Nuku Hiva

As they drew nearer, and I watched the rising and sinking of their forms, and beheld the uplifted right arm bearing above the water the girdle of tapa, and their long dark hair trailing behind them as they swam, I almost fancied they could be nothing else than so many mermaids, and very like mermaids they behaved too.

The Bay of Nuku Hiva, in which we were lying, is an expanse of water not unlike in figure the space included within the limits of a horseshoe.

It is perhaps nine miles in circumference.

You approach it from the sea by a narrow entrance, flanked on either side by two small twin islets which soar conically to the height of some 500 feet.

These are inhabited by as many different kinds of savages who, although speaking kindred dialects of a common language and having the same religion and laws, have from time immemorial waged hereditary warfare against each other.

The intervening mountains, generally two or three thousand feet above the level of the sea, geographically define the territories of each of these hostile tribes, who never cross them, save on some expedition of war or plunder.

Immediately adjacent to Nuku Hiva, and only separated from it by the mountains seen from the harbor, lies the lovely valley of Happar, whose inmates cherish the most friendly relations with the inhabitants of Nuku Hiva.

On the other side of Happar, and closely adjoining it, is the magnificent valley of the dreaded Typees, the unappeasable enemies of both these tribes.

And I mentioned the society islands where most people visit, which includes Tahiti, Raietea, Huahini, Morea, Bora Bora, and others.

But then you also... go up to the Marquesas Islands, what, Nuku Hiva, Hiva Oa?

So we do this on a few select cruises each year.

We'll have 14-day itineraries that go, they do all the Society Islands, then they head out to the Marquesas, and they also combine that with the Tuamotos.

It's an atoll.

They're absolutely delightful stay.

But Nuku Hiva and Hiva, oh, you know, on Nuku Hiva, there's a 1,000-foot waterfall.

It's just absolutely spectacular.

So you, you, you were stationary in one area for that long?

We were, we were in the island of Nuku Hiva in the Marquesas Islands in French Polynesia, but the problem was it was a very rolly harbor.

And so we meet people, and we make friendships, and we all seem to travel in the same circles and run into each, to each other over and over again, and all of our friends came into the harbor like, "Oh, wow, we're not staying here.

This is terrible." [laughs]

Okay.

Yes, and there, there are passengers from Vanikoro, uh, next island and Nuku Hiva.

So according to the aqua wea go lo Vanikoro bae run drop off there at Lavaka na.

And the others from Nuku Hiva bae also still wait for aqua for time of fixing engine, then aqua just, uh, follow God and go drop off people at Nuku Hiva, then they just go back to Lata.

So daram, um, things blong ata em staka lit bit, so ship wea otem got stand by em at o, uh, patrol boat o, uh, Helper One bae, uh, pick him Olgeta.

Once you fak kasem Lavaka, you, bae fala sam drop lo there or stay, stay lo ship ia nama?

On the 7th of October, 1907, the Snark finally took to sea with a new crew bound for French Polynesia.

[Instrumental music] After 60 days at sea, they reached Nuku Hiva in the Marquesas Archipelago.

For Jack, this stopover was highly symbolic.

The island was described in great detail by Herman Melville, famous author of Moby-Dick, in his autobiographical novel, Typee, published in 1846.

From his childhood, Jack had considered Melville as one of his favorite writers.

[Singing] Jack and Charmian had taken their gramophone and collection of records with them.

[Singing] And in Nuku Hiva, the Snark's crew introduced Caruso, Schubert, and the latest popular American songs to the fascinated natives.

[Singing] This would be the only Marquesa Island on which they would set foot.

What I find when I'm telling people about this, obviously most people have never heard of the Marquesi islands.

So it's like, Search for Nuka Hiva on your Google map, put a pin in it, and then zoom out.

And then when you zoom out, you realize just how far you've got to zoom until you can see any other land.

So on the other side, on either side of you.

I was nine years old when it happened.

Warren S.B. Tauhei, Nukahiva, Marquesas Islands.

I am the only white girl in this place that can talk English.

I have two brothers and one little sister.