^.^^jM.f/ijSmii^i Stev^iiss>iVs S&lh Sea Cruise The Cruise of the "Janet Nichol' Mr. and Mrs. Robert Louis Stevenson on the bridge oJ the "Janet Nichol" The Cruise of the "Janet Nichol" Among the South Sea Islands A Diary by Mrs. Robert Louis Stevenson » >\ New York Charles Scribner's Sons 1914 Copyright, 1914, by Charles Scribner's Sons Published October, 1914 PREFACE It is always necessary to make certain elisions in a diary not meant for publication at the time of writing. For many reasons "The Cruise of the Janet Nichol" has been pruned rather severely. It was, originally, only intended to be a collec tion of hints to help my husband's memory where his own diary had fallen in arrears; consequently, it frequently happened that incidents given in my diary were re-written (to their great betterment), amplified, and used in his. I have deleted these as far as possible, though not always completely; also things pertaining to the private affairs of other persons, and, naturally, our own, I fear the allusions to the Devil Box may seem obscure. It happened that my husband wrote a complete de scription of the purchase of the Devil Box in his own diary, so it seemed necessary for me to note further references to it, but nothing more. In the minute description, almost like a catalogue, of the articles in the different biiildings in the island of Suwarrow, I must appear to have gone to the opposite extreme. At that time my husband [v] Preface had an idea of writing a South Sea island romance where he might wish to use such pathetic and tragic flotsam and jetsam from wrecked ships and wrecked Hves. At the risk of tedium I have let it stand, hoping that some one else may see the in tangible things I beheld. One reason I have hesitated a little to give for pubHshing this diary, is the extraordinary num ber of books now being printed purporting to give accurate accounts of our lives on board ship and elsewhere, by persons with whom we were very slightly acquainted, or had never consciously met. I have read, among other misstatements, of the making of the flag for Tembinoka, by the wri^r and my daughter on the beach at Apemama. The flag was designed by me, on board the schooner Equator, and made, in the most prosaic manner, by a firm in Sydney. No one, outside our immediate family, sailed with us on any of our cruises. All the books "With Stevenson" here, and "With Stevenson" there, are manufactured out of "such stuff" as dreams are made on," and false in almost every particular. Contrary to the general idea, my husband was a man of few intimate friends, and even with these he was reticent to a degree. This diary was written under the most adverse conditions — sometimes on the damp, upturned [vi] Pref a ce bottom of a canoe or whaleboat, sometimes when lying face down on the burning sands of the tropic beach, often in copra sheds in the midst of a pandemonium of noise and confusion, but oftener on board the rolling fanet (whose pet name was the fumping fenny) to the accompani ment of "Tin Jack's" incessant and inconsequent conversation — but never in comfortable surround ings. For such inadequate results the labour re quired was tremendously out of proportion, giv ing my diary a sort of fictitious value in the eyes of my husband, who wished to save it from obliv ion by publication. The little book, however dull it may seem to others, can boast of at least one reader, for I have gone over this record of perhaps the happiest period of my life with thrilHng in terest. Fanny V. de G. Stevenson. [vii] ILLUSTRATIONS Mr. and Mrs. Robert Louis Stevenson on the bridge of the Janet Nichol Frontispiece TACmO PAGE Map to illustrate the cruise of the Janet Nichol, April nth-July 2Sth, 1890 I Outside of the great dance-house, Butaritari, during the competition between the dancers of Butaritari and those of Little Makin 2 Maka and Mary Maka, Kanoa and Mrs. Maria Kanoa, Hawaiian missionaries of the American Board of Missions, Honolulu, on the Island of Butaritari, one of the Gilbert Islands 4 Mr. and Mrs. Stevenson in company with Nan Tok and Natakanti on Butaritari Island 6 The Janet Nichol with ship's company 20 The King of Manihiki in the centre, with the island judge on his right and Tin Jack, seated, on his left 40 Natives dancing 48 Penrhyn Island S^ Figurehead from a wrecked ship on the veranda of the white trader's house, Penrhyn Island 56 The Janet Nichol at anchor off Penrhyn Island ... 64 on Su is Tin [ix] View of deserted buildings on Suwarrow Island. The man seated in the centre is Tin Jack 74 Illustrations FACING PAGE The settlement on Nassau Island 78 Missionary from a civilized island, and some of her converts 80 Native boys setting sail on S. S. Janet Nichol .... 96 Tom Day — a trader of Noukanau Island 120 " Equator Town," showing corner of the sleeping-house, and cook-house 128 "The Baron and Baroness," Butaritari, one of the Gilbert Islands 132 Interior of the moniop of Tembinoka's harem . . . 136 A Marshall Island canoe 140 Speak House, Island of Maraki 144 White trader and his wife "Topsy," Majuro Island . . 152 Kaibuke — one of the kings of Majuro 158 Harem and little son of King Tembinoka on board the Janet Nichol passing from Aranuka to Apemama . . 162 Dance at Apemama 166 [x] The Cruise of the "Janet Nichol \^L IS i|are_. Ninouti y., Peru TipeluM "¦^"V'Houk nau ,^Penfh)fii LongituJe 150" East l&i' from 170" OrecDwJch 180° LootfUuJe 170' ICO'' from Oreonwich Hif Map to illnstrate the cruise of the "Janet Nichol," April iith-July 2$ih, i8go THE CRUISE OF THE *'JANET NICHOL" The Janet Nichol was an iron-screw cargo boat, topsail schooner rigged, of some six hun dred tons gross. Her large, airy saloon and cabins were placed amidsHip on the main deck, with ports opening forward, the "trade room" being at the extreme aft. There was a comfortable bathroom and space enough on deck for exercise; but, for that matter, we might Walk, sit, or sleep where we would. I have slept in the chart room and on the platform of the captain's bridge; though the after hatch, over which a great awn ing was spread, was the place chosen by the most of us for permanent night quarters. Here some swung in hammocks, some lay on mats, while the more luxurious carried blankets and pillows back and forth each night and morning. For me four mats were hung in a square; the mats, being loosely woven, did not cut off" the current of air that usually swept over the hatch nor, unfortu nately, the terrible groans of one of the mates who slept near me ^nd was subject to nightmares. [I] The Cruise of Our mess consisted of Mr. Henderson, a mem ber of the company that owned the vessel; Cap tain Henry, sailing-master; Mr. Hird, supercargo; Mr. Stoddard, engineer; Mr. Buckland, commonly called Tin Jack (Tin being the island equivalent for Mr.), a trader of the company returning to his station, my husband, my son Lloyd, and myself. The Janet carried a crew of about nine white men and some forty-odd black boys from the diff"erent islands of the Solomons and the New Hebrides. We left Sydney on the nth of April with a head wind and heavy seas until we arrived at Auckland, making seven days from port to port. ........ April i^th, 1890.— At Auckland in time for dinner. Went on shore and dined at a hotel with the supercargo and Tin Jack. Louis and I slept at the hotel with the understanding that Tin Jack and Lloyd should meet us in the morning with a shopping list. Immediately on our arrival in Auckland a strange cat jumped through a port-hole and now remains on board. i()th. — Bought a broadcloth coat for Maka and a good black silk dress for Mary. As the Janet was bound for "the South Seas" and nothing more definite, we thought it better to [2] Outside of the great dance-house, Butaritari, during the competition between the dancers of Butaritari and those of Little Makin Robert Louis Stevenson can he seen near the centre, just beniing over to enter the ''Janet Nichol " carry presents in case we found ourselves in the neighbourhood of Butaritari.^ I came back to the hotel in advance of Tin Jack and Lloyd, who stopped to buy fireworks for the entertainment of Tin Jack's native retainers. Besides the fire works, which included ten pounds of "calcium fire," Tin Jack has also purchased cartridges, grease-paints, a false nose, and a wig. ' We had met the Hawaiian missionary Maka and his wife Mary on our second South Sea cruise at Bu taritari, one of the low islands belonging to the Kings- mill group. Maka and his wife being away at the time, by the advice of the resident trader we had burglari ously entered and taken possession of the missionaries' comfortable little wooden house, where we made our selves at home while we complacently awaited the ar rival of our involuntary host. Having thus identified ourselves with the missionary party, and laid ourselves under such heavy obligations to them, we felt bound to forego many amusements and friendships, other wise interesting, that would have been objectionable to Maka. However, during the time of the great festival, when the neighbouring islanders of Little Makin (called by the traders "Little Muggin") came over, in answer to a challenge from the Butaritaris to dance against them for what sportsmen would call "the champion ship," Maka retired into discreet obscurity, giving us an opportunity to become acquainted with the King of Little Makin and to attend the heathen dances. But Maka and Mary remained our most real friends in spite of our momentary defection toward Makin. I3] The Cruise of Lloyd was a little doubtful about the calcium fire and questioned the man at the chemist shop rather closely, particularly as to its inflamma bility, explaining that it was to be carried on board ship. The man declared that it was per fectly safe, "as safe," said he, "as a packet of sugar," adding that fire from a match would not When we left Butaritari we could find nothing suitable to offer them as parting gifts, in the island fashion, and to show our gratitude for their many almost over whelming kindnesses; hence the silk dress and clergy man's frock coat. Two other friends, consistent con verts to Christianity, to whom we also carried presents, we left behind us with regret, Nan Tok and his wife; but they were of a different sort from Maka and Mary, being natives of Butaritari and, from Maka's point of view, quite uncivilised, as, in ordinary life the lady (there are only ladies in the South Seas, woman being a word that is tapu in all society, high or low), a rich, high chief woman, wore the ridi only, while for full dress she appeared in a white chemise fresh from the trader's shelves with the marks where it had been folded still showing. My first meeting with Nan Tok and his wife was rather alarming. The King had raised the tapu from drink, consequently, the entire island, including his dull majesty, was wildly drunk on " sour toddy " (the fermented sap of the flower-stalk of the cocoanut), which is the most dangerous intoxicant in the world, as it incites in its users a frenzied desire to shed blood. During this period of licence I acci dentally came upon two women fighting together like [4] m h ' ^tnBi^« J j||:r— — ' Maka and Mary Maka, Kanoa and Mrs. Maria Kanoa, Hawaiian missionaries of Ihe American Board of Missions, Honolulu, on the Island of Butaritari, one of Ihe Gilbert Islanis the ''Janet Nichol" be sufficient to ignite it. "Will you have it with or without fumes?" he asked as he turned to make up the parcel. The thrifty trader thought that he might as well get all he could for the money expended, therefore took it with fumes. On Board in the Afternoon. — A little trouble with the trades-union, but nothing serious. Mr. wild beasts, their teeth sunk into each other's faces, which were streaming blood. "Oh, what is the mat ter?" I cried. "Sour toddy," replied the woman to whom I spoke, casting a contemptuous glance over her shoulder as she passed on. In the circumstances it was thought unsafe for me to leave our own small premises, but one quiet after noon I broke bounds and went over to the weather side of the island to hunt for shells. Here a strange man and woman joined me; they were not reassuring companions, judging from outer appearances, as they were unkempt, clad in nothing but a small fragment, each, of dirty, old gunny sack, and their faces were haggard and anxious. At first they walked with me as I went about my business of gathering shells, but presently, seeming to tire of this amusement, they began to crowd me oS the beach toward the land; then seizing me by the arms, one on either side, they boldly marched me into a narrow, crooked path that led through the clustering cocoanut-trees with which the island was heavily wooded. As I reluctantly moved along beside my captors, the lady, evidently with a kindly feeling for my comfort, drew a clay pipe from out an enormous hole in her ear, stuffed it with strong, [5] The Cruise of W , a bookseller, who had recognised Louis from a published portrait, called in the evening. He kindly offered to get pistol cartridges for us, and after a few minutes' conversation ran away after them, returning just as we were about to leave, with a couple hundred or thereabouts. coarse tobacco, lighted it, puffed a moment, and then placed it in my mouth. As I could not guess whether their intentions were hostile or otherwise and all the warnings I had received flashed through my mind, with sublime courage I accepted the situation. But it was a solemn experience. We emerged from the palms to find the town in a turbulent uproar, the street in front of our house filled with a howling, fighting, drunken mob. It was a great relief to find we were just in front of my own door; the two natives held me fast until we were safely on the little veranda, when, to my astonishment, the man fell on his knees and offered up a fervent prayer. So began our friendship with Nan Tok and his wife (my husband always called them the "baron and baroness"). They told us afterward with what anx iety they had watched me wander through the woods alone; then how, after a heated argument as to the proper means to pursue, they concluded to force me back to safety. The incident of the pipe was an at tempt to conciliate me because of a supposed fiery- gleam in my eyes that disconcerted them. The prayer was one of thanks for the outcome of their adventure and a petition that this should prove the beginning of a new friendship that should be blessed to us all. [6] Mr. and Mrs. Stevenson in company wilh Nan Tok and Natakanti on Butaritari Island the ''Janet Nichol" The fireworks were sent aboard with other par cels, and, having no distinguishing marks, Lloyd put them all, along with our cartridges, on hiis bunk until Tin Jack, whose cabin he shared, should come below and sort them out. Among them should be a pistol Tin Jack had taken to have mended, belonging to Louis. 20th. — We left Auckland last evening at about eight, the streaming lights from the town follow ing us a long way. A small, half-grown dog has joined the ship's company. Between ten and eleven Louis was lying in his cabin very tired and glad to rest. Tin Jack and Lloyd were In Mr. Henderson's cabin drinking coffee and discussing "land booms." I sat at the saloon table eating brown bread and butter. Suddenly, from the cabin occupied by Tin Jack and Lloyd, came a spitting puff", almost Immedi ately followed by gorgeous flames and the most horrible chemical stench. The calcium fire that was as safe as a packet of sugar had gone off and ignited the rest of the fireworks. Only Lloyd and I knew of the cartridges In their midst, but we discreetly held our tongues, though every moment we expected to hear the ping of flying bullets. I ran Into our cabin and snatched a heavy red blanket. At the same time Mr. Henderson was [7] The Cruise of fetching a large, handsome woollen rug from his cabin. I felt for a hand to put the blanket In, for the place was so full of suflTocatlng vapour that one could see nothing but the many-hued flames darting through It. Fortunately, It was the cap tain's hand I delivered my blanket Into. Rid of my blanket, I ran back and thrust my head out of a port to get a breath of air; the ports, although they were the means of fanning the flames, could not be shut on account of the strangling fumes. Here Mr. Henderson, who had been for some min utes lying on the stairs quite Insensible, came to fetch me out; so, catching his hand, I ran through the saloon to the companlonway and up to the deck. Louis, who knew nothing of the fireworks hav ing been brought on board, was thunderstruck by the vivid changing colours of the spouts of flame, and stood for some time gazing at the extraor dinary scene and inhaling the poisonous vapours. "Why," he thought with wonder, "should a fire at sea look Hke a Christmas pantomime?" His amazement was so great that he was hardly con scious of the fumes. The captain, from the bridge, had seen heavy vapour pouring upward and was both puzzled and angry, thinking the engineer was letting off [8] the "Janet Nichol" steam for purposes of his own. The stuff must, therefore, have been smouldering for a consider able time before It burst Into flames, the draught carrying the smoke out of the open port instead of Into the saloon, so that our first knowledge of anything amiss came from the bursting of rockets into the saloon. As the captain was looking at the supposed column of steam there suddenly shot through It, rising high into the air, a shaft of blue, green, and red fire. Ordering the donkey-engine to pump water and the hose to be put on, he ran below and crawled Into the very centre of the fire with the blanket, rug, and hose, and succeeded In smothering the flames none too soon for the safety of the ship; he said afterward that had the wind come from a different quarter, or had the car tridges exploded, nothing could have saved us. There was no panic among our black boys, who worked swiftly and obediently; I rather suspect they enjoyed the excitement of the affair. Talk ing It over, the captain said how lucky It was that he had a man at the wheel that he could trust. Lloyd and I said nothing, but we both knew there had been no man at the wheel; the trusted one ran below with the rest. It was a rather danger ous moment to leave the ship drifting, for we were not nearly out of the harbour, being just opposite [9] The Cruise of the lighthouse when the fire broke out. A steamer passed us quite closely when the scene was at Its wildest. Coloured fire and thick white vapour belching from our ports must have given us a very strange and alarming aspect. Lloyd looked over the opposite side of our ship and saw the ports there, also, vomiting vapour like a factory. To our surprise the cartridge-boxes were only slightly scorched. Our personal loss, however, has been very severe. About ninety photographs were destroyed and all of Lloyd's clothes except those on his back. Neither he nor I have even a tooth-brush left. The annoying thing is that Tin Jack has lost nothing whatever. Lloyd Is very bitter about the discrimination shown In the mat ter of trousers by the fire. I stopped a couple of black boys just in time to prevent them throw ing overboard a blazing valise containing four large boxes of Louis' papers. A black bag. Its con tents at present unknown, is burned, and Innu merable small necessaries that conduce to comfort on shipboard are lost. I have ever since been In a tremor lest Louis have a haemorrhage. If he does I shall feel Inclined to do something very des perate to the chemist, who, for the sake of a few shillings, put us all In such deadly peril. A horrid smell still hangs about the place and every one [IO] the "Janet Nichol" feels ill. Though I hardly breathed In the room, I have a heavy oppression on my chest, and my throat and lungs burn as though I were Inhaling pepper. From the time we left Auckland the water has been as smooth as glass, and there has been no jarring or knocking about; the stuff must have gone off" by simple spontaneous combustion. Had it taken place a very little later, Tin Jack must have been sleeping In the berth above, and should undoubtedly have been suffocated. 2i5t. — Still drying the remains of Lloyd's clothes, burned and wet In the fire, and discovering more and more losses. Fortunately, the flag I had made for King Tembinoka was not injured at all (a royal standard I Invented for him). The flag for the island I had already sent, and the cartridge- belt Lloyd Is taking to him for a present Is only a little smudged.^ Both our cameras escaped as by magic. ^ This flag was designed on a former cruise after we had left Apemama, the principal of the three islands comprising the group under King Tembinoka, the last of the absolute monarchs of the South Seas. The King had asked that we send him a flag, so one evening, on board the schooner Equator, we each drew and col oured a flag. These were voted on by the ship's company. It happened that mine was unanimously chosen. The three cross-bars, red, yellow, and green, [II] The Cruise of Louis has been playing chess with the captain, who has not played before for many years. I have been making wreaths of artificial flowers for pres ents to the natives. I bought In Sydney several large boxes of old-fashioned artificial flowers, per fectly fresh and pretty, also green leaves unwired. For one pound and three shillings I got enough for twenty full wreaths and eighteen more to be worked up with coloured feathers. I do not think the natives will enjoy getting the wreaths any more than I enjoy making them.^ (One of our were intended to stand for the three islands, while the black shark lying across the bars was meant to be typical of Tembinoka's ancestry. The King's line was not lost in obscurity; he gave us almost embarassing details, of the first of his forebears, who sprang from a liaison between a beautiful lady and a shark. The draw ings I made, on the Equator were taken to a firm in Sydney that did such work; they turned out a couple of very gorgeous flags that were quite to the taste of his majesty. The house flag had a white crown over the head of the shark (a little different shape from that on the Island flag). I chose for the motto "I bite triply," which referred not only to the King's three islands, but to the three rows of teeth peculiar to the shark. ^ Very few flowers are found in the atolls, wherefore the natives, who use wreaths for every festive occasion, are forced to devise all sorts of makeshifts for the gar lands that are considered almost necessities. I have [12] the "Janet Nichol" sailors appeared on duty in a garland and neck lace of orange-peel.) The sea Is smooth and the weather perfect. 22d. — ^The weather still lovely. Saw a small island called Curtis Island, and at half past ten sighted Sunday Island. The captain kindly took us very close In that we might get a good photo graph. A pufF of smoke appeared on the horizon, supposed to be a steamer; great excitement. I ran to write letters and found Mr. Henderson do ing the same; but alas, the ship, which looked like a man-of-war, moved away from us nearer to the Island, and It was too late to venture to chase her, so our letters must wait. Sunday Is the Island where an American family once took up their seen only two flowers that seem indigenous to the true atoll, one quite insignificant, that looked like the blossom of the rndXcpapaia, the other a sort of "spider lily"; both these were of a whitish colour, and, as far as I could see, were worn only by people of position, and not by the common herd, who contented them selves with imitations made from some part of the cocoanut-tree. I wish those artistic souls, who so scorned my purchases at the milliner's, could have seen with what frantic joy they were received. Many times staid matrons burst into sudden hysterical weeping when I offered them my wreaths, while kings, chiefs, and even white traders intrigued to gain one of these coveted possessions. [13] The Cruise of residence, remaining until It began to blow up. Some settlers have lately gone there. Lloyd re minds me that this was the place Louis and he once proposed to try and get possession of, and I refused to hear of the plan because of the volcano and the hordes of rats that infest the place. I re pented when I saw It, and my heart Is now set upon owning an Island. It grows warmer daily, and I hope soon to be able to put away my shoes and stockings.^ Mr. Henderson Is looking for an Island about the existence of which there Is some doubt. Lloyd tells me that Mr. Low, the artist In New York, once said that he had a friend who had actually been upon this very Island. 26th. — I have not been able to put away my shoes and stockings, for the sun disappeared soon after my last entry; for several days we have been knocking about In a gale of wind with al most continuous rain. The air Is thick and breath less, hot, and at the same time chill. To my dis comfort, I caught a cold and developed a smart attack of rheumatism. The captain has also been unfortunate; he, too, took cold, and In addition ^ As all mine and most of Louis's were burned, ex cept what I had on my feet, I wished to preserve these for such times as it might seem necessary to make a civilised appearance. [14] the "Janet Nichol" had a heavy door slam upon one of his fingers, crushing the nail. Some time ago a cinder blew Into one of his eyes, causing an Inflammation, and now the other Is as bad In consequence of the poi sonous fumes of our involuntary firework display. To-day we came to anchor off Savage Island, or Nuleue, having on board some eight natives of the place who were being returned home by the company. It was pleasant to see the happy, ex cited faces of the "boys" as we drew near their native land. They were all dressed for the occa sion in new clothes, every man with a pair of strong new boots on his feet. A couple of dandles wore velvet smoklng-caps with tassels, and red sashes. It is a smaller and lighter-coloured race than we have been accustomed to, their features and expression reminding one of pretty, sweet- faced Chinamen. Before we had anchored, neatly made outriggers were circling round the ship and cries of greeting arose from all sides. When the steam-whistle sounded a joyful answering shout ran along the beach. No women came out to us. To them a ship Is tapu, but numbers of small boys accompanied the men. Soon they were all wandering over the ship, marveUIng at the strange sights, but also cannily ready to make an honest or dishonest penny. I bought a couple of sticks of [IS] The Cruise of sugar-cane for a stick of tobacco and ordered a hat from a man for which I am to pay two shil lings. The man had a hat with him but charged four shillings for It on account of its trimming, a small bit of red flannel laid round the crown. I also bought a couple of little model canoes (one for Tin Jack) for two shillings. Our sailors are "black fellows," some from the New Hebrides, some from the Solomons and vari ous other places. They seem to find It easier to speak to one another in English than In their own tongues; I heard one say: "I wouldn't like to go across that water In that fellow's canoe." The men from Nuleue looked at those black fellows with great curiosity and asked In what Island did they find men like that. One of these black sailors has his name signed as Sally Day. To-day I heard one of the others politely call him Sarah. Savage Island Is a high-low Island; that is, it Is a coral atoll with a soil, raised more or less unevenly, some two hundred feet above the sea-level. It pro duces copra, bananas, cotton, breadfruit, heche- de-mer, and fungus, and Is governed by a king with the assistance of four chiefs and four sub- chiefs. Food trees and plants are carefully cul tivated, and the people have the reputation of being industrious and wlUing to work. Captain [i6] the "Janet Nichol" Henry wished to take a little girl home to his wife, but was not allowed, It being against the law that a female should leave the Island. In at least one of the villages of Nuleue a singu lar custom prevails. One day In the year Is fixed as a day of judgment. Every soul, man, woman, and child, gathers together on the village green. Votes are cast for a whippet, and a jury, composed of half Christians and half heathens. Is chosen. One by one the people come forward and publicly confess their sins, while the jury fixes the punish ment, which Is whipping or an equivalent fine. The fines may be paid In goods of any sort, the value of the article offered being rated at the price originally paid for It. For Instance, a man fined a dollar may bring the unwearable remains of a tattered hat that cost him a dollar the year before. The elected officials do not escape punish ment by virtue of their position. After the jury has confessed and fixed Its own punishment, the whippet must do the same, and. If whipping Is his doom, must proceed to whip himself. So, next day, every soul starts afresh with consciences sponged clean, ready for a new record of sins. The confessions seem to be genuine and sometimes cause the utmost surprise and consternation to those who have been sinned against. [17] The Cruise of The desire to own an Island Is still burning in my breast. In this neighbourhood, nearer Samoa, Is just the Island I want, owned, unfortunately, by a man In Tahiti. It is called Nassau and Is said to be uninhabited. Last night an immense rat ran over me in bed, and Mr. Henderson had the same unpleasant experience. In the hold of the Janet are a number of pure white rats with red eyes, which appeared of themselves quite mysteriously. The captain will not allow them to be harmed, which I think Is very nice and sentimental of him. It was amus ing to see our dog's perplexity when we came to anchor, and he put his head out of a port-hole to have a look at Auckland. His very tall expressed alarmed surprise. Our second steward (a white man) Is In a state of wild delight. He took his "billet" under the head steward from a romantic hope of seeing Samoa, of which he had once read a description In a newspaper. Every little while I hear his voice, quivering with excitement: "What do you think of It, Mrs. Stevens ? " One moment he Is thrusting sugar-cane Into my hand: "Taste it, Mrs. Stevens, it's sugar stick! I never saw it before!" and the next Is: "Cocoanut! cocoanut! It's green cocoanut, Mrs. Stevens; I never saw it before in my life!" It Is of no use to tell him that [i8] the "Janet Nichol" It Is all an old story to me; he hears nothing but babbles on with shining eyes. I have just over heard this from a white stoker who had also never been in the tropics before: "He's been and swindled me, that native! There's nothing Inside this green cocoanut but some kind of water." Mr. Henderson has just told us as a secret that our next island will be Upolu, Samoa, and we are now as wildly excited as the second steward. On Wednesday afternoon, at four o'clock, we shall arrive at Apia, and the next morning, at break of day, off we fly to Valllma. As we were dis cussing the subject, the captain called out that there was a white rat In his cabin and he wished to catch and tame It, so I ran to help him. It was under his bed, he said, and the loveliest rat In the world. As he was dilating on Its beauty, out It flashed, jumping on him and rebounding against my breast like a fluff of white cotton wool. The captain laughed and screamed with shrill, hyster ical cries. In which I joined, while the loveliest rat In the world scurried away. 2'jth. — The weather really abominable, so cold that I have had to put on a flannel bodice. Tin Jack and Lloyd went to the station last night and returned with the white trader, a thin, pallid man, with a large, hooked nose and soft, fright- [19] The Cruise of ened brown eyes. For very dulness I was about to go to sleep, when Mr. Henderson ran up cry ing: "Sail ho!" Sure enough, there was a large vessel wallowing In the great seas. Captain Henry thought her an American driven In by the heavy weather. Round the point of the island the breakers were rising, he said, some forty feet high. While we were watching the strange craft she turned about and sailed away, to our great disappoint ment, no doubt having only come up to take her bearings. After I had closed my diary last night Mr. Henderson got out the chart and showed us his own Islands and the supposed location of Victoria Island which he is looking for. I offered to toss him for the latter, to which he agreed. Louis threw up a piece of money and I won. I have yet, however, to find Victoria. Nuleue has not yet recovered from the eflFects of last year's hurricane, and we shall not get many delicacies here. There are no ripe cocoanuts, few bananas, and no breadfruit. Some one said that I could get spring onions. "How do they grow them?" I asked; meaning did they sow seeds or plant sets. "On the graves," was the rather star tling answer. Last night Mr. Henderson pulled off a rat's tall. He thought to pull the rat from a hole from [20] The "Janet Nichol " with ship's company the "Janet Nichol" which the tall protruded, but the tall came off, and the rat ran away. The captain tells me that there Is generally a plague of flies In Nuleue. It Is too cold for them now, but usually when the natives come out In their canoes their backs, especially, are black with flies. Some one has sent me a basket of bananas almost too sweet and rich; also some excellent oranges. I have mended the bellows of our camera, where It has been eaten by cockroaches, with sticking-plaster. 2^th. — Steamed round to the other side of the Island to the missionary station, carrying with us the trader and a young Irishman named Hicks; also a native woman and a boy. Here, to our surprise, we saw the vessel we had sighted and lost; she proved to be the John Williams. We watched her plunging to and fro, now close under the cliffs, now skirting the Janet, now fetching our hearts In our mouths as she stayed, and forereached in staying, till you would have thought she had leaves on her jib-boom. We ac tually got up the camera to take a photograph of the expected shipwreck. We were told afterward that It was only Captain Turple showing off his seamanship. The John Williams is a missionary ship on her way to Samoa with an English missionary and [21] The Cruise of his family and a German lady who is going to open a school for Samoan girls. Mr. Lawes Is the Nuleue missionary, a dark, foreign-looking man. We heard nothing but good of him from traders and natives. We landed and climbed up the part path, part stairs of the clIfF, our boys already trailing down It with copra sacks, the ship's boat slamming away at the jetty with a couple of black fellows holding on to it like grim death. The missionary natives were ranged In bodies on the path to meet us. First the men pressed forward, giggling, and shook hands; then the women, whose many- coloured garments we had remarked even from the ship, glowing on the clIlF like a bank of flowers. The children who followed after pretended alarm and fled, but laughed as they ran. I was some dis tance from Louis, who has written the following in my diary: ^ "They closed in on me Hke a sea; I was In the close embrace of half a dozen out stretched hands, with smiling faces all round me, and a perfect song of salutation going up. From the sirens I escaped by means of a present of tobacco, which was the cause of my ruin, later on, when Lloyd and I went out to photograph. A ^ He used this afterward, but as it seems to belong to my diary I thought I might let it stand. [22] the "Janet Nichol" bevy of girls followed, hugging and embracing me, and going through my pockets. It was the near est thing to an ugly sight, and still It was pretty; there was no jeering, no roughness, they fawned upon and robbed me like well-behaved and healthy children with a favourite uncle. My own cut tobacco and my papers they respected; but a little while after, on making a cigarette, I found my match-box gone. There was small doubt In my mind as to the culprit; a certain plump little maid, more like a Hawaiian, with a coquettish cast of face and carriage of the head, and con spicuous by a splendid red flower stuck In her ear, had visited me with a particular thoroughness. I demanded my matches. She shook her head at first; and then from some unknown receptacle produced my box, drew out a single match, re placed the box, and with a subtle smile and con siderable grace of demeanour, something like a courtly hostess, passed me on the match!" Tin Jack was shown some spies who were tak ing names of women who had, against rules, been aboard ship. They will all be fined to-morrow. Levity of conduct, they tell us. Is not allowed and is met by fines. I should Imagine the public funds to be In a plethoric condition. Before I knew where I was the trader had [23] The Cruise of swept me up to the mission house, well built of coral, with a high, wide roof of cocoanut thatch beautifully braided together and tied with cocoa- nut sennit. In an Inner room we found the pas sengers from the John Williams, Mr. and Mrs. Marriott and the German teacher. The Marriotts had with them the loveliest little twins imagina ble, two years old, and almost exactly alike. Louis and Lloyd disappeared at once In search of photo graphs. The king, who seems to be liked and re spected, was off In the bush, so they were disap pointed in his likeness. After a reasonable time of worship before the twins, I started to follow the photographers, the trader conducting me, the John Williams party and Mr. Lawes (the resident missionary) following. We passed a cow, a bull, and two horses, strange sights for these latitudes. There were a great many flowers blooming In the underbrush — ^jasmine, the flamboyant, and a yel low blossom like a "four-o'clock" — and where a space had been cleared grass was growing. There Is no running water, but through small fissures In the rock brackish water Is found at the depth of seven fathoms. I was told of one great fissure. Into which stone steps had been cut, where a subterranean stream gushes out In a waterfall. The trader, who had already sold us three tappa [24] the "Janet Nichol" (native bark-cloth) table-cloths at an exorbitant price, clung to me pertinaciously, taking me Into his house, where he showed me a mat he wished a pound for, whereas it was worth but a couple of dollars. I refused to buy It, whereupon he pre sented me with two small rather pretty mats. I thought he owed them to me, so I accepted them without compunction. The young Irishman, who had followed us In, opened his box and took out an Immense yellow shell necklace, a cocoa-shell basket, and a strange, very heavy, carefully shaped stone, which the natives use In fighting. All these articles he Insisted on my accepting. I was greatly pleased with the fighting stone. The trader prom ised to get me a couple of "peace sticks" when we return to his side of the island. These are used by the women when they think a fight has lasted long enough. They rush between the combatants, waving their "peace sticks," and the affair ends. These peace sticks are made of dark, almost black Ironwood, are about three feet long, shaped like spears, and ornamented, where the hand nat urally holds them, with cocoa-fibre sennit and yel low bird feathers. The feathers looked to be the same as were used In Hawaii for the royal cloaks. As I write Tin Jack appears In a hat of Nuleue manufacture, braided pandanus, In shape an exact [25] The Cruise of reproduction of the civilised high silk hat, and indescribably comic. Returning to the mission house, we stopped at the king's newly built palace for a piece of Iron- wood that I wanted to mend the camera stand. The queen, a pretty, smiling, young woman, stood in the doorway directing us where to look. Ar riving at the house, I examined the house dog's ear, and found he was suffering from canker. Louis and I, together, remembered the remedy for him, and told It to Mr. Lawes. I begged that Louis and Lloyd might see the twins. The little fairies were heavy-eyed from the knocking about and the close air of the John Williams. Each had had a convulsion during the last two days. I thought they looked rather too much like lit tle angels. I tried, without success, to make our party refuse Mrs. Lawes's Invitation to high tea. It did seem very hard; month after month passes In the most deadly monotony. Suddenly here are two ships at her door, each, incredible fact, with white women on board, and she has almost no time to speak to either, and In an hour or two they are gone. Poor Mrs. Lawes had wild eyes when the two sets of passengers and most of the officers gathered In a great circle round her board. It was an excellent meal, which I should h?ve [26] the ''Janet Nichol" thoroughly enjoyed had I not felt like a cannibal and that I was eating Mrs. Lawes. But this It is to be a missionary's wife. I am sure she must have had a nervous fever after we were gone. She found a moment to bewail her fate to Louis; If only we had come piecemeal, as It were, and not all at once, like a waterspout, she would have been so happy. We shall leave behind us only a memory of hurry and flurry and confusion worse con founded. While we were at table the John Williams ran so close Inshore that we were frightened, and Mr. Marriott very anxious, as all his worldly goods were on board. The John Williams left Sydney on Friday the nth, the same day we did, and now we meet here and possibly may meet again in Samoa. We had just finished our meal when the steam-whistle blew for us, and away we all trooped to the boat. The John Williams was leaving also. We had some trade stuff to be landed at the other side of the island. There Lloyd went ashore and got my peace sticks for which he paid two shillings the pair. A great many natives came aboard, among the rest the handsome sister and daughter of a chief. I gave them both a wreath, to their great pride and joy. Tin Jack dressed up In his wig and whiskers and false nose. The na- [27] The Cruise of tives at first were much alarmed and some of the women Inclined to cry. 29