and similarity of
these islands that, even when you have picked one up, you may be none
the wiser. The reputation of the place is consequently infamous;
insurance offices exclude it from their field, and it was not without
misgiving that my captain risked the _Casco_ in such waters. I believe,
indeed, it is almost understood that yachts are to avoid this baffling
archipelago; and it required all my instances--and all Mr. Otis's
private taste for adventure--to deflect our course across its midst.

For a few days we sailed with a steady trade, and a steady westerly
current setting us to leeward; and toward sundown of the seventh it was
supposed we should have sighted Takaroa, one of Cook's so-called King
George Islands. The sun set; yet a while longer the old
moon--semi-brilliant herself, and with a silver belly, which was her
successor--sailed among gathering clouds; she, too, deserted us; stars
of every degree of sheen, and clouds of every variety of form, disputed
the sub-lustrous night; and still we gazed in vain for Takaroa. The mate
stood on the bowsprit, his tall grey figure slashing up and down against
the stars, and still

"nihil astra praeter
Vidit et undas."

The rest of us were grouped at the port anchor davit, staring with no
less assiduity, but with far less hope on the obscure horizon. Islands
we beheld in plenty, but they were of "such stuff as dreams are made
on," and vanished at a wink, only to appear in other places; and by and
by not only islands, but refulgent and revolving lights began to stud
the darkness; light-houses of the mind or of the wearied optic nerve,
solemnly shining and winking as we passed. At length the mate himself
despaired, scrambled on board again from his unrestful perch, and
announced that we had missed our destination. He was the only man of
practice in these waters, our sole pilot, shipped for that end at
Tai-o-hae. If he declared we had missed Takaroa, it was not for us to
quarrel with the fact, but, if we could, to explain it. We had certainly
run down our southing. Our canted wake upon the sea and our somewhat
drunken-looking course upon the chart both testified with no less
certainty to an impetuous westward current. We had no choice but to
conclude we were again set down to leeward; and the best we could do was
to bring the _Casco_ to the wind, keep a good watch, and expect morning.

I slept that night, as was then my somewhat dangerous practice, on de