Society Islands

Wow

... to reach the Society Islands in the French Polynesia.

Mm-hmm.

Um, a lot of people wondered why we skipped some places like the Cook Islands and-

1,900 nautical miles-

Okay

... continue eastward, um, to the Society Islands, um, in French Polynesia.

So keep, keep upping the ante is, is, is, is the, is the Nathan and Lindsay way.

It'll climb right up trees.

Originally, it was endemic to an island in the Society Islands.

These islands are part of French Polynesia, and they are dead in the center of the Pacific Ocean.

But it is now wild in many tropical countries throughout Asia.

with the main objects of the expedition fully determined on the arrangements for the cruise about completed and the itinerary mapped out it is now possible to give an outline of the leading features of the voyage the albatross is the best equipped vessel afloat for deep-sea investigation for which work she was especially constructed for the fish commission in eighteen eighty two at a cost of nearly two hundred thousand dollars she is a twin screw steamer of three hundred eighty four tons burden two hundred thirty four feet long and twenty seven and a half feet beam the coal capacity is about two hundred forty tons and the steaming radius with that supply in good weather is over four thousand five hundred miles allowing a speed of eight knots an hour and a daily coal consumption of ten tons a full account of the construction of the albatross and her appliances for marine investigation has been given in the admirable work on deep-sea exploration by commander z l tanner u s navy under whose direction the vessel was built and who was in command from the date of her launching until The reputation long enjoyed by the albatross of being unequalled in effectiveness for marine research will be more than ever deserved on the approaching cruise, because of the extensive improvements and repairs she has recently undergone, including the installation of new boilers, ice-making machine, cold storage plant, etc., together with the thorough replenishing of the scientific outfit.

the albatross will pass through the golden gate on august twenty first and begin her long voyage to certain groups of islands in the middle of the pacific ocean both north and south of the equator whose local fauna is almost unknown while in the adjacent waters little or no scientific investigation has been carried on the society islands will be first visited although the vessel will touch at the marquesas islands for coal Between San Francisco and Tahiti, a distance of 3,500 miles, dredging and sounding will be carried on at regular intervals on a section of the sea bottom almost wholly unexplored.

Tahiti will be the headquarters, while the Society Islands and the Paumota Islands are being explored.

in the latter archipelago which is about six hundred miles long six or eight weeks will be spent and important scientific discoveries should be made in the tonga or friendly islands distant about one thousand five hundred miles from the society group a week or ten days will be passed the vessel will then proceed to the fiji islands where a short stay will be made and thence one thousand seven hundred miles to the marshall islands in which interesting archipelago of whose natural history almost nothing is known six or seven weeks will be devoted to exploration the ellis and gilbert islands lying between the fiji and marshall islands will also be visited it was originally the intention to have the albatross proceed from the marshall islands to the hawaiian islands and thence to san francisco running a line of deep-sea dredgings along the entire route but owing to the prevalence of head winds at the time when the vessel will be ready to leave the marshall islands this plan has been abandoned and instead the vessel will sail for japan making frequent use of the dredge and the deep-sea tow-net and setting the trawl in the moderately deep water off the japan coast where the fishermen are continually bringing up curious forms the voyage of nearly twenty thousand miles will come to an end at yokohama where the albatross will arrive in april nineteen hundred and refit for a summer cruise to alaska to resume the systematic examination of the salmon streams begun several years ago The leading features of the expedition will be deep-sea dredging, trawling, and sounding, and some special appliances for such work have been constructed.

A wire dredgerope 6,000 fathoms long has been made to order, and to accommodate this enormous quantity, a special drum has had to be prepared.

Oh.

Solomon Islands and Fiji, Society Islands, Tahiti-

Okay

...

And of all men, George Lufkin, a native of New England.

Eighty-six years of age he was, sixty out of which he said he had spent in the Society Islands with occasional absences such as the gold rush to El Dorado in forty-nine and a short period of ranching in California near Tulare.

Given no more than three months by the doctors to live, he had returned to his South Seas and lived to eighty-six and to chuckle over the doctors aforesaid who were all in their graves.

Fefe he had, which is the native for elephantiasis and which is pronounced fefe.

Bihirua, with housewifely anxiety, could not get ashore too quickly to her house to prepare more abundance for us.

While the launch was taking her and Tehei to the little jetty, the sound of music and of singing drifted across the quiet lagoon.

Throughout the Society Islands we had been continually informed that we would find the Bora Borans very jolly.

Charmian and I went ashore to see, and on the village green, by forgotten graves on the beach, found the youths and maidens dancing, flower-garland and flower-bedecked, with strange phosphorescent flowers in their hair that pulsed and dimmed and glowed in the moonlight.

The floating utopia is complete with its own infrastructure and governance.

As the quartet performs for its wealthy residents, the propeller-driven vessel tours island chains such as the Sandwich, Cook, and Society Islands, enjoying the natural beauty while remaining removed from their silly governance laws.

The idyllic setting transforms over the course of the voyage.

The island's original commander dies, and like the history of Islam has shown, two rival factions emerge vying for control of the island.