but that it was situated about one hundred miles from the
Island of Octavia, which island, in turn, was simply described
as a coaling-station three hundred miles distant from the
coast of California. Steamers from San Francisco to Yokohama
stopped every third week at Octavia, and that was all that
either Captain Travis or his secretary could learn of their
new home. This was so very little, that Albert stipulated to
stay only as long as he liked it, and to return to the States
within a few months if he found such a change of plan
desirable.

As he was going to what was an almost undiscovered country, he
thought it would be advisable to furnish himself with a supply
of articles with which he might trade with the native
Opekians, and for this purpose he purchased a large quantity
of brass rods, because he had read that Stanley did so, and
added to these, brass curtain-chains, and about two hundred
leaden medals similar to those sold by street pedlers during
the Constitutional Centennial celebration in New York City.

He also collected even more beautiful but less exensive
decorations for Christmas-trees, at a wholsesale house on Park
Row. These he hoped to exchange for furs or feathers or
weapons, or for whatever other curious and valuable trophies
the Island of Opeki boasted. He already pictured his rooms on
his return hung fantastically with crossed spears and
boomerangs, feather head-dresses, and ugly idols.

His friends told him that he was doing a very foolish thing,
and argued that once out of the newspaper world, it would be