OF THE SOUTH SEAS 229 



knot or two she arranged the pareu so that it was like a 

 chemise, coming to a foot above her knees and covering 

 her bosom. 



Her black, glossy hair was loose and hung below her 

 waist, and upon it she had placed a wreath she had 

 quickly made of small ferns. That was their general 

 custom, to adorn themselves when happy and at the 

 bath. The eyes of Fragrance of the Jasmine were very 

 large, deep brown, her skin a coppery-cinnamon, with 

 a touch of red in the cheeks, and her nose and mouth 

 were large and well formed. Her teeth were as the 

 meat of the cocoanut, brilliant and strong. Her limbs 

 were rounded, soft, the flesh glowing with health and 

 power. She was of that line of Tahitian women who 

 sent back the first European navigators, the English, to 

 rave about an island of Junos, the French to call Tahiti 

 La Nouvelle Cj^there, the new isle of Venus. 



I had but to tie up my own pareu of red calico with 

 white leaves in the manner Lovaina had shown me to 

 have an imitation of our usual swimming-trunks. 



"Allonsr cried the princess, and running toward the 

 waterfall, she climbed up the cliff to a height of a dozen 

 feet, and threw herself, wreathed as she was, with a 

 loud "Auer into the pool. 



I followed her, and she dived and swam, brought up 

 bottom, treaded water, and led me in a dozen exercises 

 and tricks of the expert swimmer. The water was very 

 cool, and ten minutes in it, with our sharpening hunger, 

 were enough delight. Fragrance of the Jasmine, as she 

 came dripping from water and lingered a few moments 

 on the brink, was a rapturous object. With uncon- 

 scious grace she flung back her head many times to shake 



