grove，wesawtheglowandsmeltthearomaticodourofacoalofcocoa-nuthusk，arelicoftheeveningkitchen。Cricketssang；
someshrillthingwhistledinatuftofweeds；andthemosquitohummedandstung。Therewasnoothertracethatnightofman，bird，orinsectintheisle。Themoon，nowthreedaysold，andasyetbutasilvercrescentonastillvisiblesphere，shonethroughthepalmcanopywithvigorousandscatteredlights。Thealleyswherewewalkedweresmoothedandweededlikeaboulevard；hereandtherewereplantssetout；hereandthereduskycottagesclusteredintheshadow，somewithverandahs。Apublicgardenbynight，arichandfashionablewatering-placeinaby-season，offersightsandvistasnotdissimilar。Andstill，ontheoneside，stretchedthelappingmere，andfromtheotherthedeepseastillgrowledinthenight。Butitwasmostofallonboard，inthedeadhours，whenIhadbeenbettersleeping，thatthespellofFakaravaseizedandheldme。Themoonwasdown。Theharbourlanternandtwoofthegreaterplanetsdrewvari-colouredwakesonthelagoon。Fromshorethecheerfulwatch-cryofcocksrangoutatintervalsabovetheorgan-pointofsurf。Andthethoughtofthisdepopulatedcapital，thisprotractedthreadofannularislandwithitscrestofcoco-palmsandfringeofbreakers，andthattranquilinlandseathatstretchedbeforemetillittouchedthestars，raninmyheadforhourswithdelight。
SolongasIstayeduponthatislethesethoughtswereconstant。I
laydowntosleep，andwokeagainwithanunbluntedsenseofmysurroundings。Iwasneverwearyofcallinguptheimageofthatnarrowcauseway，onwhichIhadmydwelling，lyingcoiledlikeaserpent，tailtomouth，intheoutrageousocean，andIwasneverwearyofpassing-amerequarter-deckparade-fromtheonesidetotheother，fromtheshady，habitableshoresofthelagoontotheblindingdesertanduproariousbreakersoftheoppositebeach。Thesenseofinsecurityinsuchathreadofresidenceismorethanfanciful。Hurricanesandtidalwavesover-leapthesehumbleobstacles；Oceanusremembershisstrength，and，wherehousesstoodandpalmsflourished，shakeshiswhitebeardagainoverthebarrencoral。Fakaravaitselfhassuffered；thetreesimmediatelybeyondmyhousewereallofrecentreplantation；andAnaaisonlynowrecoveredfromaheavierstroke。Iknewonewhowasthendwellingintheisle。Hetoldmethatheandtwoshipcaptainswalkedtotheseabeach。Thereforawhiletheyviewedtheon-comingbreakers，tilloneofthecaptainsclappedsuddenlyhishandbeforehiseyesandcriedaloudthathecouldendurenolongertobeholdthem。Thiswasintheafternoon；inthedarkhoursofthenighttheseaburstupontheislandlikeaflood；thesettlementwasrazedallbutthechurchandpresbytery；and，whendayreturned，thesurvivorssawthemselvesclinginginanabattisofuprootedcoco-palmsandruinedhouses。
Dangerisbutasmallconsideration。Butmenaremorenicelysensibleofadiscomfort；andtheatollisadiscomfortablehome。
Therearesome，andtheseprobablyancient，whereadeepsoilhasformedandthemostvaluablefruit-treesprosper。Ihavewalkedinone，withequaladmirationandsurprise，throughaforestofhugebreadfruits，eatingbananasandstumblingamongtaroasIwent。
ThiswasintheatollofNamorikintheMarshallgroup，andstandsaloneinmyexperience。Togivetheoppositeextreme，whichisyetfarmoreneartheaverage，IwilldescribethesoilandproductionsofFakarava。Thesurfaceofthatnarrowstripisforthemorepartofbrokencorallime-stone，likevolcanicclinkers，andexcruciatingtothenakedfoot；insomeatolls，Ibelieve，notinFakarava，itgivesafinemetallicringwhenstruck。Hereandthereyoucomeuponabankofsand，exceedingfineandwhite，andthesepartsaretheleastproductive。Theplantssuchastheyarespringfromandlovethebrokencoral，whencetheygrowwiththatwonderfulverdancythatmakesthebeautyoftheatollfromthesea。Thecoco-palminparticularluxuriatesinthatsternSOLUM，strikingdownhisrootstothebrackish，percolatedwater，andbearinghisgreenheadinthewindwitheveryevidenceofhealthandpleasure。Andyeteventhecoco-palmmustbehelpedininfancywithsomeextraneousnutriment，andthroughmuchofthelowarchipelagothereisplantedwitheachnutapieceofship’sbiscuitandarustynail。Thepandanuscomesnextinimportance，beingalsoafoodtree；andhe，too，doesbravely。AgreenbushcalledMIKIrunseverywhere；occasionallyapuraoisseen；andthereareseveraluselessweeds。AccordingtoM。Cuzent，thewholenumberofplantsonanatollsuchasFakaravawillscarceexceed，evenifitreachesto，onescore。Notabladeofgrassappears；
notagrainofhumus，savewhenasackortwohasbeenimportedtomakethesemblanceofagarden；suchgardensasbloomincitiesonthewindow-sill。Insectlifeissometimesdense；acloudo’
mosquitoes，and，whatisfarworse，aplagueoffliesblackeningourfood，hassometimesdrivenusfromamealonApemama；andeveninFakaravathemosquitoeswereapest。Thelandcrabmaybeseenscuttlingtohishole，andatnighttheratsbesiegethehousesandtheartificialgardens。Thecrabisgoodeating；possiblysoistherat；Ihavenottried。Pandanusfruitismade，intheGilberts，intoanagreeablesweetmeat，suchasamanmaytriflewithattheendofalongdinner；forasubstantialmealIhavenouseforit。Therestofthefood-supply，inadestituteatollsuchasFakarava，canbesummedupinthefavouritejestofthearchipelago-cocoa-nutbeefsteak。Cocoa-nutgreen，cocoa-nutripe，cocoa-nutgerminated；cocoa-nuttoeatandcocoa-nuttodrink；cocoa-nutrawandcooked，cocoa-nuthotandcold-suchisthebilloffare。Andsomeoftheentreesarenodoubtdelicious。
Thegerminatednut，cookedintheshellandeatenwithaspoon，formsagoodpudding；cocoa-nutmilk-theexpressedjuiceofaripenut，notthewaterofagreenone-goeswellincoffee，andisavaluableadjunctincookerythroughtheSouthSeas；andcocoa-
nutsalad，ifyoubeamillionaire，andcanaffordtoeatthevalueofafieldofcornforyourdessert，isadishtoberememberedwithaffection。Butwhenallisdonethereisasameness，andtheIsraelitesofthelowislandsmurmurattheirmanna。
ThereadermaythinkIhaveforgotthesea。Thetwobeachesdocertainlyaboundinlife，andtheyarestrangelydifferent。Inthelagoonthewatershallowsslowlyonabottomofthefineslimysand，dottedwithclumpsofgrowingcoral。Thencomesastripoftidalbeachonwhichtherippleslap。Inthecoralclumpsthegreatholy-waterclamTRIDACNAgrowsplentifully；alittledeeperliethebedsofthepearl-oysterandsailtheresplendentfishthatcharmedusatourentrance；andtheseareallmoreorlessvigorouslycoloured。Buttheothershellsarewhitelikelime，orfaintlytintedwithalittlepink，thepalestpossibledisplay；
manyofthemdeadbesides，andbadlyrolled。Ontheoceanside，onthemoundsofthesteepbeach，overallthewidthofthereefrightouttowherethesurfisbursting，ineverycranny，undereveryscatteredfragmentofthecoral，anincredibleplentyofmarinelifedisplaysthemostwonderfulvarietyandbrilliancyofhues。
Thereefitselfhasnopassageofcolourbutisimitatedbysomeshell。Purpleandredandwhite，andgreenandyellow，piedandstripedandclouded，thelivingshellswearineverycombinationtheliveryofthedeadreef-ifthereefbedead-sothattheeyeiscontinuallybaffledandthecollectorcontinuallydeceived。I
havetakenshellsforstonesandstonesforshells，theoneasoftenastheother。Aprevailingcharacterofthecoralistobedottedwithsmallspotsofred，anditiswonderfulhowmanyvarietiesofshellhaveadoptedthesamefashionanddonnedthedisguiseoftheredspot。AshellIhadfoundinplentyintheMarquesasIfoundherealsounchangedinallthingselse，butthereweretheredspots。Alivelylittlecrabworethesamemarkings。
Thecaseofthehermitorsoldiercrabwasmoreconclusive，beingtheresultofconsciouschoice。Thisnastylittlewrecker，scavenger，andsquatterhaslearnedthevalueofaspottedhouse；
soitbeoftherightcolourhewillchoosethesmallestshard，tuckhimselfinamerecornerofabrokenwhorl，andgoabouttheworldhalfnaked；butIneverfoundhiminthisimperfectarmourunlessitwasmarkedwiththeredspot。
Sometwohundredyardsdistantisthebeachofthelagoon。Collecttheshellsfromeach，setthemsidebyside，andyouwouldsupposetheycamefromdifferenthemispheres；theonesopale，theothersobrilliant；theoneprevalentlywhite，theotherofascoreofhues，andinfectedwiththescarletspotlikeadisease。Thisseemsthemorestrange，sincethehermitcrabspassandrepasstheisland，andIhavemetthembytheResidencywell，whichisaboutcentral，journeyingeitherway。Withoutdoubtmanyoftheshellsinthelagoonaredead。Butwhyaretheydead?Withoutdoubtthelivingshellshaveaverydifferentbackgroundsetforimitation。Butwhyarethesesodifferent?Weareonlyonthethresholdofthemysteries。
Eitherbeach，Ihavesaid，aboundswithlife。Onthesea-sideandincertainatollsthisprofusionofvitalityisevenshocking：therockunderfootisminedwithit。Ihavebrokenoff-notablyinFunafutiandArorai-greatlumpsofancientweatheredrockthatrangundermyblowslikeiron，andthefracturehasbeenfullofpendentwormsaslongasmyhand，asthickasachild’sfinger，ofaslightlypinkishwhite，andsetascloseasthreeorevenfourtothesquareinch。Eveninthelagoon，wherecertainshell-fishseemtosicken，othersitisnotoriousprosperexceedinglyandmaketherichesoftheseislands。Fish，too，abound；thelagoonisaclosedfish-pond，suchasmightrejoicethefancyofanabbot；
sharksswarmthere，andchieflyroundthepassages，tofeastuponthisplenty，andyouwouldsupposethatmanhadonlytopreparehisangle。Alas！itisnotso。OfthesepaintedfishthatcameinhordesabouttheenteringCASCO，someborepoisonousspines，andotherswerepoisonousifeaten。Thestrangermustrefrain，ortakehischanceofpainfulanddangeroussickness。Thenative，onhisownisle，isasafeguide；transplanthimtothenext，andheishelplessasyourself。Foritisaquestionbothoftimeandplace。
Afishcaughtinalagoonmaybedeadly；thesamefishcaughtthesamedayatsea，andonlyafewhundredyardswithoutthepassage，willbewholesomeeating：inaneighbouringisleperhapsthecasewillbereversed；andperhapsafortnightlateryoushallbeabletoeatofthemindifferentlyfromwithinandfromwithout。
Accordingtothenatives，thesebewilderingvicissitudesareruledbythemovementoftheheavenlybodies。ThebeautifulplanetVenusplaysagreatpartinallislandtalesandcustoms；andamongotherfunctions，someofthemmoreawful，sheregulatestheseasonofgoodfish。WithVenusinonephase，aswehadher，certainfishwerepoisonousinthelagoon：withVenusinanother，thesamefishwasharmlessandavaluedarticleofdiet。Whitemenexplainthesechangesbythephasesofthecoral。
Itaddsalasttouchofhorrortothethoughtofthisprecariousannulargangwayinthesea，thatevenwhatthereisofitisnotofhonestrock，butorganic，partalive，partputrescent；eventhecleanseaandthebrightfishaboutitpoisoned，themoststubbornboulderburrowedinbyworms，thelightestdustvenomousasanapothecary’sdrugs。
CHAPTERIII-AHOUSETOLETINALOWISLAND