaler-manpromptedherattentionstomyself。NorcouldIrefrainfromwonderingwhathadbefallenherlover；intherainandmireofwhatsea-portshehadtrampedsincethen；inwhatcloseandgarishdrinking-denshadfoundhispleasure；andinthewardofwhatinfirmarydreamedhislastoftheMarquesas。Butshe，themorefortunate，livedoninhergreenisland。Thetalk，inthislosthouseuponthemountains，ranchieflyuponMapiaoandhisvisitstotheCASCO：thenewsofwhichhadprobablygoneabroadbythentoalltheisland，sothattherewasnopaepaeinHiva-oawheretheydidnotmakethesubjectofexcitedcomment。
Notmuchbeyondwecameuponahighplaceinthefootoftheravine。Tworoadsdividedit，andmetinthemidst。Saveforthisintersectiontheamphitheatrewasstrangelyperfect，andhadacertainruderairofthingsRoman。Depthsoffoliageandthebulkofthemountainkeptitinagratefulshadow。Onthebenchesseveralyoungfolksatclusteredorapart。Oneofthese，agirlperhapsfourteenyearsofage，buxomandcomely，caughttheeyeofBrotherMichel。Whywasshenotatschool?-shewasdonewithschoolnow。Whatwasshedoinghere?-shelivedherenow。Whyso?-noanswerbutadeepeningblush。TherewasnoseverityinBrotherMichel’smanner；thegirl’sownconfusiontoldherstory。
’ELLEAHONTE，’wasthemissionary’scomment，aswerodeaway。
Nearbyinthestream，agrowngirlwasbathingnakedinagoylebetweentwostepping-stones；anditamusedmetoseewithwhatalacrityandrealalarmsheboundedonhermany-colouredunder-
clothes。Eveninthesedaughtersofcannibalsshamewaseloquent。
ItisinHiva-oa，owingtotheinveteratecannibalismofthenatives，thatlocalbeliefshavebeenmostrudelytroddenunderfoot。Itwasherethatthreereligiouschiefsweresetunderabridge，andthewomenofthevalleymadetodefileovertheirheadsupontheroad-way：thepoor，dishonouredfellowssittingthere(allobserversagree)withstreamingtears。Notonlywasoneroaddrivenacrossthehighplace，buttworoadsintersectedinitsmidst。Thereisnoreasontosupposethatthelastwasdoneofpurpose，andperhapsitwasimpossibleentirelytoavoidthenumeroussacredplacesoftheislands。Butthesethingsarenotdonewithoutresult。IhavespokenalreadyoftheregardofMarquesansforthedead，making(asitdoes)sostrangeacontrastwiththeirunconcernfordeath。Earlyonthisday’sride，forinstance，weencounteredapettychief，whoinquired(ofcourse)
whereweweregoing，andsuggestedbywayofamendment。’Whydoyounotrathershowhimthecemetery?’Isawit；itwasbutnewlyopened，thethirdwithineightyears。TheyaregreatbuildershereinHiva-oa；IsawinmyridepaepaesthatnoEuropeandry-stonemasoncouldhaveequalled，theblackvolcanicstoneswerelaidsojustly，thecornersweresoprecise，thelevelssotrue；buttheretaining-wallofthenewgraveyardstoodapart，andseemedtobeaworkoflove。Thesentimentofhonourforthedeadisthereforenotextinct。Andyetobservetheconsequenceofviolentlycounteringmen’sopinions。OfthefourprisonersinAtuonagaol，threewereofcoursethieves；thefourthwasthereforsacrilege。
Hehadlevelledupapieceofthegraveyard-togiveafeastupon，asheinformedthecourt-anddeclaredhehadnothoughtofdoingwrong。Whyshouldhe?Hehadbeenforcedatthepointofthebayonettodestroythesacredplacesofhisownpiety；whenhehadrecoiledfromthetask，hehadbeenjeeredatforasuperstitiousfool。AndnowitissupposedhewillrespectourEuropeansuperstitionsasbysecondnature。
