OF THE SOUTH SEAS 27 



or forty of his tribe, who, with only the same shght aids 

 to keeping afloat, would be fishing leisurely. They car- 

 ried their tackle and their catch upon their shoulders, 

 and appeared quite at ease, with no concern for their 

 long swim to shore or for the sharks, which were plenti- 

 ful. They might even nap a little during the middle 

 afternoon." 



"When our people wanted to sleep at sea," said Mc- 

 Birney, "if there were two of them, though we never 

 bothered to take along logs, one rested on the other's 

 shoulder." 



One listened and marveled, and smiled to think that, 

 had one stayed at home, one might never know these 

 things. Forgotten was the wraith of Leung Kai Chu, 

 the jungle trail of Hallman, and even the trepidation 

 with which we had awaited the sailing ship's boat. I 

 was soon to be in those enchanted archipelagoes, and to 

 see for myself those mighty swimmers and those sleep- 

 ers upon the sea. I might even get a letter through 

 that floating postmaster. 



There was a Continental duchess aboard, whom I 

 pitied. She was oldish and homely, and could n't for- 

 get her rank. She had a woman companion, an honor- 

 able lady, a maid, and a courier, but she sat all day knit- 

 ting or reading poor novels. She had nothing to do 

 with the other passengers, eating with her companion at 

 an aloof table, and sitting before her own cabin, apart 

 from others. The courier and I talked several times, 

 and once he said that her Highness was much interested 

 in a statement I had made about the origin of the Maori 

 race, but she did not invite me to tell her my opinion 

 directly. Poor wretch! as Pepys used to say, she was 



