下载辰思小说免费APP
foundthatshealsowasdandifiedfortheoccasion。AndthetwocasesstandaloneinmyexperienceofSouthSeatraders。
Wehadonboardafamilyofnativetourists，fromthegrandsiretothebabeinarms，trying(againstanextraordinaryseriesofill-
luck)toregaintheirnativeislandofPeru。Fivetimesalreadytheyhadpaidtheirfareandtakenship；fivetimestheyhadbeendisappointed，droppedpennilessuponstrangeislands，orcarriedbacktoButaritari，whencetheysailed。Thislastattempthadbeennobetter-starred；theirprovisionswereexhausted。Peruwasbeyondhope，andtheyhadcheerfullymadeuptheirmindstoafreshstageofexileinTapitueaorNonuti。Withthisslantofwindtheirrandomdestinationbecameoncemorechanged；andliketheCalendar’spilot，whenthe’blackmountains’hoveinview，theychangedcolourandbeatupontheirbreasts。Theircamp，whichwasondeckintheship’swaist，resoundedwithcomplaint。Theywouldbesettowork，theymustbecomeslaves，escapewashopeless，theymustliveandtoilanddieinApemama，inthetyrant’sden。Withthissortoftalktheysogreatlyterrifiedtheirchildren，thatone(abighulkingboy)mustatlastbetornscreamingfromtheschooner’sside。Andtheirfearswerewhollygroundless。Ihavelittledoubttheywerenotsufferedtobeidle；butIcanvouchforitthattheywerekindlyandgenerouslyused。For，thematterofayearlater，IwasoncemoreshipmatewiththeseinconsistentwanderersonboardtheJANETNICOLL。TheirfarewaspaidbyTembinok’；theywhohadgoneashorefromtheEQUATORdestitute，reappearedupontheJANETwithnewclothes，ladenwithmatsandpresents，andbringingwiththemamagazineoffood，onwhichtheylivedlikefighting-cocksthroughoutthevoyage；Isawthematlengthrepatriated，andImustsaytheyshowedmoreconcernonquittingApemamathandelightatreachinghome。
Weenteredbythenorthpassage(Sunday，September1st)，dodgingamongshoals。Itwasadayoffierceequatorialsunshine；butthebreezewasstrongandchill；andthemate，whoconnedtheschoonerfromthecross-trees，returnedshiveringtothedeck。Thelagoonwasthickwithmany-tintedwavelets；acontinuousroaringoftheouterseaoverhungtheanchorage；andthelong，hollowcrescentofpalmruffledandsparkledinthewind。Oppositeourberththebeachwasseentobesurmountedforsomedistancebyaterraceofwhitecoralsevenoreightfeethighandcrownedinturnbythescatteredandincongruousbuildingsofthepalace。Thevillageadjoinsonthesouth，aclusterofhigh-roofedmaniap’s。Andvillageandpalaceseemeddeserted。
Wewerescarceyetmoored，however，beforedistantandbusyfiguresappeareduponthebeach，aboatwaslaunched，andacrewpulledouttousbringingtheking’sladder。Tembinok’hadonceanaccident；
hasfearedeversincetoentrusthispersontotherottenchandleryofSouthSeatraders；anddevisedinconsequenceaframeofwood，whichisbroughtonboardashipassoonassheappears，andremainslashedtohersideuntilsheleave。Theboat’screw，havingappliedthisengine，returnedatoncetoshore。Theymightnotcomeonboard；neithermightweland，ornotwithoutdangerofoffence；thekinggivingpratiqueinperson。Anintervalfollowed，duringwhichdinnerwasdelayedforthegreatman-thepreludeoftheladder，givingussomenotionofhisweightybodyandsensible，ingeniouscharacter，hadhighlywhettedourcuriosity；anditwaswithsomethinglikeexcitementthatwesawthebeachandterracesuddenlyblackenwithattendantvassals，thekingandpartyembark，theboat(aman-of-wargig)comeflyingtowardsusdeadbeforethewind，andtheroyalcoxswainlayuscleverlyaboard，mounttheladderwithajealousdiffidence，anddescendheavilyondeck。
Notlongagohewasovergrownwithfat，obscuredtoview，andaburthentohimself。Captainsvisitingtheislandadvisedhimtowalk；andthoughitbrokethehabitsofalifeandthetraditionsofhisrank，hepractisedtheremedywithbenefit。Hiscorpulenceisnowportable；youwouldcallhimlustyratherthanfat；buthisgaitisstilldull，stumbling，andelephantine。Heneithersto
