Toonewhoconceivesoftheseatolls，sonarrow，sobarren，sobesetwithsea，herewouldseemasuperfluityofghostlydenizens。
　　Andyettherearemore。Inthevariousbrackishpoolsandponds，beautifulwomenwithlongredhairareseentoriseandbathe；onlytimidasmiceonthefirstsoundoffeetuponthecoraltheydiveagainforever。Theyareknowntobehealthyandharmlesslivingpeople，dwellersofanunderworld；andthesamefancyiscurrentinTahiti，wherealsotheyhavethehairred。TETEAistheTahitianname；thePaumotuan，MOKUREA。
　　PARTIII：THEGILBERTS
　　CHAPTERI-BUTARITARI
　　ATHonoluluwehadsaidfarewelltotheCASCOandtoCaptainOtis，andournextadventurewasmadeinchangedconditions。Passagewastakenformyself，mywife，Mr。Osbourne，andmyChinaboy，AhFu，onapigmytradingschooner，theEQUATOR，CaptainDennisReid；andonacertainbrightJunedayin1889，adornedintheHawaiianfashionwiththegarlandsofdeparture，wedrewoutofportandborewithafairwindforMicronesia。
　　ThewholeextentoftheSouthSeasisadesertofships；moreespeciallythatpartwherewewerenowtosail。Nopostrunsintheseislands；communicationisbyaccident；whereyoumayhavedesignedtogoisonething，whereyoushallbeabletoarriveanother。Itwasmyhope，forinstance，tohavereachedtheCarolines，andreturnedtothelightofdaybywayofManilaandtheChinaports；anditwasinSamoathatweweredestinedtore-
　　appearandbeoncemorerefreshedwiththesightofmountains。
　　SincethesunsetfadedfromthepeaksofOahusixmonthshadintervened，andwehadseennospotofearthsohighasanordinarycottage。Ourpathhadbeenstillontheflatsea，ourdwellingsuponunerectedcoral，ourdietfromthepickle-tuboroutoftins；
　　Ihadlearnedtowelcomeshark’sfleshforavariety；andamountain，anonion，anIrishpotatoorabeef-steak，hadbeenlonglosttosenseanddeartoaspiration。
　　Thetwochiefplacesofourstay，ButaritariandApemama，lieneartheline；thelatterwithinthirtymiles。Bothenjoyasuperboceanclimate，daysofblindingsunandbracingwind，nightsofaheavenlybrightness。BotharesomewhatwiderthanFakarava，measuringperhapsatthewidestaquarterofamilefrombeachtobeach。Inboth，acoarsekindofTAROthrives；itscultureisachiefbusinessofthenatives，andtheconsequentmoundsandditchesmakeminiaturesceneryandamusetheeye。Inallelsetheyshowthecustomaryfeaturesofanatoll：thelowhorizon，theexpanseofthelagoon，thesedge-likerimofpalm-tops，thesamenessandsmallnessoftheland，thehugelysuperiorsizeandinterestofseaandsky。Lifeonsuchislandsisinmanypointslikelifeonshipboard。Theatoll，liketheship，issoontakenforgranted；andtheislanders，liketheship’screw，becomesoonthecentreofattention。Theislesarepopulous，independent，seatsofkinglets，recentlycivilised，littlevisited。Inthelastdecademanychangeshavecreptin；womennolongergounclothedtillmarriage；thewidownolongersleepsatnightandgoesabroadbydaywiththeskullofherdeadhusband；and，fire-armsbeingintroduced，thespearandtheshark-toothswordaresoldforcuriosities。Tenyearsagoallthesethingsandpracticesweretobeseeninuse；yettenyearsmore，andtheoldsocietywillhaveentirelyvanished。WecameinahappymomenttoseeitsinstitutionsstillerectandinApemamascarcedecayed。
　　Populousandindependent-warrensofmen，ruledoverwithsomerusticpomp-suchwasthefirstandstilltherecurringimpressionofthesetinylands。AswestoodacrossthelagoonforthetownofButaritari，astretchofthelowshorewasseentobecrowdedwiththebrownroofsofhouses；thoseofthepalaceandking’ssummerparlourwhichareofcorrugatedironglitterednearoneendconspicuouslybright；theroyalcoloursflewhardbyonatallflagstaff；infront，onanartificialislet，thegaolplayedthepartofamartello。Evenuponthisfirstanddistantview，theplacehadscarcetheairofwhatittrulywas，avillage；ratherofthatwhichitwasalso，apettymetropolis，acityrusticandyetroyal。
　　Thelagoonisshoal。Thetidebeingout，wewadedforsomequarterofamileintepidshallows，andsteppedashoreatlastintoaflagrantstagnancyofsunandheat。Theleesideofalineislandafternoonisindeedabreathlessplace；ontheoceanbeachthetradewillbestillblowing，boisterousandcool；outinthelagoonitwillbeblowingalso，speedingthecanoes；butthescreenofbushcompletelyinterceptsitfromtheshore，andsleepandsilenceandcompaniesofmosquitoesbrooduponthetowns。
　　WemaythusbesaidtohavetakenButaritaribysurprise。Afewinhabitantswerestillabroadinthenorthend，atwhichwelanded。
　　Asweadvanced，weweresoondonewithencounter，andseemedtoexploreacityofthedead。Only，betweenthepostsofopenhouses，wecouldseethetownsfolkstretchedinthesiesta，sometimesafamilytogetherveiledinamosquito-net，sometimesasinglesleeperonaplatformlikeacorpseonabier。
　　Thehouseswereofalldimensions，fromthoseoftoystothoseofchurches。Somemightholdabattalion，someweresominutetheycouldscarcereceiveapairoflovers；onlyintheplayroom，whenthetoysaremingled，dowemeetsuchincongruitiesofscale。Manywereopensheds；sometooktheformofroofedstages；otherswerewalledandthewallspiercedwithlittlewindows。Afewwereperchedonpilesinthelagoon；thereststoodatrandomonagreen，throughwhichtheroadwaymadearibbonofsand，oralongtheembankmentsofasheetofwaterlikeashallowdock。Oneandallwerethecreaturesofasingletree；palm-treewoodandpalm-
　　treeleaftheirmaterials；nonailhadbeendriven，nohammersounded，intheirbuilding，andtheywereheldtogetherbylashingsofpalm-treesinnet。
　　Inthemidstofthethoroughfare，thechurchstandslikeanisland，aloftyanddimhousewithrowsofwindows；arichtraceryofframingsustainstheroof；andthroughthedoorateitherendthestreetshowsinavista。Theproportionsoftheplace，insuchsurroundings，andbuiltofsuchmaterials，appearedaugust；andwethreadedthenavewithasentimentbefittingvisitorsinacathedral。Benchesrunalongeitherside。Inthemidst，onacrazydais，twochairsstandreadyforthekingandqueenwhentheyshallchoosetoworship；overtheirheadsahoop，apparentlyfromahogshead，dependsbyastripofredcotton；andthehoopwhichhangsaskewisdressedwithstreamersofthesamematerial，redandwhite。
　　Thiswasourfirstadvertisementoftheroyaldignity，andpresentlywestoodbeforeitsseatandcentre。ThepalaceisbuiltofimportedwooduponaEuropeanplan；theroofofcorrugatediron，theyardenclosedwithwalls，thegatesurmountedbyasortoflych-house。Itcannotbecalledspacious；alabourerintheStatesissometimesmorecommodiouslylodged；butwhenwehadthechancetoseeitwithin，wefounditwasenrichedbeyondallislandexpectationwithcolouredadvertisementsandcutsfromtheillustratedpapers。Evenbeforethegatesomeofthetreasuresofthecrownstandpublic：abellofagoodmagnitude，twopiecesofcannon，andasingleshell。Thebellcannotberungnorthegunsfired；theyarecuriosities，proofsofwealth，apartoftheparadeoftheroyalty，andstandtobeadmiredlikestatuesinasquare。
　　Astraightgutofwaterlikeacanalrunsalmosttothepalacedoor；thecontainingquay-wallsexcellentlybuiltofcoral；overagainstthemouth，bywhatseemsaneffectoflandscapeart，themartello-likeisletofthegaolbreaksthelagoon。Vassalchiefswithtribute，neighbourmonarchscomea-roving，mightheresailin，viewwithsurprisetheseextensivepublicworks，andbeawedbythesemouthsofsilentcannon。Itwasimpossibletoseetheplaceandnottofancyitdesignedforpageantry。Buttheelaboratetheatrethenstoodempty；theroyalhousedeserted，itsdoorsandwindowsgaping；thewholequarterofthetownimmersedinsilence。
　　Ontheoppositebankofthecanal，onaroofedstage，anancientgentlemansleptpublicly，solevisibleinhabitant；andbeyondonthelagoonacanoespreadastripedlateen，thesolethingmoving。
　　Thecanalisformedonthesouthbyapierorcausewaywithaparapet。Atthefarendtheparapetstops，andthequayexpandsintoanoblongpeninsulainthelagoon，thebreathing-placeandsummerparlouroftheking。Themidstisoccupiedbyanopenhouseorpermanentmarquee-calledhereamaniapa，or，asthewordisnowpronounced，amaniap’-atthelowestestimationfortyfeetbysixty。Theironroof，loftybutexceedinglylow-browed，sothatawomanmuststooptoenter，issupportedexternallyonpillarsofcoral，withinbyaframeofwood。Thefloorisofbrokencoral，dividedinaislesbytheuprightsoftheframe；thehousefarenoughfromshoretocatchthebreeze，whichentersfreelyanddispersesthemosquitoes；andundertheloweavesthesunisseentoglitterandthewavestodanceonthelagoon。
　　Itwasnowsomewhilesincewehadmetanybutslumberers；andwhenwehadwandereddownthepierandstumbledatlastintothisbrightshed，weweresurprisedtofinditoccupiedbyasocietyofwakefulpeople，sometwentysoulsinall，thecourtandguardsmenofButaritari。Thecourtladieswerebusymakingmats；theguardsmenyawnedandsprawled。Halfadozenrifleslayonarockandacutlasswasleanedagainstapillar：thearmouryofthesedrowsymusketeers。Atthefarend，alittleclosedhouseofwooddisplayedsometinselcurtains，andproved，uponexamination，tobeaprivyontheEuropeanmodel。Infrontofthis，uponsomemats，lolledTebureimoa，theking；behindhim，onthepanelsofthehouse，twocrossedriflesrepresentedfasces。Heworepyjamaswhichsorrowfullymisbecamehisbulk；hisnosewashookedandcruel，hisbodyovercomewithsoddencorpulence，hiseyetimorousanddull：heseemedatonceoppressedwithdrowsinessandheldawakebyapprehension：apepperrajahmuddledwithopium，andlisteningforthemarchofaDutcharmy，looksperhapsnototherwise。Weweretogrowbetteracquainted，andfirstandlastI
　　hadthesameimpression；heseemedalwaysdrowsy，yetalwaystohearkenandstart；and，whetherfromremorseorfear，thereisnodoubtheseeksarefugeintheabuseofdrugs。
　　Therajahdisplayednosignofinterestinourcoming。Butthequeen，whosatbesidehiminapurplesacque，wasmoreaccessible；
　　andtherewaspresentaninterpretersowillingthathisvolubilitybecameatlastthecauseofourdeparture。Hehadgreetedusuponourentrance：-’ThatisthehonourableKing，andIamhisinterpreter，’hehadsaid，withmorestatelinessthantruth。Forheheldnoappointmentinthecourt，seemedextremelyill-
　　acquaintedwiththeislandlanguage，andwaspresent，likeourselves，uponavisitofcivility。Mr。Williamswashisname：
　　anAmericandarkey，runawayship’scook，andbar-keeperatTHELAND
　　WELIVEINtavern，Butaritari。Ineverknewamanwhohadmorewordsinhiscommandorlesstruthtocommunicate；neitherthegloomofthemonarch，normyowneffortstobedistant，couldintheleastabashhim；andwhenthesceneclosed，thedarkeywaslefttalking。
　　Thetownstillslumbered，orhadbutjustbeguntoturnandstretchitself；itwasstillplungedinheatandsilence。Somuchthemorevividwastheimpressionthatwecarriedawayofthehouseupontheislet，theMicronesianSaulwakefulamidhisguards，andhisunmelodiousDavid，Mr。Williams，chatteringthroughthedrowsyhours。
　　CHAPTERII-THEFOURBROTHERS