The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1881-10-16
ASOuth Sea Islander.

On second thought, did I care to
end my days in Fatahua? Suddenly
the doorway was darkened by stall
wart brave, whose noiseless step
had given no warning of his ap-
proach.
On his shoulder he balanced bam-
boo laden with clustersof tea. toe wild
plautain, that grows abundantly on
the heights, aud which, when cooked,
is indispensable to the Tahitian
palate.
He paused at the threshold until
his friendly greeting had been re-
turned; then be entered with some
di6idencs, deposited his fruits in q
corner, equatted upon the mat near
me, and brestbed andiAbly, for his
burden was heavy. and the trail no
primrose path. Except for the pGren
that girded his loins, nay visitor was
quite naked.
Long we gszed at each other with
an earnest, honest gaze that ended IN
smile of recognition; We had never
met before, but the unoivllized and
the over-civilized are brothers. lie
placed his hand on my shoulder and
siroked me fondly. From the back
OF his ear be drew his tobacco pouch.
and relied cigarette, OF which We
took alternate puffs in token of per-
petusl peace.
Presently he made fruit Offering,
guavas, msDgoes. lines; then drink
Offering, water in cup formed OF
folded leaf; and then-we had been
silent until now-he said. in hesis@-
ting English With q childish accent.
II know you; you ike me; you come
my house"
[ nodded assent. The savage
shouldered his burden, and stepped
lightly down the trail, turning new
and again to give me a look or a
word Of encouragement; at every
stream he put down his load and
bore me dry shod to the other shore;
when it showered, az it nov did at
intervals, We halted under some
broad .leaved tree.
Once we sat in the NOES and rs
newed our VOW in tobacco; and thus
TRANQUILITY we came at last to log
smouldering by a stream, and our
tramp was ended.
1t was large log, partially de.
cayed; it had been fired long before,
and was slowly and perceptibly burn
ing, ike gigentic piece of punk.
At meal time it could be blown into.a
fame; q few dry tWigs and leaves
heapsd against it served to warm the
frugal meal. This ia the national
Tahitian hesrth,-a cloud by day,
pillar of fire by night; it puts the
blue squirt of the luciier match to the
bIueb; showers cannot quench il; the
gale gives it new life; it was the
one luxury in the household of my
host.
was attracted by rude shelter,
close at hand, and went thither to in
speot it. Imagine screen of leaves,
about six feet wide and eight feet
high, slantiug against the trade-wind.
and supported by couple of IN.
barked sspllngs; the gale rushed over
it, the rain slid down it. The sides
and front we've as open as the day.
Three logs hedged in a bed of fine
grass mats, which, like a carpet,
filled the space from the low caves in
the trusses to the sapling supports in
front; plump clean pillows we're
slowed in corners; an uncovered Gala
bash contained articles of feminine
apparel; silver thimble and bit OF
unfinished mbroidery with needle
thrust through it lay On the mat; a
hand-nirror was lodged among the
beams OF Ithe roof. Evidently the
bower was not unvisited ;of women.
From the peak OF the root hung a
cluster of ripe bananas; / filed
my hands, and returned to the blaz-
ing log.
For the most part, my companion
and I communed in silence. You
may sit for hours by savage with
out uttering a syllable, yet he will
turn to you at intervals with an in
telligent glance and an sppreciative
smile, as if he comprehended every
thing you LETT unsaid. - October allan.