s a native of a far-off, anonymous island to
the westward: whence, when quite young, she had been carried by the
commander of a ship, touching there on a passage from Macao to
Valparaiso. At Valparaiso her protector put her ashore; most
probably, as I afterward had reason to think, for a nuisance.

By chance it came to pass that when Annatoo's first virgin bloom had
departed, leaving nothing but a lusty frame and a lustier soul,
Samoa, the Navigator, had fallen desperately in love with her. And
thinking the lady to his mind, being brave like himself, and
doubtless well adapted to the vicissitudes of matrimony at sea, he
meditated suicide--I would have said, wedlock--and the twain became
one. And some time after, in capacity of wife, Annatoo the dame,
accompanied in the brigantine, Samoa her lord. Now, as Antony flew to
the refuse embraces of Caesar, so Samoa solaced himself in the arms
of this discarded fair one. And the sequel was the same. For not
harder the life Cleopatra led my fine frank friend, poor Mark, than
Queen Annatoo did lead this captive of her bow and her spear. But all
in good time.

They left their port; and crossing the Tropic and the Line, fell in
with a cluster of islands, where the shells they sought were found in
round numbers. And here--not at all strange to tell besides the
natives, they encountered a couple of Cholos, or half-breed
Spaniards, from the Main; one half Spanish, the other half quartered
between the wild Indian and the devil; a race, that from Baldivia to
Panama are notorious for their unscrupulous villainy.

Now, the half-breeds having long since deserted a ship at these
islands, had risen to high authority among the natives. This hearing,
the Parki's captain was much gratified; he, poor ignorant, never
before having fallen in with any of their treacherous race. And, no
doubt, he imagined that their influence over the Islanders would tend
to his advantage. At all events, he made presents to the Cholos; who,
in turn, provided him with additional divers from among the natives.
Very kindly, also, they pointed out the best places for seeking the
oysters. In a word, they were exceedingly friendly; often coming off
to the brigantine, and sociably dining with the captain in the cabin;
placing the salt between them and him.

All things went on very pleasantly until, one morning, the half-
breeds prevailed upon the captain to go with them, in his whale-boat,
to a shoal on the thither si