University of Virginia Library

77. CHAPTER LXXVII.

While in Partoowye, we fell in with a band of six veteran
rovers, prowling about the village and harbor, who had just
come overland from another part of the island.

A few weeks previous, they had been paid off, at Papeetee,
from a whaling vessel, on board of which they had, six months
before, shipped for a single cruise; that is to say, to be discharged
at the next port. Their cruise was a famous one; and
each man stepped upon the beach at Tahiti, jingling his dollars
in a sock.

Weary at last of the shore, and having some money left,
they clubbed, and purchased a sail-boat; proposing a visit to
a certain uninhabited island, concerning which they had heard
strange and golden stories. Of course, they never could think
of going to sea without a medicine-chest filled with flasks
of spirits, and a small cask of the same in the hold, in case the
chest should give out.

Away they sailed; hoisted a flag of their own, and gave three
times three, as they staggered out of the bay of Papeetee with
a strong breeze, and under all the “muslin” they could carry.

Evening coming on, and feeling in high spirits, and no ways
disposed to sleep, they concluded to make a night of it; which
they did; all hands getting tipsy, and the two masts going
over the side about midnight, to the tune of

Fortunately, one worthy could stand, by holding on to the
tiller; and the rest managed to crawl about, and hack away the
lanyards of the rigging, so as to break clear from the fallen
spars. While thus employed, two sailors got tranquilly over
the side, and went plumb to the bottom; under the erroneous
impression, that they were stepping upon an imaginary wharf,
to get at their work better.

After this, it blew quite a gale; and the commodore, at the
helm, instinctively kept the boat before the wind; and by so
doing, ran over for the opposite island of Imeeo. Crossing the
channel, by almost a miracle they went straight through an
opening in the reef, and shot upon a ledge of coral, where the
waters were tolerably smooth. Here, they lay until morning,
when the natives came off to them in their canoes. By the
help of the islanders, the schooner was hove over on her
beam-ends; when, finding the bottom knocked to pieces, the
adventurers sold the boat for a trifle to the chief of the district,
and went ashore, rolling before them their precious cask
of spirits. Its contents soon evaporated, and they came to
Partoowye.

The day after encountering these fellows, we were strolling
among the groves in the neighborhood, when we came across
several parties of natives, armed with clumsy muskets, rusty
cutlasses, and outlandish clubs. They were beating the bushes,
shouting aloud, and apparently, trying to scare somebody. They
were in pursuit of the strangers, who, having in a single night,
set at naught all the laws of the place, had thought best to
decamp.

In the daytime, Po-Po's house was as pleasant a lounge as
one could wish. So, after strolling about, and seeing all there
was to be seen, we spent the greater part of our mornings there;
breakfasting late, and dining about two hours after noon. Sometimes
we lounged on the floor of ferns, smoking, and telling

stories; of which the doctor had as many as a half-pay captain
in the army. Sometimes we chatted, as well as we could, with
the natives; and, one day—joy to us!—Po-Po brought in three
volumes of Smollet's novels, which had been found in the chest
of a sailor, who some time previous had died on the island.

Amelia!—Peregrine!—you hero of rogues, Count Fathom!
—what a debt do we owe you!

I know not, whether it was the reading of these romances,
or the want of some sentimental pastime, which led the doctor,
about this period, to lay siege to the heart of the little Loo.

Now, as I have said before, the daughter of Po-Po was most
cruelly reserved, and never deigned to notice us. Frequently
I addressed her with a long face, and an air of the profoundest
and most distant respect—but in vain; she wouldn't even
turn up her pretty olive nose. Ah! it's quite plain, thought I;
she knows very well what graceless dogs sailors are, and won't
have any thing to do with us.

But thus thought not my comrade. Bent he was upon firing
the cold glitter of Loo's passionless eyes.

He opened the campaign with admirable tact: making
cautious approaches, and content, for three days, with ogling
the nymph, for about five minutes after every meal. On the
fourth day, he asked her a question; on the fifth she dropped
a nut of ointment, and he picked it up and gave it to her; on
the sixth, he went over and sat down within three yards of the
couch where she lay; and, on the memorable morn of the
seventh, he proceeded to open his batteries in form.

The damsel was reclining on the ferns; one hand supporting
her cheek, and the other listlessly turning over the leaves of a
Tahitian Bible. The doctor approached.

Now the chief disadvantage under which he labored, was
his almost complete ignorance of the love vocabulary of the
island. But French counts, they say, make love delightfully

in broken English; and what hindered the doctor from doing
the same in dulcet Tahitian. So at it he went.

“Ah!” said he, smiling bewitchingly, “oee mickonaree?
oee ready Biblee?”

No answer; not even a look.

“Ah! maitai! very goody ready Biblee mickonaree.”

Loo, without stirring, began reading, in a low tone, to herself.

“Mickonaree Biblee ready goody maitai,” once more observed
the doctor, ingeniously transposing his words for the
third time.

But all to no purpose; Loo gave no sign.

He paused, despairingly; but it would never do to give
up; so he threw himself at full length beside her, and audaciously
commenced turning over the leaves.

Loo gave a start, just one little start, barely perceptible, and
then fumbling something in her hand, lay perfectly motionless;
the doctor rather frightened at his own temerity, and knowing
not what to do next. At last, he placed one arm cautiously
about her waist; almost in the same instant he bounded to
his feet, with a cry; the little witch had pierced him with a
thorn. But there she lay, just as quietly as ever; turning over
the leaves, and reading to herself.

My long friend raised the siege incontinently, and made a
disorderly retreat to the place where I reclined, looking on.

I am pretty sure that Loo must have related this occurrence
to her father, who came in shortly afterward; for he looked
queerly at the doctor. But he said nothing; and, in ten
minutes, was quite as affable as ever. As for Loo, there was
not the slightest change in her; and the doctor, of course, forever
afterward held his peace.