The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1922-01-27
FAIRY LANDS OF
THE SOUTH SEAS"
By Ad Carter

James Norman Hall and Charles
Bernard Nordhoff, two young men
| born for adventure, went to the South
| Sea islands several years ago, and
mapped out an unusual plan for col
labOrating in the story of their ex-
periences. One would visit one group
of islands; the other, a different group,
and they would keep in touch with
each other by letter and meet when
they could to compare notes.
This method Of undertaking their
joint work has made their book,
"Faery Lands of the South Seas" re-
Gently published by the Harpers, stand
out from other litera ture OF its kind.
The authors set out to void following
/ the trail of the writer's of other travel
stories, and determined to carry on the
thread OF the narrative in an intimate
way. BY writing the story together
they achieved a diversity Of experience,
covered a much wider field than they
could have hoped TO cover alone, and
gave the reader the benefit of two
wholly different points of view.
They lived the native life, and as a
result their narrative includes all the
i
found exotic white men-painters, sci
entists, schoIars-and delved ito the
spell the island life had cast upon these
men who would never return to civiIi-
cation. Then encountered danger and
romance as they discovered the differ
ent tribes of natives, some warlike and
cannibalistic and others merely fearful
of having their solitude invaded. They
found what happens to the white men
who succumb to the dreamy day-to-
day existence in the South Seas and
Whist happens to them when they
marry the native women. The home
life OF these voluntary exiIes from civ
ilization is described in a manner both
discerning and sympathetic. The char
acteristics which led these men to mar
ry native women and raise families of
half-breed children are so intimat ely
conveyed to the reader that they be-
come as interesting to study as the ma
tives themselves.
golden atmosphere of restful hap
piness permsates the book, for both
restless adventurous spirits found q
contentment greater than mere hapi-
ness during their wanderings. The
Paumatuan people prove a delightful
surprise to the reader-their hospital
ity, which compares so favorably with
that of civilization, is a thing beautiful
enough to carry with it a touch of
pathos. The Paumatuan chief not only
gave Hall a house of his own, but an
island on which to set the house, well
coming him to his new home with
touchingly beautiful hosewarmlng,
with moonlit ceremonies joyously par
ticipated in by this gracious child like
people.
The white men Hall and Nordhoff
encounter are fascinatingly rnysteri-
Gus. Many Of the natives are huu1or-
ously loyable. There is Huarai. a
Paumatuan notable. for instance. who
can hardly write his own name, but
who proudly and invariably wears q
fountain pen bought from some trader
clipped to his undershirt. And there is
Havaiki, his rival to distinction, in
that he possesses a folding camera in
which there never had been any films. /
but which stands in state on shelf in /
his house. His only regret, we learn, is
his inability to wear the camera asl
Huarai did his pen.
And there IS an incident which can
never be forgotten-Ihe story Of one
Of the white men who left his native |
wife TO take his small son hack 70 |
England IN order 70 educate him there. +!
Several months later he returned with /
q revealing commentary on the South /
Sea life versus civilization
The native sports are described most /
alluringly and there are several folk I
stories REPEATED as they fell from the
doubted ends Of the carth-storiez 4
which equal many Of the classics Of