Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-04-12


made our third atoll, Raraka. The low line
of the isle lay straight along the sky; SO that
I was at first reminded of towpath, and we
seemed to be mounting some engineered and
navigable stream. Presently a red star ap-
peared, about the height and brightness OF a
danger signal, and with that my simile was
changed; we seemed rather to skirt the en-
bankment of a railway, and the eye began
to look instinctively for the telegraph posts,
and the ear to expect the coming of train.
Here and there, but rarely, faint tree tops
broke the level. And the sound of the surf
| accompanied US, now in drowsy monotone,
now with menacing swing.
The isle lay nearly east and west, barring
our advance on Fakarava. We must, there
fore. hug the coast until we gain the western
end, where, through a passage eight miles
wide, we might sail southwark between Ra-
raka and the next isle. Kauehi. We had
the wind free, lightIsh air; but clouds of
an inky blackness were beginning to arise,
and at times it lightened-without thunder.
Something, know not what, continually
set US up upon the island. We lay more
and more to the nor'ard; and you would
have thought the shore copied our maneu-
yer and outsailed US. The Captain, the
mate and were all on deck; the Captain
not much gratifed with our position; the
mate part sanguine and part callous in the
true South Sea proportion. He saw nothing
odd in our position, which was even normal
in the group. And he could scarce be asked
to share in this anxiety about a ship, hav-
ing already lost several himself, and desiring
no better than the opportunity to lose
another.
A Dispute About the Safety.
well, he cried at last, sand what il the
wind does fail? We could shove her off
with an oarP' Conceive the effect of such
consolation on Yankee martinetl Captain
Otis expfoded; the mate accepted battle,
and the pair wrangled bravely. And once
and twice, in the hottest of the dsputation,
Raraka headed us again-and again, in the
sea fashion, the quite innocent steersman
was abused-and again the Casco kept away.
Had been called on, with no more ligh:
than that OF our experience, TO draw the
con6guration of that island, should have
shown series of bow.window promontories,
each overlapping the other to the nor ard,
and the trend of the land from the southeast
to the northwest; and behold, on the chart
it lay near east and west in a straight line.
We had but just repeated our maneuvre
and kept away-for not more than five min
utes the railway embankment had been lost
to view and the surf to hearing-when was
aware OF land again, not only on the weather
bow, but dead ahead. I played the part of
the Judicious landsman, holding my peace
till the last moment; ard presently my
mariners perceived it for themselves.
Land ahead !" said the steersman.
by heaven, Its Kauehil" cried the mate.
And SO it was. And with that 1 began to
be sorry for photographers. We were scarce
doing 81; and they asked me to believe that
Gin five minutes) we had dropped an island,
passed eight miles of open water and run al
most high and dry upon the next But nv
Captain was more sorry for himself to be
afoat in such labyrinth; laid the Casco to,
with the log line uD and down, and sat on
the stern rail and watched it till morning.
He had enough of night in the Paumotus.
The Geography of Atolls.
By daylight on the 9th we began to skirt
Rauehl and had now an opportunity to see
near at hand the geography of atolls. Here
and there, where it was high, the farther
side loomed up; here and there the near side
dipped entirely and showed broad path of
water into the lagoon: here and there both
sides were equally abased, and we could
look right through the discontinuous ring to
the sea horizon on the south. Conceive, on
vast scale, the submerged hoop of the duck
hunter, trimmed with green rushes to con-
ceal his head-water within, water without
you have the image of the perfect atolI.
Conceive one that has been partly plucked
of its rush fringe; you have the atoll of
Kauehi. And tor either shore of it at closer
quarters, conceive the line of some old
Roman highway traversing a wet morasS,
and here sunk out of view and there re-
arising, crowned with green tuft of ,thicket;
only instead of the stsgnant waters of
marsh, the live ocean now boiled against,
now buried the frail barrier.
Birds Hiving Like Bees.
And then bird or two appeared, lowering
and crying; swiftly these became more nu.
merous; and presently, looking ahead, we
were aware oil a vast effervescence of winged
life. In this place the annular isle was
mostly under water, carrying here and there
on its submerged line wooden islet. Over
one of these the birds hung and few with
an incredible density like that of gnats or
hiving bees; tine mass flashed white and
black, and heaved and quivered, and the
screaming of the creatures rose over the
voice of the surf in a shri]l Gathering whir.
As you descend some inland valley o not
dissimilar sound announces the nearness of
a mill and pouring weir. Some stragglers,
a. l sd-u, Cdue w meeb our dppEOdCuJ d lew
still hung about the ship as we departed.
Not for long. The crying died away, the
last pair of wings was left behind. and once
more the low shores OF Kauehi streamed past
our eyes in silence like picture.
L supposed at the time that the birds lived,
like ants or citizens, concentred where we
saw them. l have been told since q know
not If correctly that the whole isle, or much
of it, is similarly peopled; and that the
effervescence at single spot would be the
mark of boats crew of egg hunters from
one of the neighboring inhabited atolls. So
that here at Kauehi, as the day before at
Taiaro, the Oasco sailed by under the fire
of unsupported eyes. And one thing is
surely true, that even on these ribbons OF
land an army might lie hid and no passing
mariner divine its presence.
ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON.
WILL call at your residence with samples
and furnish estimate furniture reuphols.