The Floating Island (30 page)

They walked in this direction,
and a few minutes afterwards they were being welcomed in the French quarters.
The Maristes gave them a patriotic welcome. Three fathers were in residence,
employed in the services of the Mission, which includes two others at Savai,
and a certain number of sisters stationed in the islands.

What a pleasure it was to
converse with the Superior, already advanced in years, who had lived in Samoa
for a long time. He was so happy to welcome his fellow-countrymen, and what was
more
—
artistes
of his nation. The conversation was varied with refreshing drinks of which the
Mission possesses the recipe.

“But first,” said the old man, “do
not think, my dear sons, that the islands of our archipelago are in a savage state.
It is not here that you will find natives who practise cannibalism.”

“We have not met with any up to
the present,” said Frascolin.

“To our great regret,” added
Pinchinat.

“Why do you regret?”

“Excuse me, father, that is the
confession of a curious Parisian! It is for love of local colour!”

“Oh!” said Sebastien Zorn, “we
are not at the end of our campaign yet; and we may see more than we want to of
these cannibals mentioned by our comrade.”

“That is possible,” replied the
Superior. “Among the approaches to the Western groups, the New Hebrides, the
Solomons, navigators can only venture with extreme prudence; but in Tahiti, the
Marquesas, the Society Islands, as at Samoa, civilization has made remarkable
progress. I know that the massacre of the companions of La Perouse has given
the Samoans the reputation of being ferocious aborigines, devoted to the
practice of cannibalism; but there has been a great change since then, owing to
the influence of the religion of Christ. The natives of these times are looked
after by the police, rejoicing in a European Government, with two chambers in
the European style
—
and
revolutions.”

“In European style?” observed Yvernès.

“As you say, my dear son, the
Samoans are not exempt from political dissensions.”

“We have them on Floating Island,”
replied Pinchinat. “We are even expecting to have a dynastic war between two
royal families.”

“In fact, my friends, there has
been a struggle between King Tupua, who is descended from the ancient
sovereigns of the archipelago, and whom we supported with our influence, and
King Malietoa, the man of the English and Germans. Much blood was shed,
particularly in the great battle of December, 1887. These Kings saw themselves
successively proclaimed and dethroned, and finally Malietoa was declared
sovereign by the three powers, in conformity with the arrangements stipulated
by the court of Berlin
—
Berlin!”

And the old missionary could not
restrain a convulsive movement as the name escaped from his lips.

“You see.” said he, “up to now
the influence of the Germans has been the dominating one at Samoa. Nine-tenths
of the cultivated lands are in their hands. In the environs of Apia, at
Suluafata, they have obtained from the Government a very important concession
in the proximity of the port, which could serve as a victualling station for
their ships of war. Quick-firing guns have been introduced by them. But all
that will end some day.”

“To the advantage of France?”
asked Frascolin.

“No; to the advantage of the
United Kingdom!”

“Oh!” said Yvernès. “England or
Germany!”

“No, my dear child,” replied the
Superior; “there is a notable difference.”

The conversation ended, after the
Superior had given divers details as to the customs of the Samoans. He added
that if the majority belonged to the Wesleyan religion, Catholicism seemed to
be making more progress every day. The church of the Mission was already too
small for their services, and the school required early enlargement. He appeared
very happy, and his guests rejoiced with him.

The stay of Floating Island at
the island of Upolu lasted three days.

The missionaries came to return
the visit they had received. The French artistes took them through Milliard
City, and they were struck with wonder. And why should we not say that in the
room at the casino the quartette party entertained the Father and his
colleagues with a few selections from their repertory? He wept with emotion,
did the good old man, for he adored classical music, and to his great regret
had never had an opportunity of hearing it at the festivals of Upolu.

The day before the departure,
Sebastien Zorn, Frascolin, Pinchinat, Yvernès, accompanied this time by the
professor of dancing and deportment, went to bid farewell to the missionaries
The parting was most affectionate
—
the
parting of people who had only known each other for a few days, and would never
see each other again. The old man gave them his benediction and embraced them,
and they retired in deep emotion.

Next day, the 23rd of December,
Commodore Simcoe got under way at dawn, and Floating Island moved off amid a
procession of canoes, who were to escort it to the neighbouring island of
Savai.

This island is separated from
Upolu by a strait of some seven or eight leagues. But the port of Apia being
situated on the northern shore, it is necessary to coast along this shore all
day before reaching the strait.

According to the itinerary
arranged by the Governor, it was not intended to make the tour of Savai, but to
manœuvre between it and Upolu, so as to run down southwest to the Tonga
Archipelago. For this reason Floating Island advanced at very moderate speed,
it being undesirable to venture during the night through this strait, which is
flanked by the small islands of Apolinia and Manono.

At daybreak Commodore Simcoe manœuvred
between these two islands, of which one, Apolinia, contains only two hundred
and fifty inhabitants, and the other, Manono, a thousand. These natives have
the reputation of being the bravest and most honest Samoans in the archipelago.

From this place Savai could be
admired in all its splendour. It is protected by impregnable cliffs of granite
against the attacks of the sea which the hurricanes, tornadoes and cyclones of
the winter season make more formidable. Savai is covered with thick forests,
dominated by an ancient volcano twelve hundred metres high, dotted with
gleaming villages beneath the domes of gigantic palm trees, watered by
tumultuous cascades, penetrated by deep caverns, from which escaped the violent
echoes of the beating of the waves on the shore.

And, if legend is to be believed,
this island is the cradle of the Polynesian races, of which its eleven thousand
inhabitants have retained the purest type. Its real name is Savaiki, the famous
Eden of the Maori divinities.

Floating Island slowly moved
away, and lost sight of its last heights in the evening of the 24th of
December.

Since
the 21st of December, the sun in its apparent movement, after stopping on the
tropic of Capricorn, recommenced its course towards the north, abandoning these
regions to the inclemencies of winter, and bringing spring again to the
northern hemisphere.

Floating Island was not more than
a dozen degrees from the tropic. In descending to the islands of Tonga-Tabou,
it reached the extreme latitude fixed by the itinerary, and continuing its
course to the north, remained in the most favourable climatic conditions. It is
true it could not avoid a period of extreme heat while the sun was in the
zenith, but this heat would be tempered by the sea breeze, and would diminish
as the distance of the sun increased.

Between Samoa and the principal
island of Tonga-Tabou there are eight degrees
—
about
nine hundred kilometres. There was no need to increase the speed. Floating
Island skimmed over this ever beautiful sea, which the atmosphere hardly
troubled with storms, that were as rare as they were short-lived. It was enough
to be at Tonga-Tabou in the first days of January, to remain there a week, and
then to proceed to Fiji. From there Floating Island would run up to the New
Hebrides, and there land the Malay crew; then heading north-east, it would
regain the latitude of Madeleine Bay, and its second cruise would be at an end.

Life at Milliard City continued
amid unchanging calm. Always this existence, as in one of the large towns of America
or Europe
—
constant
communications with the new continent by steamers or telegraphic cables, the
usual family visits, the manifest tendency towards reconciliation between the
two rival sections, the walks and games, the concerts of the quartette always
in favour among the dilettanti.

Christmas, so dear to Protestants
and Catholics, was celebrated with great pomp at the temple and at St. Mary’s
church, as in the mansions, the hotels, and the houses of the commercial
quarter. This solemnity meant a general holiday throughout the island during
the week which ended on the 1st of January.

In the meantime, the newspapers
of Floating Island, the
Starboard Chronicle
and the
New
Herald
,
did not cease from offering their readers the latest news, home and foreign. An
item of news, published simultaneously by both papers, caused a good deal of
comment.

In the papers for the 26th of
December it was stated that the King of Malecarlie had been to the town hall,
where the Governor had given him an audience. What was the object of this visit?
Rumours of all sorts flew about the town, and they would doubtless have been
based on the most unlikely hypotheses, if the newspapers next day had not
contained positive information on this subject.

The King of Malecarlie had asked
for a place in the Observatory, and the company had acceded to his request.

“Well,” exclaimed Pinchinat, “you
must live in Milliard City to see a thing like that; a sovereign, with a glass
at his eye, watching the stars on the horizon.”

“A star of the earth
interrogating his brothers in the firmament!” replied Yvernès.

The news was authentic, and this
is why His Majesty was under the necessity of asking for the appointment.

He was a good King, this King of
Malecarlie, and the princess his wife was a good Queen. They had done all the
good they could in one of the minor states of Europe, being of enlightened
liberal minds, without pretending that their dynasty, although it was one of
the most ancient on the old continent, was of divine origin. The King was well
informed in scientific matters, a great admirer of art, and passionately fond
of music. A learned man and a philosopher, he was in no way blind with regard
to the future of European sovereignties, and he was always prepared to leave
his Kingdom as soon as his people wanted him no more. Having no direct heir, he
in no way injured his family when the time came for him to abandon his throne
and lay aside his crown.

This time had come three years
before. But there had been no revolution in the Kingdom of Malecarlie, or at
least no blood had been shed. By mutual agreement the contract was broken between
his Majesty and his subjects. The King became a man, his subjects became
citizens, and he left without more fuss than if he had been a tourist who had
taken his ticket at the railway station, leaving his government to be replaced
by another.

Vigorous still at sixty years of
age, the King rejoiced in a constitution, better perhaps than that which his
old Kingdom had given itself. But the health of the Queen was rather
precarious, and required a climate free from sudden changes of temperature.
This approach to uniformity of climatic conditions it was difficult to meet
with elsewhere than on Floating Island, since it appeared that she was not able
to submit to the fatigue of running from latitude to latitude after fine
weather. It seemed as though the invention of the Floating Island Company
offered these advantages, as the wealthiest men in the United States had made
it the town of their adoption.

That is why, as soon as Floating
Island had been constructed, the King and Queen of Malecarlie had resolved to take
up their abode in Milliard City. Permission to do so had been granted them on
condition that they lived as simple citizens, without any distinction or
privilege.

There was not much chance of
their Majesties wishing to live otherwise. They rented a small house in the
Thirty-ninth Avenue, in the Starboard Section, surrounded by a garden which
opened on to the large park. There lived the two sovereigns in retirement,
mixing in no way with the rivalries and intrigues of the rival sections, and
content with their humble existence. The King occupied himself in astronomical
studies, for which he had always had a great taste. The Queen, a sincere
Catholic, lived a semi-cloistral life, having not even the opportunity of
devoting herself to charitable works, inasmuch as misery was unknown on the
Pearl of the Pacific.

Such is the story of these
ancient masters of the Kingdom of Malecarlie
—
a
story which the superintendent related to our artistes, adding that this King
and this Queen were the best people it was possible to meet, although their
fortune was relatively very small.

The quartette, greatly affected
at this fall from high estate, born with such philosophy and resignation, felt
respectful sympathy for the dethroned sovereigns. Instead of taking refuge in
France, that country of Kings in exile, their Majesties had made choice of
Floating Island as wealthy people make choice of Nice or Corfu, for reasons of
health. They were not, of course, exiles; they had not been driven from their
Kingdom; they could live there, they could return there, if they chose to do
so, as simple citizens. But they had no thought of doing so, and were content
with this peaceful existence, conforming to the laws and regulations of
Floating Island.