THE MALE AND FEMALE ISLANDS
I was now able to demand an explanation for the cause of my abduction,
which I did with some warmth.
"In what way have I offended," I asked of the woman who had enticed me
on board the canoe, "that you should repay the trust I placed in you
with treachery? We came among you as friends, desiring nothing so much
as your goodwill. But you have treated me as an enemy, carried me away
from my ship, and separated me from my friends Take, heed, I am a man,
and have some strength. You are but women. Why, then, should I not
overpower you and return the way I came?"
"That is impossible," answered my captor. "None could make their way
back through the tunnel against the stream."
"At least, tell me then," I continued, "your name, for what purpose I
am brought here, and whither you are taking me."
"My name is Sylvia Cervantes," replied my captor, proudly. "As to why
you are brought here, ask the wise-ones whom you shall presently see.
Yonder islands are the Islands of Engano."
In the surprise which her words occasioned I almost forgot the anger
which had begun to burn within me when I thought of how basely I had
been betrayed. Before me were the wonderful Male and Female Islands,
fabled by Marco Polo. I had come upon this voyage with Dirk Hartog in
quest of adventure. Well, here was an adventure awaiting me that was
likely to prove the most remarkable I had yet encountered.
As we drew near, to one of the islands, I was impressed by the extreme
beauty of the scene. The cliffs rose to great heights, forming a dark,
clear-cut line against the sky, while between the lofty walls, verdant
valleys stretched down to the white, sandy beaches, upon which the
waves broke in glistening spume. Toward a beach, somewhere about the
centre of the island, our course was laid, and upon coming to the
shallows, the girls shipped their paddles and sprang into the water,
when, with others helping them, they ran the canoe on to the beach,
making no more of my weight than if I had been a child.
I now observed among the woods of the, very ancient stone buildings,
which, at one time, must have been occupied by a people possessing a
high state of civilization. They were in ruins, and overgrown by
flowering shrubs and creepers, but were apparently still used as
habitations for it was to one of these houses I was presently
conducted. Here I was invited to rest and refresh myself with some
delicious fruit that was set before me, the like of which I do not
remember having tasted before.
Sylvia Cervantes now joined me, and in the witchery of her presence I
forgot my perilous plight, and gave myself up to the luxury and
enjoyment of the moment.
From Sylvia I learnt the history of my capture, and why she had come to
entice me away with her.
Having inquired my name, which I gave her, Sylvia continued as
follows:--
"You must know, then, Peter," she said, "that we are ruled here by
custom which may not be changed. The wise-ones who live on the mountain
tops tell us what to do, and we do it without question. The wise-ones
are not as others are. They see what others cannot see, and they know
many things that others cannot even guess at, so when the wise-ones
told me your ship was on the other side of the Great Barren Island, and
that I was to take my canoe and bring you here, I could not help but
obey."
"How is it possible," I asked, "that mortal eyes can see so far?"
"The eyes of the wise-ones are not as mortal eyes," replied Sylvia,
gravely. "Rest now, and to-morrow you shall hear what is required of
you."
I was so affected by the calamity which had overtaken me that I lacked
the disposition to question Sylvia more closely on the matter. It was
plain I was a captive, and helpless to avert my fate, whatever it might
be. As well then accept the inevitable, and make the most of the
passing hour. I did not value life, since Anna's death, at a pin's
ransom. If, therefore, the end of all things for me in this world was
at hand, let it come. I would welcome it without regret.
Sylvia now told me as much as she knew about the island to which I had
been brought, and of its people.
In ages gone by, she said, when the stone houses were new, and a
flourishing city stood in the valley, a disagreement had arisen
between the king and queen, who held equal sway over the two islands,
of such a nature that the breach became impossible to be healed.
Instead of going to war with each other, and thus sacrificing the lives
of many of their respective followers in battle, who had no part in
their quarrel, an agreement was come to whereby the king withdrew
himself to the western island, leaving the queen in undisputed
possession in the east. The king took to him all the men in both
islands, giving up to the queen the women, to become her subjects. Since
then the Male and Female Islands had been managed as separate
communities. There was no king or queen now, the people of both islands
being ruled by the wise-ones, who lived on the mountain tops in the
Female Island. But the inhabitants of the two islands still continued to
live apart, the males on one island and the females on the other. On the
Male Island the males dwelt alone, without their wives, or any other
women. Every year, in the month of March, the men came to the Female
Island, and tarried there three months, to wit, March, April, and May,
dwelling with their wives for that space. At the end of those three
months they returned to their own island, and pursued their avocation
there, selling ambergris to the traders from Sumatra. As for the
children whom their wives bore them, if they were girls they stayed with
their mothers; but if they were boys their mothers brought them up until
they were fourteen years old, and then sent them to their fathers. Those
women who were married did nothing but nurse and rear their children.
Their husbands provided them with all necessaries. Those who were
unmarried, and until marriage, became Amazons, doing all the work on the
island that would, in the ordinary course, be done by men. They were
very strictly reared, and were as hardy as boys. If necessary they could
fight in defence of their country with a courage equal to that displayed
by the bravest warriors. Such were the strange customs of the people on
these two islands as related to me by Sylvia Cervantes.