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But
the
kites
were
different
from
ours
in
many
respects
,
being
of
every
variety
of
shape
.
They
were
made
of
very
thin
cloth
,
and
the
boys
raised
them
to
a
wonderful
height
in
the
air
by
means
of
twine
made
from
the
cocoa-nut
husk
.
Other
games
there
were
,
some
of
which
showed
the
natural
depravity
of
the
hearts
of
these
poor
savages
,
and
made
me
wish
fervently
that
missionaries
might
be
sent
out
to
them
.
But
the
amusement
which
the
greatest
number
of
the
children
of
both
sexes
seemed
to
take
chief
delight
in
was
swimming
and
diving
in
the
sea
,
and
the
expertness
which
they
exhibited
was
truly
amazing
.
They
seemed
to
have
two
principal
games
in
the
water
,
one
of
which
was
to
dive
off
a
sort
of
stage
which
had
been
erected
near
a
deep
part
of
the
sea
,
and
chase
each
other
in
the
water
.
Some
of
them
went
down
to
an
extraordinary
depth
;
others
skimmed
along
the
surface
,
or
rolled
over
and
over
like
porpoises
,
or
diving
under
each
other
,
came
up
unexpectedly
and
pulled
each
other
down
by
a
leg
or
an
arm
.
They
never
seemed
to
tire
of
this
sport
,
and
from
the
great
heat
of
the
water
in
the
South
Seas
,
they
could
remain
in
it
nearly
all
day
without
feeling
chilled
.
Many
of
these
children
were
almost
infants
,
scarce
able
to
walk
;
yet
they
staggered
down
the
beach
,
flung
their
round
,
fat
little
black
bodies
fearlessly
into
deep
water
,
and
struck
out
to
sea
with
as
much
confidence
as
ducklings
.
The
other
game
to
which
I
have
referred
was
swimming
in
the
surf
.
But
as
this
is
an
amusement
in
which
all
engage
,
from
children
of
ten
to
grey-headed
men
of
sixty
,
and
as
I
had
an
opportunity
of
witnessing
it
in
perfection
the
day
following
,
I
shall
describe
it
more
minutely
.
I
suppose
it
was
in
honour
of
their
guest
that
this
grand
swimming-match
was
got
up
,
for
Romata
came
and
told
the
captain
that
they
were
going
to
engage
in
it
,
and
begged
him
to
"
come
and
see
.
"
"
What
sort
of
amusement
is
this
surf-swimming
?
"
I
inquired
of
Bill
as
we
walked
together
to
a
part
of
the
shore
on
which
several
thousands
of
the
natives
were
assembled
.
"
It
's
a
very
favourite
lark
with
these
'
xtr
'
or
'n
ary
critters
,
"
replied
Bill
,
giving
a
turn
to
the
quid
of
tobacco
that
invariably
bulged
out
of
his
left
cheek
.
"
Ye
see
,
Ralph
,
them
fellows
take
to
the
water
as
soon
a
'm
ost
as
they
can
walk
,
an
'
long
before
they
can
do
that
anything
respectably
,
so
that
they
are
as
much
at
home
in
the
sea
as
on
the
land
.
Well
,
ye
see
,
I
'
spose
they
found
swimmin
'
for
miles
out
to
sea
,
and
divin
'
fathoms
deep
,
was
n't
excitin
'
enough
,
so
they
invented
this
game
o
'
swimmin
'
on
the
surf
.
Each
man
and
boy
,
as
you
see
,
has
got
a
short
board
or
plank
,
with
which
he
swims
out
for
a
mile
or
more
to
sea
,
and
then
,
gettin
'
on
the
top
o
'
yon
thunderin
'
breaker
,
they
come
to
shore
on
the
top
of
it
,
yellin
'
and
screechin
'
like
fiends
.
It
's
a
marvel
to
me
that
they
're
not
dashed
to
shivers
on
the
coral
reef
,
for
sure
an
'
sart
'
in
am
I
that
if
any
o
'
us
tried
it
,
we
would
n't
be
worth
the
fluke
of
a
broken
anchor
after
the
wave
fell
.
But
there
they
go
!
"
As
he
spoke
,
several
hundreds
of
the
natives
,
amongst
whom
we
were
now
standing
,
uttered
a
loud
yell
,
rushed
down
the
beach
,
plunged
into
the
surf
,
and
were
carried
off
by
the
seething
foam
of
the
retreating
wave
.
At
the
point
where
we
stood
,
the
encircling
coral
reef
joined
the
shore
,
so
that
the
magnificent
breakers
,
which
a
recent
stiff
breeze
had
rendered
larger
than
usual
,
fell
in
thunder
at
the
feet
of
the
multitudes
who
lined
the
beach
.
For
some
time
the
swimmers
continued
to
strike
out
to
sea
,
breasting
over
the
swell
like
hundreds
of
black
seals
.
Then
they
all
turned
,
and
watching
an
approaching
billow
,
mounted
its
white
crest
,
and
each
laying
his
breast
on
the
short
,
flat
board
,
came
rolling
towards
the
shore
,
careering
on
the
summit
of
the
mighty
wave
,
while
they
and
the
onlookers
shouted
and
yelled
with
excitement
.
Just
as
the
monster
wave
curled
in
solemn
majesty
to
fling
its
bulky
length
upon
the
beach
,
most
of
the
swimmers
slid
back
into
the
trough
behind
;
others
,
slipping
off
their
boards
,
seized
them
in
their
hands
,
and
plunging
through
the
watery
waste
,
swam
out
to
repeat
the
amusement
;
but
a
few
,
who
seemed
to
me
the
most
reckless
,
continued
their
career
until
they
were
launched
upon
the
beach
and
enveloped
in
the
churning
foam
and
spray
.
One
of
these
last
came
in
on
the
crest
of
the
wave
most
manfully
,
and
landed
with
a
violent
bound
almost
on
the
spot
where
Bill
and
I
stood
.
I
saw
by
his
peculiar
head-dress
that
he
was
the
chief
whom
the
tribe
entertained
as
their
guest
.
The
sea-water
had
removed
nearly
all
the
paint
with
which
his
face
had
been
covered
,
and
as
he
rose
panting
to
his
feet
,
I
recognised
,
to
my
surprise
,
the
features
of
Tararo
,
my
old
friend
of
the
Coral
Island
!
