It began by a few schoolmasters serving their passage out to South America as the pursers of tramp steamers.

They returned in time for the summer term, when their stories of the splendours and hardships of life at sea, the humours of sea-captains, the wonders of night and dawn, and the marvels of the place delighted outsiders, and sometimes found their way into print.

The country itself taxed all their powers of description, for they said it was much bigger than Italy, and really nobler than Greece.

Again, they declared that the natives were strangely beautiful, very big in stature, dark, passionate, and quick to seize the knife.

The place seemed new and full of new forms of beauty, in proof of which they showed handkerchiefs which the women had worn round their heads, and primitive carvings coloured bright greens and blues.