Edward Barry / South Sea Pearler

strange, mysterious midnight sailing of the Mahina from Sydney Harbour, and of the story of her husband's suicide as relat

id indeed take his own life," she

s and the others-have spared

lings were navigators," r

ully; "but yet, you see, Rawlings would have sailed without a

think it. He has the cu

ged the Custom House officer and flung him into the dinghy. Then when you was for'ard heavin' up

of the letter he had written to Rose Mayn

ain give me an' Billy Onotoa ten shilling to take that man ashore w

an!" mutte

you mine from the beginning, and show you how this heartless wretch has imposed upon you from th

y things which have hitherto pu

adquarters were at Jaluit, in the Marshall Islands, where he had a store, and where I lived whilst he was away on his cruises. During the seven years we spent

earted but very intemperate man, and several times we had taken him away with us in the cutter, when he was in a deplorable condition from the effects of drink, and nursed him back to health and rea

, in 1825, and ever since then had remained in the South Seas, living sometimes the idle and dissolute life of the beach-comber, sometimes that of the industrious and adventurous trader. My husban

his story he turned t

ld Jack Gurden. Now, tell me, did you ever know me to tell a l

nd said we knew he

t a lagoon full of pearl shell-when

and said that he ha

ey, who have nursed the old drunken, blackguard beachcomber, and asked him to seek strength from God to keep off the cursed grog, will be

rawn a rough plan of Arrecifos Island, or, as he called it, Ujilong. The rest cont

He had lived th

rteen islands, and Gurden said he could quite understand why the richness of the pearl beds were never discovered by white men, for no ship had ever ent

ains speak of Arrecifos and Eniwetok as great chains of palm-clad is

h value. Later on, after he left the Island and visited China, he spoke to several merchants and traders there, and tried to induce them to send him back to the lagoon

name of Ujilong and its chart name of Providence as a place of very few inhabitants-the group takes its

d you can pilot me i

eached this place five days later. He took us in safely through the south-east passage, and th

more than a thousand pounds' worth of pearls. Those which Rawlings showed you were some of them; I suppose he found them in my husband's cabin after he was murde

hen with the money he had in hand, which amounted to about 1,100 pounds, buy a larger vessel, secure a number of good divers, and return to the lagoon, on one of the islands of which he intended to make his home for perhaps many years. Arrecifos, he knew, did not belong to any nation, and both he and old Gurden thought that t

d be content to await our return there. The long voyage to Honolulu, he thought, would be too much for him, and beside that he wished to return to Strong's

er and the rest of the cargo for 600 pounds, bought the Mahina, and at once began to fit her out and ship an entirely new crew, for the nine men we had with us on the cutter wanted to remain i

ate. He was, and being satisfied with the man's appearance and qualifications, at once engaged

he was prepared to pay liberally. In the evening Barradas brought his friend on board, and introduced him as Mr. Rawlings. My husband and he had quite a long talk. Rawlings was himself a sailor, and had made, he said, a good deal of money a

we sailed direct for Strong's Island to pick up Gurden. To our great sorrow we found that the old man was dead an

e-whatever other information they had gained from our former crew. They had, however, thoroughly ingratiated themselves with him, an

English flag on Arrecifos Lagoon, but had yet strongly advised him to proceed to Sydney and lay his case before the commodore of the Australian squadron, who, he said, would no doubt send a warship to Arrecifos and take formal possession of the place as British territory. This advice my husband decided to follow. He also meant to buy some diving suits and pumping gear, for Gurden had said that he b

no sound broke the silence but the ever restless clamour of the surf upon the outer reef, and now and then a whispered word, ex

leasant Island just before dark, and at half-past eight we could see the lights of the native villages on the shore. That evening my husband had turned in early, for he was not feeling well, and c

awaiian native. Barradas was somewhere on the main de

the back of the wheel-house, so as to be out of the way of the officer of the watch and out of sight. I had been lying down for about

ate should do this, as it was not his watch on deck;

is Manue

replied the Greek; 'are you

she is with him. There's no fear

polite and sweet to me, mean by using such an expression about me? I had not long

t once, and settle them both together

omething more than the ship. We want to find out the name of the island and where it is before we can do anything like t

ou had a good look through his cabi

ral times,'

e has it,' s

ay somewhere where only a careful search would find it, and that search can't be made just now. And we don't want

ssion of me, Mr. Barry; but I resisted it only through fear of their seeing me; would to God I had acted upon that impulse, for I believe the crew would have sto

pumping gear, he (Rawlings) would find a man capable of navigating the vessel, and then, he said, with a laugh that sent a thrill of terror through me, 'we can get rid of him and his wife with little trouble, once we are at sea again. They will, I think, b

ithout exciting wonder in the

doubting Manuel,' replied R

wheel, and I, after waiting for a minute or two, and hearing no further talk, co

ld escape below without being observed, and then the Greek suddenly sprang on me fr

he darkness. I raised my voice and screamed and screamed again, but in a few minutes she had disappeared into the night; and then

s, it might have been an hour or more, for I am a good swimmer-but suddenly I saw a l

trader living on Pleasant Island. He treated me most kindly, and when we arrived at Ocean Island, and I lost my reason for many weeks, nursed me like a mother, and delayed his return to Pleasant

ld return to Arrecifos, and to Arrecifos I determined to go, even if only to die. Whaleships, so my rescuer told me, frequently called at Ocea

much of my story as I thought necessary, and asked him to land me in Arrecifos. He did so, and gave me a stock of food and cloth

if my husband were alive or dead, but had come here to wait. The affection they cherished for old Gurden was very strongly

is now deserted. The people, as well as myself, knew that if my husband had returned that he would have sailed his ship right down here to this end of the lagoon where he had anchored previously, instead of lying under the south-east islet. Most of them, therefore, at once took to the bush to hide themselves, and begged me to come with them. But I was determined to come and meet the boat, for I had a hope that I might possib

propose doing to outwit these infernal ruffians and restore to you your husband's ship. The heartless scoundrels, pirates, and murderers! They shall t

will, sir

s my plan,"

by one each man of his boat's crew took his hand and