CHAPTER VI.

The water of the vast ocean,

When it has raged with all its fury, becalms itself again;

This is the course of the world;--and likewise still to forget.

_Kalmuck Song_.

There were no disappointments on the twenty-first; but there was

evidently some cause of uneasiness, for there was a great deal of

whispering between George and his sister, and a great many

significant glances at papa, which plainly indicated that some

important disclosure was about to be made. But muffins and tea

appeared, and disappeared, and still not a word. George fidgeted,

and Emma looked uneasy, which Mr. Wilton observing, he said: "I

apprehend there will be no business done to-night, unless I set

these anxious little folks at rest, by informing the present company

of the events which have transpired since our last meeting. I

believe you were aware that it was my intention shortly to visit

Jamaica. During the past week I have been bringing affairs to a

crisis, and it is now finally arranged, that, should nothing

intervene to the prevention of our plans, we sail for that island on

or about the thirtieth of next month. This, of course, will preclude

the possibility of meeting many more times; but I think we may

promise ourselves one farewell debate. I regret our separation

principally on account of our little society, for it has been the

means of passing our evenings, not only agreeably, but profitably.

Should our lives be spared, I trust we shall again assemble under

the same roof and again enjoy the advantages of each other's

researches."

This news spread a gloom over the little party, for they could not

contemplate a separation from their kind friends without feelings of

deep regret, and there were more tears than smiles in their usually

bright eyes.

Grandy looked from one young face to another: all wore the same

expression. Thoughtful, sorrowful, and silent, they sat around the

table where they had enjoyed so many happy hours; and she, too, felt

that, although it is delightful to possess the affection of friends,

yet too often that affection is the cause of much anxiety and deep

enduring sorrow.

A separation of 5000 miles was not a trifling cause of grief; but it

was a pity to tinge the next month of their existence with

unavailing melancholy: it had been better that it had remained a

secret, than to have caused such unhappiness to cloud their serene

and cheerful days; and Mrs. Wilton endeavored to make them view the

matter in a brighter light. "At all events," she said, "we must not

render each other miserable, because we are called upon to exercise

this self-denial. It is wrong to waste in unavailing regrets the

time we have still to be together, and be gloomy and sad for a whole

month. No! that cannot possibly improve our affairs, and will only

unfit us for the performance of our duty, and increase our misery.

Come, wipe away those glistening tears, my children, or they will

freeze on your cheeks; for, if I mistake not, we are supposed to be

somewhere about the sixtieth parallel of south latitude, and the

thermometer somewhat below Zero. Come, see who will find the

situation first. George, try what you can do."

The children commenced their search, and before George exclaimed

"South Shetland, dear mamma!" every eye, although still dimmed with

tears, was eagerly in quest of the desired parallel.

MRS. WILTON. "Right, George! I fear it will not be prudent to

venture any further south, as we may encounter some ice-islands, for

there are several in this vicinity; but I should like to hear, if

any of you can tell me why Deception Isle (one of the South Shetland

group) is so called?"

DORA. "It is so called from its very exact resemblance to a ship in

full sail, and has deceived many navigators. This island is

inhabited only by penguins, sea-leopards, pintadors, and various

kinds of petrels. It is volcanic, apparently composed of alternate

layers of ashes and ice, as if the snow of each winter, during a

series of years, had been prevented from melting in the following

summer by the ejection of cinders and ashes from some part where

volcanic action is still in progress; and that such is the case

seems probable, from the fact of there being at least one hundred

and fifty holes from which steam issues with a loud hissing noise,

and which are, or were, visible from the top of one of the hills

immediately above the small cone where Lieutenant Kendall's ship was

secured, to whom I am indebted for this information."

MRS. WILTON. "The only habitable islands near here are the Sandwich

Isles (not Captain Cook's) and Georgia; but they are neither large,

numerous, nor important: we will, therefore, round the Cape and

enter the Pacific Ocean."

DORA "According to Emma's chart we are to follow the coast, calling

at as many of the islands as are worthy of notice; but, previously,

here are the bays to be enumerated, and such a number of them! I

could scarcely have imagined it possible for any shores to be so

indented."

EMMA. "I need not read all the names, as with your maps you can each

read for yourself; but the following are the largest: Gulf of

Trinidad. Gulf of Penas, Gulf of Ancud by the Island of Chiloe, and

Conception Bay on the coast of Chili."

MRS. WILTON. "Here is a part for me to play, I perceive. The natives

of the coast of the Gulf of Penas are descendants of the

Araucanians, a warlike people, who, observing the great advantages

the Europeans possessed from the use of gunpowder, tried in vain to

learn its composition. They saw negroes among the Spaniards, and

because their color was supposed to resemble that of gunpowder, they

imagined they had discovered the long-wished-for secret. A poor

negro was caught by them and burnt alive, in the full belief that

gunpowder would be obtained from his ashes."

GEORGE. "Poor man! what ignorant people they must be. Are we to stop

at the Island of Chiloe?"

MR. BARRAUD. "Most certainly, as you will agree when you hear what I

have to say. It lies near the south coast of Chili: its length is

120 miles, average breadth 40 miles. It is mountainous and covered

with cedar, which is exported in great quantities to Peru and Chili.

The climate is healthy, but damp, as it rains ten months out of the

year. Money is here almost unknown, and traffic is conducted by

barter, or payment in indigo, tea, salt, or Cayenne pepper. All

these articles are much valued, particularly the indigo for dyeing

woollens, for the weaving of which there is a loom in every house.

According to Captain Blankley, the golden age would seem to be

revived in this part of the world. 'Murders,' says he, 'robbery, or

persons being in debt, are never heard of: drunkenness is only known

or seen when European vessels are in port: not a private dwelling in

the towns or country has a lock on the doors, and the prison is in

disuse.' The inhabitants are cheerful, and passionately fond of

music and dancing."

EMMA. "I think we had better remain at Chiloe: it must be a

delightful place to live in, where all the inhabitants are so

upright and honest."

MRS. WILTON. "Yes, my dear; but business must be attended to before

pleasure, and we are bound for Chili.

"Chili is an independent State, and includes the country of those

same ignorant Araucanians; who, notwithstanding their attributed

ignorance, have proved themselves equal in some respects to

Europeans; for _they_ have tried in vain to subdue this warlike race

of men. The shores of Chili are mostly high, steep, and rocky. The

whole country is extremely rich in metals: silver is there found

nearer the surface than in any other country. Nearly all the rivers

wash down gold and there are copper, lead, and even _coal_ mines.

The Chilians are good potters, and make light, strong, earthenware

jars, which ring like metal. Chili is _specially_ subject to

earthquakes; shocks are felt in some parts almost daily, and the

country is continually desolated by them."

MR. WILTON. "The little island of Mocha on this coast was once

celebrated as a resort of buccaneers, and thickly peopled; but it

was found deserted by Captain Strong in 1690; and appears to have

remained uninhabited since."

EMMA. "The most memorable island near our course is Juan Fernandez,

110 miles from the coast. I ought rather to have said islands, for

there are two. The largest was discovered by a Spaniard in 1563, and

has been so much praised by early navigators, that it has been

thought an earthly paradise. Its chief advantages arises from its

being a good resting-place for ships. This island is called

Mas-a-terra, because nearest the continent. There are many Spanish

settlers there, who have erected a battery, and built a town. The

smaller island is generally called Mas-a-fuero, because further from

the continent."

MR. WILTON. "Juan Fernandez has lately been taken on lease from the

Chilian Government, by an enterprising American, who has taken

thither about 150 families of Tahitians, with the intention of

cultivating the land, rearing cattle, and so improving the port of

Cumberland Bay, that it may become the resort of whalers, and other

vessels navigating the Pacific Ocean."

CHARLES. "Oh! for the imagination of Daniel de Foe to conjure up the

delightful pictures of his Robinson Crusoe. The poet Cowper has done

much towards handing the event down to posterity, in his touching

account of the feelings of the poor outcast when he found himself on

the desolate shore."

GEORGE. "Oh! you mean Alexander Selkirk's soliloquy. I think I can

remember some of the verses:--

"' I am out of humanity's reach,

I must finish my journey alone,

Never hear the sweet music of speech,

I start at the sound of my own.

The beasts that roam over the plain

My form with indifference bee;

They're so unaccustomed to man,

Their tameness is shocking to me.'

"'Religion I what treasure untold

Resides in that heavenly word!

More precious than silver or gold,

Or all that this earth can afford;

But the sound of the church-going bell,

These valleys and rocks never heard,

Ne'er sigh'd at the sound of a knell,

Or smil'd when a sabbath appear'd."

"'Ye winds, that have made me your sport,

Convey to this desolate shore,

Some cordial, endearing report

Of a land I shall visit no more.

My friends--do they now and then send

A wish or a thought after me?

Oh! tell me I yet have a friend,

Though a friend I am never to see!'"

EMMA. "A life of solitude must be very dreadful: we cannot conceive

such an existence while surrounded by our dear friends, and all the

luxuries of civilized life. How long was Alexander Selkirk on the

island?"

CHARLES. "Four years and four months, I believe."

DORA. "In sailing along the coast of Peru we must pass close to

Lima, its capital, which is a magnificent city. Like other Spanish

cities of America it is laid out in quadras or squares of houses,

and through the centre of nearly all the streets runs a stream of

water three feet wide, which carries away a good portion of the

refuse of the city."

MR. BARRAUD. "The ladies of Lima are celebrated for beauty and

fineness of figure. They wear a very remarkable walking dress,

peculiar to this city and Truxillo. It consists of two parts, one

called the _saya_, the other the _manto_. The first is an elastic

dress, fitting close to the figure down to the ankles; the other is

an entire envelope, disclosing scarcely more than one eye to the

most scrutinizing observer. A rich colored handkerchief or a silk

band and tassel are frequently tied around the waist, and hang

nearly to the ground in front."

MRS. WILTON. "The population of Peru consists principally of

Indians, Spaniards and Negroes. The first are represented by

travellers as in the lowest stage of civilization, without any

desire for the comforts of civilized life, immersed in sloth and

apathy, from which they can rarely be roused, except when they have

an opportunity of indulging to excess in ardent spirits, of which

they are excessively fond. They are dirty in the extreme, seldom

taking off their clothes even to sleep, and still more rarely using

water. Their habitations are miserable hovels, destitute of every

convenience and disgustingly filthy."

MR. WILTON. "The Peruvians had at one time a curious contrivance for

crossing their rivers. They did not know how to make a bridge of

wood or stone; but necessity, the parent of invention, supplied that

defect. They formed cables of great strength, by twisting together

some of the pliable withes or osiers with which their country

abounds; six of these cables they stretched across the stream

parallel to one another, and made them fast on each side; these they

bound firmly together, by inter-weaving smaller ropes so close as to

form a compact piece of net-work, which being covered with branches

of trees and earth, they passed along it with tolerable security.

Proper persons were appointed to attend to each bridge, to keep it

in repair, and to assist passengers."

GEORGE. "Almost as clever a contrivance as the bridge of the present

day, although neither so strong nor durable. They were a persevering

people."

EMMA. "The Gulf of Guayaquil is so called from a river of this name

which is famous for its shifting sand-banks, on which as the water

recedes alligators are left in great numbers. The Bay of Choco is on

the same coast (Columbia), and is the scene of continual storms. The

greatest riches in washed gold are deposited in the provinces of

Choco. The largest piece found there weighed twenty-five pounds; but

this country, so rich in gold, is at the same time scourged with

continual famine."

GRANDY. "Proving that gold is only valuable as the means of

procuring the necessaries of life, and enabling its possessor to

benefit his fellow-creatures. 'Whoso seeth his brother have need,

and shutteth up his compassion, how dwelleth the love of God in

him?' The people here value not the gold, for it is unable to buy

them freedom from the awful scourge."

DORA. "Emma, the Bay of Choco is on the coast of Granada, which,

although it is a district of Columbia, is large enough to be

regarded with some attention, particularly as it is actually one of

the three great divisions of Columbia."

CHARLES. "Nearly in the same latitude, just over the equator, are

the Galapagos. They are pretty islands: the cactus and aloe cover

the sides of the rocks, flamingoes and turtle-doves fill the air,

and the beach is covered with enormous turtle. But no trace whatever

indicates the residence of man, and I believe no man has ever landed

on these lonely shores."

MRS. WILTON. "Columbia abounds in stupendous natural wonders;

amongst the rest are the natural bridges of Iconongo, not far from

Bogota; the fall of Tequendama, the loftiest cataract; and the Silla

de Caracas, the loftiest cliff yet discovered. The climate is hot

and unhealthy, and the country subject to earthquakes. It is

inhabited by Indians, Spaniards, and Negroes. The Caribs are the

ruling Indian tribe; they are tall, of a reddish copper-color, with

dark intelligent eyes, and a grave expression of features. They

raise the flesh of their legs and thighs in long stripes, and shave

most of the hair from their heads, but do not flatten the forehead,

as is customary with the other tribes along the Orinoco. Columbia is

a country of great natural riches, but suffered to lie for the most

part waste, for the people are naturally indolent; and Captain Hall

remarks, that the Columbian who can eat beef and plantains, and

smoke cigars as he swings in his hammock, is possessed of almost

everything his habits qualify him to enjoy, or which his ambition

prompts him to attain."

MR. BARRAUD. "Along this coast many of the inhabitants subsist as

fishermen; and the Indians of Cartago have a singular method of

catching wild-fowl, which may here be noticed:--They leave

calabashes continually floating on the water that the birds may be

accustomed to the sight of them. When they wish to catch any of

these wild-fowl, they go into the water with their heads covered

each with a calabash, in which they make two holes for seeing

through; they then swim towards the birds, throwing a handful of

maize on the water from time to time, the grains of which scatter

on the surface. The birds approach to feed on the maize, and at the

moment the swimmer seizes them by the feet, pulls them under water,

and wrings their necks before they can make the least movement, or,

by their noise, spread an alarm among the flock. Many families are

supported in this way by disposing of the birds thus caught at a low

price in the markets."

EMMA. "The next bay is Panama, in which are the Gulf of St. Michael

and Gulf of Parita. There are several islands here, but the largest

is Rey Isle. The Gulf of Dolce runs into Costa Rica, and so does the

Gulf of Nicoya: and the little bays about here must not detain us."

MRS. WILTON. "San José is the capital of Costa Rica. There are no

fine buildings in this city, and the churches are inferior to many

erected by the Spaniards in the smallest villages. Nevertheless, the

whole place exhibits a business like appearance, much more so than

most cities in this lethargic part of the world. In Costa Rica is a

volcanic mountain, Cartago (now quiet), from the top of which the

traveller can view the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans at one glance. In

a right line over the tops of the mountains, neither is more than

twenty miles distant, and from the great height from which they are

seen they appear to be almost at the traveller's feet. It is the

only point in the world which commands a view of the two Oceans."

GRANDY. "I remember a touching description of a funeral in San

José, which will not be out of place here:--

"'While Mr. Stephens (the author of several delightful books) was

standing in a corridor of his friend's house, a man passed with a

child in his arms. He was its father, and with a smile on his face

was carrying it to its grave. He was followed by two boys playing on

violins, and others were laughing around. The child was dressed in

white, with a wreath of roses around its head; and as it lay in its

father's arms, it did not seem dead but sleeping. The grave was not

quite ready, and the boys sat on the heap of dirt thrown out, and

played their violins until it was finished. The father then laid the

child carefully in its final resting-place, with its head to the

rising sun, folded its little hands across its breast, and closed

its fingers around a small wooden crucifix; and it seemed, as they

thought it was, happy at escaping the troubles of an uncertain

world. There were no tears shed; on the contrary, all were cheerful;

and though it appeared heartless, it was not because the father did

not love his child, but because he and all his friends had been

taught to believe, and were firm in the conviction, that, taken away

so young, it was transferred immediately to a better world. The

father sprinkled a handful of dirt over its face; the grave-digger

took his shovel; in a few moments the little grave was filled up,

and, preceded by the boys playing on their violins, they departed.'"

MRS. WILTON. "There is a spirit of thankfulness evinced in that

father's conduct which requires great faith. I fear none of us

would be found to possess as much under such a trial, for the spirit

is, unhappily, at most times under the dominion of the flesh."

GEORGE. "Is not Papagayo Bay close to the Lake of Nicaragua?"

EMMA. "It is only divided from the Ocean by a portion of the

district of Nicaragua. It is a great lake, ninety five miles long,

and thirty broad, and is navigable for ships of the largest class."

DORA. "It is covered with beautiful and populous islands, and two of

them--viz. Isola and Madeira--contain burning mountains. The largest

volcano--Omotepeque--always continues burning, and reminds one of

Mount Etna rising from the water's edge, a smooth unbroken cone to

the height of nearly 1000 feet. The waters of this lake descend by

the river St. John towards the Atlantic; but there is no outlet into

the Pacific Ocean."

GEORGE. "I should like to know why the Pacific is so called?"

[Illustration: THE EARTHQUAKE]

CHARLES. "I can tell you, George. In the year 1520, when Magellan

was on his way to the Spice Islands (the Moluccas, you know), he and

the crew suffered dreadful privations: they were nearly four months

at sea without discovering land. Their stock of provisions was

almost exhausted, the water became putrid, and in consequence the

poor men were attacked with that horrible disease the scurvy. The

only source of consolation, under these troubles, was the

uninterrupted fair weather they enjoyed, and the favorable winds

which wafted them gently onward; so that Magellan was induced to

call the Ocean Pacific: hence the origin of its name."

GEORGE. "Thank you, Charles. How pleasant it is to get all the

information we require, without the trouble of searching in great

dusty books. Now, Emma, will it please you to travel onward?"

EMMA. "What, George! Have you, too, caught the mania, that you are

in such a hurry to get to California?"

GEORGE. "Not to go gold-hunting, indeed; but the Rocky Mountains are

up in the north, and I have a story about them."

EMMA. "Well, to oblige you and ourselves too, we will proceed. The

Gulfs of Fonseca and Conchagua are deep indentations, about the

middle of the coast of Guatemala, to which country Costa Rica

belongs."

MRS. WILTON. "The city of Guatemala was founded in 1776. It is

situated on table-land, 5000 feet above the sea and enjoys a

delicious climate,--literally, a perpetual spring. Beautiful

churches and buildings adorn this city; but the houses are built

only one story high, in order more effectually to resist the action

of earthquakes; for you must know this city has close to it two

burning mountains--Fuego and Agua, which prove the volcanic nature

of the earth. Among all the phenomena of nature few appear to be

attended with such horrible consequences as earthquakes. Thousands,

who in one moment are full of busy life, are, the next, swallowed up

as if they had never existed, or crushed to death by fragments of

falling buildings. In _six minutes_, by the great earthquake of

Lisbon, in 1755, sixty thousand souls were launched into eternity;

and though none in this city have equalled in destructiveness the

great one at Lisbon, yet Guatemala has been several times nearly

destroyed by earthquakes, combined with the eruptions of the

neighboring volcanoes."

MR. BARRAUD. "The inhabitants are mostly of Spanish origin;

consequently, mostly Roman Catholics; and a recent traveller says

that from the moment of his arrival, he was struck with the devout

appearance of the city of Guatemala. At matins and vespers, the

churches were all open, and the people, particularly the women, went

regularly to prayers. Every house had its figure of the Virgin, the

Saviour, or some tutelary saint, and on the door were billets of

paper with prayers. You will be surprised to hear that nearly all

the ladies in Central America smoke. The married ladies smoke

_puros_, or all tobacco; the unmarried ladies smoke _cigars_, or

tobacco wrapped in paper or straw."

DORA. "What an odd indulgence for a lady! In England, ladies never

smoke; although I must say I have often seen poor women with pipes

in their mouths, and thought what a dirty habit it was."

MRS. WILTON. "It is the custom of the country, and were you a

Spanish lady, Dora, I have no doubt you would enjoy a cigar as much

as any of the señoritas. We shall next see the shore of Mexico. What

gulfs must we pass to accomplish this?"

EMMA. "Only the Gulf of Tehuantepec which is worth noticing."

MRS. WILTON. "Mexico has been travelled over already; so we will

pass on to the Gulf of California."

GEORGE. "But is there not a place called New Mexico?"

DORA. "Yes, but not near the coast: however, I will tell you all I

know about it. It is mostly inhabited by Christian Indians, of whom

there are no fewer than thirty villages. They are of various tribes,

but all trained to industrial habits, and are in every respect a

worthy set of people. Their clothing is the skin of wild goats;

their women wear mantles of cotton or wool. Their mode of travelling

is on horseback, and the only access to their huts, which are

square, with open galleries on the top, is by a ladder, which is

removed during the night."

CHARLES. "Robinson Crusoe fashion, I presume?"

DORA. "Exactly. 'Now we are in front of the entrance to San

Francisco Bay. The mountains on the northern side are 3000 feet in

height, and come boldly down to the sea As the view opens through

the splendid strait, three or four miles in width, the island rock

of Alcatraz appears, gleaming white in the distance. At last we are

through the Golden Gate--fit name for such a magnificent portal to

the commerce of the Pacific. The Bay is crowded with the shipping of

the world, and the flags of all nations are fluttering in the

breeze.'[15] Before us lies the grand emporium of the Gold

Region--a city which has well nigh realized the extravagance of the

Arabian Nights Entertainments. As if by the touch of a magic wand,

what was five years ago a little Indian village is now a large and

flourishing city, which is increasing at a prodigious rate. From

every nation and people and clime, emigrants have been pressing to

it in pursuit of the precious metal. The golden sands of California,

with their brilliant glitter, have attracted thousands upon

thousands from every land--and there is now arising on the far

distant shores of the Pacific a great Empire destined to exert a

mighty influence in the affairs of the world. The glowing prospect

which the success of the first adventurers had created, soon drew to

her shores the energy and enterprise of the nations of both Europe

and America. 'Around the curving shore of the Bay and upon the sides

of three hills, which rise steeply from the water, the middle one

receding so as to form a bold amphitheatre, the town is planted and

seems scarcely yet to have taken root, for tents, canvass, plank,

mud and adobe houses are mingled together with the least apparent

attempt at order and durability.' However, the appearance of the

city is fast improving--for churches and schools and public

buildings are springing up on every side, and substantial edifices

are fast taking the place of the more temporary erections. The

sudden rush or so many people to one point, and many of them poorly

provided, combined with the abundance of the gold, caused provision,

rents, and labor to rise to enormous prices. A tent for instance,

called Eldorado, fifteen by twenty feet, occupied mostly by gamblers

brought the enormous yearly rent of $40,000. 'Miners' Bank,' used by

Wright & Co., brokers, about half the size of a fire-engine house,

was held at a rent of $75,000. A gentleman who wished to find a law

office, was shown a cellar in the earth, about twelve feet square

and six feet deep, which he could have at $250 _per month_. One of

the common soldiers at the battle of San Pasquale was reputed to be

among the millionaires of the place, and had an income of fifty

thousand dollars monthly.

[Footnote 15: J. Bayard Taylor's 'Eldorado.']

"The prices paid for labor were in proportion to everything else.

The carman of Mellus Howard & Co., had a salary of $6000 a year, and

many others made from fifteen to twenty dollars daily. Servants were

paid from a hundred to two hundred dollars a month. This state of

things, as might have been expected, did not long continue, for all

things soon find their level, and the rapid importation of produce,

materials and laborers, had soon the effect of lowering the prices

to a fair and ordinary scale.

"California territory belongs to the United States of North America,

and will, doubtless, in a short time, form several distinct states

in that already powerful confederacy."

MR. WILTON. "Now, George, we have arrived at the Gulf of

Georgia;--you will not have very far to travel to the Rocky

Mountains."

CHARLES. "The Gulf of Georgia is very considerable: it divides

Quadra or Vancouver's Island from the continent, and communicates

with the Pacific to the south by Claaset's Straits, and to the north

by Queen Charlotte's Sound. Quadra is a large island, and I think

better known by the name of Nootka Sound, which is at the south end

of the island, and contains an English establishment."

MRS. WILTON. "The natives of Nootka Sound are not an interesting

people, and are greatly inferior to the other tribes inhabiting the

continent. They are short, plain-looking people, not unlike the

Esquimaux. Their ordinary dress consists of a mantle edged with fur

at the top, and fringed at the bottom, which is made out of the bark

of the pine, beaten into fibres. Their food is mostly drawn from the

sea. Large stores of fish are dried and smoked, and the roes,

prepared like caviare, form their winter bread. They drink fish-oil,

and mix it with their food. The women go fishing occasionally, and

are as skilful as the men; but their usual occupation is within

doors, preparing the fabric of which their garments are composed.

Captain Cook, in speaking of their houses, says: 'They are as filthy

as hog-sties,--everything in and about them stinking of fish,

train-oil, and smoke.'"

GEORGE. "I shall have to travel upwards of 600 miles to tell my

story; but, as truth is worth seeking, I do not mind the trouble: so

here it is:--

#Story of Boone and the Bear.#

"A young man named Boone, son of the mighty American hunter, made a

settling amongst the Rocky Mountains, and when his hut was erected

he used to leave it for days, out on hunting expeditions. One night,

after returning from one of these enterprises, he retired to rest on

his solitary pallet. The heat was intense, and, as usual in these

countries during summer, he had left his door wide open. It was

about midnight, when he was awakened by the noise of something

tumbling in the room: he rose in a moment, and hearing a short and

heavy breathing, he asked who it was, for the darkness was such that

he could not see two yards before him. No answer being given, except

a kind of half smothered grunt, he advanced,--and, putting out his

hand, he seized the shaggy coat of a BEAR! Surprise rendered him

motionless; and the animal, giving him a blow on the chest with his

terrible paw, threw him down outside the door. Boone could have

escaped, but, maddened with the pain of his fall, he only thought of

vengeance,--and, seizing his knife and tomahawk, which were

fortunately within his reach, he darted furiously at the beast,

dealing blows at random. Great as was his strength, his tomahawk

could not penetrate through the thick coat of the animal, which,

having encircled the body of his assailant with his paws, was

pressing him in one of those deadly embraces which could only have

been resisted by a giant like Boone (who was six feet nine inches

in height and proportionably strong). Fortunately, the Black bear,

unlike the Grizzly, very seldom uses his claws and teeth in

fighting, contenting himself with smothering his victim. Boone

disentangled his left arm, and with his knife dealt a furious blow

upon the snout of the animal, which, smarting with pain, released

his hold. The snout is the only vulnerable part in an old black

bear. Even at forty yards, the ball of a rifle will flatten against

his skull, and if in any other part of the body it will scarcely

produce any serious effect. Boone, aware of this, and not daring to

risk another hug, darted away from the cabin. The bear, now quite

angry, followed and overtook him near the fence. Fortunately, the

clouds were clearing away, and the moon threw light sufficient to

enable the hunter to strike with a more certain aim: he found also

on the ground one of the rails, made of the blue ash, very heavy,

and ten feet in length; he dropped his knife and tomahawk, and,

seizing the rail, he renewed the fight with caution, for it had now

become a struggle for life or death.

"Had it been a bull or a panther, they would have had their bones

shivered to pieces by the tremendous blows which Boone dealt upon

his adversary with all the strength of despair; but Bruin is by

nature an admirable fencer, and, in spite of his unwieldy shape,

there is not in the world an animal whose motions are more rapid in

a close encounter. Once or twice he was knocked down by the force of

the blows, but generally he would parry them with a wonderful

agility. At last he succeeded in seizing the other end of the rail,

and dragged it towards him with irresistible force. Both man and

beast fell, Boone rolling to the place where he had dropped his

arms, while the bear advanced upon him. The moment was a critical

one; but Boone was accustomed to look at and brave death under every

shape,--and, with a steady hand, he buried the tomahawk in the snout

of his enemy, and, turning round, he rushed to his cabin, believing

he would have time to secure the door. He closed the latch, and

applied his shoulders to it; but it was of no avail: the terrible

brute dashed in head foremost, and tumbled into the room, with Boone

and the fragments of the door. The two foes rose and stared at each

other. Boone had nothing left but his knife; but Bruin was tottering

and unsteady, and Boone felt that the match was more equal. Once

more they closed.

"A few hours after sunrise a friend called at the hut,--and, to his

horror, found Boone apparently lifeless on the floor, and alongside

of him the body of the bear. Boone soon recovered, and found that

the timely blow which had saved him from being crushed to death had

buried the whole blade of his knife through the left eye, in the

very brain of the huge animal."

CHARLES. "That is a spirited story, and very well told, George. I

should not like to have been Mr. Boone in such a situation, although

he was a 'mighty hunter;' a bear is an ugly animal to embrace."

DORA. "Yes; and, lest we should meet with any, we will leave the

Rocky Mountains and go on to the north of Quadra, where are situated

King George's Archipelago and the Admiralty Isles. The inhabitants

of the former bear some resemblance to the Esquimaux. The women wear

an extraordinary kind of ornament, which gives them the appearance

of having two mouths: it consists of a small piece of wood, which

they force into the flesh below the under lip."

MR. BARRAUD. "Those are Norfolk Sound people; but they are a kindly

race, notwithstanding their outrageous customs; and, to show you how

readily they are affected for good or evil, I will relate a

circumstance which happened when Captain Cleveland was trading with

them. A canoe containing eleven persons went alongside his vessel,

and raised the screens at the port-holes, to look in on the deck.

Before the captain had time to speak to them, the cook (either by

accident or design) threw a ladleful of hot water over them, which

causing an involuntary and sudden motion of their bodies to the

other side of the boat, immediately upset, and all were immersed in

the water. The confusion was then very great,--as those who at the

time were under the stern, engaged in traffic, fearing some

treachery, made haste to paddle away, without regarding the distress

of their comrades. All of these, however, appeared to be capable of

taking care of themselves; excepting an infant of about a year old,

whose struggles being observed by one of the mates, he jumped

overboard and saved it. The weather was very raw and chilly: the

captain had the child dried and warmed by the fire, then wrapped it

in a blanket, gave it a piece of sugar, and returned it to its

parents, who were exceedingly pleased and grateful; and, as soon as

all had recovered from the effects of their immersion, their

business (which was trading for skins of various kinds) was

conducted throughout the day to the mutual satisfaction of all

parties."

MR. WILTON. "As these islands are near the coast of Columbia, I wish

to inform you that here there is an excellent harbor and a navy

yard, to which ships of the largest tonnage may ascend. The yard

covers a space of thirty-seven acres, and in it are made nearly all

the anchors, cables, and blocks required for the service of the

United States' Navy, which, although inconsiderable in point of

numerical strength, is perhaps the best organized and most effective

in the world. The unexpected success of their frigates in contests

with British vessels of the same class has established the

reputation of the American navy for skill and prowess in the eyes of

Europe; and the United States, with comparatively few ships, already

rank high as a naval power."

EMMA. "We now pass Admiralty Bay, go through Cook's Inlet, out by

the Straits of Chilogoff, round by the Aleutian Isles into Bristol

Bay."

MRS. WILTON. "The Aleutian Isles are very numerous, principally

volcanic: the three largest are Bhering's, Attoo, and Onolaska. The

natives are of a dark brown complexion, and the women disfigure

themselves by cutting an aperture in the under lip, to which various

trinkets are suspended. Their subsistence is principally obtained by

hunting and fishing. The seal is particularly valuable to them,

affording a constant supply of food and clothing. Their dwellings

are spacious excavations in the earth, roofed over with turf, as

many as 150 individuals sometimes residing in the different

divisions."

GEORGE. "Must we go through Bhering's Straits: they will take us

into such very cold regions?"

EMMA. "We must not mind the cold if we can learn anything by going;

but, as you are afraid of venturing so far, we will leave you at

Point Hope, while we make our way to Point Barrow."

CHARLES. "Appear not at Point Hope. George; for if you do, you must

never hope to see us again. Do you know that the Indians who live in

the mountains not far from the Point are cannibals, and would seize

you for a delicious morsel? They are not at all particular folks;

and when there is a scarcity of food among them, they cast lots for

victims, and eat their relations without the slightest remorse."

MR. BARRAUD. "The fierce and savage propensities of these mountain

Indians have been circumstantially described by an old man, who,

while yet a stripling, fled from the tribe, and joined himself to

another tribe called Dog Ribs, in consequence of his finding his

mother, on his return from a successful day's hunting, employed in

roasting the body of her own child, his youngest brother!"

MRS. WILTON. "Oh! horrible! Let us quit this savage Point, and see

what Point Barrow resembles."

Mr. WILTON. "It is a long spit of land composed of sand and gravel.

When Captain Simpson was on an exploring expedition in the Polar

Seas, he landed there, and one of the first objects that presented

itself was an immense cemetery. There, the miserable remnants of

humanity lay on the ground, in the seal-skin dresses worn when

alive. A few were covered with an old sledge, or some pieces of

wood, but far the greater number were exposed to the voracity of

dogs and wild animals. The inhabitants of this Point are Esquimaux."

EMMA. "Bhering's Straits divide the Old from the New Continent, and

the water to the south beyond the Gulf of Anadir is called Bhering's

or Kamtschatka Sea, and washes the shores of Kamtschatka."

MRS. WILTON. "Kamtschatka is a portion of Asia, about the same size

as Great Britain. It is a cold, foggy country, and subject to sudden

storms of snow and sleet, which the natives call '_poorgas_,' and

when overtaken by one they do not attempt to travel through it, but

suffer the snow to bury them and their dogs, and as soon as it is

over, they extricate themselves as well as they can. The natives

comprising the two tribes of the Kamtschatdales and Koriaks differ

principally in their mode of life. They are all of low stature, and

not remarkable for their beauty. They are shy, averse to strangers,

but honest, and extremely hospitable. They dwell in fixed

habitations, although hunters and fishers; but their dwellings are

low, comfortless, and filthy, sunk in the ground in the winter

months, and raised on posts during summer to facilitate the curing

of fish, which are hung up on lines to dry. In travelling, they use

dogs harnessed to a sledge instead of horses."

DORA. "We are now to leave the coasts, and sail about in search of

the islands in the Pacific Ocean; and, as we happen to be above the

equator, we can more conveniently see those of the North Pacific. We

have each selected our favorite isles for description, and Charles

is at the head of the catalogue."

MRS. WILTON. "To make our remarks better understood, we will, like

scientific geographers, class all these islands under the head of

Polynesia, for the term is applied to the numerous groups, both

above and below the equator, in the Pacific Ocean. The equator

forming a dividing line between North and South Polynesia. Sir

Francis Drake was the first English captain to whom appertained the

honor of sailing on the Pacific Ocean.

"'The fair breeze blew, the white foam flew,

The furrow followed free;

He was the first that ever burst

Into that silent sea.'"[16]

[Footnote 16: Coleridge]

CHARLES. "The Sandwich Islands appear to me one of the most

interesting groups, although the most isolated of all in North

Polynesia. They are ten in number,--eight inhabited,--and were named

by their discoverer, Captain Cook, in honor of the Earl of Sandwich,

a minister who had warmly promoted his labors. The island of Owyhee,

or more properly Hawaii, is the largest, being 415 miles in

circumference. It obtained a celebrity, as the scene of Captain

Cook's death, who was killed by the natives on the 14th of February,

1779. A celebrity of a different kind now awaits it, as the focus of

civilization in Polynesia. The inhabitants have, with the assistance

of the English and Americans, built twenty merchant-ships, with

which they perform voyages to the north-west coast of America, and

even visit Canton. They used to sacrifice human victims, but were

never cannibals; they tattoo their bodies, and the women tattoo the

tips of their tongues. Hawaii contains a tremendous volcano, the top

of which is 16,000 feet above the level of the sea. The whole

island, indeed, is one complete mass of lava. Christianity was

introduced by the American missionaries in 1820, and is now the

religion of the state. Schools have been established, and churches

built. Honoruru, in the Island of Cahu, is the capital of the group.

Some of the houses are built of stone; but the natives still prefer

living in their huts, so that the town is grotesquely irregular. The

principal public building is the English school, where children of

both sexes are taught to read and write. The place is altogether in

a flourishing condition, and so advanced in the refinements of life,

that the news-paper, lately established in the town, sets forth the

following articles for sale:--'Ladies' shoes from Paris, Ices, and

Eau de Cologne.'"

GRANDY. "It is a great cause for thankfulness, that religion is

spreading her benign influence over these volcanic isles. The women

who, truly speaking, were the most callous and obdurate, have

exhibited bright and numerous proofs of that change of heart, which

is the single end and aim of pure Christianity. Kekupuhe, who in

Cook's days was one of the wives of the king of Hawaii, evinced the

sincerity of her conversion, which took place in 1828, by learning

to read when she was more than eighty years of age, and by inditing

hymns in honor of the God of her old age."

GEORGE. "I cannot understand why they killed Captain Cook; and I

have never read the account of his first visit to the Sandwich

Islands: have you, Charles?"

CHARLES. "Yes, and a very interesting account it is. On the first

appearance of the English ships, the chiefs and priests, taking them

for floating islands, imagined that their long-expected guardian

spirit, 'Etuah Orono,' was arrived. Hence Captain Cook was received

with honor approaching to adoration, as they imagined him to be

their 'Orono.' The king was absent at the time of his arrival; but

the chief priest and his son received the captain. Scarcely were the

ships anchored, when a priest went on board, and decorating Cook

with a red cloth, such as adorned their deities, offered him a pig

in the manner of a sacrifice, and pronounced a long harangue. They

chanted hymns before him, and priests, bearing wands, preceded him

on his landing, while the in habitants prostrated themselves on the

ground, as he walked from the beach to the village."

GEORGE. "But if they held him in such reverence, how was it they

killed him?"

MR. WILTON. "His own imprudence brought about his melancholy end.

Some time after his arrival, it appears, that one of his smaller

boats was stolen by some of the natives, for the sake of the nails

in her, and was broken up the very night it was stolen. Captain

Cook, angry at losing his boat, attempted to get the king on board

his ship, to confine him there, until the boat should be restored.

This caused a tumult, and in the tumult, Captain Cook was slain.

There certainly was no malice in the case,--not the slightest

intention of injuring him; and his body was treated in the same

manner as those of their own chiefs, the bones being assigned to

different Eries (chiefs), who, either from affection, or from an

idea of good luck attending them, desired to preserve them. Long

after Captain Cook's death, the natives believed he would re-appear,

and perhaps punish them for their breach of hospitality."

MR. BARRAUD. "They are a most interesting people; and, to prove to

you how they have advanced in civilization, I will give you two

instances of their mode of living and taking their meals. Forty

years ago, the Rev. Mr. Stewart, being then on a mission, visited a

chief, and, when he entered the apartment, one of his queens was

seated on the ground _à la Turc_, with a large wooden tray in her

lap. Upon this a monstrous cuttle-fish had just been placed, fresh

from the sea, and in all its life and vigor. The queen had taken it

up with both hands, and brought its body to her mouth, and, by a

single application of her teeth, the black blood with which it was

filled gushed over her face and neck, while the long sucking arms of

the fish, in the convulsive paroxysm of the operation, were twisting

and writhing about her head, like the snaky hairs of a Medusa.

Occupied as both hands were, she could only give her visitor a nod.

Mr. Stewart remarks, 'It was the first time I had seen her Majesty,

and I soon took my departure, leaving her, as I found her, in the

full enjoyment of her luxurious luncheon.' Now,--observe the

contrast. In 1841, Sir George Simpson and friends visited a chief.

They were received in an immense apartment: several white persons

were there to meet them: all the rules of etiquette were observed on

going to table. The chiefs were all handsomely attired, their

clothes fitting to a hair's breadth, for they had imported a tailor

from England to make them. The dining-room was handsomely furnished,

and lighted with elegant lamps. The dinner was excellent, with fine

pastry and preserves from every country, and the glass and plate on

the table would have been admired even in a London mansion. The

chiefs, especially the host, were men of excellent address, and,

adds Sir George Simpson, 'we soon forgot that we were sipping our

coffee in a country which is deemed uncivilized, and among

individuals who are classed with savages. There were but few

incongruities in the course of the evening's entertainment, such as

could at all mar the effect, excepting that one of the chiefs

frequently inquired, with much solicitude, whether or not we thought

his whiskers handsome.' In conclusion, he says, 'After chatting a

good deal, and smoking a few cigars, we took our leave, highly

gratified with the hospitality and courtesy of the governor and his

friends'."

DORA. "It must have been a work of time to convert these people; for

their belief in the power of their idols was so strong, and had been

preserved through so many generations."

GRANDY. "The work was of God, my dear, and he made it to prosper.

Civilization once introduced, the way to Christianity was paved; and

the chiefs with their wives setting the example, the mission was

soon full of hopes for the future. The great women of the islands,

when converted themselves, endeavored to propagate the truths of the

Gospel; and amongst them, one of the most justly celebrated

Christians was Kapiolani. She wished to undeceive the natives

concerning their false gods; and knowing in what veneration Peli,

the goddess of the volcano, was held, she determined to climb the

mountain, descend into the crater, and by thus braving the volcanic

deities in their very homes, convince the inhabitants that God is

God alone, and that the false and subordinate deities existed only

in the fancies of their ignorant adorers. Thus determined, and

accompanied by a missionary, she, with part of her family, and a

number of followers, both of her own vassals, and those of other

chiefs, ascended Peli. At the edge of the first precipice that

bounds the sunken plain, many of her followers and companions lost

courage and turned back: at the second, the rest earnestly entreated

her to desist from her dangerous enterprise, and forbear to tempt

the powerful gods of the fires. But she proceeded; and, on the very

verge of the crater, caused a hut to be constructed for herself and

people. Here she was assailed anew by their entreaties to return

home; and their assurances, that, if she persisted in violating the

dwellings of the goddess, she would draw on herself, and those with

her, certain destruction. Her answer was noble:--'I will descend

into the crater,' said she; 'and if I do not return safe, then

continue you to worship Peli; but, if I come back unhurt, you must

learn to adore the God who created Peli.' She accordingly went down

the steep and difficult side of the crater, accompanied by a

missionary, and by some whom love or duty induced to follow her.

Arrived at the bottom, she thrust a stick into the liquid lava, and

stirred the ashes of the burning lake. The charm of superstition was

at that moment broken. Those who had expected to see the goddess,

armed with flames and sulphurous smoke, burst forth and destroy the

daring heroine who thus braved her, in her very sanctuary, were

awe-struck when they saw the fire remain innocuous, and the flames

roll harmless, as though none were present. They acknowledged the

greatness of the God of Kapiolani; and from that time few indeed

have been the offerings, and little the reverence paid to the fires

of Peli."

CHARLES. "What delightful anecdotes concerning my island! but I have

one reserved for the conclusion, which illustrates the truth of the

assertion, that the women of the Sandwich Islands are superior to

the men in many exercises requiring skill, and also in their powers

of endurance. The latter quality may, I believe, be fairly adjudged

to the women of all countries. 'A man and his wife, both Christians,

were passengers in a schooner, which foundered at a considerable

distance from the land. All the natives on board promptly took

refuge in the sea; and the man in question, who had just celebrated

divine service in the ill-fated vessel, called his fellows (some of

them being converts as well as himself) around him, to offer up

another tribute of praise and supplication from the deep; exhorting

them, with a combination of courage and humility rarely equalled, to

worship God in that universal temple, under whose restless pavement

he and most of his hearers were destined to find their graves. It

was done: they called on God from the midst of the waves, and then

each struggled to save the life they valued. The man and his wife

had each succeeded in procuring the support of a covered bucket by

way of a buoy; and away they struck with the rest for Kahoolawe,

finding themselves next morning alone in the ocean, after a whole

afternoon and night of privation and toil. To aggravate their

misfortunes, the wife's bucket went to pieces soon after daylight,

so that she had to make the best of her way without assistance or

relief; and, in the course of the second afternoon, the man became

too weak to proceed; till his wife, to a certain extent, restored

his strength by shampooning him in the water. They had now Kahoolawe

in full view after having been about four-and-twenty hours on their

dreary voyage. In spite, however, of the cheering sight, the man

again fell into such a state of exhaustion, that the woman took his

bucket for herself, giving him at the same time the hair of her head

as a towing-line; and, when even this exertion proved too much for

him, the faithful creature, after trying in vain to rouse him to

prayer, took his arms round her neck, holding them together with one

hand, and making with the other for the shore When a very trifling

distance remained to be accomplished, she discovered that he was

dead, and dropping his corpse she reached the land before night,

having swam upwards of twenty-five miles during an exposure of

thirty hours! The only means of resting from her fatigue being by

floating on the top of the water."

MR. WILTON. "Very good, Charles; but if our notes of all the other

islands in Polynesia be as extensive as those of the Sandwich Isles,

I fear we shall not cross the equator before midnight."

EMMA. "I can soon quiet your fears, dear papa; for the description

of the remaining isles in North Polynesia rests with the elder

members, and of course they are at liberty to abridge them if they

please."

MR. WILTON. "In that case I will undertake to run over the Ladrones,

sometimes called the Marianne Isles. There are twenty of them; but

only five are inhabited, and they lie in the south extremity of the

cluster. They are so close together, and so broken and irregular in

their form and position, as to appear like fragments disjointed from

each other, at remote periods, by some sudden convulsion of nature.

The coasts consist for the most part of dark brown rocks,

honey-combed in many places by the action of the waves. The islands

are fertile, abounding in hogs, cattle, horses, mules, and many

other agreeable things; while in order that, like other countries in

this sublunary world, they may lay claim to a portion of

disagreeables, they are infested with mosquitoes and endless

varieties of loathsome insects; and the fish that are found around

the coasts are not fit for food. So much for the country--now for

the natives:--They are tall, robust, and active; the men wear

scarcely any covering, and the women only a petticoat of matting.

Both sexes stain their teeth black, and many of them tattoo their

bodies. The Ladrone Islands were originally discovered by Magellan,

who called them 'las Islas de las Ladrones' or the islands of

thieves; because the Indians stole everything made of iron within

their reach. At the latter end of the seventeenth century, they

obtained the name of Marianne from the Queen of Spain, who sent

missionaries thither to propagate the Christian religion. Guajan is

the largest island of the group. Near the Ladrones lies the famous

pyramidal rock called 'Lot's wife.' A sea neither broken nor

interrupted for an immense space in all directions, here dashes with

sublime violence on the solid mass which rises almost

perpendicularly to a height of 350 feet. On the south-east side is a

deep cavern, where the waves resound with a prodigious noise."

MR. BARRAUD. "The Philippine Isles fall to my share. They are,

correctly speaking, in the Eastern Archipelago. Luzon, the most

northerly, is the largest: it is a long narrow island, and, like all

the others, abounding in volcanoes. Gold, iron, and copper have been

found in the mountains, and rock salt is so abundant in some parts

as to be an article of export. These islands are exceedingly

mountainous and fertile, but from the large swamps are very

unhealthy. There are no beasts of prey, but numerous herds of

cattle; the inhabitants, however, are too indolent to profit by

these gifts of nature; they are actually too idle to make their

cow's milk into butter, and throughout the islands use hog's lard

instead, because they will not be at the trouble of keeping and

milking the cows. Rice is the chief support of the population.

Sugar, coffee, and many other delightful things grow here, and

cotton shrubs thrive well. Manilla is the only port of trade in the

Philippines: it is a fortified city inhabited by people from all

parts of the world. This city is entered by six gates. The streets

have carriage ways and footpaths, and are lighted at night. The

houses are solidly constructed, but, on account of earthquakes,

seldom more than one story above the ground floor. Most of the

houses are furnished with balconies and verandahs; the place of

glass in the windows is supplied by thin semi transparent pieces of

shell, which though more opaque repel heat better. In the year 1762

Manilla was taken by the English; but ransomed by Spain for 1,000

000_l_. sterling. There! who can compete with my islands in value?"

MRS. WILTON. "Quantity must compensate for the loss of quality. Here

are the Caroline or New Philippines,--forty-six groups of them,

comprising several hundred islands. A few of them are high, rising

in peaks, but by far the greater number are merely volcanic

formations. They were discovered in 1686, by a Spaniard, who named

them after Charles II. of Spain. There are no hogs on these islands,

and the inhabitants subsist chiefly on fish. They are reputed to be

the most expert sailors and fishermen in Polynesia; and,

notwithstanding the tremendous sea by which they are surrounded,

they have a considerable trading intercourse with the Ladrone and

many other islands."

GEORGE. "Papa, it is your turn again.--Pelew Isles."

MR. WILTON. "They are chiefly known from the accounts of Captain

Wilson, who was wrecked on them in 1783. He describes the

inhabitants as hospitable, friendly, and humane; and they are a gay

and comparatively innocent people; but they do not appear to have

any form of religion, although they conceive that the soul survives

the body. These islands are covered with close woods. Ebony grows

in the forests. Bread-fruit and cocoa-nut trees are in abundance.

Cattle, goats, poultry, &c., have been sent there and thrive well.

The Pelews have a considerable trade with China.

"Now it seems to me that we had better cross the equator with all

expedition, for there are so many islands up here, we cannot

possibly go to all, and I think we have noticed the most important."

DORA. "South Polynesia then. Papua or New Guinea is my portion, and

it happens to lie near the Pelew Isles. It is supposed to be the

first part of Australia discovered by Europeans, and is the favorite

residence of the superb and singular birds of paradise, of which

there are ten or twelve kinds. There are three kinds reckoned the

most gorgeous: viz., the King, which has two detached feathers

parallel to the tail, ending in an elegant curl with a tuft: the

Magnificent, which has also two detached feathers of the same length

with the body, very slender, and ending in a tuft: the Golden

Throat, which has three long and straight feathers proceeding from

each side of the head. These birds are considered the best, but they

are all arrayed in brilliant colors, and all superbly magnificent.

They are caught chiefly in the Aroo Isles, either by means of

bird-lime, or shot with blunted arrows. After being dried with smoke

and sulphur, they are sold for nuts or pieces of iron and carried to

Bunda."

EMMA. "The New Hebrides are in my course, but the Friendly Isles are

allotted to me."

MRS. WILTON. "Nevertheless, the New Hebrides claim a few words.

They were discovered in 1506, and so named by Captain Cook. They are

considerably hilly, and well clothed with timber. The valleys are

extremely abundant, producing figs, nutmegs, and oranges, besides

the fruits common to the rest of Polynesia. The inhabitants present

the most ugly specimen extant of the Papuan race; the men wear no

covering, and the women, who are used as mere beasts of burden; wear

only a petticoat, made from the plantain leaf. Their canoes are more

rudely constructed than in most of the other islands; and, on the

whole, these people seem to be among the most degraded of the

islanders of the Pacific."

EMMA. "I should not like to live with such people; therefore we will

pass on to my _Friendly_ Islands. They are low and encircled by

dangerous coral reefs; the soil is almost throughout exceedingly

rich, producing with very little care, the banana, bread-fruit, and

yam. The population may amount to about 90,000; but the natives,

though favorably mentioned by Captain Cook, appear to be as

treacherous, savage, and superstitious as any in the worst parts of

Polynesia. The Wesleyan Missionaries established themselves in these

islands in 1821, and are reported to have met with considerable

success. The leading island is that which is called Tongataboo, or

the 'consecrated island.' The name is properly two words 'Tonga

Taboo,' signifying 'Sacred Island,' the reason of which appellative

will appear, when I tell you that the priest of this island, whose

name was Diatonga, was reverenced and resorted to by all the

surrounding islands. Earthquakes are very frequent here; but the

islands display a spectacle of the most abundant fertility. The

foundations of this group are coral rocks, and there is scarcely any

other kind of stone to be found. Tongataboo has a large and

excellent harbor, which admits of being well fortified."

GRANDY. "You wisely passed the Feejees, Emma; and I will explain why

I say _wisely_. They have the reputation of being cannibals; but

they are industrious, and at times kindly; and their islands are

tolerably fertile. A missionary ship was nearly lost here, in broad

daylight and calm weather, by coming in contact with a reef, of

which no previous warning was presented. George, my child, you are

next; what have you selected for your display?"

GEORGE. "The Society Islands, Grandy. They consist of six large and

several smaller islands. The principal is called Otaheite, or more

properly, Tahiti; which is often styled the 'Queen of the Pacific.'

The whole circumference of this royal isle is 180 miles; on all

sides, rivers are seen descending in beautiful cascades, and the

entire land is clothed, from the water's edge to its topmost heights

with continual verdure, which for luxuriance and picturesque effect,

is certainly unparalleled."

CHARLES. "Excuse me interrupting you, George; but how do you

contrive to remember all those long words?"

MR. WILTON. "I have heard of honorable members being taken to task

for ignorance, but never for possessing superior abilities, and I

suggest that the learned member be allowed to proceed with his

account, without further interruption."

GEORGE. "There, Charles, you are called to 'order,' and I hope you

will not commit yourself again, by trying to break the thread of my

narrative."

CHARLES. "I am full of contrition; pray proceed, and I trust you

will find no great difficulty in joining your _thread_ again. If you

are disposed to retaliate, I give you free permission to criticize

me to any extent when my turn comes."

GEORGE. "Never fear but I will watch for an opportunity. The Society

Islanders are light-hearted, merry, and fond of social enjoyment,

but, at the same time, indolent, deceitful, thievish, and addicted

to the excessive use of ardent spirits. The highest ambition of an

Otaheitan is to have a splendid 'morai,' or family tomb. The

funerals, especially those of the chiefs, have a solemn and

affecting character. Songs are sung; the mourners, with sharks'

teeth, draw blood from their bodies, which, as it flows, mingles

with their tears. An apron, or _maro_ of red feathers, is the badge

of royal dignity, and great deference is paid to the chiefs. These

people manufacture handsome cloths and mats; but the commerce

consisting of pearl-shells, sugar, cocoa-nut oil, and arrow-root, in

exchange for European manufactures, is carried on chiefly by

foreigners, as the natives have no vessels larger than their double

canoes. Otaheite is a fine place, but not so important a commercial

station as Oahu, in the Sandwich Islands. There, Charles, I am at

the end of my thread."

GRANDY. "And very well you have spun it, George; but as you have not

informed us on the subject of the religion of these islanders, I

presume it is unknown to you. They believe in a sort of deity, that

he resides in the palace of heaven, with a number of other

divinities, who are all designated 'children of the night.' The

forms of Christian worship are enforced here as rigidly as in the

Sandwich Islands; but civilization is considerably less advanced;

although I am happy to add, in conclusion, that the people are

undergoing a remarkable change, and Christianity is certainly

gaining ground; for the idols are being destroyed, and the labors of

the zealous missionaries are now sanctioned by the highest

authorities. We will make no more remarks on the Society Islands;

for they have formed the subject of more writings, perhaps, than

many a kingdom of Europe, and the Otaheitans are positively better

known to us than the inhabitants of Sardinia or Corsica."

GEORGE. "Thanks, dear Grandy, for winding up my subject so

beautifully. Now, friend Charles, perhaps you will spin _your_

yarn?"

CHARLES. "Most willingly; but it will be a short one, as I have very

little material. Pitcairn's Island stands alone near the eastern

extremity of Polynesia. It is chiefly interesting on account of its

having been the refuge of the mutinous crew of Captain Bligh's ship,

the 'Bounty.' The mutineers, after having turned their captain and a

few of the crew out in an open boat, tried to make a settlement in

the Society Islands; but failing, they, accompanied by some

Otaheitans, fixed themselves in this isolated spot. They landed here

in 1790, fifteen men, and twelve women. Nine of the men were

mutineers; all the others were Otaheitans. Captain Beachey visited

the island in 1825, and found about sixty persons on it, the

descendants of Captain Bligh's men. Pitcairn's Isle is a little spot

not more than seven miles in circumference, with an abrupt rocky

coast. I believe the reason there are so few persons on the island,

is accounted for by the dismal fate of the original settlers. The

sailors had married Otaheitan women, whose brothers in one night

murdered them, only one escaping, whose name was Adams. On the

following night, the Otaheitan widows of the English inflicted

dreadful vengeance, by murdering all their brothers who had

committed the first frightful deed. Their children grew up under the

fostering care of Adams, who officiated as a sort of patriarch. The

present population comprises about eighty individuals, who form an

interesting link between the European and Polynesian races."

MR. WILTON. "In a Bermuda paper of August, 1848, there is an

interesting letter from a school-master named Nobbs, which is so

replete with information, that I will read it all to you, as it is

not so remarkable for its length as its interest:--

"More than twenty years ago, I left England for the express purpose

of visiting Pitcairn's Island, and to remain there if I could render

my talents available to the inhabitants. The proprietor of a small

vessel of but eighteen tons' burthen, hearing me express my anxiety

to obtain a passage to Pitcairn's Island, remarked, it was a spot he

had long desired to visit, and if I would assist him in fitting out

his vessel, he would go with me. I accepted his proposal advanced

him what money I could command, and embarked from Callao de Lima,

with no other person than the owner of the little cutter; and in six

weeks arrived here (Pitcairn's Island) in safety.

"'Five months after my arrival, John Adams departed this life. After

his decease, the superintendence of the spiritual affairs of the

island, and the education of the children, devolved on me chiefly;

and from that time to the present (with the exception of ten months,

during which period I was banished from the island by brute force,

and recalled by letters of penitential apology), I have been with

them, and have lived to see the labor of my hands prosper; for there

is not a person on the island, between the ages of six years and

twenty-five, who has not received, or is not receiving, a tolerable

education.

"'There is one untoward but prominent object on the horizon of

paternal affection, and which, though imperceptibly, yet rapidly

approaches our increasing colony, and that is the imperious

necessity of a separation; for so very limited are the available

portions of the island, that some families who number ten or twelve

persons, have not five acres of arable land to divide among them.

"'Animal food is a luxury obtained with difficulty once or twice in

the week; and though we have, by dint of very hard labor, been

enabled to obtain cloth and other indispensable necessaries from

whale-ships, in exchange for potatoes, yet this resource is

beginning to fail us; not from scarcity of visitors, but from

inability on our part to supply them.

"'This is the exact state of affairs at present: how much it will be

aggravated ten years from this, may be imagined, but cannot be fully

realized even by ourselves. Whether the British Government will

again interest itself in our behalf, is doubtful; if it does not,

despite the most assiduous industry, a scanty allowance of potatoes

and salt must be the result, and the "Tibuta" and "Maro," will be

the unchanging food and raiment of the rising generation.'"

GEORGE. "What a pity the coral insects have not been at work there,

and enlarged these poor peoples' island; then they could have all

remained together, and brought up their families. As it is, some

_must_ migrate. Charles, you are very ingenious; cannot you contrive

a plan for overcoming these difficulties."

CHARLES. "Much as I should glory in benefiting mankind, I could not

by any effort or sacrifice ameliorate the condition of these poor

people, although I would willingly do anything in my power to

testify my sorrow for their wretched destitution."

DORA. "I fear none of us can accord them more than our sympathy; so

we must needs journey on to the Marquesas, which were discovered by

the Spaniards in 1595. There are thirteen. The largest, Nukahiva, is

about seventy miles in circumference, and is the only one generally

frequented by shipping. The coast scenery is neither picturesque nor

inviting; its principal features being black, naked cliffs, or

barren hills; but in the interior are grassy plains and forests

filled with birds of elegant plumage. The inhabitants, with regard

to personal beauty, are superior to most of the Polynesian tribes,

some of the women being almost as fair as a European; in

civilization, however, they are far behind the Sandwich Islanders.

They have steadily resisted all attempts to convert them to

Christianity, and have practised cannibalism within a very recent

period. The tattooing of the Marquesans is remarkable for its

regularity and good taste."

CHARLES. "You call them Marquesans, Dora? I thought they were

Kannaks."

DORA. "So they denominate themselves: but I have more to tell you

yet. They are all excellent swimmers; men, women, and children. They

throw themselves fearlessly into the water several times a day, and,

although in a state of perspiration, they suffer no harm. They are

also dexterous climbers of trees; making the ascent like monkeys,

with the hands and feet only. But their treatment of their sick is,

in the highest degree, cruel and unnatural. Instead of giving

assistance, every one shuns the invalid; and if he is thought to be

at all in the way, he is taken to some distant spot, whither it is

thought sufficient to carry him food at intervals. It is also their

custom to prepare the dying man's coffin before his eyes; and what

is still more incredible, when they see him about to render up his

last sigh, they place a bit of moistened 'tapa'[17] in his mouth,

whilst the fingers of some _friend_ are employed in closing the lips

and nostrils!"

[Footnote 17: Tapa is a species of stuff made from the inner bark of

the mulberry-tree.]

GRANDY. "All this appears very unfeeling to us my dear; but cruelty

is not the intention of the poor Kannaks. They believe that the soul

escapes with the parting breath, and their desire is to secure the

spirit within the body until the body wastes; when, according to

their doctrine, it animates another body, which, during the process

of decomposition in the old one, has been created in a far distant

island, where all the good things of this life are found in

abundance, and the soul flies thither as soon as its old habitation

is destroyed."

EMMA. "Poor people! What a lamentable state of ignorance! How I pity

them. Are there any more miserable people to be visited here?"

CHARLES. "Well, here are the Low Islands to the south of the

Marquesans; but I have not the pleasure of an acquaintance with the

people, therefore I cannot say if they be happy or miserable.

Gambia, Crescent, and Clermont Isles are the principal. Gambia

contains upwards of a thousand inhabitants. Crescent Isle is not

very fertile, and occupied by a few natives, who have erected little

huts their, and procure a scanty subsistence."

MR. BARRAUD. "Those islands were discovered by the ship 'Duff,' when

on a missionary voyage in the year 1797. We shall have to retrace

our steps to come to the large islands in our chart; but Easter

Island is so near, it may be as well to call; although we may gain

nothing by the visit, for it is a sterile spot inhabited by

demi-savages, who worship small wooden deities. They tattoo

themselves so as to have the appearance of wearing breeches. Most of

them go naked; some few wear a _maro_ which is made either of fine

Indian cloth of a reddish color, of a wild kind of parsley, or of a

species of sea-weed."

GEORGE. "There are more small islands before we go to New Zealand or

Australia, and I have an account of one,--viz., New Caledonia, lying

south-west of the New Hebrides. It is rather a large island, rocky

for the most part; and there not being much food for animals, very

few are found there. One, however, must be mentioned. It is a spider

called a 'nookee,' which spins a thread so strong, as to offer a

sensible resistance before breaking. This animal (for I have

discovered that a spider is not an insect) constitutes part of the

people's food. The inhabitants are cannibals from _taste_. They eat

with an air of luxurious pleasure the muscular parts of the human

body, and a slice of a child is esteemed a great dainty. Horrible

wretches! They wear no clothes; the women just have a girdle of

fibrous bark, and the men sometimes encircle their heads with a

fillet of sewed net-work or leaves, and the hair of the vampire

bat. Their houses are in the form of beehives, and the door-posts

are of carved planks."

DORA. "New Zealand, almost the antipodes of England, lies in the

South Pacific, and consists of two large islands, the extreme points

of which are called North and South Cape. Near North Cape is Norfolk

Island, where the English, at one time, had a flourishing colony,

now removed to Van Diemen's Land. We must all help to work our ship

round these larger islands, for no individual can be responsible for

the entire management."

MRS. WILTON. "I will set the example. New Zealand was discovered by

Tasman in 1642; but its extent and character were ascertained by

Cook in his voyage of 1774. It is now a regularly established colony

belonging to the British crown. There is a bishop, several clergymen

of the Church of England, and many other missionaries resident

there. It is a fertile group, but contains several active volcanoes.

In the north island, or New Ulster, are various cavities, which

appear to be extinct craters; and in their vicinity numerous hot

springs are to be met with; some of them, as they rise to boiling

point, the natives use for cooking."

GRANDY. "The New Zealanders belong to the Malay family: they are a

fine handsome race, and possess fewer of the vices of the savage

than almost any other savage people. The Missionaries have been

eminently successful in the conversion of the natives to

Christianity. The first establishment formed there, was commenced in

the Bay of Islands, at a village called Rangiona, in 1814. The

persons were sent out by the Church Missionary Society, and have

never relaxed in their endeavors to promote the laudable work of

converting the heathen natives from the error of their

superstitions, although they have had numerous difficulties to

overcome. They went out, in the strength of the Lord, resolved to do

nothing in strife or vain-glory, but all in lowliness of mind,

esteeming others better than themselves: and they succeeded

notwithstanding the numerous hindrances; for the work was of God,

and He gave them power to do all things without murmuring, in order

to attain the salvation of the souls of their fellow-creatures."

MR. BARRAUD. "The Bay of Islands is quite in the north, and has been

for the last thirty years the favorite resort of whale-ships.

Upwards of thirty vessels have been anchored there at the same time;

and at this bay the chief intercourse between European vessels and

New Zealand has principally taken place. Numerous islands are

sprinkled over the space, and several creeks or entrances of rivers

penetrate the surrounding country. It is on the north and west sides

of this bay that the principal territories of Shunghee, the New

Zealand chief who visited this country, are situated; and in these

spots the horrid rites of this superior race of savages have also

been witnessed."

MR. WILTON. "It is remarkable that when New Zealand was first

discovered, there were no animals whatever on the islands except a

few species of lizards, which quadrupeds the inhabitants held in

great veneration and terror. Even the rat and dog were introduced

by Europeans; and the rat is at present the principal species of

_game_. A good many parrots, parroquets, wild ducks, pigeons of

large size and fine flavor, inhabit the forests; and poultry are

found to thrive very well, though not yet reared to any great

extent. Indeed, if we except their prisoners of war, (for the New

Zealanders _were_ cannibals,) almost the only animal food hitherto

used by them has been fish, which abounds around their coasts."

GEORGE. "They must be right glad that Europeans have visited them."

CHARLES. "I understand that when pigs were first introduced into New

Zealand, the natives, not knowing what animals they were, nor what

were their uses, mounted two, and forthwith rode them to death! They

had seen some horses on board Captain Cook's vessel, and supposed

the pigs to be for the same purpose."

MRS. WILTON. "The New Zealanders are a fine race, but not exempt

from vice. They do not regard lying or stealing as crimes, and are

remarkable for their propensities to make use of these

qualifications on every available occasion. Captain Cook relates an

instance which will give you a tolerable idea of the native

character:--He had been purchasing a great quantity of fish from the

natives. He says, 'While we were on the traffic, they showed a great

inclination to pick my pockets; and to take away the fish with one

hand which they had just given me with the other. This evil, one of

the chiefs undertook to remove, and with fury in his eyes made a

show of keeping the people at a proper distance. I applauded his

conduct, but at the same time kept so good a look-out as to detect

_him_ picking my pocket of a handkerchief, which I suffered him to

put in his bosom, before I seemed to know anything of the matter,

and then told him what I had lost. He seemed quite ignorant and

innocent, until I took it from him; then he put it off with a laugh,

acting his part with so much address, that it was hardly possible to

be angry with him; so we remained good friends, and he accompanied

me on board to dinner.'"

EMMA. "But they are better now, are they not?"

MRS. WILTON. "Very slightly in these points, my dear; and still less

so as regards their superstitions. Generations to come may be free

from these vices; but at present they are too deeply rooted to be

discarded altogether. They have some curious and simple notions

peculiar to themselves, and some extraordinary legends concerning

natural objects of earth, sea, and sky. They account for the

appearance of the face in the moon thus:--They say, 'A native girl,

named Rona, went with a calabash to fetch water. The moon hid her

pale beams behind dark and sweeping clouds. The maid, vexed at this

uncourteous behavior, pronounced a curse on the celestial orb; but

as a punishment, for so doing, she stumbled and fell. The moon

descended--raised the maid from the ground, and took her to reside

on high, in her realms of silvery light.'"

MR. BARRAUD. "A curious idea: they have many such. I remember an

anecdote of a chief who lost a son for whom he grieved greatly; but

one day a European met him, and observed he was very merry: he

accosted him, and inquired the cause of so sudden a discontinuance

of his grief. The chief replied, he had passed a bush some few days

previously, when his late son, who had inserted himself into the

body of a little Tikan bird, whistled to him, and bade him dry up

his tears, as he felt perfectly satisfied with the quarters he then

occupied. 'Shall I grieve at his happiness?' added the old man."

DORA. "There is a sweet simplicity about that little story which

prepossesses me in favor of these New Zealanders, although they were

once such horrible cannibals. Do they not tattoo very much?"

MR. WILTON. "The art of tattooing has been brought to such

perfection here, that it actually excites admiration. It is looked

upon as answering the same purposes as clothes. When a chief throws

off his mats, he seems as proud of displaying the beautiful

ornaments figured on his skin, as a civilized dandy does of his

fashionable attire. Mr. Earle speaks of a man named Aranghie, a

professor of the art of tattooing, thus:--'He was considered by his

countrymen a perfect master in the art, and men of the highest rank

and importance were in the habit of travelling long journeys, in

order to put their skins under his skilful hands. Indeed, so highly

were his works esteemed, that I have seen many of his drawings

exhibited even after death. A neighbor of mine very lately killed a

chief who had been tattooed by Aranghie, and appreciating the

artist's work so highly, he skinned the chieftain's thighs, and

covered his cartouch box with it!--I was astonished to see with what

boldness and precision Aranghie drew his designs upon the skin, and

what beautiful ornaments he produced: no rule and compasses could be

more exact than the lines and circles he formed. So unrivalled is he

in his profession, that a highly finished face of a chief from the

hands of this artist, is as greatly prized in New Zealand as a head

from the pencil of Sir Thomas Lawrence is amongst us. Such respect

was paid to this man by the natives, that Mr. Earle expresses the

gratification he felt, on seeing the fine arts held in such

estimation by the savages."

MR. BARRAUD. "I do not doubt but the New Zealanders are still

cannibals in heart; for, so late as 1832, when Mr. Earle was there,

he unfortunately had ocular proof of the fact. He had been residing

with them some months, when a chief claimed one of his (Mr. Earle's)

servants, stating she was a runaway slave. He tied her to a tree and

shot her through the heart, and his men prepared an oven and cooked

her. Mr. Earle heard of it, and hastened to the spot. He caught them

in the act of preparing some of the poor girl's flesh, and

endeavored, in vain, to prevent the horrible feast; but to no

purpose; for they assembled at night and devoured every morsel

except the head, which he saw a hungry dog run off with to the

woods. The poor girl was only sixteen years of age, pretty and

well-behaved, and her murderer was one of the aristocracy of New

Zealand, and, as Mr. Earle observes, a remarkably polite savage."

CHARLES. "We must bid adieu to these interesting savages, and pass

on to the last, but certainly not the least, of the Pacific

islands.--viz. Australia."

MR. WILTON. "As all land is surrounded by water, and continents

differ from islands merely in point of size, and as Australia or New

Holland is in extent as large as Europe, and ten times larger than

either Borneo or New Guinea, it is certainly more proportionate with

continents than with islands; and it seems reasonable to class

Australia with the former rather than with the latter."

MRS. WILTON. "With Australia we close our investigations. To use a

nautical expression, it is, compared with Europe and Asia, almost an

iron-bound coast. It possesses only two large indentations,--the

Gulf of Carpentaria on the north, and Spencer's Gulf on the south.

Shark's Bay, on the west, and Hervey's Bay, on the east, are the

next in size."

MR. WILTON. "New Holland was discovered by Paulmyer de Gonville.

That navigator sailed from Honfleur for the East Indies about the

middle of 1503, and experienced a violent storm off the Cape of Good

Hope, during which he lost his reckoning, and was driven into an

unknown sea. After sailing for some time, he observed birds flying

from the south, and, directing his course towards that quarter, he

soon fell in with land. This was thought to have been New Holland or

Australia."

MR. BARRAUD. "It is remarkable how extremely ignorant the

Australians are: they are certainly the lowest in intellect of the

human creation. The tribes on the western shores of Spencer's Bay

are positively ignorant of any method of obtaining fire: they say

that it originally came down from the north. Like the vestal

virgins, the women keep it constantly lighted, and carry it about

with them in firesticks when they travel: should it happen to go

out, they procure a fresh supply from a neighboring encampment. Then

their manners are so atrociously savage. Their mode of courtship is

one which I fancy would not become popular among English ladies. If

a chief, or any other individual, be in love, with a damsel of a

different tribe, he endeavors to waylay her; and if she be surprised

in any quiet place, the ambushed lover rushes upon her, beats her

about the head with his 'waddie' till she becomes senseless, when he

drags her in triumph to his hut, and thenceforth she is his lawful

wife!"

GRANDY. "After that, you will readily credit the story I am going to

tell you. A Mr. Meredith went over with his goods to Kangaroo

Island, whence he journeyed across the bay to Yankalilly, where he

built a hut, placed in it a glass window or two, and made it look

snug. As he was a young man of about twenty-one or twenty-two, his

warm, generous spirit had led him into difficulties; and, the

friends of his brief sunshine flying from him in his distress, he

contracted a disgust for the world. He lived some time amongst these

people, acquired their language, and seemed to be beloved by them

all. But volumes might be filled with accounts of their treachery,

and the sequel will sufficiently prove the malignity of these

wretched people. He had adopted one of their sons, and was

endeavoring to instruct him in a few points of education. He had

also taken a native woman to assist him in household matters. One

day he went out in his boat, and his favorite boy went with him.

When in the boat, the boy complained of hunger, and Mr. Meredith

gave him a biscuit. The boy commenced eating it, when Mr. Meredith

(who was a religious man) observed that he had not thanked the Great

God for the food,--a practice which he invariably endeavored to

inculcate. The boy appeared unwilling to do so: Mr. Meredith

insisted, and on his refusal, he boxed his ears. The boy thereupon

leaped out of the boat, and swam ashore, saying, he should repent

it.

"In the evening, Mr. Meredith put his boat ashore, and went to his

hut, had his supper, and was preparing for bed; and taking up a

prayer-book, as was his custom, was reading the prayers before the

fire, with his back to the door, when some natives looked through

the window, saw their advantage, and opened the door silently. The

woman, his attendant, then entered with an axe belonging to him in

her hand, and several men followed her. She approached the

unsuspecting youth, and, while his soul was devoutly engaged in

prayer, she raised the fatal axe, and, with one blow, severed his

skull, and the men with their clubs beat his body into a shapeless

mass."

EMMA. "Poor Mr. Meredith! What a frightful murder!"

MRS. WILTON. "The Australians thought nothing of it, for they glory

in the most atrocious deeds. I fear it will be long before they will

be civilized. But let us look at their country, of which, in some

respects, but little can be said; for it is not remarkable for its

fertility, and in many parts exceedingly barren. But few animals

range there, and in the south-west the natives subsist during the

winter chiefly on opossums, kangaroos, and bandicoots, in the summer

upon roots, with occasionally a few fish."

DORA. "Port Adelaide appears to be a neat town. Its harbor is a deep

creek or inlet of the sea, running out of Gulf St. Vincent: it

contains two spacious wharfs, alongside of which, vessels from Great

Britain, Singapore, Manilla, China, Mauritius, Sydney, Hobart Town,

and New Zealand, are continually discharging their cargoes."

MRS. WILTON. "There are many lakes in Australia, but none of them

very large. Lake Alexandria is the largest, but it is very shallow;

and Lake St. George, the second in size, which, in 1828, was a sheet

of water 17 miles long by 7 broad, was said by an old native female

to have been a forest within her memory, and in 1836 it was dried up

to a grassy plain."

EMMA. "Does not Van Diemen's Land belong to New Holland, mamma?"

MRS. WILTON. "Yes, my dear; and the part nearest to it is New South

Wales, from which it is separated by Bass's Straits, which are 100

miles broad, and contain a great many small islands. Van Diemen's

Land was discovered by Tasman, in 1644, and named by him in honor of

the Dutch Governor-General of the East Indies: but it is now more

appropriately called Tasmania. This island contains several

mountains of considerable elevation. The highest is ascertained to

be 3964 feet in height. Hobart Town is the capital. The population

of Tasmania has of late years much increased, for, owing to its

eligibility, the tide of emigration has been strong. For many years,

three or four vessels have annually sailed from Great Britain, laden

with emigrants possessed of more or less capital, and they have, in

most cases, prospered equal to their expectations."

GEORGE. "Are there not more coral reefs about Australia than in any

other part of the Ocean?"

MR. WILTON. "It is generally supposed so; but, in asking that

question, do you know what coral reefs are?"

GEORGE. "Yes, papa; they are the work of insects, who build them for

their habitations; but it is very wonderful."

GRANDY. "It is wonderful, my dear; and there are many other

marvellous productions of the Most High God, so infinitely beyond

the power of man to produce, that, in meditating on them, the mind

is lost in wonder and surprise. 'The most powerful, acutest, and

holiest mind,' says a learned divine, 'will eternally be unable

fully to find out God, or perfectly to comprehend Him.' May these

wonders then increase our reverence, and humble us before the mighty

Creator of all things."

MR. WILTON. "Captain Hall examined some coral reefs during the

different stages of one tide, and gives the following description as

the result:--'When the tide has left it for some time, it becomes

dry, and appears to be a compact rock, exceedingly hard and rugged;

but as the tide rises, and the waves begin to wash over it, the

coral worms protrude themselves from holes that were before

invisible. These animals are of a great variety of shapes and sizes,

and, in such prodigious numbers, that, in a short time, the whole

surface of the rock appears to be alive and in motion. The most

common worm is in the form of a star, with arms from four to six

inches long, which are moved about with a rapid motion, in all

directions, probably to catch food. Others are so sluggish, that

they may be mistaken for pieces of rock; and are generally of a dark

color, from four to five inches long, and two or three round. When

the coral is broken about high-water mark, it is a solid hard stone;

but if any part of it be detached at a spot where the tide reaches

every day, it is found to be full of worms of different lengths and

colors, some being as fine as a thread and several feet long, of a

bright yellow, and sometimes of a blue color; others resemble

snails, and some are not unlike lobsters in shape, but soft, and

not above two inches long.'"

DORA. "We must be content to see these in imagination. But sometimes

I feel disposed to regret that we are not _really_ afloat in the

'Research;' and at other times I congratulate myself that the voyage

is only imaginary; for in Polynesia particularly, we have met with

so many ignorant, savage people, it is well for us that we can, if

we choose, steer clear of them. I suppose it would not be possible

in all Europe to find a country where such unreasonable things were

done from religious superstition?"

GRANDY. "My dear Dora, you are very much mistaken. Europe has been,

and still is in many parts, a slave to superstition; and, although

not savages, there are many vices and iniquitous deeds committed in

civilized Europe, which no temptation would induce the savages of

Polynesia to commit. But, to assure your mind that horrible crimes

were perpetrated from zeal in the doctrines of their religion, I

will give you an instance connected with Sweden in olden time. The

story is told by a slave girl named Kumba, thus:--'My mother was

amongst the slaves of Queen Gunnild: she was the most faithful of

her servants. Poor and heavy was her lot, yet did she wish to live.

My father was a free-born person, who thought little of forsaking

the woman who loved him, and the child she had nursed for him. I

remember a night--that night has stretched itself over my whole

life. Flames arose from a pile: they ascended high into heaven. It

was the corpse of the Queen which was burned. My mother was amongst

those who tended the pile: she with many others was cast alive into

the flames. The Queen, it was said, needed her attendance in another

world. I stood amongst the people, still a child, and heard my

mother's cry, and saw her burn! Fatherless and motherless, I went

thence into the world alone, and wandered in the woods without

knowing whither. There came people who seized me, and carried me

back to the Court of King Atle. They said that I wished to run away,

and I was conducted to the presence of the king. I answered

haughtily to his questions, and he caused me to be whipped till the

blood came: in punishment, as he said, of my disobedience.' Is not

that barbarous enough for a savage land, Dora?"

DORA. "Oh yes, madam, that is very shocking. Poor, unhappy Kumba!

What a life of wretchedness was hers."

MR. WILTON. "Grandy's story must conclude our conversation to-night.

At the next meeting we will endeavor to explore the coast of Africa,

and visit the islands of the Indian Ocean. Carry away the books,

boys: I am sure you must all be hungry, and tired too, for we have

been over an immense space of water.

"Right gaily our bark's glided over the ocean,

Bright nature we've viewed in majestic array;

But our own native shores we greet with emotion,

For the heart of a Briton exults in her sway."