164 THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE 



here before. But the real reason for the excitement among them 

 was that they had not seen a ship for six months, so far is the 

 island out of commercial traffic-lanes. While Torreson and Scott 

 were still recording the bearings of the ship, the government agent 

 and two political exiles from Chile climbed aboard to bid us 

 welcome. 



A party from the Carnegie at once took the dinghy ashore for 

 a visit to our old friend, Mr. Edmunds, the only permanent 

 white resident. He is an agent of Williamson, Balfour and Co., 

 who lease the whole island from Chile for stock-raising. The 

 landing is precarious even on a quiet day, and highly exciting 

 when a moderate surf rolls in from the open sea to the west. A 

 narrow channel in the rocks leads to a few feet of sandy beach. 

 One must idle a moment outside the channel waiting for a swell 

 large enough to carry the boat through; for even an eight horse- 

 power outboard motor cannot make headway against the outrush 

 of a receding wave. 



On shore we found the whole village collected. Over the rocky 

 plains little puffs of dust converged toward the landing, raised 

 by native cowboys galloping at their characteristically reckless 

 pace. Mr. Edmunds was soon persuaded to accompany us back 

 to the ship for a renewal of acquaintance. 



Upon our return a sight greeted us which was to become more 

 and more familiar as we voyaged through the Pacific islands. 

 The Carnegie swarmed with brown faces. On the forecastle-head 

 a seaman was bartering an old sailor-hat for a wooden idol. On 

 the quarter-deck the steward was haggling for a hatful of eggs. 

 Oscar the cook was offering a handful of empty bottles for a 

 scraggly chicken ; but to his dismay was told that only the trans- 

 fer of his trousers would close the deal. Members of the staff 

 found shirts the magic medium of trade. Strangely enough, new 

 shirts taken from the lockers were not so much in demand as old 

 ones on your back. The natives were in no great hurry to come 

 to a bargain, and would often amble away as soon as you came 

 to their terms. 



As days passed the whole population acquired the necessary 

 shirts or trousers, and playing-cards, neckties, and cigarettes 



