Thenightfelllovelyintheextreme。Afterthemoonwentdown，theheavenwasathingtowonderatforstars。AndasIlayinthecockpitandlookeduponthesteersmanIwashauntedbyEmerson’sverses：
　　’AndtheloneseamanallthenightSailsastonishedamongstars。’
　　Bythisglitteringandimperfectbrightness，aboutfourbellsinthefirstwatchwemadeourthirdatoll，Raraka。Thelowlineoftheislelaystraightalongthesky；sothatIwasatfirstremindedofatowpath，andweseemedtobemountingsomeengineeredandnavigablestream。Presentlyaredstarappeared，abouttheheightandbrightnessofadangersignal，andwiththatmysimilewaschanged；weseemedrathertoskirttheembankmentofarailway，andtheeyebegantolookinstinctivelyforthetelegraph-posts，andtheeartoexpectthecomingofatrain。Hereandthere，butrarely，fainttree-topsbrokethelevel。Andthesoundofthesurfaccompaniedus，nowinadrowsymonotone，nowwithamenacingswing。
　　Theislelaynearlyeastandwest，barringouradvanceonFakarava。
　　Wemust，therefore，hugthecoastuntilwegainedthewesternend，where，throughapassageeightmileswide，wemightsailsouthwardbetweenRarakaandthenextisle，Kauehi。Wehadthewindfree，alightishair；butcloudsofaninkyblacknesswerebeginningtoarise，andattimesitlightened-withoutthunder。Something，I
　　knownotwhat，continuallysetusupupontheisland。Welaymoreandmoretothenor’ard；andyouwouldhavethoughttheshorecopiedourmanoeuvreandoutsailedus。OnceandtwiceRarakaheadedusagain-again，intheseafashion，thequiteinnocentsteersmanwasabused-andagaintheCASCOkeptaway。HadIbeencalledon，withnomorelightthanthatofourexperience，todrawtheconfigurationofthatisland，Ishouldhaveshownaseriesofbow-
　　windowpromontories，eachoverlappingtheothertothenor’ard，andthetrendofthelandfromthesouth-easttothenorth-west，andbehold，onthechartitlayneareastandwestinastraightline。
　　Wehadbutjustrepeatedourmanoeuvreandkeptaway-fornotmorethanfiveminutestherailwayembankmenthadbeenlosttoviewandthesurftohearing-whenIwasawareoflandagain，notonlyontheweatherbow，butdeadahead。Iplayedthepartofthejudiciouslandsman，holdingmypeacetillthelastmoment；andpresentlymymarinersperceiveditforthemselves。
　　’Landahead！’saidthesteersman。
　　’ByGod，it’sKauehi！’criedthemate。
　　Andsoitwas。AndwiththatIbegantobesorryforcartographers。Wewerescarcedoingthreeandahalf；andtheyaskedmetobelievethatinfiveminuteswehaddroppedanisland，passedeightmilesofopenwater，andrunalmosthighanddryuponthenext。Butmycaptainwasmoresorryforhimselftobeafloatinsuchalabyrinth；laidtheCASCOto，withtheloglineupanddown，andsatonthesternrailandwatchedittillthemorning。HehadenoughofnightinthePaumotus。
　　Bydaylightonthe9thwebegantoskirtKauehi，andhadnowanopportunitytoseenearathandthegeographyofatolls。Hereandthere，whereitwashigh，thefarthersideloomedup；hereandtherethenearsidedippedentirelyandshowedabroadpathofwaterintothelagoon；hereandtherebothsideswereequallyabased，andwecouldlookrightthroughthediscontinuousringtotheseahorizononthesouth。Conceive，onavastscale，thesubmergedhoopoftheduck-hunter，trimmedwithgreenrushestoconcealhishead-waterwithin，waterwithout-youhavetheimageoftheperfectatoll。Conceiveonethathasbeenpartlypluckedofitsrushfringe；youhavetheatollofKauehi。Andforeithershoreofitatcloserquarters，conceivethelineofsomeoldRomanhighwaytraversingawetmorass，andheresunkoutofviewandtherere-arising，crownedwithagreentuftofthicket；onlyinsteadofthestagnantwatersofamarsh，theliveoceannowboiledagainst，nowburiedthefrailbarrier。Lastnight’simpressioninthedarkwasthusconfirmedbyday，andnotcorrected。Wesailedindeedbyamerecausewayinthesea，ofnature’shandiwork，yetofnogreatermagnitudethanmanyoftheworksofman。
　　Theislewasuninhabited；itwasallgreenbrushandwhitesand，setintranscendentlybluewater；eventhecoco-palmswererare，thoughsomeofthesecompletedthebrightharmonyofcolourbyhangingoutafanofgoldenyellow。Forlongtherewasnosignoflifebeyondthevegetable，andnosoundbutthecontinuousgrumbleofthesurf。Insilenceanddesertionthesefairshoresslippedpast，andweresubmergedandroseagainwithclumpsofthicketfromthesea。Andthenabirdortwoappeared，hoveringandcrying；
　　swiftlythesebecamemorenumerous，andpresently，lookingahead，wewereawareofavasteffervescenceofwingedlife。Inthisplacetheannularislewasmostlyunderwater，carryinghereandthereonitssubmergedlineawoodedislet。Overoneofthesethebirdshungandflewwithanincredibledensitylikethatofgnatsorhivingbees；themassflashedwhiteandblack，andheavedandquivered，andthescreamingofthecreaturesroseoverthevoiceofthesurfinashrillclatteringwhirr。Asyoudescendsomeinlandvalleyanotdissimilarsoundannouncesthenearnessofamillandpouringriver。Somestragglers，asIsaid，cametomeetourapproach；afewstillhungabouttheshipaswedeparted。Thecryingdiedaway，thelastpairofwingswasleftbehind，andoncemorethelowshoresofKauehistreamedpastoureyesinsilencelikeapicture。Isupposedatthetimethatthebirdslived，likeantsorcitizens，concentredwherewesawthem。IhavebeentoldsinceIknownotifcorrectlythatthewholeisle，ormuchofit，issimilarlypeopled；andthattheeffervescenceatasinglespotwouldbethemarkofaboat’screwofegg-huntersfromoneoftheneighbouringinhabitedatolls。SothathereatKauehi，asthedaybeforeatTaiaro，theCASCOsailedbyunderthefireofunsuspectedeyes。Andonethingissurelytrue，thatevenontheseribbonsoflandanarmymightliehidandnopassingmarinerdivineitspresence。
　　CHAPTERII-FAKARAVA：ANATOLLATHAND
　　BYalittlebeforenoonwewererunningdownthecoastofourdestination，Fakarava：theairverylight，theseanearsmooth；
　　thoughstillwewereaccompaniedbyacontinuousmurmurfromthebeach，likethesoundofadistanttrain。Theisleisofahugelongitude，theenclosedlagoonthirtymilesbytenortwelve，andthecoraltow-path，whichtheycalltheland，someeightyorninetymilesbypossiblyonefurlong。Thatpartbywhichwesailedwasallraised；theunderwoodexcellentlygreen，thetoppingwoodofcoco-palmscontinuous-amark，ifIhadknownit，ofman’sintervention。Foroncemore，andoncemoreunconsciously，wewerewithinhailoffellow-creatures，andthatvacantbeachwasbutapistol-shotfromthecapitalcityofthearchipelago。Butthelifeofanatoll，unlessitbeenclosed，passeswhollyontheshoresofthelagoon；itistherethevillagesareseated，therethecanoesplyandaredrawnup；andthebeachoftheoceanisaplaceaccursedanddeserted，thefitsceneonlyforwizardryandshipwreck，andinthenativebeliefahauntinggroundofmurderousspectres。
　　Byandbywemightperceiveabreachinthelowbarrier；thewoodsceased；aglitteringpointranintothesea，tippedwithanemeraldshoalthemarkofentrance。Aswedrewnearwemetalittlerunofsea-theprivateseaofthelagoonhavingthereitsoriginandend，andhere，inthejawsofthegateway，tryingvainconclusionswiththemoremajesticheaveofthePacific。TheCASCOscarceavowedashock；buttherearetimesandcircumstanceswhentheseharbourmouthsofinlandbasinsvomitfloods，deflecting，burying，anddismastingships。For，conceivealagoonperfectlysealedbutintheonepoint，andthatofmerelynavigablewidth；conceivethetideandwindtohaveheapedforhourstogetherinthatcoralfoldasuperfluityofwaters，andthetidetochangeandthewindfall-
　　theopensluiceofsomegreatreservoirsathomewillgiveanimageoftheunstemmableeffluxion。
　　Wewerescarcewellheadedforthepassbeforeallheadswerecranedovertherail。Forthewater，shoalingunderourboard，becamechangedinamomenttosurprisinghuesofblueandgrey；andinitstransparencythecoralbranchedandblossomed，andthefishoftheinlandseacruisedvisiblybelowus，stainedandstriped，andevenbeakedlikeparrots。Ihavepaidinmytimetoviewmanycuriosities；neveronesocuriousasthatfirstsightovertheship’srailinthelagoonofFakarava。Butletnotthereaderbedeceivedwithhope。Ihavesinceentered，Isuppose，somedozenatollsindifferentpartsofthePacific，andtheexperiencehasneverbeenrepeated。Thatexquisitehueandtransparencyofsubmarineday，andtheseshoalsofrainbowfish，havenotenrapturedmeagain。
　　Beforewecouldraiseoureyesfromthatengagingspectacletheschoonerhadslippedbetwixtthepierheadsofthereef，andwasalreadyquitecommittedtotheseawithin。Thecontainingshoresaresolittleerected，andthelagoonitselfissogreat，that，forthemorepart，itseemedtoextendwithoutachecktothehorizon。
　　Hereandthere，indeed，wherethereefcarriedaninlet，likeasignet-ringuponafinger，therewouldbeapencillingofpalms；
　　hereandthere，thegreenwallofwoodransolidforalengthofmiles；andontheporthand，underthehighestgroveoftrees，afewhousessparkledwhite-Rotoava，themetropolitansettlementofthePaumotus。Hitherwebeatinthreetacks，andcametoananchorcloseinshore，inthefirstsmoothwatersincewehadleftSanFrancisco，fivefathomsdeep，whereamanmightlookoverboardalldayatthevanishingcable，thecoralpatches，andthemany-
　　colouredfish。
　　FakaravawaschosentobetheseatofGovernmentfromnauticalconsiderationsonly。Itiseccentricallysituate；theproductions，evenforalowisland，poor；thepopulationneithermanynor-forLowIslanders-industrious。Butthelagoonhastwogoodpassages，onetoleeward，onetowindward，sothatinallstatesofthewinditcanbeleftandentered，andthisadvantage，foragovernmentofscatteredislands，wasdecisive。Apierofcoral，landing-stairs，aharbourlightuponastaffandpillar，andtwospaciousGovernmentbungalowsinahandsomefence，givetothenorthernendofRotoavaagreatairofconsequence。Thisisconfirmedontheonehandbyanemptyprison，ontheotherbyagendarmeriepastedoverwithhand-billsinTahitian，land-lawnoticesfromPapeete，andrepublicansentimentsfromParis，signedalittleafterdate
　　’JulesGrevy，PERIHIDENTE。’QuiteatthefarendabelfriedCatholicchapelconcludesthetown；andbetween，onasmoothfloorofwhitecoralsandandunderthebreezycanopyofcoco-palms，thehousesofthenativesstandirregularlyscattered，nowcloseonthelagoonforthesakeofthebreeze，nowbackunderthepalmsforloveofshadow。
　　Notasoulwastobeseen。Butforthethunderofthesurfonthefarside，itseemedyoumighthaveheardapindropanywhereaboutthatcapitalcity。Therewassomethingthrillingintheunexpectedsilence，somethingyetmoresointheunexpectedsound。Herebeforeusaseareachedtothehorizon，ripplinglikeaninlandmere；andbehold！closeatourbackanotherseaassaultedwithassiduousfurythereverseoftheposition。Atnightthelanternwasrunupandlitavacantpier。Inonehouselightswereseenandvoicesheard，wherethepopulationIwastoldsatplayingcards。Alittlebeyond，fromdeepinthedarknessofthepalm-