I cannot express the sorrow
that we all feel at leaving the many kind friends we have met with in
'dear Honolulu,' as Muriel calls it. But the farewells were at last
over, the anchor was weighed, and the yacht, which was by this time
once more in apple-pie order, began slowly to move ahead. Suddenly we
heard shouts from the shore, and saw a boat pursuing us in hot haste.
We stopped, and received on board a basket of beautiful ferns and
other parcels from different friends. A second boat was then seen
coming off to us, which contained a fine dish of delicious honey and
some flowers. The order to go ahead again was scarcely given, before a
third boat, in, if possible, hotter haste than the two previous ones,
put off after us, bringing some things the laundress had forgotten.
[Illustration: ZEUS CILIARIS]
Now we are fairly off; and now surely the last link that binds us to
the shore is broken. But no! there are farewell signals and hearty
cheers yet to come from the officers and men of the 'Fantome;' and,
still further out, on the top of the tiny lighthouse at the mouth of
the narrow passage through the reef, stand other friends, cheering and
waving their handkerchiefs. They had rowed out thither, being
determined to give us really _the_ parting cheer, and till the shades
of twilight fell we could see their white handkerchiefs fluttering,
and hear their voices borne on the evening breeze, as we meandered
slowly through the tortuous channels into deep water.
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