ace and spirit of their style excel everything that I have ever seen.
The varied dances of the Marquesan girls are beautiful in the extreme, but
there is an abandoned voluptuousness in their character which I dare not
attempt to describe.

Our ship was now wholly given up to every species of riot and debauchery.
The grossest licentiousness and the most shameful inebriety prevailed,
with occasional and but short-lived interruptions, through the whole
period of her stay. Alas for the poor savages when exposed to the
influence of these polluting examples! Unsophisticated and confiding, they
are easily led into every vice, and humanity weeps over the ruin thus
remorselessly inflicted upon them by their European civilizers. Thrice
happy are they who, inhabiting some yet undiscovered island in the midst
of the ocean, have never been brought into contaminating contact with the
white man.

CHAPTER III

State of affairs aboard the ship--Contents of her larder--Length of
South Seamen's voyages--Account of a flying whale-man--Determination
to leave the vessel--The bay of Nukuheva--The Typees.

It was in the summer of 1842, that we arrived at the islands. Our ship had
not been many days in the harbour of Nukuheva, before I came to the
determination of leaving her. That my reasons for resolving to take this
step were numerous and weighty, may be inferred from the fact that I chose
rather to risk my fortunes among the savages of the island than to endure
another voyage on board the _Dolly_. To use the concise, point-blank
phrase of the sailors, I had made up my mind to "run away." Now, as a
meaning is generally attached to these two words no way flattering to the
individual to whom they are applied, it behoves me, for the sake of my own
character, to offer some explanation of my conduct.

When I entered on board the _Dolly_, I signed, as a matter of course, the
ship's articles, thereby voluntarily engaging and legally binding myself
to serve in a certain capacity for the period of the voyage; and, special
considerations apart, I was of course bound to fulfil the agreement. But
in all contracts, if one party fail to perform his share of the compact,
is not the other virtually absolved from his liability? Who is there who
will not answer in the affirmative?

Having settled the principle, then, let me apply it to the particular case
in question. In numberless instances h