The Black-Bearded Barbarian : The Life of George Leslie Mackay of Formosa — John Stuart Mill — John Shaqi
The Black-Bearded Barbarian : The Life of George Leslie Mackay of Formosa
John Stuart Mill · en
Away to the left stretched the Pacific Ocean, and above shone the stars
in the deep blue dome. It was a still, hot tropical night. From the land
came the heavy scent of flowers. The only sound that broke the stillness
was the regular thud, thud of the oars or the cry of some wild animal
floating out from the jungle. As they passed on through the warm
darkness, the sea took on that wonderful fiery glow that so often
burns on the oceans of the tropics. Every wave became a blaze of
phosphorescence. Every ripple from the oars ran away in many-colored
flames--red, green, blue, and orange. Kai Bok-su, sitting amazed at the
glory to which the Pe-po-hoan boatmen had become accustomed, was silent
with awe. He had seen the phosphorescent lights often before, but never
anything like this. He put his hand down into the molten sea and scooped
up handfuls of what seemed drops of liquid fire. And as his fingers
dipped into the water they shone like rods of red-hot iron. Over the
gleaming iridescent surface, sparks of fire darted like lightning, and
from the little boat's sides flashed out flames of gold and rose and
amber. It was grand. And no wonder they all joined--Chinese, Malayan,
and Canadian--in making the dark cliffs and the gleaming sea echo to the
strains of praise to the One who had created all this glory.
O come let us sing to the Lord,
To him our voices raise With joyful noise,
Let us the rock Of our salvation praise.
To him the spacious sea belongs,
For he the same did make;
The dry land also from his hand
Its form at first did take.
Dawn came up out of the Pacific with a new glory of light and color that
dispelled the wonders of the night. It showed the voyagers that they
were very near a low shore where it would be possible to land. But the
helmsman shook his head at the proposal. He pointed out huts along the
line of forest and figures on the shore. And then with a common
impulse, the rowers swung round and pulled straight out to sea; for with
Pe-po-hoan experience they saw at once that here was a savage village,
and not long would their heads remain on their shoulders should they
touch land.
The scorching sun soon poured its hot rays upon the tired rowers, but
they pulled steadily. They too, like Kai Bok-su, were anxious to take
this great good news of Jesus Christ to those who had not yet learned of
him. When safely out of reach of the headhunters, they once more turned
south, and, about noon, tired and hot, at last approached the first port
of the Ki-lai plain. Every one drew a sigh of relief, for the men had
been rowing steadily all night and half the day. As they drew near
Dr. Mackay looked eagerly at the queer village. It appeared to be half
Chinese and half Lam-si-hoan. It consisted of two rows of small thatched
houses with a street between nearly two hundred feet wide.