下载辰思小说免费APP
Thenightfelllovelyintheextreme。Afterthemoonwentdown，theheavenwasathingtowonderatforstars。AndasIlayinthecockpitandlookeduponthesteersmanIwashauntedbyEmerson’sverses：
’AndtheloneseamanallthenightSailsastonishedamongstars。’
Bythisglitteringandimperfectbrightness，aboutfourbellsinthefirstwatchwemadeourthirdatoll，Raraka。Thelowlineoftheislelaystraightalongthesky；sothatIwasatfirstremindedofatowpath，andweseemedtobemountingsomeengineeredandnavigablestream。Presentlyaredstarappeared，abouttheheightandbrightnessofadangersignal，andwiththatmysimilewaschanged；weseemedrathertoskirttheembankmentofarailway，andtheeyebegantolookinstinctivelyforthetelegraph-posts，andtheeartoexpectthecomingofatrain。Hereandthere，butrarely，fainttree-topsbrokethelevel。Andthesoundofthesurfaccompaniedus，nowinadrowsymonotone，nowwithamenacingswing。
Theislelaynearlyeastandwest，barringouradvanceonFakarava。
Wemust，therefore，hugthecoastuntilwegainedthewesternend，where，throughapassageeightmileswide，wemightsailsouthwardbetweenRarakaandthenextisle，Kauehi。Wehadthewindfree，alightishair；butcloudsofaninkyblacknesswerebeginningtoarise，andattimesitlightened-withoutthunder。Something，I
knownotwhat，continuallysetusupupontheisland。Welaymoreandmoretothenor’ard；andyouwouldhavethoughttheshorecopiedourmanoeuvreandoutsailedus。OnceandtwiceRarakaheadedusagain-again，intheseafashion，thequiteinnocentsteersmanwasabused-andagaintheCASCOkeptaway。HadIbeencalledon，withnomorelightthanthatofourexperience，todrawtheconfigurationofthatisland，Ishouldhaveshownaseriesofbow-
windowpromontories，eachoverlappingtheothertothenor’ard，andthetrendofthelandfromthesouth-easttothenorth-west，andbehold，onthechartitlayneareastandwestinastraightline。
Wehadbutjustrepeatedourmanoeuvreandkeptaway-fornotmorethanfiveminutestherailwayembankmenthadbeenlosttoviewandthesurftohearing-whenIwasawareoflandagain，notonlyontheweatherbow，butdeadahead。Iplayedthepartofthejudiciouslandsman，holdingmypeacetillthelastmoment；andpresentlymymarinersperceiveditforthemselves。
’Landahead！’saidthesteersman。
’ByGod，it’sKauehi！’criedthemate。
Andsoitwas。AndwiththatIbegantobesorryforcartographers。Wewerescarcedoingthreeandahalf；andtheyaskedmetobelievethat(infiveminutes)wehaddroppedanisland，passedeightmilesofopenwater，andrunalmosthighanddryuponthenext。Butmycaptainwasmoresorryforhimselftobeafloatinsuchalabyrinth；laidtheCASCOto，withtheloglineupanddown，andsatonthesternrailandwatchedittillthemorning。HehadenoughofnightinthePaumotus。
Bydaylightonthe9thwebegantoskirtKauehi，andhadnowanopportunitytoseenearathandthegeographyofatolls。Hereandthere，whereitwashigh，thefarthersideloomedup；hereandtherethenearsidedippedentirelyandshowedabroadpathofwaterintothelagoon；hereandtherebothsideswereequallyabased，andwecouldlookrightthroughthediscontinuousringtotheseahorizononthesouth。Conceive，onavastscale，thesubmergedhoopoftheduck-hunter，trimmedwithgreenrushestoconcealhishead-waterwithin，waterwithout-youhavetheimageoftheperfectatoll。Conceiveonethathasbeenpartlypluckedofitsrushfringe；youhavetheatollofKauehi。Andforeithershoreofitatcloserquarters，conceivethelineofsomeoldRomanhighwaytraversingawetmorass，andheresunkoutofviewandtherere-arising，crownedwithagreentuftofthicket；onlyinsteadofthestagnantwatersofamarsh，theliveoce
