New-York tribune., 1872-04-23
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
SO,rrU SEA BUBBLrS.

Clish travellers, the one nOOleilah "h" WV "'"
physician profess TO relate series OF humorous au
ventures during yachting excursion among 'no
South Sea Islands 1t is not clear why the doctor Is
connected with the earl on the ttie-pagc, for inc
work is evidently the production of single PEN
showing rollicking, irreverent disposition WHO"
socks only the materials for fun IN the comic 'si0
of barbarous life. The narrative is whoiiy W'.o"'
depth and without caIncstness written III tiic n'',
ofl-haud manner Of lively Conversation pu' i"ii Va
whimsical descriptions, gTotesquo poi'fai'uieS Va
island society and manners. and droll eoihnen's vi
the peculiarities Of the natives, giving eeIVai"
piouont attraction to the volume, i'll spite oi inc
extravagant. ana certainly hO0 WV
colOring of the style.
The first introduction of the gay roysterers 10 the
scenery Of the South Sea Islands on entering inc
mort of Papiete the principal harbor of Tahiti Inc
soene was al establishment as they opened thelr pc
vildercd eyes upon its strange beauty "rcat
mountains of every shade of blue, pink gray, and
purple with their deep. dark, mysterious goIges'
presented a wonderful contrast to the preVuiing
brightness of the spectacle. Gigantic peaks ana
riunales rose one above the other, until they We're
lost IN the heavy masses of cloud which they ma"
;mraled A forest Of tropical trees stretched from
tho base of the mountains to the shore, whlie the
Iuts and houses Of the town peeped out between
tbem IT could be compared to nothing but the
fnest islands of the West Indies, WIN Il uasn oi
Ce,]cn. eloriiied with crown of ideal splendofs'
The Illusion of the imaginative voyagers was not
dsDelled on landing in the town. The shady avenues
were frightened at intervals by the broken rays OF
green Light which shone through the foliage Great
strauping pleasant-loobng men, in clean white
shirts and parti-colored wais-clOths, greeted the
st~angers with smile Of welcome, often stopping TO
shake hands with earthly object but kindly good
fellowship. Even the little piccaninnes wonld
todllc mp with their faces pnckered into dlmpieS'
end their little puds held up to reach your fingers
rrc ont q shrill How do you do" As for the young
ladies. the most bashful would never pass without
a greeting. and slight gathering in OF her dress
with her elbows to exhibit her buXOm figure to the
best a. aIvantage. Or perhaps she would come up
ccot.tt, shly, and ask for the loan of your cigar
Ae few pufS at it, and hand it back again grace
fully to the rather astonshed owner. The dress OF
the women is nothing but a long robe, white, pale
green red or red and white, according to the taste
Of the wearer floating loosely about IN a COOL re-
fresling manner Their luxuriant black tresses
decorated with plated chaplet, or flowing bunch
of white flowers combined with trir smiling, hand
some faces their musical bubbling voices full of
soft cadonces made decided impression ON the gay
explorers of island geography.
The Tted shops and stores surrounded by the beau
tfu trees the gay dressed girls the rollchng sailors,
tbc icasnt SMELL the perfect cleanliness, the universal
mrth cyility and goodnature OF every one ,e u,.rr @
absence OF quarrelinG, tosng or rn9eess, maui u NY
novel picturesque, and pleasing night scene, soclleS
tine YOU feel kind OF early Christian brotherly love
coming yOu delicious Incidence; renheu gehtIe,
Of manner and bunting of the edge OF yonr moral
ideas. Torably virtuOus and proper as was aways
had consciousness that should not be the least
surprised to find myself long about the groves after
the of the natives making lazy love- and utterly
yc,ianywhere else as wrong and degrading seem some
low only natural and beautiful in those lovely ISLANDS,
The society of Tahiti presents some curious fea-
turcs to the student of ethnOlOgy 1t is divided
into two sects, between which great gulf is fixed
The first consists of the white merchants and shop
keepers who have pale-faced wives and the second
of the half-castes and their friends. In fit of cyn
cisln the author christened them the mean whites,
and the dirty browns. The former have all the
virtue and the latter all the charms. Though they
are regarded by the Others with anything but a
Christian spirit, the browns described as per-
Sons of pleasant disposition, nearly always hand
soIne,and with manners simple without rudeness,
md easy without vulgarity, free from the angular
good qualities of their white cousins, and also from
their pretty meannesses, bubbling over with fun
and good humor, loving virtue, and perhaps also
vice as the author suggests, for its own sake more
than any thing that may be got by it. festive
reunion of the natives and visitors in the garden Of
the queens palace affords the subject of character
istic description.
There the whole population of Tahiti the neichbor
Ing islands with the exception of the sick and aged
were asseulbled The bare vertudaEs Of the pal
oTep spaee below denscy crowded Ali shades of beauty
were represented. from the swarthy Tahtian TO the
washed-0ut white. All dressed much alike, in the long
loose, cool-ooking chemise Of white en- muslin or linen;
Their luxuTant tresses set OFF by brilliant flowers and
masses Of snowy reVaieVa, gauZy Whte tuH oO.lhg
like strips OF silver paper, made out OF the shoots OF
young cOcOa-nut trees-(ah well remember who first
taught 10 make it, but never mind that now !)and
their flashing melting eyes, directing he fire here and
there. for Talhtan lady well understands optical
effects. Alas, that they should SO often prove optical
ilusionsl
Most OF the choir this night arranged in distinct
dresses in particular remarked where the per
formers decorated with green boughs, Ike the pill
lars OF church at Christmas the chiefs and directors
wearing the ancient costume or the country, as before
described, the general effect being rather nlred by
pair Of black cloth towsers from some Yankee store,
which added for the sake OF decency.
We srOlled about the gardens all the evening care
fully stepping or picking our way between the nu-
profusiOn make it difficult 10 walk with
out committing infantcide, receiving Information from
the civil naval men among whom we hdd aIc1dy an eH-
tcnsiyc acquaintance, and interchangpg ready laughs
and symbolic compliments with the young ladies
iammed against in the crowd They were so clean,
graceful good hunored and merry; that would have
kept up cool dignity among them long; AT one uIne
standing close To two OF them, when turned
cigar He prescnedit 1t with great civy, and the young
lazy, a few modest sucks handed it back with the
utmost grace grlnned III spite 9l myself Dut he GOc
tor made an elegant bow. ana pnnei away co0ly say
ing that there was nothing IKE tln6 ~ WIN he Gus
Of the country. We soon got accustomed to tins
little courtesy aiter"ard
a prominent episode in the volume is an account
Of the shipwfeck in which the author Lad narrow
chance for bis life copied nearly verbatim from the
log which be kept at the time and which, he afirms
is truer 10 life in nothing than its malignant
dullness." The final catastrophe is described in
better style Of graphic composition than is usually
found in the work.
OcT. 2l.-At about - this morning aroused by
C.>h overhead that woke US all up. aud scampeIed
{ tcs thinking the foretOpmast had gone; but II was
o, me old slfag Zone Of the boats that had into
tcaDe sea Jqst slaTping her underneath had neatly
unlocked the tackle Of the fore day the boom 10 which
she WAS lasbcd had snapped with tho sudden weight,