THE DREAM SHIP 



37 



Photograph by Ralph Stock 

 SOUTH SEA ISLANDERS PAY A VISIT TO THE "DREAM SHIP" 



Leaving the Dream Ship at anchor a 

 cable's length from shore, we took to the 

 dinghy and explored the floor of the 

 ocean thereabouts through water-glasses. 

 This was the place, Pascal informed us, 

 and, sure enough, there was shell, old 

 barnacle-encrusted shell, but widely scat- 

 tered. 



What of a few samples? Pascal 

 grinned and shook his head. "Shark.'' 

 he muttered apologetically ; which, being 

 interpreted, meant that he refused to dive. 



He pointed out that in the Paumotus 

 it was different. In the Paumotus there 

 was always a reef -surrounded lagoon, 

 where few sharks found entrance. In 

 the Paumotus men dived in couples as a 

 safeguard. In the Paumotus — 



In vain we pointed out that we hap- 

 pened to be in the Marquesas and not the 

 Paumotus : that he had been hired to dive 

 in the Marquesas ; that we were really 

 very angry — in the Marquesas. He 

 grinned. 



HO FOR TAHITI 



In rather less than half an hour, and 

 to Pascal's utter amazement, we had put 

 him and his belongings ashore, paid him 



his wages, and were under way for 

 Tahiti. 



Ah, Monsieur of the incomparable, I 

 rather suspect you of "pulling our legs." 

 Or was it that your innate enthusiasm 

 ran away with you? Or that we should 

 have been less hasty? I do not know. 

 All I know is that you spoke truth ; there 

 is shell in the Marquesas — and it is likely 

 to remain there. 



Chapter IV 



From the moment I first set eyes on 

 an atoll it fascinated me. and its lure has 

 not departed with the years. 



Think of any place in the world that 

 you have seen, and an atoll is different. 

 It is the fairy ring of the sea. Out of 

 the depths it comes, rearing a vegetation 

 and a people of its own. and often into 

 the depths it goes, leaving no trace. 

 How? Why? Scientists murmur some- 

 thing about the vagaries of the corallitic 

 polyp ; but, not being a scientist, I prefer 

 my theory of the fairy ring. That was 

 how it looked to me several years ago. 

 and that was how it looked again from 

 the masthead of the Dream Ship. 



