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.

***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE CORAL ISLAND***

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