CHAPTERI-ANISLANDLANDFALL
　　FORnearlytenyearsmyhealthhadbeendeclining；andforsomewhilebeforeIsetforthuponmyvoyage，IbelievedIwascometotheafterpieceoflife，andhadonlythenurseandundertakertoexpect。ItwassuggestedthatIshouldtrytheSouthSeas；andI
　　wasnotunwillingtovisitlikeaghost，andbecarriedlikeabale，amongscenesthathadattractedmeinyouthandhealth。I
　　charteredaccordinglyDr。Merrit’sschooneryacht，theCASCO，seventy-fourtonsregister；sailedfromSanFranciscotowardstheendofJune1888，visitedtheeasternislands，andwasleftearlythenextyearatHonolulu。Hence，lackingcouragetoreturntomyoldlifeofthehouseandsick-room，Isetforthtoleewardinatradingschooner，theEQUATOR，ofalittleoverseventytons，spentfourmonthsamongtheatollslowcoralislandsoftheGilbertgroup，andreachedSamoatowardsthecloseof’89。Bythattimegratitudeandhabitwerebeginningtoattachmetotheislands；I
　　hadgainedacompetencyofstrength；Ihadmadefriends；Ihadlearnednewinterests；thetimeofmyvoyageshadpassedlikedaysinfairyland；andIdecidedtoremain。Ibegantopreparethesepagesatsea，onathirdcruise，inthetradingsteamerJANET
　　NICOLL。Ifmoredaysaregrantedme，theyshallbepassedwhereI
　　havefoundlifemostpleasantandmanmostinteresting；theaxesofmyblackboysarealreadyclearingthefoundationsofmyfuturehouse；andImustlearntoaddressreadersfromtheuttermostpartsofthesea。
　　ThatIshouldthushavereversedtheverdictofLordTennyson’sheroislesseccentricthanappears。Fewmenwhocometotheislandsleavethem；theygrowgreywheretheyalighted；thepalmshadesandthetrade-windfansthemtilltheydie，perhapscherishingtothelastthefancyofavisithome，whichisrarelymade，morerarelyenjoyed，andyetmorerarelyrepeated。Nopartoftheworldexertsthesameattractivepoweruponthevisitor，andthetaskbeforemeistocommunicatetofiresidetravellerssomesenseofitsseduction，andtodescribethelife，atseaandashore，ofmanyhundredthousandpersons，someofourownbloodandlanguage，allourcontemporaries，andyetasremoteinthoughtandhabitasRobRoyorBarbarossa，theApostlesortheCaesars。
　　Thefirstexperiencecanneverberepeated。Thefirstlove，thefirstsunrise，thefirstSouthSeaisland，arememoriesapartandtouchedavirginityofsense。Onthe28thofJuly1888themoonwasanhourdownbyfourinthemorning。Intheeastaradiatingcentreofbrightnesstoldoftheday；andbeneath，ontheskyline，themorningbankwasalreadybuilding，blackasink。Wehaveallreadoftheswiftnessoftheday’scominganddepartureinlowlatitudes；itisapointonwhichthescientificandsentimentaltouristareatone，andhasinspiredsometastefulpoetry。Theperiodcertainlyvarieswiththeseason；buthereisonecaseexactlynoted。Althoughthedawnwasthuspreparingbyfour，thesunwasnotuptillsix；anditwashalf-pastfivebeforewecoulddistinguishourexpectedislandsfromthecloudsonthehorizon。
　　Eightdegreessouth，andthedaytwohoursa-coming。Theintervalwaspassedondeckinthesilenceofexpectation，thecustomarythrilloflandfallheightenedbythestrangenessoftheshoresthatwewerethenapproaching。Slowlytheytookshapeintheattenuatingdarkness。Ua-huna，pilinguptoatruncatedsummit，appearedthefirstuponthestarboardbow；almostabeamaroseourdestination，Nuka-hiva，whelmedincloud；andbetwixtandtothesouthward，thefirstraysofthesundisplayedtheneedlesofUa-
　　pu。Theseprickedaboutthelineofthehorizon；likethepinnaclesofsomeornateandmonstrouschurch，theystoodthere，inthesparklingbrightnessofthemorning，thefitsignboardofaworldofwonders。
　　NotonesoulaboardtheCASCOhadsetfootupontheislands，orknew，exceptbyaccident，onewordofanyoftheislandtongues；
　　anditwaswithsomethingperhapsofthesameanxiouspleasureasthrilledthebosomofdiscoverersthatwedrewneartheseproblematicshores。Thelandheavedupinpeaksandrisingvales；
　　itfellincliffsandbuttresses；itscolourranthroughfiftymodulationsinascaleofpearlandroseandolive；anditwascrownedabovebyopalescentclouds。Thesuffusionofvaguehuesdeceivedtheeye；theshadowsofcloudswereconfoundedwiththearticulationsofthemountains；andtheisleanditsunsubstantialcanopyroseandshimmeredbeforeuslikeasinglemass。Therewasnobeacon，nosmokeoftownstobeexpected，noplyingpilot。
　　Somewhere，inthatpalephantasmagoriaofcliffandcloud，ourhavenlayconcealed；andsomewheretotheeastofit-theonlysea-markgiven-acertainheadland，knownindifferentlyasCapeAdamandEve，orCapeJackandJane，anddistinguishedbytwocolossalfigures，thegrossstatuaryofnature。Theseweweretofind；forthesewecranedandstared，focusedglasses，andwrangledovercharts；andthesunwasoverheadandthelandcloseaheadbeforewefoundthem。Toashipapproaching，liketheCASCO，fromthenorth，theyprovedindeedtheleastconspicuousfeaturesofastrikingcoast；thesurfflyinghighaboveitsbase；strange，austere，andfeatheredmountainsrisingbehind；andJackandJane，orAdamandEve，impendinglikeapairofwartsabovethebreakers。
　　Thenceweboreawayalongshore。Onourportbeamwemightheartheexplosionsofthesurf；afewbirdsflewfishingundertheprow；therewasnoothersoundormarkoflife，whetherofmanorbeast，inallthatquarteroftheisland。Wingedbyherownimpetusandthedyingbreeze，theCASCOskimmedundercliffs，openedoutacove，showedusabeachandsomegreentrees，andflittedbyagain，bowingtotheswell。Thetrees，fromourdistance，mighthavebeenhazel；thebeachmighthavebeeninEurope；themountainformsbehindmodelledinlittlefromtheAlps，andtheforestwhichclusteredontheirrampartsagrowthnomoreconsiderablethanourScottishheath。Againthecliffyawned，butnowwithadeeperentry；andtheCASCO，haulingherwind，begantoslideintothebayofAnaho。Thecocoa-palm，thatgiraffeofvegetables，sograceful，soungainly，totheEuropeaneyesoforeign，wastobeseencrowdingonthebeach，andclimbingandfringingthesteepsidesofmountains。Rudeandbarehillsembracedtheinletuponeitherhand；itwasenclosedtothelandwardbyabulkofshatteredmountains。Ineverycreviceofthatbarriertheforestharboured，roostingandnestlingtherelikebirdsaboutaruin；andfarabove，itgreenedandroughenedtherazoredgesofthesummit。
　　Undertheeasternshore，ourschooner，nowbereftofanybreeze，continuedtocreepin：thesmartcreature，whenonceunderway，appearingmotiveinherself。Fromcloseaboardarosethebleatingofyounglambs；abirdsanginthehillside；thescentofthelandandofahundredfruitsorflowersflowedforthtomeetus；and，presently，ahouseortwoappeared，standinghighupontheanklesofthehills，andoneofthesesurroundedwithwhatseemedagarden。Theseconspicuoushabitations，thatpatchofculture，hadwebutknownit，wereamarkofthepassageofwhites；andwemighthaveapproachedahundredislandsandnotfoundtheirparallel。Itwaslongererewespiedthenativevillage，standingintheuniversalfashioncloseuponacurveofbeach，closeunderagroveofpalms；theseainfrontgrowlingandwhiteningonaconcavearcofreef。Forthecocoa-treeandtheislandmanarebothloversandneighboursofthesurf。’Thecoralwaxes，thepalmgrows，butmandeparts，’saysthesadTahitianproverb；buttheyareallthree，solongastheyendure，co-hauntersofthebeach。Themarkofanchoragewasablow-holeintherocks，nearthesouth-easterlycornerofthebay。Punctuallytoouruse，theblow-holespouted；
　　theschoonerturneduponherheel；theanchorplunged。Itwasasmallsound，agreatevent；mysoulwentdownwiththesemooringswhencenowindlassmayextractnoranydiverfishitup；andI，andsomepartofmyship’scompany，werefromthathourthebondslavesoftheislesofVivien。
　　Beforeyettheanchorplungedacanoewasalreadypaddlingfromthehamlet。Itcontainedtwomen：onewhite，onebrownandtattooedacrossthefacewithbandsofblue，bothinimmaculatewhiteEuropeanclothes：theresidenttrader，Mr。Regler，andthenativechief，Taipi-Kikino。’Captain，isitpermittedtocomeonboard?’
　　werethefirstwordsweheardamongtheislands。Canoefollowedcanoetilltheshipswarmedwithstalwart，six-footmenineverystageofundress；someinashirt，someinaloin-cloth，oneinahandkerchiefimperfectlyadjusted；some，andthesethemoreconsiderable，tattooedfromheadtofootinawfulpatterns；somebarbarousandknived；one，whosticksinmymemoryassomethingbestial，squattingonhishamsinacanoe，suckinganorangeandspittingitoutagaintoalternatesideswithape-likevivacity-
　　alltalking，andwecouldnotunderstandoneword；alltryingtotradewithuswhohadnothoughtoftrading，orofferingusislandcuriosatpricespalpablyabsurd。Therewasnowordofwelcome；noshowofcivility；nohandextendedsavethatofthechiefandMr。
　　Regler。Aswestillcontinuedtorefusetheprofferedarticles，complaintranhighandrude；andone，thejesteroftheparty，raileduponourmeannessamidjeeringlaughter。Amongstotherangrypleasantries-’Hereisamightyfineship，’saidhe，’tohavenomoneyonboard！’IownIwasinspiredwithsensiblerepugnance；evenwithalarm。Theshipwasmanifestlyintheirpower；wehadwomenonboard；Iknewnothingofmyguestsbeyondthefactthattheywerecannibals；theDirectorymyonlyguide
　　wasfulloftimidcautions；andasforthetrader，whosepresencemightelsehavereassuredme，werenotwhitesinthePacifictheusualinstigatorsandaccomplicesofnativeoutrage?Whenhereadsthisconfession，ourkindfriend，Mr。Regler，canaffordtosmile。
　　Laterintheday，asIsatwritingupmyjournal，thecabinwasfilledfromendtoendwithMarquesans：threebrown-skinnedgenerations，squattedcross-leggeduponthefloor，andregardingmeinsilencewithembarrassingeyes。TheeyesofallPolynesiansarelarge，luminous，andmelting；theyareliketheeyesofanimalsandsomeItalians。Akindofdespaircameoverme，tosittherehelplessunderallthesestaringorbs，andbethusblockedinacornerofmycabinbythisspeechlesscrowd：andakindofragetothinktheywerebeyondthereachofarticulatecommunication，likefurredanimals，orfolkborndeaf，orthedwellersofsomealienplanet。
　　TocrosstheChannelis，foraboyoftwelve，tochangeheavens；tocrosstheAtlantic，foramanoftwenty-four，ishardlytomodifyhisdiet。ButIwasnowescapedoutoftheshadowoftheRomanempire，underwhosetopplingmonumentswewereallcradled，whoselawsandlettersareoneveryhandofus，constrainingandpreventing。IwasnowtoseewhatmenmightbewhosefathershadneverstudiedVirgil，hadneverbeenconqueredbyCaesar，andneverbeenruledbythewisdomofGaiusorPapinian。BythesamestepI
　　hadjourneyedforthoutofthatcomfortablezoneofkindredlanguages，wherethecurseofBabelissoeasytoberemedied；andmynewfellow-creaturessatbeforemedumblikeimages。Methought，inmytravels，allhumanrelationwastobeexcluded；andwhenI
　　returnedhomeforinthosedaysIstillprojectedmyreturnI
　　shouldhavebutdippedintoapicture-bookwithoutatext。Nay，andIevenquestionedifmytravelsshouldbemuchprolonged；
　　perhapstheyweredestinedtoaspeedyend；perhapsmysubsequentfriend，Kauanui，whomIremarkedthere，sittingsilentwiththerest，foramanofsomeauthority，mightleapfromhishamswithanear-splittingsignal，theshipbecarriedatarush，andtheship’scompanybutcheredforthetable。
　　Therecouldbenothingmorenaturalthantheseapprehensions，noranythingmoregroundless。Inmyexperienceoftheislands，Ihadneveragainsomenacingareception；wereItomeetwithsuchto-
　　day，Ishouldbemorealarmedandtenfoldmoresurprised。ThemajorityofPolynesiansareeasyfolktogetintouchwith，frank，fondofnotice，greedyoftheleastaffection，likeamiable，fawningdogs；andevenwiththeMarquesans，sorecentlyandsoimperfectlyredeemedfromablood-bolteredbarbarism，allweretobecomeourintimates，andone，atleast，wastomournsincerelyourdeparture。
　　CHAPTERII-MAKINGFRIENDS