never studied Virgil, had never been conquered by Caesar, and never

been ruled by the wisdom of Gaius or Papinian. By the same step I

had journeyed forth out of that comfortable zone of kindred

languages, where the curse of Babel is so easy to be remedied; and

my new fellow-creatures sat before me dumb like images. Methought,

in my travels, all human relation was to be excluded; and when I

returned home (for in those days I still projected my return) I

should have but dipped into a picture-book without a text. Nay,

and I even questioned if my travels should be much prolonged;

perhaps they were destined to a speedy end; perhaps my subsequent

friend, Kauanui, whom I remarked there, sitting silent with the

rest, for a man of some authority, might leap from his hams with an

ear-splitting signal, the ship be carried at a rush, and the ship's

company butchered for the table.

There could be nothing more natural than these apprehensions, nor

anything more groundless. In my experience of the islands, I had

never again so menacing a reception; were I to meet with such to-

day, I should be more alarmed and tenfold more surprised. The

majority of Polynesians are easy folk to get in touch with, frank,

fond of notice, greedy of the least affection, like amiable,

fawning dogs; and even with the Marquesans, so recently and so

imperfectly redeemed from a blood-boltered barbarism, all were to

become our intimates, and one, at least, was to mourn sincerely our

departure.

CHAPTER II--MAKING FRIENDS

The impediment of tongues was one that I particularly over-

<<BackPagesTo menuNext>>