were Anaho, in Nuka-hiva, facing the north-east, and Taahauku in Hiva-oa, some hundred miles to the southward, and facing the south-west.  Both these were on the same day swept by a tidal wave, which was not felt in any other bay or island of the group.  The south coast of Hiva-oa was bestrewn with building timber and camphor-wood chests, containing goods; which, on the promise of a reasonable salvage, the natives very honestly brought back, the chests apparently not opened, and some of the wood after it had been built into their houses.  But the recovery of such jetsam could not affect the result.  It was impossible the captain should withstand this partiality of fortune; and with his fall the prosperity of the Marquesas ended.  Anaho is truly extinct, Taahauku but a shadow of itself; nor has any new plantation arisen in their stead.

CHAPTER XIII—­CHARACTERS

There was a certain traffic in our anchorage at Atuona; different indeed from the dead inertia and quiescence of the sister island, Nuka-hiva.  Sails were seen steering from its mouth; now it would be a whale-boat manned with native rowdies, and heavy with copra for sale; now perhaps a single canoe come after commodities to buy.  The anchorage was besides frequented by fishers; not only the lone females perched in niches of the cliff, but whole parties, who would sometimes camp and build a fire upon the beach, and sometimes lie in their canoes in the midst of the haven and jump by turns in the water; which they would cast eight or nine feet high, to drive, as we supposed, the fish into their nets.  The goods the purchasers came to buy were sometimes quaint.  I remarked one outrigger returning with a single ham swung from a pole in the stern.  And one day there came into Mr. Keane’s store a charming lad, excellently mannered, speaking French correctly though with a babyish accent; very handsome too, and much of a dandy, as was shown not only in his shining raiment, but by the nature of his purchases.  These were five ship-biscuits, a bottle of scent, and two balls of washing blue.  He was from Tauata, whither he returned the same night in an outrigger, daring the deep with these young-ladyish treasures.  The gross of the native passengers were more ill-favoured:  tall, powerful fellows, well tattooed, and with disquieting manners.  Something coarse and jeering distinguished them, and I was often reminded of the slums of some great city.  One night, as dusk was falling, a whale-boat put in on that part of the beach where I chanced to be alone.  Six or seven ruffianly fellows scrambled out; all had enough English to give me ’good-bye,’ which was the ordinary salutation; or ‘good-morning,’ which they seemed to regard as an intensitive; jests followed, they surrounded me with harsh laughter and rude looks, and I was glad to move away.  I had not yet encountered Mr. Stewart, or I should have been reminded of his first landing at Atuona and the humorist who nibbled at the heel.  But their neighbourhood depressed me; and I felt, if I had been there a castaway and out of reach of help, my heart would have been sick.