GSO 



THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 



Photograph by Dr. Edward Burton MacDowell 



a solitary figure: on the: strand near point venus, Tahiti 



lish hedge. At the foot of the grave was 

 a glass jar containing pieces of cloth, with 

 needle and thread, so that the sleeper 

 would be able to make his own garments 

 when he awakes. 



In contrast to this well-kept, elaborately 

 decorated grave was one in another part 

 of the cemetery, with a plain headstone 

 marked "R. F. 1882." Yet beneath that 

 simple epitaph lies hidden the tragedy of 

 one poor woman's life. 



A white woman of gentle birth and re- 

 finement, whose husband died of con- 

 sumption, was left without friends or 

 relatives and with no means of livelihood. 



She was forced to marry a native. This 

 meant loss of caste and virtual burial 

 alive ; so she wished to guard her degra- 

 dation from public gaze, even after death, 

 and at her request this simple inscription 

 was placed over her grave. 



The resident agent of the New Zealand 

 Government had been at Penrhyn for 

 over 33 years. He was a sailor on a ves- 

 sel which was wrecked on the reef out- 

 side the lagoon one midnight, as she was 

 sailing along peacefully with a steady 

 breeze and no thought of danger ahead. 



He was in the first boat launched, as 

 was also the captain's wife. The boat 



