Caledonia, and they had then
raided a small settlement on the coast and obtained some arms and
provisions. Long afterwards I was told that their leader was a sailor
who was serving a life sentence for killing his mistress at La Ciotat,
in the South of France.

It is quite possible, however, that they may have been picked up by
an American whale-ship making northwards to the Moluccas from the
New Zealand ground. In those days there were quite thirty ships still
remaining of the once great American whaling fleet, which traversed the
Pacific from one end to the other.

Publisher's Note.--The half-caste Alan mentioned in this
story is the same 'Alan' who so frequently figures in Mr
Becke's tales in _By Reef and Palm_, and his subsequent
books.

THE SOUTH SEA BUBBLE OF CHARLES DU BREIL

Less than a year ago news was received of the arrival in Noumea, in New
Caledonia, of the remainder of a party of unwashed visionaries, calling
themselves the 'United Brotherhood of the South Sea Islands.' A year
before they had sailed away from San Francisco in a wretched old crate
of a schooner, named the _Percy Edward_ (an ex-Tahitian mail packet), to
seek for an island or islands whereon they were to found a Socialistic
Utopia, where they were to pluck the wild goat by the beard, pay no
rent to the native owners of the soil, and, letting their hair grow down
their backs, lead an idyllic life and loaf around generally. Such a mad
scheme could have been conceived nowhere else but in San Francisco or
Paris.

In the latter city such another venture, but founded on more heroic
lines of infatuation, was organised eighteen years ago by the late
Charles du Breil, Marquis de Rays, and the results ought to have made
the American enthusiasts reflect a little before they started. But
having got the idea that they might sail on through summer seas till
they came to some land fair to look upon, and then annex it right away
in the sacred name of Socialism (and thus violate one of the
principal articles of their faith), they started--only to be quickly
disillusionised. For there were no islands anywhere in the two Pacifics
to be had for the taking thereof; neither were there any tracts of land
to be had from the natives, except for hard cash or its equivalent.
The untutored Kanakas also, with whom they came in contact, refused to
become brother Socialists and go shares with the long-haired wanderers
in their land or anyth