The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1877-03-30

shore until his return, suddenly left the
ship alone with the chief, in the chiefs
own canoe.
What did this strange disappearance
mean? The captain himself, when he
took his seat in the canoe, would have
been puzzled to answer that question.
Shall We be long time away from
the ship" he asked.
The chief answered mysteriously {:
Long time or short time, your life de-
pends on it, and the lives of your men." "
Padding his light vessel in silence
over the smooth water inside the reef,
the chief took his visitor ashore at part
of the island which was quite new to the
Captain. The two crossed ravine and
assembled an epinence beyond. There
the chief stopped and silently pointed
out to sea.
The Captain looked in the direction
indicated to him, and discovered sec
ond and a smaller island, lying away to
the southwest at a distance of under
two miles. Taking out his telescope
from the case by which it was siung at
his back, he examined the place through
his glass. Two of the native canoes
were lying off the shore of the new
island; and the men in them appeared
to be all kneeling or crouching in cur
iously-chosen attitudes. Shifting his
range little, the Captain beheld a fig
ure Of a tall and solitary man-the one
inhabitant of the island whom he could
discover. The man was standing on the
highest point of rocky cape. A fire
was burning at his feet. Now he lifted
his arms solemnly to the sky; now he
dropped some invisible fuel into the
fire, which made blue smoke; and now
he cast other invisible objects into the
canoes floating beneath him, which the
islanders reverentlyreceived with bodies
that crouched in abject submission.
Lowering his telescope, the Captain
looked round at the chief for an expla
nation. The chief gave the explanation
readily. His language may be inter-
preted in these terms:
Wonderful white stranger the island
you see yonder is holy island. As
such it is Taboo-an island sanctifed and
set apart. The honorable person whom
you notice on the rock is an all power
full favOrite of the Gods. He is by voca-
ton sorcerer, and by rank a priest
You now see him casting charms and
blessings into the canoes of our fisher
men, who kneel to him for fine weather
and great plenty of fish. If any profane
person, native or stranger, presumes to
set foot ON that island, my otherwise
peaceable subjects will tin the perform
ance ofa religious duty) put that person
to death. Mention this TO your men;
they will be fed by my male people, and
fondled by my female people, so long as
they keep clear of the Holy Isle. AS
they value their lives, let them respect
this prohibition. Is it understood be-
tween us? Wonderful white stranger,
my canoe is waiting for you. Let us go
back"
Understanding enough of the chiefs
|
language illustrated by his gestures) to
receive in the right spirit the communi-
cation thus addressed to him, the Cap
tain repeated the warning to the ships
company in the plainest possible En-
glish. The officers and men then took
their holiday on shore, with the excep-
of Mr. Duncalf, who positively refused to
leave the ship. For twelve delightful
hours they were fed by the male people
and fondled by the female people, and
then they were mercilessly torn from
their flesh pots and the arms of their
new friends, and set to work on the san
dalwood in good earnest Mr. Duncalf
superintended the loading, and waited
for the the mischief that was to come of
disobeying the owners orders, with q
better cause.
CHAPTER ".
Strangely enough, chance once more
declared itself in favor of the mates
point ofview. The mischief did actually
come, and the chosen instrument of it
was a handsome young islander, who
was one of the sons of the chief
The Captain had taken fancy to the
sweet tempered, intelligent lad. Pursu
ing his studies in the dialect of the is
land at leisure hours, he had made the
chiefs son his tutor, and had amused
himself by instructing the youth in
English BY way of return. More than 4
month had passed in this intercourse,
and the ships lading was being rapidly
completed, when, in an evil hour, the
talk between the two turned on the sub
ject of the Holy Island.
Does nobody live on the island but
the priest?" the Captain asked.
The chiefs son looked round him sus-
piciously, Promise me you won't
tell anybody" he began very earnestly.
The Captain gave his promise.
There is one other person on the is
land" the lad whispered; "a person to
feast your eyes upon if you could only
see her, She is the priests daugher.
She was taken to the island in her infan-
cy, and has never left it since. In that
sacred solitude she has never look on any
human beings but her father and moth
er. Ionce saw her from my canoe tax
ing care not to attract her notice, or to
approach too near the holy soil. Oh, so
young, dear master and ohso beautiful"
The chiefs son completed the description
by kissing his own hands in silent rap
ture.
The Captains fine blue eyes sparkled.
He asked no more questions; but, later
on that day, he paid secret visit to the
eminence which overlooked the Holy
Island. The next and the next he stole
away to the same place. On the fourth
day fatal Destiny favored him. He saw
the nymph of the island through his
telescope, standing alone upon the cape
on which he had already discoveeed her
father. She was feeding some tame
birds, which looked like turtle doves.
The glass showed the Captain her pure
white robe, fiuttering in the sea breeze;
her long black hair falling to her heels
her slim and supple young figure, her
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