raft the "Pele,"
which Capt. Brown has for so long a time successfully commanded, is
now being hauled up for the purpose of repairs. She will probably be
laid up for six or eight weeks, and in the meantime the antique plan
of towing vessels in and out of the harbour with teams of oxen on the
reef will be resumed.']

About half-past eight Mabelle and I were just going overboard for a
swim, when I thought I saw the upper fin of an old familiar enemy, and
directly afterwards the cry was echoed all over the ship, 'A shark, a
shark!' It was a ground shark, and very nearly aground in the shallow
water. They say this is the worst kind of all, and on making inquiry I
was told that the safest way to enjoy a dip here is to bathe with a
number of other people. The splashing and noise made by a whole ship's
company frighten the sharks away. This discovery puts an end therefore
to our hopes of enjoying an occasional peaceful bath.

We went to eleven o'clock service at the cathedral. It is a pleasant
small building, beautifully cool, and well adapted to this climate.
The Bishop was unfortunately away, but the service was well performed.

Later, Tom read the evening service to the men, and we afterwards
landed and dined late at the hotel; so late, indeed, that we could
hardly get anything to eat, and they began to shut up the room and put
out the lights before we had half done. Luckily, we were a large
party, and an indignant protest and threatened appeal to the landlord
brought the Chinese waiters to their senses, and induced them to grant
us half an hour's law. On our way back to the boat, the streets looked
much more lively than they had hitherto done, being full of people
returning from rides, drives, and excursions into the country. As a
rule, directly after dark not a creature is to be seen about the
streets, for every one disappears in the most mysterious manner.

We went on board, and sat in the calm moonlight, thinking and talking
over the events of the year, whose end was so swiftly approaching, and
wondering what its successor may have in store for us. So ends, with
all its joys and sorrows, its pleasures and pains, its hopes and
fears, for us, the now old year, 1876.

CHAPTER XVII.

HONOLULU--DEPARTURE FOR JAPAN.

_Years following years, steal something every day;_
_At last they steal us from ourselves away._

_Monday, January 1st, 1877_.--At midnight we were awakened by our
ship's bell, and tha