Page:Twenty years before the mast - Charles Erskine, 1896.djvu/294

 "These are the tars that dared explore The new Antarctic world, And nobly on that frozen shore Columbia’s flag unfurled.

"The Fiji group they have surveyed With well-instructed hearts; And all those islands, reefs, and bays, See pictured on their charts." She paused; and lo! from Freedom’s eye There fell a crystal tear. "Two sons I’ve lost," the goddess cried; "Two sons I loved most dear."

"Nay, Freedom, quiet each mournful sigh; Those crystal drops restrain; The sequel shall relight thine eye With pleasure’s beam again. We are the men our chieftain led O’er dark Malolo’s plain; Before us hosts of Indians fled, And left two hundred slain.

"We are the men that burned their town, Well fortified and new; Destroyed their cattle, fruits cut down, Because thy sons they slew. On hands and knees that murd’rous host Did crawl our chief to meet — They owned ’twas retribution just — Begged pardon at his feet.

"To Mauna Loa’s fiery top These daring tars have scaled; And there, o’er all the science group, Our captain has surveyed.