Jack London 
On the Makaloa Mat 

Published posthumously, this collection of seven short stories and sketches creates a fascinating portrait of life on the picturesque Hawaiian Islands. Brimming with vivid descriptions of the sea and forest, these tales examine the lives of an array of characters and the effect upon them of their contact with Western civilisation. Including: On the Makaloa Mat, The Bones of Kahekili, When Alice Told her Soul, Shin-Bones, The Water Baby, The Tears of Ah Kim, The Kanaka Surf. (Goodreads)