The surf was breaking heavily over the whole length of the barrier reef;
but my experience among the Caroline and Marshall Islands led me to
believe that somewhere in that reef a break might be found wide enough
to allow the passage of the ship through it. Examining the long line of
the leaping surf very carefully through the ship's telescope, I at
length thought I detected such a passage, some two or three miles to the
southward of the point at which the ship's bowsprit was pointing; I
accordingly hailed the deck, directing the helmsman how to steer for it,
and at the same time requested Polson to join me.
"There, Polson," I exclaimed, "what think you of that for an island upon
which to settle? It ought to be big enough to accommodate all hands of
you, with room to spare. Its soil is fertile, if one may judge by its
luxuriantly wooded appearance; and, thus far, I have been unable to
detect any signs of inhabitants upon it. Do you think it good enough to
justify us in attempting to find a way through that reef in order to get
a closer view of it?"
"Do I?" repeated the boatswain, feasting his eyes upon the lovely
prospect the island presented in the rays of the afternoon sun, which
happened at that moment to fall at just the proper angle to reveal
clearly the gently undulating character of the island, scored here and
there with ravines which seemed to promise not only a series of charming
prospects, but also an abundance of fresh water from the streams that
had their origin in the central peak--"Yes, Mr Troubridge, I most
certainly do, if a way can be found of gettin' at the place. Why, it's
the very kind of island as I've been picturin' in my mind ever since
that chap Wilde began to talk about his plans, except that yonder island
is a good bit bigger and altogether more promisin' than I'd ever hoped
to stumble upon. But how is that there line of surf goin' to be passed
through, Mr Troubridge?"
"Take this glass, Polson," I said, "and very carefully examine the spot
immediately over our jibboom-end. To my mind there seems to be a very
narrow patch of unbroken water there, which may yet prove wide enough to
take the ship through with a leading wind."
"Ay, sir," answered Polson, "I sees what you mean; there certainly do
look to be a bit of a passage there; and, narrer as it looks, it may, as
you say, be wide enough for the _Mercury_ to slip through. And what's
them two p'ints on the mainland, just over the break, with the blue
shadder showin' beyond it? Don't it look to you somethin' like a bit of
a cove, or a harbour of some sort?"
I looked at the spot indicated, and thought I could detect something of
the kind suggested by the boatswain; but my unaided vision was not
strong enough to enable me to be sure; I therefore borrowed the glass
from Polson, and then saw that there was indeed an indentation of some
sort which had the appearance of being spacious enough to give
harbourage to the ship. That, however, was a point that did not call
for immediate settlement, although it was certainly to be kept in mind.
Meanwhile, the ship, running off with the wind now a couple of points
over the port quarter, had been sliding rapidly down toward the reef,
and had by this time drawn so near it that I felt morally certain not
only of the fact that there actually was a passage through it, but also
that it was wide enough for the ship to go through. Yet I did not
altogether like the idea of pushing the ship through it without further
ado, for a rather unpleasant thought had flashed through my mind, which
I at once proceeded to communicate to the boatswain.
"Now, look here, Polson," I said. "That is undoubtedly a passage
through the reef; and as we draw nearer to it I grow the more disposed
to believe that it may be possible to take the old _Mercury_ through it.
Yet I am strongly opposed to the idea of doing anything hastily. What
I mean is this," I continued in answer to the quick glance of half-
suspicious enquiry that he flashed upon me. "There is no sign that we
can detect of natives upon that island; yet there may be hundreds, ay,
thousands, of them there for all that. If so, what is to prevent their
having us in sight all day to-day, and hiding their canoes and otherwise
obliterating all indication of their presence, in the hope that, by so
doing, we may be tempted to pass through the reef and come to an anchor
under its lee and in pretty close proximity to the island. Once through
that passage, Polson, and, with the wind as it is now, we should be in a
trap from which it might be difficult, if not absolutely impossible, to
escape in the event of our being attacked by a strong body of hostile
natives. Now, my idea is this. If we were to enter that lagoon this
evening, by the time that we had come to an anchor and rolled up our
canvas it would be altogether too late to go ashore and explore
satisfactorily that island; and, as I said just now, if there happen to
be hostile natives there we might find ourselves in an exceedingly
awkward fix. I propose, therefore, that instead of attempting to go
inside to-night, we should shorten sail to our three topsails, go round
under the lee of the island, and either heave-to or stand off and on
until daylight. If we do this at once we may hug the lee side of it as
closely as we please, and subject that side of the island to a pretty
searching scrutiny while it is still daylight; and if the lee side is as
bare of any sign of inhabitants as the weather side seems to be, I think
we may venture with tolerable safety to go through the passage to-morrow
morning as soon as there is light enough, when we shall have the whole
day in which to explore the island. What say you?"
"Yes, Mr Troubridge, you're quite right, sir," answered the boatswain.
"That there island looks most terrible temptin', shinin' there in the
a'ternoon sunlight, and I should dearly like to stretch my legs by
takin' a run ashore there afore I turn in to-night--as I make no doubt
is the case with all hands; but what you say is right, sir; and what you
propose is the proper thing to do. Shall I go down on deck and start
shortenin' sail at once, sir?"
"Yes, if you please, Polson," answered I. "Meanwhile, I will remain up
here and see as much as I can."
Whereupon Polson descended the rigging, and, taking charge, proceeded to
clew up and haul down until the canvas was reduced to the three topsails
and the fore topmast staysail, afterward sending the hands aloft to make
a harbour furl of everything.
By the time that all this was done we had run down to within a mile of
the opening which I had detected in the reef, and I now perceived it to
be wide enough to allow of the passage of not only a single ship, but of
half a dozen vessels abreast, of the tonnage of the _Mercury_. At this
distance from the reef, and at my elevation above the level of the
water, it was possible not only to see this, but also to make out that a
fringing reef stretched along almost the entire eastern face of the
island, to the northern and southern extremities of which the barrier
reef was united with but one opening in it, namely the one that I had
already discovered. The fringing reef--the whereabout of which was
indicated by the pale-blue tint of the water, varied in width from two
miles, at the north-eastern extremity of the island, where the barrier
reef joined it, to an average of about half a mile along the rest of the
shore--except for a break of some two miles in length at the point where
Polson had detected indications of a cove or an inner harbour.
This much determined, I hailed the deck, instructing the boatswain to
haul up to the southward; and when we had brought the passage through
the reef in line with the summit of the peak I again hailed him to take
the bearings of the latter, to serve as a guide when running for the
passage on the morrow. This bearing I found to be north-west by west-a-
quarter-west, of which I made a note in my pocket book.
The sun was within half an hour of setting when at length, having
closely skirted the southern shore of the island, we opened out its
western side, which, all aglow as it was in the golden light of evening,
presented a picture of absolutely fairy-like beauty, its wooded slopes
revealing in the nearer distances a thousand varied tints of verdure,
from brilliant yellow to deepest olive, relieved here and there by great
patches of white, scarlet, purple, and other lovely tints that could
only proceed from immense masses of blossom of some kind. As this blaze
of rich and varied colour receded from the eye into the middle and more
remote distances, it gradually merged into an all-pervading tint of
delicate, exquisite, ethereal grey.
With the gradual unfolding of the charming picture presented by the
western side of the island--which seemed to throw all hands down on deck
into ecstasies of delight, judging from the continuous exclamations of
rapture that reached me from below as fresh beauties swung into view
with the progress of the ship--it became apparent that the barrier reef
existed only on the eastern side of the island; but the fringing reef
seemed to run all round it, with a narrow margin of dazzlingly white
coral sand above high-water mark. The land seemed to rise everywhere
from the beach at a very gentle slope; and the vegetation came down
right to the inner margin of the sand. In fact there was a thick fringe
of what I took to be coconut trees growing all along the edge of the
beach, and encroaching upon it so far in places, that the roots of the
trees must be actually washed by the salt water at the top of the spring
tides. But, search the shore as carefully as I might--and now that we
were to leeward of the island I did not hesitate to approach the ship to
within a quarter of a mile of the edge of the reef, in order that I
might obtain the best possible view--I could discover no sign or trace
of human beings. There were open patches of delicious greensward here
and there visible among the clumps of trees, but no suggestion of
cultivation; there were no canoes on the beach--indeed I greatly doubted
whether it would have been possible for canoes to pass through the line
of surf that boiled and swirled all along the edge of the reef, even on
the lee side of the island--nor could I detect any feather of smoke
rising among the trees, or other sign of human occupancy, although we
were now so close to the land, and the evening light smote upon it so
strongly, that had there been any natives moving about on the beach or
in the nearer open spaces, I could scarcely have failed to see them.
The ship, now under the lee of the island, and moreover under short
canvas, did little more than barely drift to the northward, along the
western edge of the reef, and long before we arrived off the north-
western extremity of the island the sun had set, and it had become too
dark for me to complete my survey of this lonely but lovely spot; yet I
had seen enough to assure me that there was only one place along that
lee side at which it would be possible for the ship to anchor. Even
there, although the place in question took the form of a bay, I did not
altogether like the look of it; for nearly half its area consisted of
fringing reef, upon which, if a ship were to drive ashore during a
sudden shift of wind, she would infallibly go to pieces in a few
minutes. It might possibly be made to do, failing a better place, by
riding with both anchors down; but I determined to have a look at
Polson's cove round on the weather side of the island, under the shelter
of the natural breakwater formed by the barrier reef, before risking the
ship by taking her into such an unsatisfactory anchorage.
The second dogwatch had passed before we drew out clear of the island,
and once more felt the full strength of the breeze, whereupon I gave
instructions for the ship to be kept "full and by" on the starboard tack
until four bells in the middle watch, when the officer of the watch was
to wear ship and come to the wind on the port tack, heading to the
southward for the island again, the weather side of which I considered
we ought to fetch by daylight, in good time to allow of our passing
through the reef and coming to an anchor about breakfast-time.
The first rays of the morning sun were flashing off the placidly heaving
waters, and into my cabin, when Chips awakened me with the news that the
peak of the island was broad on our lee bow, and that there was now
light enough to enable us to see our way in through the reef. I
accordingly turned out and went forward to get my usual douche bath
under the head-pump prior to dressing, taking note on the way of the
fact that we were still some ten miles to the northward and eastward of
the opening in the reef. Moreover, the wind was blowing a very gentle
breeze, pushing the ship along at scarcely more than three knots; I
therefore so far modified my arrangements of the previous night as to
give orders for breakfast to be prepared half an hour earlier, in order
that the meal might be disposed of before the real business of the day
began. But long before the cook's husky notes summoned the emigrants'
messmen to the galley, to receive their morning allowance of cocoa and
their tins of "lobscouse", all hands were on deck, the emigrants
gathered in the waist of the ship, leaning over the lee rail, and
devouring with their eyes the beauties of the lovely island, fresh,
green, and sparkling with the dews of the past night. It was rather
amusing to note that many of these people, especially the women and
children, had donned their best clothes in which to go ashore, as though
it were a festive occasion.
By the time that breakfast was over the ship had drawn well down toward
the southern extremity of the island; and at length the peak was brought
to bear by compass north-west by west-a-quarter-west, by which I knew
that it and the passage through the reef were now in line. Accordingly
we bore up and wore round, heading straight for the peak. Slinging the
ship's telescope over my shoulder, I once more wended my way aloft to
the fore topmast crosstrees, in order that from that commanding
elevation I might perform the delicate task of conning the ship through
the passage in the reef, and at the same time maintain a sharp lookout
for what now seemed to be the only peril to be guarded against, namely,
the possible existence upon the island of hostile natives.
Although we were some four miles from the reef when we bore up, I had
not the slightest difficulty in discovering the whereabouts of the
passage through it immediately upon my arrival in the crosstrees; and I
now at once brought the telescope to bear upon it, in search of possible
dangers in the form of sunken rocks; for although that apparently narrow
stretch of unbroken water was the sure indication of a break in the
continuity of the reef, it was just possible that there might be a
detached rock or two in the fairway, lying deep enough to allow the
swell to roll over it unbroken, yet not quite deep enough to permit a
ship of the size of the _Mercury_ to pass over it.
But a prolonged inspection with the aid of the glass failed to reveal
any such danger, and in the course of the next half-hour we had drawn so
close in, that I could see as much in that direction with the unaided
eye as with the telescope. I therefore diverted my attention for a few
minutes to the more distant beach, and the still more distant open
grassy spaces of the island, in search of possible indications of life
and movement. But here, too, my quest was vain, for nowhere could I
detect the slightest signs of life, except that of birds, a few gulls
and pelicans being visible, busily engaged in seeking a breakfast on the
waters of the lagoon, while it was also possible to detect the
occasional flash of wings among the trees that so thickly clustered on
the slopes of the island.
At length the moment arrived when it became necessary for me to give my
undivided attention to the passage through the reef, which the ship had
now approached, to within a distance of a couple of cable-lengths, while
the air was vibrant with the deep, hoarse, thunderous roar of the surf
that eternally flung itself in foam and fury upon those ten miles of
submerged coral wall which I have spoken of as the reef. This wall, or
reef, I could now see, was of a tolerably uniform width of about one-
third of a mile throughout its length, and its top was so nearly level
with the surface of the ocean that it constituted a very perfect
breakwater, excluding from the lagoon which it enclosed all surface
disturbance except the trifling amount caused by the incessant beat of
the surf upon it, and revealed itself in the form of some eight or ten
lines of miniature swell, sweeping inward from the reef and losing
itself in the smooth, sparkling surface of the lagoon within a distance
of half a mile.
Thus far I had failed to discover any submerged dangers in the passage
through the reef, and we were now so close in that I must have seen them
through the clear, transparent water, had such existed. I therefore
directed the helmsman how to steer, so as to take the ship through the
middle of the channel, which now revealed itself as an opening fully
sixteen hundred feet wide, and a minute later we surged into it on the
back of a swell which crashed down upon the reef to right and left of us
with a roar that made one's very ears tingle, while the spray, snow-
white, and sparkling in the dazzling sunshine like countless millions of
diamonds, leapt into the air as high as our maintop, to fall, a cable's
length to leeward, in a glittering shower upon the seething turmoil of
lace-like foam that swirled hither and thither above the reef.
Five minutes sufficed us to accomplish the passage through the reef,
when we found ourselves gliding gently forward upon the placid surface
of the lagoon, which formed a magnificent crescent-shaped, natural
harbour, some ten miles long by about two and a half miles wide at its
widest part, tapering away to nothing at its northern and southern
extremities, where the barrier and fringing reefs united. The floor of
this lagoon, as I could distinctly see from my elevated post of
observation, was composed of fine white coral sand, with no sign of rock
or any other obstruction upon it so far as my sight could reach. We of
course had a leadsman in the chains taking continual casts of the lead
as we proceeded, and from these it appeared that the depth of water in
the lagoon, close up against the inner face of the reef, amounted to
seven and a half fathoms, shoaling very gradually and regularly as we
neared the island, the exceeding beauty of which evoked a continuous
chorus of admiration from the delighted emigrants as its many
attractions unfolded themselves at our approach.
Upon clearing the passage through the reef I had shouted instructions
down to the man at the wheel to haul up a couple of points to the
northward, which had brought our jibboom-end pointing fair between the
two headlands opening into the indentation which I have termed Polson's
harbour, and I now judged, from what I could see, to be of quite
respectable extent. I had no intention, however, of attempting to take
the ship into it without first subjecting it to something in the nature
of a preliminary examination. I therefore now called to them on deck to
stand by to let go the anchor, to which Polson responded that they were
all ready for letting go.
"Stand by to let run your topsail halyards!" was the next order, which
was obeyed with a rush as of a parcel of schoolboys eagerly anticipating
a holiday. I allowed the ship to drive ahead a little farther, until we
had arrived within half a mile of the two headlands, which, I now saw,
were about a quarter of a mile apart, and then gave the order: "Hard
down with your helm, and let her come head to wind!" closely followed
by: "Let run your topsail halyards!" and the next moment, with a
screaming of sheaves and a rattle of parrals, the three topsail yards
slid down the topmasts and brought up with a thud upon the caps, to the
accompaniment of a jubilant cheer from the crowd on deck. Then, a
minute later, when the ship had lost her way, followed the order: "Let
go your anchor!" succeeded by a yell from the carpenter of "Stand clear
of the cable!" a few clinking strokes of a hammer, the sudden plunging
splash of the anchor into the placid waters of the lagoon, and the
rattling roar of the cable through the hawse-pipe. Chips snubbed her
with the twenty-five fathom shackle just inside the hawse-pipe, the
depth of water alongside being a deep five fathoms, and then the men
sprang into the rigging and laid out on the bowsprit to furl the
topsails and fore topmast staysail.
Then, turning myself about with my face toward the stern of the ship, I
seated myself comfortably in the crosstrees and, once more bringing the
telescope into action, proceeded again to subject the island to a
searching scrutiny. We were now so close to it that, had there been
human beings upon it, I could scarcely have failed to detect some
indication of their presence; but, search as I would, no sign of life,
save that of birds, could I discover. I therefore finally came to the
conclusion that, strange as it might be, this lovely island was actually
uninhabited, and, therefore, in that respect, perfectly suited to the
experiment which Wilde and his disciples were about to attempt upon it.
Nor did it appear less suited in other respects. Its size was ample;
its fertility indisputable, and apparently exuberant. Glimpses of tiny
rivulets of water could be caught, here and there, flashing and
sparkling through its glades; there appeared to be no noxious animals
upon it to endanger life; and, so far as beauty was concerned, the place
seemed to be a perfect Eden, the woods being gay with flowering shrubs
and trees, that everywhere diversified the innumerable shades of green
with great splashes of vivid and gorgeous colour. Nor could much fault
be found with the climate, for, although the island lay well within the
tropics, the constant sea breeze must certainly temper the heat and
render it perfectly endurable.
The people on deck, seeing how I was engaged, waited with exemplary
patience until I should make a move; but the moment I rose to my feet
and prepared to descend the rigging there was a rush to that part of the
deck which I must first touch, upon my return from aloft, every
individual in the crowd evidently charged with questions which he fully
intended to fire off at me without further delay. While descending the
ratlines, therefore, I hastily prepared a little speech which I hoped
would not prove disappointing to them.