Pacific Tales

'Pacific Tales,' by Louis Becke The experiences of the twenty-two years which Mr. Louis Becke spent, first as a super-cargo and afterwards as a trader, among the South Sea Islands, from 1870 to 1892, have served him in good stead. His new volume shows clearly that there is no falling off either in the quantity or the quality of the material at his command. Doubtless the supply is practically inexhaustible, for life in the Pacific in Louis Becke's time,...
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'Pacific Tales,' by Louis Becke

The experiences of the twenty-two years which Mr. Louis Becke spent, first as a super-cargo and afterwards as a trader, among the South Sea Islands, from 1870 to 1892, have served him in good stead. His new volume shows clearly that there is no falling off either in the quantity or the quality of the material at his command.

Doubtless the supply is practically inexhaustible, for life in the Pacific in Louis Becke's time, especially during his early days there, was brimful of incident and adventure.

His reminiscences, with the aid of a powerful imagination are skillfully weaved into stories; and very fascinating ones. He gives us a mixed assortment here. Some of the tales make one shudder in the reading, especially the one entitled 'Prescott of Naura,' which deals with the career of an escaped convict-' or the tiger in human form as the author describes him - who for twenty years wandered about the islands of the North Pacific.

'Collier, the Blackbirder,' a tale of the South Pacific labour trade, would also be hard to beat for blood-curdling details.

Others, however, are charming pictures of native life in the South Seas, and are full of humour and pathos.