FAREWELL TO VAU VAU. 279 



with newly-born calves, I never had an opportunity 

 of seeing them suck. 



Gradually our pleasant days at Vau Vau drew to a 

 close. So quiet and idyllic had the life been, so full of 

 simple joys, that most of us, if not all, felt a pang at 

 the thought of our imminent departure from the 

 beautiful place. Profitable, in a pecuniary sense, the 

 season had certainly failed to be, but that was the merest 

 trifle compared with the real happiness and peace 

 enjoyed during our stay. Even the terrible tragedy 

 which had taken one of our fellows from us could not 

 spoil the actual enjoyment of our visit, sad and touching 

 as the event undoubtedly was. There was always, too, 

 a sufficiently arduous routine of necessary duties to 

 perform, preventing us from degenerating into mere 

 lotus eaters in that delicious afternoon-land. Nor even 

 to me, friendless nomad as I was, did the thought ever 

 occur, " I will return no more." 



But those lovely days spent in softly gliding over 

 the calm, azure depths, bathed in golden sunlight, 

 gazing dreamily down at the indescribable beauties of 

 the living reefs, feasting daintily on abundance of 

 never-cloying fruit, amid scenes of delight hardly to be 

 imagined by the cramped mind of the town dweller ; 

 islands, air, and sea all sliimmering in an enchanted 

 haze, and silence scarcely broken by the tender ripple 

 of the gently-parted waters before the boat's steady keel 

 — though these joys have all been lost to me, and 

 I in "populous city pent" endure the fading years, I 

 would not barter the memory of them for more than I 

 can say, so sweet it is to me. And, then, our relations 

 with the natives had been so perfectly amicable, so free 

 from anything to regret. Perhaps this simple state- 

 ment will raise a cynical smile upon the lips of those 



