--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Joseph V. Nelson collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 17 number: 9 published: 1914-07 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Joseph V. Nelson, "A Boat Ride on the Pacific," *Improvement Era* 17, no. 9 (July 1914): 815–816.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1709unse transcription: Transcribed from the Internet Archive scan of each issue (the item for each issue is named in the issue's own source); unnumbered advertising leaves are omitted, printed page numbers are kept as page markers. identifier: improvementera1709unse start_page: 815 end_page: 816 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1914-07) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1709unse publication_year: 1914 note: The Internet Archive item metadata carries a blanket "© Copyright by Intellectual Reserve, Inc." notice. The library owner judged it inapplicable because this issue was published in 1914, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # A Boat Ride on the Pacific A Boat Ride on the Pacific BY JOSEPH V. NELSON It was a hot, sultry day in the islands. The fierce heat of the tropical sun beat down upon the thatched roofs of the native huts. The brown-skinned natives were seen loitering along the rocks on the coast hunting for crabs and shell-fish. Some were spending their time sleeping to pass away the burning hours of the day. The ocean is as calm as a mill-pond. A company is preparing to leave the village by boat. It consists of about forty natives in all —men, women and children, besides three white men. The preparations are soon completed and the boat is pulled through the waves by the brawny arms of the native oarsmen. After getting well out into the sea, past a few large, dangerous rocks which border the harbor, some of the men leap from the boat and swim to shore leaving the inmates to the care of the sea. The boat is on its way and glides along smoothly. A few hours and the ocean commences to roll, and the boat is lifted, first as it were to the top of a mountain, and then, let down as it were into a valley beyond, up and down, up and down to the motion of the waves. A song is started up, and the shining brown backs of the rowers move together, backward and forward, keeping time to the strange, weird chant of the south seas. On and on they go. Hour by hour they row, and the song floats over the waves to the shore. The sun is hot. It is late in the afternoon. Some of the women and children have sheltered their faces from the rays of the sun by covering themselves over with pieces of cloth, and have gone to sleep. Presently some cocoanuts, taro, bananas and pinapples are brought into sight. The sleepers are aroused and grace is said. The rowers cease their work and the food disappears. The melody is again taken up, and the boat again proceeds to plow its way through the waves, which by this time are not quite so peaceful as when they first started. A few more hours and the heat is not so intense, and the sun soon seems to sink into the blue ocean depths. The rowers again cease their work, and the singing stops while one of the company arises and calls them to order. It is time for devotion. A hymn is sung, with bowed heads a prayer is offered up to the Creator of all, and the boat speeds on. 816 IMPROVEMENT ERA The island of Savaii is rock-bound along the side where the boat is passing, making it an impossibility to make a safe land- ing. So all night long the craft withits contents is tossed up and down upon the waves. All the rowers except two or three stretch themselves out in the most comfortable positions attainable and take a few hours of slumber, while the two or three paddle just enough to keep the boat from drifting inland, and wishing and waiting for time to pass, when their turn should come to stretch out their weary bodies across the seats of the boat and en- joy a few hours of unconsciousness. The white men try to get a little sleep, but hardly used to the mode of travel and failing to find anything comfortable to lie on, they find it rather an impossible task. It is a beautiful night, owing to the brightness of the tropical moon. Every star seems to be clothed in its brightest, and not a cloud is to be seen in the dark blue sky. The land to the left is outlined against the sky and in places the stately cocoanut trees can be seen rearing their heads high above the outline of the land, making a very beautiful picture. The shades of night finally disappear, taking with them the stars and the moonlight, and in their places comes another day with its tropical heat and South sea atmosphere. Avillage where a safe landing can be made is sighted, and the tired but happy company of travelers turn the course of the boat towards the shore. SAVAII, SAMOA