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PREFACE
HawthorneinhisWonderBookhasdescribedthebeautifulGreek
mythsandtraditions,butnoonehasyetmadesimilaruseofthe
wondroustalesthatgatheredformorethanathousandyearsaboutthe
islandsoftheAtlanticdeep.Althoughtheyareapartofthemythical
periodofAmericanhistory,thesehazylegendswerealtogether
disdainedbytheearlierhistorians;indeed,GeorgeBancroftmade
itamatterofactualpridethatthebeginningoftheAmericanannals
wasbareandliteral.Butintruthnonationalhistoryhasbeenless
prosaicastoitsearliertraditions,becauseeveryvisitorhadtocrossthe
seatoreachit,andtheseahasalwaysbeen,bythemysteryofits
horizon,thefuryofitsstorms,andthevariablenessoftheatmosphere
aboveit,theforeordainedlandofromance.
Inallagesandwithallsea-goingracestherehasalwaysbeen
somethingespeciallyfascinatingaboutanislandamidtheocean.Its
veryexistencehasforallexplorersanairofmagic.Anislandoffers
tousheightsrisingfromdepths;itexhibitsthatwhichismostfixed
besidethatwhichismostchangeable,thefertilebesidethebarren,and
safetyafterdanger.Theoceanforevertendstoencroachontheisland,
theislandupontheocean.Theyexistsidebyside,friendsyetenemies.
Theislandsignifiessafetyincalm,andyetdangerinstorm;
inatempestthesailorrejoicesthatheisnotnearit;evenifpreviously
boundforit,heputsaboutandsteersfortheopensea.Often
ifheseeksithecannotreachit.Thepresentwriterspentawinter
ontheislandofFayal,andsawinastormafull-riggedshipdrift
throughtheharbordisabled,havinglostheranchors;anditwasaweek
beforesheagainmadetheport.
Therearegroupsofislandsscatteredoverthetropicalocean,
especially,towhichmightwellbegivenHermanMelville'sname,˝Las
Encantadas,˝theEnchantedIslands.Theseislands,usuallyvolcanic,
havenovegetationbutcactusesorwirybusheswithstrangenames;
noinhabitantsbutinsectsandreptiles–lizards,spiders,snakes,–with
vasttortoiseswhichseemofimmemorialage,andarecoatedwith
seaweedandtheslimeoftheocean.Ifthereareanybirds,itisthe
strangeandheavypenguin,thepassingalbatross,ortheMotherCary's
chicken,whichhasbeencalledthehummingbirdofocean,andhere
findsaplaceforitsyoung.Bynightthesebirdscomefortheirrepose;
atearliestdawntheytakewingandhoveroverthesea,leavingtheisle
deserted.Theonlybusyorbeautifullifewhichalwayssurrounds
itisthatofamyriadspeciesoffish,ofallformsandshapes,andoften
