In the South Seas

第22章

grove,wesawtheglowandsmeltthearomaticodourofacoalofcocoa-nuthusk,arelicoftheeveningkitchen。Cricketssang;

someshrillthingwhistledinatuftofweeds;andthemosquitohummedandstung。Therewasnoothertracethatnightofman,bird,orinsectintheisle。Themoon,nowthreedaysold,andasyetbutasilvercrescentonastillvisiblesphere,shonethroughthepalmcanopywithvigorousandscatteredlights。Thealleyswherewewalkedweresmoothedandweededlikeaboulevard;hereandtherewereplantssetout;hereandthereduskycottagesclusteredintheshadow,somewithverandahs。Apublicgardenbynight,arichandfashionablewatering-placeinaby-season,offersightsandvistasnotdissimilar。Andstill,ontheoneside,stretchedthelappingmere,andfromtheotherthedeepseastillgrowledinthenight。Butitwasmostofallonboard,inthedeadhours,whenIhadbeenbettersleeping,thatthespellofFakaravaseizedandheldme。Themoonwasdown。Theharbourlanternandtwoofthegreaterplanetsdrewvari-colouredwakesonthelagoon。Fromshorethecheerfulwatch-cryofcocksrangoutatintervalsabovetheorgan-pointofsurf。Andthethoughtofthisdepopulatedcapital,thisprotractedthreadofannularislandwithitscrestofcoco-palmsandfringeofbreakers,andthattranquilinlandseathatstretchedbeforemetillittouchedthestars,raninmyheadforhourswithdelight。

SolongasIstayeduponthatislethesethoughtswereconstant。I

laydowntosleep,andwokeagainwithanunbluntedsenseofmysurroundings。Iwasneverwearyofcallinguptheimageofthatnarrowcauseway,onwhichIhadmydwelling,lyingcoiledlikeaserpent,tailtomouth,intheoutrageousocean,andIwasneverwearyofpassing-amerequarter-deckparade-fromtheonesidetotheother,fromtheshady,habitableshoresofthelagoontotheblindingdesertanduproariousbreakersoftheoppositebeach。Thesenseofinsecurityinsuchathreadofresidenceismorethanfanciful。Hurricanesandtidalwavesover-leapthesehumbleobstacles;Oceanusremembershisstrength,and,wherehousesstoodandpalmsflourished,shakeshiswhitebeardagainoverthebarrencoral。Fakaravaitselfhassuffered;thetreesimmediatelybeyondmyhousewereallofrecentreplantation;andAnaaisonlynowrecoveredfromaheavierstroke。Iknewonewhowasthendwellingintheisle。Hetoldmethatheandtwoshipcaptainswalkedtotheseabeach。Thereforawhiletheyviewedtheon-comingbreakers,tilloneofthecaptainsclappedsuddenlyhishandbeforehiseyesandcriedaloudthathecouldendurenolongertobeholdthem。Thiswasintheafternoon;inthedarkhoursofthenighttheseaburstupontheislandlikeaflood;thesettlementwasrazedallbutthechurchandpresbytery;and,whendayreturned,thesurvivorssawthemselvesclinginginanabattisofuprootedcoco-palmsandruinedhouses。

Dangerisbutasmallconsideration。Butmenaremorenicelysensibleofadiscomfort;andtheatollisadiscomfortablehome。

Therearesome,andtheseprobablyancient,whereadeepsoilhasformedandthemostvaluablefruit-treesprosper。Ihavewalkedinone,withequaladmirationandsurprise,throughaforestofhugebreadfruits,eatingbananasandstumblingamongtaroasIwent。

ThiswasintheatollofNamorikintheMarshallgroup,andstandsaloneinmyexperience。Togivetheoppositeextreme,whichisyetfarmoreneartheaverage,IwilldescribethesoilandproductionsofFakarava。Thesurfaceofthatnarrowstripisforthemorepartofbrokencorallime-stone,likevolcanicclinkers,andexcruciatingtothenakedfoot;insomeatolls,Ibelieve,notinFakarava,itgivesafinemetallicringwhenstruck。Hereandthereyoucomeuponabankofsand,exceedingfineandwhite,andthesepartsaretheleastproductive。Thepl

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