Traveller.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume XX, Issue 2041, 11 March 1887, Page 2 (Supplement)

Traveller.

TllC Lost Ir-litUil. ll is tmncee.-riry for me to r.munt tue cire'itn-ianees. which., in IsTI. had fn* over two inns iiiii'c tine an mi .d'it .in '*! tin* 1-1 uni of Aurora, a sma',. hat tm-st i -it-. ■ i* ion I la tin* row J i .*; ;jw -• s Lrio aJ >. i •' j, - in* ■ e[i ,n ih. and in v i jie. t iioaeii i*J ey. a- in eol I" rr.iwrt.d. was imt devoid of a rritaiii kill 1 of i'll'-u-st. Dr.-ill-' the early day-, of my soj >lllll there I etinfed eoiisidera,/.y a; tin* 1 .ne lioarsand my 1 hoiielitsoflrii 1 i.Ti'ii to I in* ,r 1 life upon which 1 ha-1 1:1111 d inv hack V .r ever. I'm linn* m d'lh * . my f - i ill vs am! era lanlly I yrew c ntmt niiiiiay sin.-ii'ni* surTumi'liurs. I’-oaut- oinHat .i" pr.wi ;ed for my simpir wants and 1 sp"iil tin* days in roamiiiy over tine island and m lidiine from my roneh canoe at some i , 1 ain't, from tin; shore. Tine island wa-ehitli-'ii iti the evi-rlastiiijr erecn of a den--to'pieai s'lnihhory. while the cocoanut, palm air! hanana tivs, which wei'e numerous, ailed variety to the enchantit)>! scene. Aurora was ah,out nine miles in leiivrth and s eim t'nvi; or four in iiivadth, while from t!ie water’s eduit mi all si hat it eradualiy -!■ ipe, ito I in■ mm; lof a wed wooded hill. Without jo ‘so S' 1 nr any knowledge of yeoloey I<• -'i;d rvi-hiy so I ha! the island was of volranie m ivin. i-’roui the appi ataiuv of th ■ ■ ■ .1,1 ivef- ii war >vii ul that a if urn her oi ttp'n ave s had taken phi e. In many plaret, 1• ■ e.ual iuni hei.n i frown r.p to a point hria-hl, tin' voleanii* rock beinjr plainly to hr s-eit crojipinv mil in laree ipiantities amoiie it. Ha I I po- ~5,., l the nijiiisiti; kinaviedee I s’loll id douhth-s have in ell aide, to Jfivc I'll* v.ori'l a mass of informal ion on many points iu tiiat l.vaneh of science, which, however, w re mi-oivahl * eniemas to me. My irrcatesi pl visur • was. however, found in fishiiiy. The lit lie ha v was Well nocked with the 1-otiilo and "i hm ,-u einnuis of t finny tribe, and many an afternoon I spent in (his fascinatei;; employment. (if com»e, 1 fish d only lor tHe exeiluuml of (he Spoil, and ha. imr taken my lisii. I would ea: inli v 1. in >v : h.m from the hook and |.e 1; a him to his native clement little the ii 'i.-e l',.r hi- luoaienir.ry removal Ihei'elorm th. * lov-'ly day I 1 nteivd my canoe, air l

pa idlin' far out into the hay, prepared my 1a- Ice. and was fo m endeavoiiviny to t -mpt too sealy heauir s with t'ie dainty morsels I t*■ t w iivcth ard h-r their delectation. Hut the -port v.as not. cxcitiiiL', the lisii were mi-u-uady shy, and bites were scarce and inIT p,r id. ic-comim- tired of the paucity of am is armt. I sc-mvd my line, and cairliitu' niys if in ti.e i-ottoni of the b .at, was soon

a-h-op. I mast have slept soundly tor three or four hours wlmi I was suddenly awakened by a violent t'ockiny- of the boat. The sea uassiiil calm and -tnooih. Imt the water had ir-unicd a hard., lix-d appearance, and as I pc- ivd into 1 lie depths, it looked more like a mas-, ~f ii.piid das,. S*ve.ral limes I noticed the -naira* commotion which had awak'nicd me, Im ; ■ wav. - pa-sine towards the shore, and roil in_- hi‘-dm rand hieltcr over the e listenin*.- sand. I had never witnessed anytliiuc like it li-fore. The sun was shining in the west from a ehmdiess sky, and on sea and land there was that air of peaceful serenity which is only 1 \perivnecd amid such scones. At lenvth I headed my boat for the shore.

and was leisurely p;ui<Uinsj hack, when suddenly I saw rise from the hill in the mitre of the island a huee toneme of (lame, enveloped in a dense mass of smoke. I eased with awe ii|ion the unwontei siyhl. lliedier a' l. l hieh- v leaped the flames which helelud o in from the mountain, upon whose summit 1 had o®Jy that moraine wandered, uncoiiseiQß|.«t the demon which lay h-ncath my the moment in which to devilish fury. Hut to that at the time. In the prea scene I was too insiemlicant

HHBFmy own thoughts. 1 was speecliHj; spoil bound. To my (lying any the scene can nevet lie effaced from my memory. While every fibre of my being was strung to its ui mod tension, I suddenly felt myself need ju air upon the bosom of a giant wave, which rolled majestically by as if disdaining m e It moved grandly towards the shore swept over the shell-strewn sands, covered the jre eg and passing ruthlessly over tinhandne mountain, envelop -d the whole Island in its strange embrace. 1 waited brealide-l v to »■; what effect would be visible when the wave wool I have pa sed. Hut I waitid in vain; it never tvi eded, and my poor home Wii- forever hidden beitealh the ivalemof the smiling, bat treacherous I’a.-iue. 'fiie idea of seeint one's home vanish from his sight is anything but a pleasant mo, under any eireumdaiiees. Fortunately, 1 was unable tit the time to realize my position. Mv hour 1 buried in the oc 'tin's dopihs. and I. alone, without bud or drink in a small canoe, waile around me the declining sun shone upon the vast expanse of waters which shut me from the World. | was, however, too dazed and horrified to think of ill things. I was incapable of act ion an 1 my boa! drifted as it pleased. Ilovz long 1 limit 'd aiiiilo.-lv about 1 know not. 11 ivs must have elapsed, bat 1 scarcely felt tile pangs ef thirst or hun-

g r. 1 sat moil -ttless. whili my eyes fixed noon what seem, dIo be the spot where 1 had la-t S-- I 1 Aurora’s siopimgsl,ores. One mornin/ i saw hind befote me. The sight revived th ■ I ne of life widen is within it-all, an ! for me li'-t time i look up mv paddle and made for ihe .-hoi'e. As I drew near enough to di-e in. I saw that the banks were lined with n elves eagerly watching my approach. A n V 1, 111. e!' avoid ■ d me. I wa-. aware that lean" >-l lie- - is.anU were inhabit-,- I by I o. - u •o'.uig' e mnii a’s. and 1 wondered if In : I survived my ree eg. perils, only to appear at some horrid ov.de. -ei ved up a-, one of Ih • principal courses of the fea»l. I had s|o|.p d pel lling.'l!"-,! .ling weetli (1 slam d ■e • ‘a ■!’ got. v.ai nl -aw t-vo men spr.ng ineiaaeiu: 1 eoali .ioii 11 i_ 1 1 1 was bineo-bdo, an i I calmly awaited F eir :ippt..-u li. With th - evietio-s of de-'-ad-, I took note of mv

-urroiinibneTli« is end In fore me wa< 1 r. e r thru the mm up i;i which I li:i,l lived, hut hull’, ills". [ snv sacke issuing from the fiat -r of a l a' y-- vole inn. an.l I mechanically W"M lore I if, some day. il to", Would u»l iib,;>(.;u ;i!'. I >ii comim; closer tome. 1 ,-;uv 1h it tbo mii had long h.iir. which was curiously in I "'ks round pice-s of bark : and Inal from ih hr cars were suspended larsc torioisc shell riii s. They cu.ue it'■ 'iio>i'i>■, and looked with evident astonishment upon llm while mini, who had come (o them so slr.vi.vvl/. hit: there was nothin" in their dr. iimanor lo alaim nm. 1 eitd",avoivd hvsl-rns —which the volcano a-.-isted —to make them understand how I came lobe there, and they ittviied me, hy ’csiui-s, to return with them to the shore. It was’dins I became an inhabitant r.f the l-’and of Tauuu, wlierc 1 have ever sine.’ lived in peace and contentmint.