The water about us turned a blue that none there had ever seen, so turquoise, so cerulean, so penetrable by the eye! Before us gentle surf broke on a beach bone-white.

The beach with little rise met woodland; thick it seemed and of a vivid greenness and fairly covering the island.

It was island, masthead told us, who saw blue ribbon going around.

Moreover, there were two others, no greater, upon the horizon.

Nor, though the woodland seemed thick as pile of velvet, was it desolate isle.