Through the South Seas with Jack London

"As we were cruising in a general westerly direction through the New Hebrides, a little incident occured which throws a side-light on the man, Jack London." "One day, when weather conditions were perfect and everyone was on deck enjoying himself, an animated ball of variegated colours dropped slowly down on the cockpit at the feet of Mrs. London who was at the wheel. She eagerly picked it up, calling out, 'Lookie. lookie, what I've got ' "It proved to be the prettiest little bird we had ever seen. Jack got out his book on ornithology, and proceeded to study book and bird, but nowhere was such a bird described. It was evidently a land - bird that had gotten too far from shore and had fallen exhausted on the deck of the Snark." "We all stood around looking at it as it lay in Mrs. London's hand, while she chirped and tried to talk bird - talk to it. At last Jack said: 'If it's a land - bird you are, to the land you go, ' and changing the course, we sailed for the island of Mallicollo, just barely visible ten miles out of the way. We sailed as close to the shore as possible, and the little multi- coloured pigeon - like bird, having regained its strength, flew in among the coconut trees. Then we headed out and continued our cruise through the score of small islands comprising the Western New Hebrides."" "Critics of the man, Jack London, may call him an infidel. Colonel Roosevelt may call him a "nature faker." Others have not agreed with his ideas of life, but I have little doubt that this is the only time a captain ever went twenty miles out of his way when his fuel was low (our gasoline tanks were fast emptying), just to put a poor little bird ashore to go back to its mate and its young."