A POPULAR LECTURE 



the whole border of the reef. Beyond the grove opens a 

 quiet scene, like an inland sea, in strange contrast with 

 the surging ocean. Coming still nearer, the grove is 

 traced around by the right and left, until finally it meets 

 in the far distance, embracing completely the placid 

 waters which are, in fact, a lake, and the atoll now ap- 

 pears in its completed beauty. There are various trees 

 and shrubbery besides the cocoanut, and all have a 

 peculiar luxuriance and richness of coloring, notwith- 

 standing the thinness of the coral-made soil. Beneath 

 the shade of the cocoanut groves may perhaps be de- 

 scried the scattered huts of a native village, and a file of 

 swarthy savages, clad in nature's best, stand along the 

 beach; while on yonder lagoon slender canoes are dally- 

 ing about some fishing-ground, or gliding rapidly to a 

 distant shore. 



" On one of the most beautiful of these islands we 

 found no inhabitants but the birds of the groves. It 

 was, in fact, a little bird-world; and such a picture of 

 Eden loveliness as I had never expected to see. Its 

 graceful occupants, various in plumage and song, quietly 

 perched amid the foliage, or flitted from branch to branch, 

 and showed no fear at the approaching hand; for we 

 took them from the trees, as we would gather fruit. 

 They sometimes flew in circles round and round, narrow- 

 ing down till they lit on our heads. Our ornithologist 

 went ashore with powder and shot; but the sportsman 

 could find no pleasure in shooting; indeed, he could help 

 himself without. 



" During my rambles over the island I came across a 

 noble bird, as white as snow, and nearly as large as an 

 albatross. In my zeal for science I began to contemplate 

 it as a very fine specimen indeed, a magnificent speci- 

 men ; and although it was not in my line of research, it 

 seemed a failure of duty to neglect the opportunity to 

 secure it. By a scientific process the work of death is 

 easily accomplished. I went up to him he stood still, 

 not offering to fly. I commenced to carry out my plan ; 

 a slight point of blood soiled the white plumage, and 

 my zeal gave out. It was another's duty to play execu- 

 tioner and not mine ; and after stroking down his feath- 

 ers and wishing him well, I walked away. But as I 

 glanced back from time to time, there was that bird still, 



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