Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1878-09-28
BRIDE OF THE SEA.

Il Tl0uuAN DldiuS.
VavaOO was under the govern
ment of a tyrannical chief named |
Omao, who so oppressed the people |
that they were driven to the last
extremity of endurance.
Finally a revolt was organized by
means of which the people determ-
ined to overthrow the tyrant and
free themselves, if necessary, from
the rule of the king himself, unless
he should have more reasonable
considerations for their domestic
peace and comfort.
The principal mover in the insur-
rectiOn was a chief of high stand
ing, but the conspiracy was discOv-
cred and its protector betrayed. He
was tried by order of the king.
found guilty, and the penalty OF
death pronounced, not only upon
himself, but also upon his whole
family-wife, children, and all
were to be executed as warning to
other dissatisfied subjects.
There was no appeal from this
sentence, and the chief and his fam
ily prepared todie. The condemned
chief had a daughter named EOa,
young and beautiful, who had not
vet reached her fifteenth birthday;
but the female form ripenS earlier
i'm the low latitude than with us at
the north, and she had already won
the enthusiastic affections of a young
chief of equal rank with her father,
and to whom she was affianced after
the style of the Tonga Islanders.
The lover of Eoa was named Ha-
pal, and though not implicated with
her father in the proposed revolt,
vet he sympathized with its pur-
pose. He resolved that Eoa should
not be sacrificed, even though he
should himself perish in the attempt
to set her free. So when the agent
of the tyrant came to arrest the
family of the condemned chief, they
found that this star of the domestic
circle, and this lovely girl, who was
celebrated far and near for her re-
markable beauty, to be missing.
All efforts to gain information
concerning her and all search for
her person proved in vain. She
had been spirited away, as her sad
mother answered. The vengeance
of the law had been visited in full
force upon those left behind, and
Hapai was watched, to see if he
was in any way concerned with the
disappearance of Eoa.
But the surveillance under which
he was placed ELECTED nothing. The
young girl had gone in so mysteri-
Gus a manner that pursuit was i'm
possible, and it was suggested that
instead Of suffering by the hand of
the public eXecutiOner, she had pre-
ferred to drown herself. The ven
geance of the tyrant who had sacri-
feed the lives of the rest of the
family was unsatiated, since this
daughter, so famous for her beauty,
had escaped. So he ordered the
imprisonment of Hapai, in hopes,
through him, to learn where the
young girl was secreted.
But Hapai belonged to a proud
line of chiefs, and the tyrant was
warned that, unless he was at once
set at liberty, he would invoke an
Instruction which neither he nor
his kings government could quell.
So the young chief was liberated
after but one days incarceration in
the tyrant's stronghold.
Hapai was splendid swimmer,
and gained great fame among his
fellow pearl-divers, because he could
remain under water so long. 1t
was to them almost incredible that
ne could descend to the bottom of
the sea after pearls, and remaining
there twice, even three times as
long as the others could, he would
rise to the surface without appearing
to have suffered any remarkable
inconvenience by his long submer-
sion.
He still kept up his search for
pearls at the bottom of the sea, and
might have been met daily in his
fishing boat along-shOre, diving
here and there as he thought best
"Why dive by the rocky shore ?''
asked one of his neighbOrs, who
passed him the next day after his
release from prison.
1.-THE richest pearls sleep in the
deepest water" was the answer by
the young chief.
"True, but not by the rocky
shore"
"Yet you see l find them"
"NO one else finds pearls under
the cliff" rejoined the other, as he
pulled away to ground more pro
life.
"Hapai," he continued, resting
on his oars for moment.
"Ah."
"What think you, became o.
Eoa ,"
"Good spirits have taken her,
hope"
"They say she drowned herself
POSSIBLY, but | think not"
"YOu should know" replied the
other, again reSuming his oars anC
singing as he pulled seward.
Hapai, sickened by the tyranny
under which he lived, resolved tC
emigrate to Fiji Islands. OF course
if his purpose were known he would
have been prevented by the tyrant
but he kept his secret purposes SC
we'll guarded that no suspicion was
aroused.
On a certain night he arranged SC
that his dependents, male and fe
male, should be prepared to leave
NavaOO at a moments notice, anC
all were secretly embarked in boats
with such few necessary effects a;
form the domestic surroundings O
these poor Islanders.
The day was just breaking WheT
the little group of boats pulled away
from the Island. Once fairly EN-
banked, and a couple of leagues
from shore, they feared no pursuit
besides they were organized and
armed SO that no ordinary party
sent to follow them would venture
to attack them.
The young chief led the way in
the largest boat, steering boldly fOl
the stone cliffs on the Island O
HuOnga, one of the Tonga group
and near the spot where he was st
often seen in search of pearls. Ii
the boat was his aged mother, fol
he had left none of his family be
hind as victims to the vengeance o
the tyrant from whose rule he wa!
fleeing.
They were all cOngratulating
themselves on their safe escape, anC
with so little trouble, when thu
mother said;
"Ah, nay son, | would that vol
had brought with you Il Tong;
bride; it is all | regret"
"Is that all you regret, mother p
said the gallant young chief. 81
50, perhaps that may be accom-
plished."