ook of it by the
pruning-knife. I cannot fight longer; I am sensible of having done worse
than I hoped, worse than I feared; all I can do now is to do the best I
can for the future, and clear the book, like a piece of bush, with axe
and cutlass. Even to produce the MS. of this will occupy me, at the most
favourable opinion, till the middle of next year; really five years were
wanting, when I could have made a book; but I have a family,
and--perhaps I could not make the book after all.

TO W. CRAIBE ANGUS

The late Mr. Craibe Angus of Glasgow was one of the chief organisers
of the Burns Exhibition in that city, and had proposed to send out to
Samoa a precious copy of the _Jolly Beggars_ to receive the autograph
of R. L. S. and be returned for the purposes of that Exhibition. The
line quoted, "But still our hearts are true," etc., should, it
appears, run, "But still the blood is strong, the heart is Highland."
The author of the _Canadian Boat Song_ which opens thus was Hugh,
twelfth Earl of Eglinton. The first quotation is of course from
Burns.

_Vailima, Samoa, April_ 1891.

DEAR MR. ANGUS,--Surely I remember you! It was W. C. Murray who made us
acquainted, and we had a pleasant crack. I see your poet is not yet
dead. I remember even our talk--or you would not think of trusting that
invaluable _Jolly Beggars_ to the treacherous posts, and the perils of
the sea, and the carelessness of authors. I love the idea, but I could
not bear the risk. However--

"Hale be your heart, hale be your fiddle--"

it was kindly thought upon.

My interest in Burns is, as you suppose, perennial. I would I could be
present at the exhibition, with the purpose of which I heartily
sympathise; but the _Nancy_ has not waited in vain for me, I have
followed my chest, the anchor is weighed long ago, I have said my last
farewell to the hills and the heather and the lynns: like Leyden, I
have gone into far lands to die, not stayed like Burns to mingle in the
end with Scottish soil. I shall not even return like Scott for the last
scene. Burns Exhibitions are all over. 'Tis a far cry to Lochow from
tropical Vailima.

"But still our hearts are true, our hearts are Highland,
And we in dreams behold the Hebrides."

When your hand is in, will you remember our poor Edinburgh Robin? Burns
alone has been just to his promise; follow Burns, he knew best, he knew
whence he drew fire--from the poor, white-