ecision. It may be remarked here that
a mallet is used in the making of this cloth, which is not woven, but
beaten out from a state of pulp; it is, in fact, rather a species of
tough paper than cloth, and is produced from the bark of the paper
mulberry.

"I's got to finish dis bit of cloth to-day, Toc," said Susannah, in
broken English, for she knew that Master Thursday October preferred that
tongue to Otaheitan, though he could speak both, "an' it's gettin'
late."

"Oh, _what_ a pity!" said TOC, with a look of mild disappointment.

Now Susannah was by far the youngest and most girlish among the
Otaheitan women, and could not resist an appeal to her feelings even
when uttered only by the eyes. Besides, little Toc was a great
favourite with her. She therefore burst into a merry laugh, gently
pulled Thursday's nose, and said, "Well, come along; but we'll git some
o' the others for go too, an' have some fun. You go klect de jumpers.
Me git de womans." Susannah referred to the older children by the term
"Jumpers."

Highly pleased, the urchin started off at once. He found one of the
jumpers, namely, Otaheitan Sally, nursing Polly Young, while she
delivered an oracular discourse to Charlie Christian, who sat at her
feet, meekly receiving and believing the most outrageous nonsense that
ever was heard. It is but just to Sally, however, to say that she gave
her information in all good faith, having been previously instructed by
John Adams, whose desire for the good of the young people was at that
period stronger than his love of truth. Wishing to keep their minds as
long as possible ignorant of the outer world, he had told them that
ships came out of a hole in the clouds on the horizon.

"Yes, Charlie, it's quite true; father Adams says so. They comes out of
a hole on the horizon."

Charlie's huge eyes gazed in perplexity from his instructor's face to
the horizon, as if he expected to behold a ship emerging from a hole
then and there. Then, turning to Sally again with a simple look, he
asked--

"But why does sips come out of holes on de 'rizon?"

Sally was silenced. She was not the first knowing one who had been
silenced by a child.

Little Daniel McCoy came up at the moment. Having passed the
"staggering" period of life, he no longer walked the earth in a state of
nudity, but was decorated with a pair of very short tapa trousers, cut
in imitation of seafaring ducks, but reaching only to the knees. He
a