MOREthanthreeyearshaveelapsedsincetheoccurrenceoftheeventsrecordedinthisvolume。Theinterval，withtheexceptionofthelastfewmonths，hasbeenchieflyspentbytheauthortossingaboutonthewideocean。Sailorsaretheonlyclassofmenwhonow-a-daysseeanythinglikestirringadventure；andmanythingswhichtofire-sidepeopleappearstrangeandromantic，tothemseemascommonplaceasajacketoutatelbows。Yet，notwithstandingthefamiliarityofsailorswithallsortsofcuriousadventure，theincidentsrecordedinthefollowingpageshaveoftenserved，when“spunasayarn，“notonlytorelievethewearinessofmanyanight-watchatsea，buttoexcitethewarmestsympathiesoftheauthor’sshipmates。Hehasbeen，therefore，ledtothinkthathisstorycouldscarcelyfailtointerestthosewhoarelessfamiliarthanthesailorwithalifeofadventure。
Inhisaccountofthesingularandinterestingpeopleamongwhomhewasthrown，itwillbeobservedthathechieflytreatsoftheirmoreobviouspeculiarities；and，indescribingtheircustoms，refrainsinmostcasesfromenteringintoexplanationsconcerningtheiroriginandpurposes。Aswritersoftravelsamongbarbarouscommunitiesaregenerallyverydiffuseonthesesubjects，hedeemsitrighttoadverttowhatmaybeconsideredaculpableomission。Noonecanbemoresensiblethantheauthorofhisdeficienciesinthisandmanyotherrespects；butwhentheverypeculiarcircumstancesinwhichhewasplacedareunderstood，hefeelsassuredthatalltheseomissionswillbeexcused。
Inverymanypublishednarrativesnolittledegreeofattentionisbestowedupondates；butastheauthorlostallknowledgeofthedaysoftheweek，duringtheoccurrenceofthesceneshereinrelated，hehopesthatthereaderwillcharitablypassoverhisshortcomingsinthisparticular。
InthePolynesianwordsusedinthisvolume-exceptinthosecaseswherethespellinghasbeenpreviouslydeterminedbyothers-thatformoforthographyhasbeenemployedwhichmightbesupposedmosteasilytoconveytheirsoundtoastranger。InseveralworksdescriptiveoftheislandsinthePacific，manyofthemostbeautifulcombinationsofvocalsoundshavebeenaltogetherlosttotheearofthereaderbyanover-attentiontotheordinaryrulesofspelling。
Therearesomethingsrelatedinthenarrativewhichwillbesuretoappearstrange，orperhapsentirelyincomprehensible，tothereader；buttheycannotappearmoresotohimthantheydidtotheauthoratthetime。Hehasstatedsuchmattersjustastheyoccurred，andleaveseveryonetoformhisownopinionconcerningthem，trustingthathisanxiousdesiretospeaktheunvarnishedtruthwillgainforhimtheconfidenceofhisreaders。
SIXmonthsatsea！Yes，reader，asIlive，sixmonthsoutofsightofland；cruisingafterthespermwhalebeneaththescorchingsunoftheLine，andtossedonthebillowsofthewide-rollingPacific-theskyabove，theseaaround，andnothingelse！Weeksandweeksagoourfreshprovisionswereallexhausted。Thereisnotasweetpotatoleft；
notasweetpotatoleft；notasingleyam。Thosegloriousbunchesofbananaswhichoncedecoratedoursternandquarter-deck，have，alas，disappeared！andthedeliciousorangeswhichhungsuspendedfromourtopsandstays-they，too，aregone！Yes，theyarealldeparted，andthereisnothingleftusbutsalt-horseandsea-biscuit。
Oh！forarefreshingglimpseofonebladeofgrass-forasnuffatthefragranceofahandfuloftheloamyearth！Istherenothingfresharoundus？Istherenogreenthingtobeseen？Yes，theinsideofourbulwarksispaintedgreen；butwhatavileandsicklyhueitis，asifnothingbearingeventhesemblanceofverdurecouldflourishthiswearywayfromland。Eventhebarkthatonceclungtothewoodweuseforfuelhasbeengnawedoffanddevouredbythecaptain’spig；
andsolongago，too，thatthepighimselfhasinturnbeendevoured。
Thereisbutonesolitarytenantinthechicken-coop，onceagayanddapperyoungcock，bearinghimsobravelyamongthecoyhens。
Butlookathimnow；therehestands，mopingallthedaylongonthateverlastingonelegofhis。Heturnswithdisgustfromthemouldycornbeforehim，andthebrackishwaterinhislittletrough。Hemournsnodoubthislostcompanions，literallysnatchedfromhimonebyone，andneverseenagain。Buthisdaysofmourningwillbefew；
forMungo，ourblackcook，toldmeyesterdaythatthewordhadatlastgoneforth，andpoorPedro’sfatewassealed。Hisattenuatedbodywillbelaidoutuponthecaptain’stablenextSunday，andlongbeforenightwillbeburied，withalltheusualceremonies，beneaththatworthyindividual’svest。WhowouldbelievethattherecouldbeanyonesocruelastolongforthedecapitationofthelucklessPedro；
yetthesailorsprayeveryminute，selfishfellows，thatthemiserablefowlmaybebroughttohisend。Theysaythecaptainwillneverpointtheshipforthelandsolongashehasinanticipationamessoffreshmeat。Thisunhappybirdcanalonefurnishit；andwhenheisoncedevoured，thePeter；captainwillcometohissenses。Iwishtheenoharm，Peter；butasthouartdoomed，soonerorlater，tomeetthefateofallthyrace；andifputtingaperiodtothyexistenceistobethesignalforourdeliverance，why-truthtospeak-Iwishthythroatcutthisverymoment；for，oh！howIwishtoseethelivingearthagain！Theoldshipherselflongstolookoutuponthelandfromherhawseholesoncemore；andJackLewissaidrighttheotherdaywhenthecaptainfoundfaultwithhissteering。
“Why，d’yesee，CaptainVangs，“saysboldJack，“I’masgoodahelmsmanaseverputhandtospoke；butnoneofuscansteertheoldladynow。Wecan’tkeepherfullandbye，sir:watchhereversoclose，shewillfalloff；andthen，sir，whenIputthehelmdownsogently，andtryliketocoaxhertothework，shewon’ttakeitkindly，butwillfallroundoffagain；andit’sallbecausesheknowsthelandisunderthelee，sir，andshewon’tgoanymoretowindward。“Ay，andwhyshouldshe，Jack？didn’teveryoneofherstouttimbersgrowonshore，andhasn’tshesensibilitiesaswellaswe？
Pooroldship！Herverylooksdenoteherdesires:howdeplorablesheappears！Thepaintonhersides，burntupbythescorchingsun，ispuffedoutandcracked。Seetheweedsshetrailsalongwithher，andwhatanunsightlybunchofthesehorridbarnacleshasformedaboutherstern-piece；andeverytimesheshowshercoppertorn，awayorhanginginjaggedstrips。
Pooroldship！Isayagain:forsixmonthsshehasbeenrollingandpitchingabout，neverforonemomentatrest。Butcourage，oldlass，Ihopetoseetheesoonwithinabiscuit’stossofthemerryland，ridingsnuglyatanchorinsomegreencove，andshelteredfromtheboisterouswinds。
“Hurrah，mylads！It’sasettledthing；nextweekweshapeourcoursetotheMarquesas！“TheMarquesas！Whatstrangevisionsofoutlandishthingsdoestheverynamespiritup！Lovelyhouris-
cannibalbanquets-grovesofcocoa-nuts-coralreefs-tattooedchiefs-
andbambootemples；sunnyvalleysplantedwithbread-fruittrees-
carvedcanoesdancingontheflashingbluewaters-savagewoodlandsguardedbyhorribleidols-heathenishritesandhumansacrifices。
Suchwerethestrangelyjumbledanticipationsthathauntedmeduringourpassagefromthecruisingground。Ifeltanirresistiblecuriositytoseethoseislandswhichtheoldenvoyagershadsoglowinglydescribed。
Thegroupforwhichwewerenowsteering(althoughamongtheearliestofEuropeandiscoveriesintheSouthSeas，havingbeenfirstvisitedintheyear1595)stillcontinuestobetenantedbybeingsasstrangeandbarbarousasever。Themissionaries，sentonaheavenlyerrand，hadsailedbytheirlovelyshores，andhadabandonedthemtotheiridolsofwoodandstone。Howinterestingthecircumstancesunderwhichtheywerediscovered！InthewaterypathofMendanna，cruisinginquestofsomeregionofgold，theseisleshadsprunguplikeasceneofenchantment，andforamomenttheSpaniardbelievedhisbrightdreamwasrealized。InhonouroftheMarquessdeMendoza，thenviceroyofPeru-underwhoseauspicesthenavigatorsailed-hebestoweduponthemthenamewhichdenotedtherankofhispatron，andgavetotheworld，onhisreturn，avagueandmagnificentaccountoftheirbeauty。Buttheseislands，undisturbedforyears，relapsedintotheirpreviousobscurity；anditisonlyrecentlythatanythinghasbeenknownconcerningthem。Onceinthecourseofahalfcentury，tobesure，someadventurousroverwouldbreakinupontheirpeacefulrepose，and，astonishedattheunusualscene，wouldbealmosttemptedtoclaimthemeritofanewdiscovery。
Ofthisinterestinggroup，butlittleaccounthaseverbeengiven，ifweexcepttheslightmentionmadeoftheminthesketchesofSouthSeavoyages。Cook，inhisrepeatedcircumnavigationsoftheglobe，barelytouchedattheirshores；andallthatweknowaboutthemisfromafewgeneralnarratives。
Withinthelastfewyears，AmericanandEnglishvesselsengagedintheextensivewhalefisheriesofthePacifichaveoccasionally，whenshortofprovisions，putintothecommodiousharbourwhichthereisinoneoftheislands；butafearofthenatives，foundedontherecollectionofthedreadfulfatewhichmanywhitemenhavereceivedattheirhands，hasdeterredtheircrewsfromintermixingwiththepopulationsufficientlytogainanyinsightintotheirpeculiarcustomsandmanners。Indeed，thereisnodusterofislandsinthePacificthathasbeenanylengthoftimediscovered，ofwhichsolittlehashithertobeenknownastheMarquesas，anditisapleasingreflectionthatthisnarrativeofminewilldosomethingtowardswithdrawingtheveilfromregionssoromanticandbeautiful。
ICANneverforgettheeighteenortwentydaysduringwhichthelighttrade-windsweresilentlysweepingustowardstheislands。Inpursuitofthespermwhale，wehadbeencruisingontheLinesometwentydegreestothewestwardoftheGallipagos；andallthatwehadtodo，whenourcoursewasdeterminedon，wastosquareintheyardsandkeepthevesselbeforethebreeze，andthenthegoodshipandthesteadygaledidtherestbetweenthem。Themanatthewheelnevervexedtheoldladywithanysuperfluoussteering，butcomfortablyadjustinghislimbsatthetiller，woulddozeawaybythehour。Truetoherwork，theDollyheadedtohercourse，andlikeoneofthosecharacterswhoalwaysdobestwhenletalone，shejoggedonherwaylikeaveteranoldsea-pacerasshewas。
Whatadelightful，lazy，languidtimewehadwhilstwewerethusglidingalong！Therewasnothingtobedone；acircumstancethathappilysuitedourdisinclinationtodoanything。Weabandonedthefore-peakaltogether，andspreadinganawningovertheforecastle，slept，ate，andloungedunderitthelive-longday。Everyoneseemedtobeundertheinfluenceofsomenarcotic。Eventheofficersaft，whosedutyrequiredthemnevertobeseatedwhilekeepingadeckwatch，vainlyendeavouredtokeepontheirpins；andwereobligedinvariablytocompromisethematterbyleaningupagainstthebulwarks，andgazingabstractedlyovertheside。Readingwasoutofthequestion；takeabookinyourhand，andyouwereasleepinaninstant。
AlthoughIcouldnotavoidyieldinginagreatmeasuretothegenerallanguor，stillattimesIcontrivedtoshakeoffthespell，andtoappreciatethebeautyofthescenearoundme。Theskypresentedaclearexpanseofthemostdelicateblue，exceptalongtheskirtsofthehorizon，whereyoumightseeathindraperyofpalecloudswhichnevervariedtheirformorcolour。Thelong，measured，dirge-likeswellofthePacificcamerollingalong，withitssurfacebrokenbylittletinywaves，sparklinginthesunshine。Everynowandthenashoalofflyingfish，scaredfromthewaterunderthebows，wouldleapintotheair，andfallthenextmomentlikeashowerofsilverintothesea。Thenyouwouldseethesuperbalbicore，withhisglitteringsides，sailingaloft，andafterdescribinganarcinhisdescent，disappearonthesurfaceofthewater。Faroff，theloftyjetofthewhalemightbeseen，andnearerathandtheprowlingshark，thatvillanousfootpadoftheseas，wouldcomeskulkingalong，and，atawarydistance，regarduswithanevileye。Attimes，someshapelessmonsterofthedeep，floatingonthesurface，would，asweapproached，sinkslowlyintothebluewaters，andfadeawayfromthesight。Butthemostimpressivefeatureofthescenewasthealmostunbrokensilencethatreignedoverskyandwater。Scarcelyasoundcouldbeheardbuttheoccasionalbreathingofthegrampus，andtheripplingatthecut-water。
