Toonewhoconceivesoftheseatolls，sonarrow，sobarren，sobesetwithsea，herewouldseemasuperfluityofghostlydenizens。
Andyettherearemore。Inthevariousbrackishpoolsandponds，beautifulwomenwithlongredhairareseentoriseandbathe；onlytimidasmiceonthefirstsoundoffeetuponthecoraltheydiveagainforever。Theyareknowntobehealthyandharmlesslivingpeople，dwellersofanunderworld；andthesamefancyiscurrentinTahiti，wherealsotheyhavethehairred。TETEAistheTahitianname；thePaumotuan，MOKUREA。
PARTIII：THEGILBERTS
CHAPTERI-BUTARITARI
ATHonoluluwehadsaidfarewelltotheCASCOandtoCaptainOtis，andournextadventurewasmadeinchangedconditions。Passagewastakenformyself，mywife，Mr。Osbourne，andmyChinaboy，AhFu，onapigmytradingschooner，theEQUATOR，CaptainDennisReid；andonacertainbrightJunedayin1889，adornedintheHawaiianfashionwiththegarlandsofdeparture，wedrewoutofportandborewithafairwindforMicronesia。
ThewholeextentoftheSouthSeasisadesertofships；moreespeciallythatpartwherewewerenowtosail。Nopostrunsintheseislands；communicationisbyaccident；whereyoumayhavedesignedtogoisonething，whereyoushallbeabletoarriveanother。Itwasmyhope，forinstance，tohavereachedtheCarolines，andreturnedtothelightofdaybywayofManilaandtheChinaports；anditwasinSamoathatweweredestinedtore-
appearandbeoncemorerefreshedwiththesightofmountains。
SincethesunsetfadedfromthepeaksofOahusixmonthshadintervened，andwehadseennospotofearthsohighasanordinarycottage。Ourpathhadbeenstillontheflatsea，ourdwellingsuponunerectedcoral，ourdietfromthepickle-tuboroutoftins；
Ihadlearnedtowelcomeshark’sfleshforavariety；andamountain，anonion，anIrishpotatoorabeef-steak，hadbeenlonglosttosenseanddeartoaspiration。
Thetwochiefplacesofourstay，ButaritariandApemama，lieneartheline；thelatterwithinthirtymiles。Bothenjoyasuperboceanclimate，daysofblindingsunandbracingwind，nightsofaheavenlybrightness。BotharesomewhatwiderthanFakarava，measuringperhapsatthewidestaquarterofamilefrombeachtobeach。Inboth，acoarsekindofTAROthrives；itscultureisachiefbusinessofthenatives，andtheconsequentmoundsandditchesmakeminiaturesceneryandamusetheeye。Inallelsetheyshowthecustomaryfeaturesofanatoll：thelowhorizon，theexpanseofthelagoon，thesedge-likerimofpalm-tops，thesamenessandsmallnessoftheland，thehugelysuperiorsizeandinterestofseaandsky。Lifeonsuchislandsisinmanypointslikelifeonshipboard。Theatoll，liketheship，issoontakenforgranted；andtheislanders，liketheship’screw，becomesoonthecentreofattention。Theislesarepopulous，independent，seatsofkinglets，recentlycivilised，littlevisited。Inthelastdecademanychangeshavecreptin；womennolongergounclothedtillmarriage；thewidownolongersleepsatnightandgoesabroadbydaywiththeskullofherdeadhusband；and，fire-armsbeingintroduced，thespearandtheshark-toothswordaresoldforcuriosities。Tenyearsagoallthesethingsandpracticesweretobeseeninuse；yettenyearsmore，andtheoldsocietywillhaveentirelyvanished。WecameinahappymomenttoseeitsinstitutionsstillerectandinApemamascarcedecayed。
Populousandindependent-warrensofmen，ruledoverwithsomerusticpomp-suchwasthefirstandstilltherecurringimpressionofthesetinylands。AswestoodacrossthelagoonforthetownofButaritari，astretchofthelowshorewasseentobecrowdedwiththebrownroofsofhouses；thoseofthepalaceandking’ssummerparlourwhichareofcorrugatedironglitterednearoneendconspicuouslybright；theroyalcoloursflewhardbyonatallflagstaff；infront，onanartificialislet，thegaolplayedthepartofamartello。Evenuponthisfirstanddistantview，theplacehadscarcetheairofwhatittrulywas，avillage；ratherofthatwhichitwasalso，apettymetropolis，acityrusticandyetroyal。
Thelagoonisshoal。Thetidebeingout，wewadedforsomequarterofamileintepidshallows，andsteppedashoreatlastintoaflagrantstagnancyofsunandheat。Theleesideofalineislandafternoonisindeedabreathlessplace；ontheoceanbeachthetradewillbestillblowing，boisterousandcool；outinthelagoonitwillbeblowingalso，speedingthecanoes；butthescreenofbushcompletelyinterceptsitfromtheshore，andsleepandsilenceandcompaniesofmosquitoesbrooduponthetowns。
WemaythusbesaidtohavetakenButaritaribysurprise。Afewinhabitantswerestillabroadinthenorthend，atwhichwelanded。
Asweadvanced，weweresoondonewithencounter，andseemedtoexploreacityofthedead。Only，betweenthepostsofopenhouses，wecouldseethetownsfolkstretchedinthesiesta，sometimesafamilytogetherveiledinamosquito-net，sometimesasinglesleeperonaplatformlikeacorpseonabier。
Thehouseswereofalldimensions，fromthoseoftoystothoseofchurches。Somemightholdabattalion，someweresominutetheycouldscarcereceiveapairoflovers；onlyintheplayroom，whenthetoysaremingled，dowemeetsuchincongruitiesofscale。Manywereopensheds；sometooktheformofroofedstages；otherswerewalledandthewallspiercedwithlittlewindows。Afewwereperchedonpilesinthelagoon；thereststoodatrandomonagreen，throughwhichtheroadwaymadearibbonofsand，oralongtheembankmentsofasheetofwaterlikeashallowdock。Oneandallwerethecreaturesofasingletree；palm-treewoodandpalm-
treeleaftheirmaterials；nonailhadbeendriven，nohammersounded，intheirbuilding，andtheywereheldtogetherbylashingsofpalm-treesinnet。
Inthemidstofthethoroughfare，thechurchstandslikeanisland，aloftyanddimhousewithrowsofwindows；arichtraceryofframingsustainstheroof；andthroughthedoorateitherendthestreetshowsinavista。Theproportionsoftheplace，insuchsurroundings，andbuiltofsuchmaterials，appearedaugust；andwethreadedthenavewithasentimentbefittingvisitorsinacathedral。Benchesrunalongeitherside。Inthemidst，onacrazydais，twochairsstandreadyforthekingandqueenwhentheyshallchoosetoworship；overtheirheadsahoop，apparentlyfromahogshead，dependsbyastripofredcotton；andthehoopwhichhangsaskewisdressedwithstreamersofthesamematerial，redandwhite。
Thiswasourfirstadvertisementoftheroyaldignity，andpresentlywestoodbeforeitsseatandcentre。ThepalaceisbuiltofimportedwooduponaEuropeanplan；theroofofcorrugatediron，theyardenclosedwithwalls，thegatesurmountedbyasortoflych-house。Itcannotbecalledspacious；alabourerintheStatesissometimesmorecommodiouslylodged；butwhenwehadthechancetoseeitwithin，wefounditwasenrichedbeyondallislandexpectationwithcolouredadvertisementsandcutsfromtheillustratedpapers。Evenbeforethegatesomeofthetreasuresofthecrownstandpublic：abellofagoodmagnitude，twopiecesofcannon，andasingleshell。Thebellcannotberungnorthegunsfired；theyarecuriosities，proofsofwealth，apartoftheparadeoftheroyalty，andstandtobeadmiredlikestatuesinasquare。
Astraightgutofwaterlikeacanalrunsalmosttothepalacedoor；thecontainingquay-wallsexcellentlybuiltofcoral；overagainstthemouth，bywhatseemsaneffectoflandscapeart，themartello-likeisletofthegaolbreaksthelagoon。Vassalchiefswithtribute，neighbourmonarchscomea-roving，mightheresailin，viewwithsurprisetheseextensivepublicworks，andbeawedbythesemouthsofsilentcannon。Itwasimpossibletoseetheplaceandnottofancyitdesignedforpageantry。Buttheelaboratetheatrethenstoodempty；theroyalhousedeserted，itsdoorsandwindowsgaping；thewholequarterofthetownimmersedinsilence。
Ontheoppositebankofthecanal，onaroofedstage，anancientgentlemansleptpublicly，solevisibleinhabitant；andbeyondonthelagoonacanoespreadastripedlateen，thesolethingmoving。
Thecanalisformedonthesouthbyapierorcausewaywithaparapet。Atthefarendtheparapetstops，andthequayexpandsintoanoblongpeninsulainthelagoon，thebreathing-placeandsummerparlouroftheking。Themidstisoccupiedbyanopenhouseorpermanentmarquee-calledhereamaniapa，or，asthewordisnowpronounced，amaniap’-atthelowestestimationfortyfeetbysixty。Theironroof，loftybutexceedinglylow-browed，sothatawomanmuststooptoenter，issupportedexternallyonpillarsofcoral，withinbyaframeofwood。Thefloorisofbrokencoral，dividedinaislesbytheuprightsoftheframe；thehousefarenoughfromshoretocatchthebreeze，whichentersfreelyanddispersesthemosquitoes；andundertheloweavesthesunisseentoglitterandthewavestodanceonthelagoon。
Itwasnowsomewhilesincewehadmetanybutslumberers；andwhenwehadwandereddownthepierandstumbledatlastintothisbrightshed，weweresurprisedtofinditoccupiedbyasocietyofwakefulpeople，sometwentysoulsinall，thecourtandguardsmenofButaritari。Thecourtladieswerebusymakingmats；theguardsmenyawnedandsprawled。Halfadozenrifleslayonarockandacutlasswasleanedagainstapillar：thearmouryofthesedrowsymusketeers。Atthefarend，alittleclosedhouseofwooddisplayedsometinselcurtains，andproved，uponexamination，tobeaprivyontheEuropeanmodel。Infrontofthis，uponsomemats，lolledTebureimoa，theking；behindhim，onthepanelsofthehouse，twocrossedriflesrepresentedfasces。Heworepyjamaswhichsorrowfullymisbecamehisbulk；hisnosewashookedandcruel，hisbodyovercomewithsoddencorpulence，hiseyetimorousanddull：heseemedatonceoppressedwithdrowsinessandheldawakebyapprehension：apepperrajahmuddledwithopium，andlisteningforthemarchofaDutcharmy，looksperhapsnototherwise。Weweretogrowbetteracquainted，andfirstandlastI
hadthesameimpression；heseemedalwaysdrowsy，yetalwaystohearkenandstart；and，whetherfromremorseorfear，thereisnodoubtheseeksarefugeintheabuseofdrugs。
Therajahdisplayednosignofinterestinourcoming。Butthequeen，whosatbesidehiminapurplesacque，wasmoreaccessible；
andtherewaspresentaninterpretersowillingthathisvolubilitybecameatlastthecauseofourdeparture。Hehadgreetedusuponourentrance：-’ThatisthehonourableKing，andIamhisinterpreter，’hehadsaid，withmorestatelinessthantruth。Forheheldnoappointmentinthecourt，seemedextremelyill-
acquaintedwiththeislandlanguage，andwaspresent，likeourselves，uponavisitofcivility。Mr。Williamswashisname：
anAmericandarkey，runawayship’scook，andbar-keeperatTHELAND
WELIVEINtavern，Butaritari。Ineverknewamanwhohadmorewordsinhiscommandorlesstruthtocommunicate；neitherthegloomofthemonarch，normyowneffortstobedistant，couldintheleastabashhim；andwhenthesceneclosed，thedarkeywaslefttalking。
Thetownstillslumbered，orhadbutjustbeguntoturnandstretchitself；itwasstillplungedinheatandsilence。Somuchthemorevividwastheimpressionthatwecarriedawayofthehouseupontheislet，theMicronesianSaulwakefulamidhisguards，andhisunmelodiousDavid，Mr。Williams，chatteringthroughthedrowsyhours。
CHAPTERII-THEFOURBROTHERS