下载辰思小说免费APP
’SouthSeaMerchants’isthetitletheyprefer。’Weareallsailorshere’-’Merchants，ifyouplease’-’SOUTHSEAMerchants，’-
wasapieceofconversationendlesslyrepeated，thatneverseemedtoloseinsavour。Wefoundthematalltimessimple，genial，gay，gallant，andobliging；and，acrosssomeintervaloftime，recallwithpleasurethetradersofButaritari。Therewasoneblacksheepindeed。Itellofhimherewherehelived，againstmyrule；forinthiscaseIhavenomeasuretopreserve，andthemanistypicalofaclassofruffiansthatoncedisgracedthewholefieldoftheSouthSeas，andstilllingerintherarelyvisitedislesofMicronesia。Hehadthenameonthebeachof’aperfectgentlemanwhensober，’butIneversawhimotherwisethandrunk。ThefewshockingandsavagetraitsoftheMicronesianhehassingledoutwiththeskillofacollector，andplantedinthesoilofhisoriginalbaseness。Hehasbeenaccusedandacquittedofatreacherousmurder；andhassinceboastfullyownedit，whichinclinesmetosupposehiminnocent。Hisdaughterisdefacedbyhiserroneouscruelty，foritwashiswifehehadintendedtodisfigure，andinthedarknessofthenightandthefrenzyofcoco-
brandy，fastenedonthewrongvictim。Thewifehassincefledandharboursinthebushwithnatives；andthehusbandstilldemandsfromdeafearsherforciblerestoration。Thebestofhisbusinessistomakenativesdrink，andthenadvancethemoneyforthefineuponalucrativemortgage。’Respectforwhites’istheman’sword：
’Whatisthematterwiththisislandisthewantofrespectforwhites。’OnhiswaytoButaritari，whileIwasthere，hespiedhiswifeinthebushwithcertainnativesandmadeadashtocaptureher；whereupononeofhercompanionsdrewaknifeandthehusbandretreated：’Doyoucallthatproperrespectforwhites?’hecried。
Atanearlystageoftheacquaintanceweprovedourrespectforhiskindofwhitebyforbiddinghimourenclosureunderpainofdeath。
ThenceforthhelingeredoftenintheneighbourhoodwithIknewnotwhatsenseofenvyordesignofmischief；hiswhite，handsomeface(whichIbeheldwithloathing)lookedinuponusatallhoursacrossthefence；andonce，fromasafedistance，heavengedhimselfbyshoutingareconditeislandinsult，tousquiteinoffensive，onhisEnglishlipsincrediblyincongruous。
Ourenclosure，roundwhichthiscompositeofdegradationswandered，wasofsomeextent。Inonecornerwasatrelliswithalongtableofroughboards。HeretheFourthofJulyfeasthadbeenheldnotlongbeforewithmemorableconsequences，yettobesetforth；herewetookourmeals；hereentertainedtoadinnerthekingandnotablesofMakin。Inthemidstwasthehouse，withaverandahfrontandback，andthreeisroomswithin。Intheverandahweslungourman-of-warhammocks，workedtherebyday，andsleptatnight。Withinwerebeds，chairs，aroundtable，afinehanginglamp，andportraitsoftheroyalfamilyofHawaii。QueenVictoriaprovesnothing；KalakauaandMrs。Bishoparediagnostic；andthetruthiswewerethestealthytenantsoftheparsonage。OnthedayofourarrivalMakawasaway；faithlesstrusteesunlockedhisdoors；andthedearrigorousman，theswornfoeofliquorandtobacco，returnedtofindhisverandahlitteredwithcigarettesandhisparlourhorriblewithbottles。Hemadebutonecondition-ontheroundtable，whichheusedinthecelebrationofthesacraments，hebeggedustorefrainfromsettingliquor；inallelsehebowedtotheaccomplishedfact，refusedrent，retiredacrossthewayintoanativehouse，and，plyinginhisboat，beattheremotestquartersoftheisleforprovender。Hefounduspigs-Icouldnotfancywhere-nootherpigswerevisible；hebroughtusfowlsandtaro；whenwegaveourfeasttothemonarchandgentry，itwashewhosuppliedthewherewithal，hewhosuperintendedthecooking，hewhoaskedgraceattable，
