The San Francisco call., 1910-03-18
g OFT FO7 a GOOD T1f1E m UoUTH ALUTRALLA
by FRANK II. CLIFF
q \ Ii right. Cast Off"

IS LII IlBuC' cast OIL!
n The big ropes hit the water
and the boat moved away from
the wharf Slowly she backed out into
the stream and turned around. long
blast of the whistle and we were off
on our trip. Down the bay we sailed,
past Telegraph hill, past the many
wharves, Alcatraz island, with it's red
walls, and out through the Golden gate
into the big Pacific. Once outside the
heads we found it a bit choppy, but
this only lasted for the first day. After
that the sea was very smooth.
glorious trip it proved to be. There
was always plenty to do and plenty to
see. Deck games were brought out
and tournaments got under way. Band
practice and school were also started
Then in our other spare moments there
were reading and walks around the
decks The best time for the latter was
in the evening, when we were able to
get the full benefit of the gorgeous
sunsets, which L doubt can be seen to
better advantage than in these tropical
seas, for there are nearly always banks
of clouds lying along the horizon. And
such colors as these would take on! At
one time the sky would be deep red,
or again there would be q sheet of the
most delicate mother of pearl tints.
Then some evenings it would appear as
if fierce fires were raging in the sky
overhead, for great masses of flames
of deep red could be seen. Every night
there was differenL cloud effect.
Then there were the flying fish.
Pretty little things they were too,
with their fimy butterfly like wings.
They reminded one very much of sonTe
small bird as they skinned along over
the top of the water. At times the
wash of the boat would disturb them
to such an extent that dozens would
go sailing away. Again we would see
"a nf w 20 nj a " N O. n in a
distance, or else a school of porpoises
plunging away through the water. At
other times we ran into a lot of, little
Portuguese men-of-war. There were
millions of them and the sea fairly
sparkled as their tiny sails reflected
the suns light.
Eleven glorious days had passed
when one of the sailors gave the call
of 'land." At first none of our party
were able to see it, till one of them
happened to notice several little points
sticking up above the horizon. Soon
these developed into the tops of cocoa
nut trees. then a little later we were
able to make out their trunks, and
then the land. 1t was only a coral
reef but it did look very beautiful
to us after having seen nothing but
water for II days There was the
bright green OF the cocoanut and pan
danus trees, behind the snowy white
heath upon which broke large tumblng
waves 1t made a very beautiful pic
ture.
All that day we were passing small
islands, and before daybreak next morn
ing found ourselves drifting around
outside the reef entrance of Papeete,
the capital of Tahiti, waiting for the
pilot TO come along and take us
through the entrance, to the smooth
waters Of the lagoon beyond. This
happened about eight o'clock, and by
the time the boat had tied up at the
wharf quite crowd of natives had
assembled.
When the boat comes In a kind Of
holiday is made of the occasion and
the inhabitants come down to the
dock dressed out in their very best.
Womens dresses, as a rule, are a kind
of wrapper for the most part white and
stifiy starched, but sometimes there
are stray red or blue. But few wear
hats, and none shoes. Nearly all have
their hair braided down their backs,
and great many wear flowers, Of
which they are very fond, twined
around their heads or necks. Among
the men there was a great variety OF
dress, ranging from white ducks,
through overalls, to Sulus. Both men
and women smoked cigarettes.
The band created quite q sensation,
for when we landed to parade to the
governors residence the natives crowd
ed all in around us, SO that IL soon be-
came very difficult to march. There
was the greatest wonder at the drum
majors high white shake, and the sill
YER appearance of our horns.
We spent four delightful days on
this island and it was with regret
that we took the boat for New Zealand.