The Coral Island by Robert Michael Ballantyne (top rated books of all time .txt) 📕

me to this island, and made me the instrument of saving you.”

We thanked the missionary most heartily, and asked him in some

surprise how he had succeeded in turning the heart of Tararo in our

favour.

“I will tell you that at a more convenient time,” he answered,

“meanwhile we must not forget the respect due to the chief. He

waits to receive you.”

In the conversation that immediately followed between us and

Tararo, the latter said that the light of the gospel of Jesus

Christ had been sent to the island, and that to it we were indebted

for our freedom. Moreover, he told us that we were at liberty to

depart in our schooner whenever we pleased, and that we should be

supplied with as much provision as we required. He concluded by

shaking hands with us warmly, and performing the ceremony of

rubbing noses.

This was indeed good news to us, and we could hardly find words to

express our gratitude to the chief and to the missionary.

“And what of Avatea?” inquired Jack.

The missionary replied by pointing to a group of natives in the

midst of whom the girl stood. Beside her was a tall, strapping

fellow, whose noble mien and air of superiority bespoke him a chief

of no ordinary kind.

“That youth is her lover. He came this very morning in his war-canoe to treat with Tararo for Avatea. He is to be married in a

few days, and afterwards returns to his island home with his

bride!”

“That’s capital,” said Jack, as he stepped up to the savage and

gave him a hearty shake of the hand. “I wish you joy, my lad; -

and you too, Avatea.”

As Jack spoke, Avatea’s lover took him by the hand and led him to

the spot where Tararo and the missionary stood, surrounded by most

of the chief men of the tribe. The girl herself followed, and

stood on his left hand while her lover stood on his right, and,

commanding silence, made the following speech, which was translated

by the missionary:-

“Young friend, you have seen few years, but your head is old. Your

heart also is large and very brave. I and Avatea are your debtors,

and we wish, in the midst of this assembly, to acknowledge our

debt, and to say that it is one which we can never repay. You have

risked your life for one who was known to you only for a few days.

But she was a woman in distress, and that was enough to secure to

her the aid of a Christian man. We, who live in these islands of

the sea, know that the true Christians always act thus. Their

religion is one of love and kindness. We thank God that so many

Christians have been sent here - we hope many more will come.

Remember that I and Avatea will think of you and pray for you and

your brave comrades when you are far away.”

To this kind speech Jack returned a short sailor-like reply, in

which he insisted that he had only done for Avatea what he would

have done for any woman under the sun. But Jack’s forte did not

lie in speech-making, so he terminated rather abruptly by seizing

the chief’s hand and shaking it violently, after which he made a

hasty retreat.

“Now, then, Ralph and Peterkin,” said Jack, as we mingled with the

crowd, “it seems to me that the object we came here for having been

satisfactorily accomplished, we have nothing more to do but get

ready for sea as fast as we can, and hurrah for dear old England!”

“That’s my idea precisely,” said Peterkin, endeavouring to wink,

but he had wept so much of late, poor fellow, that he found it

difficult; “however, I’m not going away till I see these fellows

burn their gods.”

Peterkin had his wish, for, in a few minutes afterwards, fire was

put to the pile, the roaring flames ascended, and, amid the

acclamations of the assembled thousands, the false gods of Mango

were reduced to ashes!

CHAPTER XXXV.

Conclusion.

TO part is the lot of all mankind. The world is a scene of

constant leave-taking, and the hands that grasp in cordial greeting

to-day, are doomed ere long to unite for the last time, when the

quivering lips pronounce the word - “Farewell.” It is a sad

thought, but should we on that account exclude it from our minds?

May not a lesson worth learning be gathered in the contemplation of

it? May it not, perchance, teach us to devote our thoughts more

frequently and attentively to that land where we meet, but part no

more?

How many do we part from in this world with a light “Good-bye,”

whom we never see again! Often do I think, in my meditations on

this subject, that if we realized more fully the shortness of the

fleeting intercourse that we have in this world with many of our

fellow-men, we would try more earnestly to do them good, to give

them a friendly smile, as it were, in passing (for the longest

intercourse on earth is little more than a passing word and

glance), and show that we have sympathy with them in the short

quick struggle of life, by our kindly words and looks and action.

The time soon drew near when we were to quit the islands of the

South Seas; and, strange though it may appear, we felt deep regret

at parting with the natives of the island of Mango; for, after they

embraced the Christian faith, they sought, by showing us the utmost

kindness, to compensate for the harsh treatment we had experienced

at their hands; and we felt a growing affection for the native

teachers and the missionary, and especially for Avatea and her

husband.

Before leaving, we had many long and interesting conversations with

the missionary, in one of which he told us that he had been making

for the island of Raratonga when his native-built sloop was blown

out of its course, during a violent gale, and driven to this

island. At first the natives refused to listen to what he had to

say; but, after a week’s residence among them, Tararo came to him

and said that he wished to become a Christian, and would burn his

idols. He proved himself to be sincere, for, as we have seen, he

persuaded all his people to do likewise. I use the word persuaded

advisedly; for, like all the other Feejee chiefs, Tararo was a

despot and might have commanded obedience to his wishes; but he

entered so readily into the spirit of the new faith that he

perceived at once the impropriety of using constraint in the

propagation of it. He set the example, therefore; and that example

was followed by almost every man of the tribe.

During the short time that we remained at the island, repairing our

vessel and getting her ready for sea, the natives had commenced

building a large and commodious church, under the superintendence

of the missionary, and several rows of new cottages were marked

out; so that the place bid fair to become, in a few months, as

prosperous and beautiful as the Christian village at the other end

of the island.

After Avatea was married, she and her husband were sent away,

loaded with presents, chiefly of an edible nature. One of the

native teachers went with them, for the purpose of visiting still

more distant islands of the sea, and spreading, if possible, the

light of the glorious gospel there.

As the missionary intended to remain for several weeks longer, in

order to encourage and confirm his new converts, Jack and Peterkin

and I held a consultation in the cabin of our schooner, - which we

found just as we had left her, for everything that had been taken

out of her was restored. We now resolved to delay our departure no

longer. The desire to see our beloved native land was strong upon

us, and we could not wait.

Three natives volunteered to go with us to Tahiti, where we thought

it likely that we should be able to procure a sufficient crew of

sailors to man our vessel; so we accepted their offer gladly.

It was a bright clear morning when we hoisted the snow-white sails

of the pirate schooner and left the shores of Mango. The

missionary, and thousands of the natives, came down to bid us God-speed, and to see us sail away. As the vessel bent before a light

fair wind, we glided quickly over the lagoon under a cloud of

canvass.

Just as we passed through the channel in the reef the natives gave

us a loud cheer; and as the missionary waved his hat, while he

stood on a coral rock with his gray hairs floating in the wind, we

heard the single word “Farewell” borne faintly over the sea.

That night, as we sat on the taffrail, gazing out upon the wide sea

and up into the starry firmament, a thrill of joy, strangely mixed

with sadness, passed through our hearts, - for we were at length

“homeward bound,” and were gradually leaving far behind us the

beautiful, bright, green, coral islands of the Pacific Ocean.