water, revealing
glimpses of their forms, as, in the course of their rapid progress, they
shot for an instant partly into the air--at one moment they dived deep
down into the water, and the next they rose bounding to the surface.

I remember upon one occasion plunging in among a parcel of these
river-nymphs, and counting vainly on my superior strength, sought to
drag some of them under the water, but I quickly repented my temerity.
The amphibious young creatures swarmed about me like a shoal of
dolphins, and seizing hold of my devoted limbs, tumbled me about and
ducked me under the surface, until from the strange noises which rang in
my ears, and the supernatural visions dancing before my eyes, I thought
I was in the land of the spirits. I stood indeed as little chance among
them as a cumbrous whale attacked on all sides by a legion of swordfish.
When at length they relinquished their hold of me, they swam away in
every direction, laughing at my clumsy endeavours to reach them.

There was no boat on the lake; but at my solicitation and for my special
use, some of the young men attached to Marheyo's household, under
the direction of the indefatigable Kory-Kory, brought up a light and
tastefully carved canoe from the sea. It was launched upon the sheet
of water, and floated there as gracefully as a swan. But, melancholy to
relate, it produced an effect I had not anticipated. The sweet nymphs,
who had sported with me before on the lake, now all fled its vicinity.
The prohibited craft, guarded by the edicts of the 'taboo,' extended the
prohibition to the waters in which it lay.

For a few days, Kory-Kory, with one or two other youths, accompanied
me in my excursions to the lake, and while I paddled about in my light
canoe, would swim after me shouting and gambolling in pursuit. But I
as ever partial to what is termed in the 'Young Men's Own Book'--'the
society of virtuous and intelligent young ladies;' and in the absence
of the mermaids, the amusement became dull and insipid. One morning
I expressed to my faithful servitor my desire for the return of the
nymphs. The honest fellow looked at me bewildered for a moment, and
then shook his head solemnly, and murmured 'taboo! taboo!' giving me to
understand that unless the canoe was removed I could not expect to have
the young ladies back again. But to this procedure I was averse; I not
only wanted the canoe to stay where it was, but I wanted the beauteous
Fayaway to get into