36 



THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 



Photograph by Ralph Stock 



PASCAL, A PAUMOTAN NATIVE WHO PROVED A WIZARD AS A COOK, BUT A SNARE 



AXD A DELUSION AS A PEARL ElSHER 



"He could produce savory messes from a kerosene tin, remain under water three min- 

 utes, discourse entertainingly in pidgin-English, French, German, Marquesan, and Paumotan, 

 and secure a ship's provision without the annoying triviality of paying for them." 



"Monsieur." An enormous Paumotan 

 native stood in the doorway smiling be- 

 nignly. 



He would accompany us. He would 

 cook and he would dive. 



I'ASCAL PROVES A REMARKABLE EORAGER 



We sailed that evening, the deck being 

 littered with green bananas, live chickens 

 lied by a leg to bulwark stanchions, a 

 rabbit, firewood, a stove composed of a 

 kerosene tin half filled with earth, and — 

 Pascal. 



There was apparently nothing that this 

 extraordinary man could not do. He 

 knew every island of the Marquesas like 

 the palm of his hand. He could produce 

 savory messes from a kerosene tin, re- 

 main under water three minutes, dis- 

 course entertainingly in pidgin-English, 

 French, German, Marquesan, and Pau- 

 motan, and secure a ship's provisions 

 without the annoying triviality of paying 

 for them. 



''I Jut whom do we owe for all this?" 



I asked him, eying the menagerie that 

 surrounded us. 



Pascal smiled and waved a hand. 



"Rabbit no money," he informed us ; 

 "chickens, bananas, all no money. I get 

 um." 



Here surely is a solution of the "high- 

 cost-of-living" problem. Take Pascal to 

 the profiteering areas and the thing is 

 done. 



Dawn revealed to us Tahuata close 

 abeam. Each island of this group seems 

 more lovely than the last : waterfalls 

 pouring 3,000 feet to the sea, blow-holes 

 at the base of rocky cliffs that spray the 

 air with spindrift and miniature rain- 

 bows, deep bays with coral beaches at 

 their head. 



But the beauties of nature were not 

 for us on this occasion ; we were pros- 

 pecting. It was a serious business. 

 There might be money in it. After this 

 I can scarce believe that in Paradise itself 

 the white man will not be dogged by the 

 curse of opportunism. 



