The Hawaiian gazette., 1897-03-16
BEACH C0MBERS
One Feature Of Life on the Pa
GifG Islands
GROWING POWER IN POLYNESIA
An Obstacle in the Way
Of Civilization.
GROWING POWER IN POLYNESIA
Alexander SeIkirk the First in the
Pacific-Rooert Louis Steven
sons Opinion Of them.

The name OF ''beach-comber" is Of
doubtful origin Il is known that Il
was applied more than 3 century ago
TO those worse than pirates, wreck
ers," along the shores % Great Brit
ain and OF our own country. These
wretehes hailed wrecks as q godsend,
and by false lights they helped 10 pro-
duce them. Their harvest was in the
czrgoes cast upon the sands when the
ship had gone 10 pieces, and in the
fotsam taken from the sea when the
waves had subsidized.
Light houses, buoys and well organ
lied life-saYing stations have banished
the beach-combers from the civilized
shores. Although equally brutal and
Indifferent 10 the laws controlling the
rights 10 life and property, the beach
comber OF the Pacific islands is an en-
tirely different character from his Am
erican and English predecessor, says
the Washington Star. With his life
lines cast in those favored purple
isles" where nature Is so lavish Of her
bounTies. the Polynesi2n beaCh-cOmbeT
has lost his love Of wealth. He has
adopted the modes Of life OF the people
on whom ne forced himself, and al
though he has not in all things adopt
ed their guileleSs methods, something
OF the poetry OF his surroundings and
the simplicity Of his associates comes
TO him after he has ceased 10 yearn
for the busting. selfish world, upon
which he has forever turned his back
4 few years ago. while in Apia- the
capital OF Samoa. the one city of the
NavigaIor's Islands. 3 city with one
street and that street with very few
houses. I gladly accepted an invitation
from nv old friend. Robert Louis Ste
venson. 10 spend night with him in
his picturesque home up the noun
tain, within hearing Of the waterfall
and within sight OF the worlds most
beautiful bay" as ne put IL
HIS PART IN LIFE.
Before this I had started in 10 study
the Polynesian beach-comber. and I
had just returned from The Island Of
Tetuila, where ! had learned much 10
increase my interest in the subject,
without AZ all adding 10 NY respect
for IL.
I found my kindly, brilliant host an
enthusiast on the subject Of beach
combers. and had he lived he would
have added another fascinating chap
ter 10 2 subject that has inspired The
pens Of some o. the greatest writers OF
the last two centuries
After repeating NY limited expert
ence with these fellows I was de-
nouncing The whole hand when S-e-
venson interrupted ne in half laugh
ing. half serious way;
Ny dear boy" he said, IS nearly
as I can recall his words, Of which
made 2 note The next DAY, you forge,
that students Of psychology. as well
as students Of physiology, md their
most abnormal subjects the most in
teresring The beach-eomber Is not :
thinker, bur he has sc, ne a-thilking-
How, much he has done for litera-
Iure-"
I started in surprise. and then ny
host went on 70 describe the beach
eomber who Is 70 be found IN nearly
su The inhabited islands Of the Pacific,
from the AleuIian group 10 the clus-
tiers OF isle-S that fringe southern New
Zealand These men he explained,
were Americans and Representatives
o. nearly every maritime people n the
world. Nearly al were ceserIers from
ships Some were fugitive criminals.
but s majority were driven 10 ex-
Jremes by the cruelty OF their masters
Many had no home Ties, no sense Of
obligation and no idea OF duty: bur
for these deficiencies they were hardly
10 blame They co1traSted the beauty
Of these lovely islands and the perfect
freedom OF the graceful natives with
the teti6 forecastleS OF the whaler OF
merchantmen On which they served
and they compared The tyranny OF their
captain with The low voices and se6uc-
tive eyes OF the beautiful nlzi6ens %
POLYNESIA They yielded 70 the latter
and deserted by thousands-indeei
they have been deserving for more than
g century. and the end Is lot ye-.
These deserte-s. now called beach
combers. whether they reside on the
shore OF in the interior. have taken
native wives Where the custom per
miJted they took more than one, and
the result is 6 new race OF half-breeds
As rule this race is physically su-
perior 10 either OF the originals. but
unfortunately the greater mental c.
paciIy that accompanies this greater
strength and grace has not been used
in an ennobling way
What the fronIierSman was 10 Am
erica the beach-conber, though not
with the heroic nature and splendid
purpose Of the former. is destined to
be 70 Polynesia" said Stevenson
But what has he done for literz-
turee" I asked
Nothing directly. - was the response.
but then, neither has the frontiers
man the soldier. the sailor. or any
other nan whose life has been de-
voted 10 physical struggle. All these.
however. have inspired the pens OF
Others. and in this way The beach
conber has done his share.
Seeing that looked incredulous, nv
host continued. with pleasant smile:
THE FIRST BEACH COMBER
The first Pacific beach-comber OF
whom the world has any knowledge