d, toiling under that tropical
sun; but we never own before the Natives that we are beaten; so I went
into the house and filled my vest pocket with large, beautiful
English-made fish-hooks. These are very tempting to the young men as
compared with their own,--skilfully made though they be out of shell,
and serving their purposes wonderfully. Holding up a large hook, I
cried, "One of these to every man who fills and turns over three buckets
out of this hole!"

A rush was made to get the first turn, and back again for another and
another. I kept those on one side who had got a turn, till all the rest
in order had a chance, and bucket after bucket was filled and emptied
rapidly. Still the shaft seemed to lower very slowly, while my
fish-hooks were disappearing very quickly. I was constantly there, and
took the heavy share of everything, and was thankful one evening to find
that we had cleared more than twelve feet deep,--when lo! next morning,
one side had rushed in, and our work was all undone.

The old Chief and his best men now came around me more earnestly than
ever. He remonstrated with me very gravely. He assured me for the
fiftieth time that rain would never be seen coming up through the earth
on Aniwa!

"Now," said he, "had you been in that hole last night, you would have
been buried, and a Man-of-war would have come from Queen 'Toria to ask
for the Missi that lived here. We would have to say, 'He is down in that
hole.' The Captain would ask, 'Who killed him and put him down there?'
We would have to say, 'He went down there himself!' The Captain would
answer, 'Nonsense! Who ever heard of a white man going down into the
earth to bury himself? You killed him, you put him there; don't hide
your bad conduct with lies!' Then he would bring out his big guns and
shoot us, and destroy our Island in revenge. You are making your own
grave, Missi, and you will make ours too. Give up this mad freak, for no
rain will be found by going downwards on Aniwa. Besides, all your
fish-hooks cannot tempt my men again to enter that hole; they don't want
to be buried with you. Will you not give it up now?"

I said all that I could to quiet his fears, explained to them that this
falling in had happened by my neglect of precautions, and finally made
known that by the help of my God, even without all other help, I meant
to persevere.

Steeping my poor brains over the problem, I became an extemporized
engineer. Two trees were searched f