The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1910-09-03
The Voyage South


plenty are the fruits of earth.
would you like to rest awhile?"
asks your companion, fearful lest your
walk has wearied you, cor shall we
proceed to my uncle's house which is
only a very short distance away?"
You reassure her that you were only
listening to the twilight bells and hur-
ry on.
Needless to say the reception you
receive from your host is as cordial
as was that of his niece and after
sitting in the cool recess of his hut
for some time, he presses upon you a
fresh young cocoanut, but moment
ago plucked from its giddy height and
extracted from it's tough green husk
by means of a sharp edged pointed
stake standing upright in the ground.
A neat small hole is obtained on one
end by cracking carefully round and
round with a large heavy knife and
lifting the tiny lid of the shell, gen.
tie Samoan boy hands you the nut
and you drink the sweet sparkling
milk directly from its source. And
when you have decided to depart, you
find yourself laden with fans, strings
of beads, bananas, and breadfruit,
everything in fact within reach of your
hosts generous hand.
Finally the kuikui nuts, strung on
vein of a cocoanut leaf, which serve
as a candle, are lighted and you re-
luctantly make your adieux.
A boat is in readiness, and thither
the princess leads you, and you two,
waving a last "Tofa" to the kind old
chief who stands alone upon the beach,
start off over the opalescent waters
which resemble a romantic lake.
There is still plenty of time so the
Samoan boat boys languidly dip their
oars.
The shadowy shore which has be-
come immersed in darkness wrinkles
here and there with groups of lights
and a pale half moon reflects a silver
stream over the bay. The red port
lights of the Maori" seem very far
away. The rhythmic oars lazily swing
and dip and but for the slight swish
they make, there is no sound. Soft
ly, beside you a girls sweet young
voice floats out easily in a Samoan
song resembling a low plaintive wall
with strange peculiar cadences, and
the boat boys take up the refrain, their
rich full voices blending in tenor and
bass. And as they. row, they sing
slowly, languidly, dreamily, and the
sound of the rowlocks seems also to
play its part and fill in the intervals
of the wild sweet song.
And when you have been on board
the little thirty ton steamer for half
an hour, and when, after a Shrek of
her penny whistle" her miniature en-.
gines begin to throb, you can hear
through the silent evening the blend
ing vo; ces of the boatload of girls sing
ing goodbye my feleni" receding into
the distance till sharp turn brings
you face to face with the open sea.
You are seated on the cramped after
deck of the small steamer which is
bucking against head sea and vol
gaze in terror at the angry combers az
they hurl themselves seething ant
foaming roughly against the boat. Ira
yelling on a large coy even-motioneC
steamer was certainly not like this
You rise high on the crest of hug,
swell and humping uncertainty sinl
suddenly to perilous depths only tt
anticipate with horror the oncom
ing swell which you imagine will
swamp you completely,
With these emotions of fear AM
anxiety conflicting in a tumult O
agony you watcn the gradual recedin
of the shadpwy land till 1t sinks int
the surrounding shades of nightfal
The sky is serene and clear and feel
ed with bright stars and a moon, bu
the restful quiet of the secluded ba
has disappeared, and the wild Sc
frantically surges threateningly abol
the minute vessel.
After clutching to the rail for som
time in suspense you finally half tur
to glance at your two fellow passer
gers, who in undertones are comfor
ably suggesting it's being a very roug
passage and deploring the unseawortl
mess of your steamer.
1T wouldn't surprise a darn bit,
says a commercial traveller seated b,
side you to a gray bearded veteran
ITO see this boat come to pieces an
time. This is the only part of m
run that l don't like"
And the worst of it is the old vet,
ran, who surely cannot believe hi
own words, as he calmly sits smokin