The Isle of Voices

"The Isle of Voices" is a short story written by Robert Louis Stevenson, first published in his collection Island Nights' Entertainments in 1893.

Keola and his wife live with her father Kalamake, a notorious sorcerer who appears to have an inexhaustible supply of money despite never doing any work.

There he reveals that by burning the leaves of a certain tree, the island's sea-shells can be transformed into coins and the pair transported home.

He is rescued by a passing ship heading for the Tuamotus islands, but does not get along with the first mate, so jumps overboard when they sight land.

Getting to know the inhabitants (who turn out to be cannibals intending to eat him), Keola discovers that not only Kalamake but also a huge variety of other invisible visitors from all parts of the earth are regularly heard there harvesting its shells.