Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1909-01-29


of the blest, 7" and many of us re.
manned on deck the night
through.
There is something theatrical
in the way a steamer approaches
port, and never had theatrical eff.
feet such gorgeous stage sett ng
as had orr arrival at the island
OF Tahiti. We reached sighting
distance of the island long be-
fore daybreak, but it would neye
do to run in while it was dark,
so the great steamer moved SOW
ly through what seemed to be a
sea of liquid silver toward the
looming blackness which we k0ey
to be the goal of our desires. The
twinkling light of Point Venus
gave the captain his bearings, ant
as. we steamed slowly along the
Irosy appearance of the eastern
sky warned us of approaching
dawn. Daylight comes quickly
in the tropics, and suddenly there
burst into full view the island
we had come so far to see. 1t
was a wondrOus sight indeed and
we felt well repaid for travelling
more than three thousand six
hundred miles across the water,
even if we saw nothing more thar
this wondrous approach to the is
land.
As the light grew stronger, all
the beautiful outline of the is
land came into prominence, and
then beautiful Korea, standing
guard off the west, showed Its
jagged peaks and crest against
the moonlit western sky. The
two islands seemed fitting COM
panions in this mystic sea, both
appearing to be a development
from some ancient continent.
There is a legend that says once
thegreat continent of Pan stood
where now is but the scattered
groups of little islands Of the
archipelago, and one can well be
lieve that this legend is based on
fact, for this land seems old,
and wears an air of mysticism
that reminds one of ancient
Egypt, or the interior of Yueatan
There was something uncanny in
our approach in the early dawn.
The steamer moved along with
no sound from her engines, and
the shore gradually grew palmer
until the waving palms and CO.
coanut trees could be distinguish
ed, and then few houses showed
among the green.
Mariposa day is the event of
the month at Papetee, for the
steamer makes its periodical Wis
its at such intervals, and it is
only on such periods that the
people come in touch with the
outer world civilization. One
other steamer comes occasionally,
but it comes from New Zealand,
and carries little Of Importance
to the islanders, so it is when the
Mariposa arrives that everyone
is out in gala attOre, ready for
the only excitement that comes Il
to their lives. Everybody SEEM
ed to be at the wharf to greet
us, and as the pilot came aboard
to take us safely through the reef
and we swung around to enter
into the narrow channel which
carries the vessel into the har-
Dor we could see streams OF white
dressed people flOcking down ev-
cry street and along side the city
front to the mooring place, and
before the steamer lay alongside
the wharf the pla;t was covered
witt. flower bedeeked people walt
ing to give us a hearty welcome
1t was a brilliant assemblage SO
far as color was concerned, and
the white clothing contrasted
beautifully against the green OF
the ever living foliage of all the
strange trees and plants of the
island, while interspersed among
the town people were dozens OF
natives, fresh from the interior
of the island, dressed much as
Nature dressed them with the
exception Of bright hued loln
cloths, or parena, as they are
called. These cloths are Of the
gaudiest colored calicoes pro-
duced from the looms OF France,
and one is disposed to wonder
WHY all those who live in Tahl-