[Note: this transcription was produced by an automatic OCR engine]

86 WITH NATIVES IN THE WESTERN PACIFIC

But what impresses the traveller mournfully else-
where,—the eternal loneliness and lifelessness of a
country where nature has poured all its power
into the vegetation, and seems to have forgotten
man and beast,——is softened here, and an easy
joy of living penetrates everything like a delicate
scent, and lifts whatever meets the eye to greater
significance and beauty. The celestial charm of the
South Sea Islands, celebrated by the first discoverers,
seems to be preserved here, warming the soul like
the sweet remembrance of a happy dream. Hardly
anyone who feels these impressions will wonder
about their origin, but he will hasten ashore and
dive into the forest, driven by a vague idea of
finding some marvel. Later he will understand that
the charm of Vao lies in the rich, busy human life
that fills the island. It is probably the most thickly
populated of the group, with about five hundred souls
living in a space one mile long and three-fourths of
a mile Wide; and it is their happy, careless, lazy
existence that makes Vao seem to the stranger like
a friendly home. Here there are houses and fires,
lively people who shout and play merrily, and after
the loneliness which blows chill from the bush, the
traveller is glad to rest and feel at home among
cheerful fellow-men.

About seventy outrigger boats of all sizes lie on
the beach. On their bows they carry a carved heron,
probably some half—forgotten totem. The bird is
more or less richly carved, according to the social
standing of the owner, and a severe watch is kept to