The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-09-06

Tho whole extent Of the South Seas is desert
OF ships, moro especially that part whore We
were now to sail. No post runs in these islands;
communication Is by accident. Where you
may have designed to go Is one thing: whore
you shall be able to arrive Is another. 1t was
my hope. for instance, to reach the Car
dimes and return to the light Of day BY
way Of Manila and the China ports; and it Was
in Samoa that We were destined to reappear
and be once more refreshed with tho sight Of
MONTANA The sunset faded from the peaks
OF Oahu. and for six months We saw no spot OF
earth 40 high as an ordinary cottage. Our
path was still on the nat sea- our dwellings
upon unereced coral. our diet from tho pickle
tub or out Of tins l earne to welcome sharks
fosh for a variety: aad mountain. an onion.
an Irish potato. or a beefsteak were long lost
10 sense and dear to asplration.
The two chief places Of our stay. Butaritnri
and Apenlama. lie near tho line: the latter
within thirty miles. Both enjoy a superb ocean
climate. days OF binding sun and bracine
wiud nights OF a heavenly brightness. Both
are somewhat wider than Fakara,a mea,ur-
ing perhaps a: the widsstl quarter Of mile
from beach to leach. In both. q coarse Kind
OF ttro thrives: its culture Il a chief business
OF the natives. and th' consequent mounds
and bitches make miniature scenery aud
Rmu.e tho eve. In alt else they show the GUS
tomary features OF an atoll: the low horizon.
the eXpanse OF the lago N, the sedgelike rim
OF palm tops, the same eSs and smnness OF
the land the hugely superior size and interest
OF sea and sky Life on such islands is in
many points like lie on shpboard. The atoll
like the shin, Is soon taken for granted. AMI
the islander. like the ships crew. be-
come soon the centre OF attention. The Isles
are populons. independent seats OF kng!ats.
recently civilized. littie visited. In the last
decade many changes nave crept in Women
no longer go unc!othsl til marriage: the
widow no longer sleeps NJ night AM goes
ebroa by day with I'll, skull 81 her dead hus-
band anil. firearms bsns introduced, the
spoar and tho shark-tooth sword ar, sold
for curlosites. Ten years ago all the SO things
and practices ware TO bs ssen In use. yet ten
years more and the Old society will have van
ishsu sntirsiy. Wa came In happy moment
to 500 its institutions III ersct and lin Ape
plama) scarce decayed.
PoDuous AMI nlenen ient-varrsns OF men
rusd over with sons rustic rOmp-snch was
the frat aud still tho recurring impression OF
these tiny lands. As we stood ACROSS the
lagoon for tho towa OF q utaritari & stretch OF
the low shoro was seen t. be crowded with the
brown roofs OF houses: those OF the palace
and Kings summer parlor (Which are OF cor.
rugated from glit.ered near one end con-
sDicuously bright; tho royal c,lors iew hard
BY on a tail flagstaff: in lrout on an ar.ictal
i,ls. the Jail played :ha part Of q martello.
Eyon upon this ntst and distaut view tho
place h d scarce tho air OF uhaL 1t truly wns
Avi!lage; rather OF that which 1t was also.
petty metropolis. city rustIc and yet royal
Tho lagoon is shoaL Tho lido being out We
waded for some quarter OF u mile In tepid
shadows. and stepped ashore at last into .
fragrant stagnancy OF Sun and heat. The / 90
side OF o line island after noon is. indeed. q
breathless place: on tho ocean beach tho trade
Will b still blowing. boisteruus. aud cool; out
In the lagoon 1t will DO blowing also. speeding
the canoes; but the screen OF buRh completely
tntsrcopts 1t from the shore; AMI sleep. and
silence. and companies OF mosquitoes brood
upon the towns.
We may thus .be said to have taken Butarl-
tart by surprise. A few Inhabitants wore still
abroad In tho north end. at which we landed.
As We advanced. We were soon done with en-
counter. and seemed to exnlore u city OF tho
dead. Only. between tho posts OF open
houses. We could soc the towns!olk stretched
In tho sissta, sometimes family together
yelled In Q MOSQUITO net. sometimes single
sleeper ON platform, Ike q corpse on u l..er.
The houses were OF all dimensions, fr IN
those OF toys to those OF churc les. Soma
might hold q battalion; some were so minute
they could scarce receive pair OF lovers.
Only in tho plsyroom. when the toys %
Mingled. do We meet such tacouGrulties OF
scale. Many wsre open sheds some took the
io!m OF . rooted stage: others We. 0 walled and
tho walls pierced with little wlndows A few
wro perchsd on piles In tho lagoon tho rest
stool az random on a green, through which
tLs roadway made ribbon o. saui, or along
Vie embanGments OF a shoot Of water Xix. n
shallow dock. One and all were tho creature
Ola single tr,s: palm tree wood an palm tree
lss their materials No nail had been driven.
no hammer sounded. In their building. and