e boat; "if this
lady was aft" (Tauilo's portly friend) "he would row round Frank." We
insisted on her coming aft, and Frank still rowed round the Samoan. When
the Samoan caught a crab (the thing was continual with these wretched
oars and rowlocks), _we_ shouted and jeered; when Frank caught one, Sale
and the Samoan jeered and yelled. But anyway the boat moved, and
presently we got up with Mulinuu, where I finally lost my temper, when I
found that Sale proposed to go ashore and make a visit--in fact, we all
three did. It is not worth while going into, but I must give you one
snatch of the subsequent conversation as we pulled round Apia bay. "This
Samoan," said Sale, "received seven German bullets in the field of
Fangalii." "I am delighted to hear it," said Belle. "His brother was
killed there," pursued Sale; and Belle, prompt as an echo, "Then there
are no more of the family? how delightful!" Sale was sufficiently
surprised to change the subject; he began to praise Frank's rowing with
insufferable condescension: "But it is after all not to be wondered at,"
said he, "because he has been for some time a sailor. My good man, is it
three or five years that you have been to sea?" And Frank, in a defiant
shout: "Two!" Whereupon, so high did the ill-feeling run, that we three
clapped and applauded and shouted, so that the President (whose house we
were then passing) doubtless started at the sounds. It was nine when we
got to the hotel; at first no food was to be found, but we skirmished up
some bread and cheese and beer and brandy; and (having changed our wet
clothes for the rather less wet in our bags) supped on the verandah.

On Saturday, 28th, I was wakened about 6.30, long past my usual hour, by
a benevolent passer-by. My turtle lay on the verandah at my door, and
the man woke me to tell me it was dead, as it had been when we put it on
board the day before. All morning I ran the gauntlet of men and women
coming up to me: "Mr. Stevenson, your turtle is dead." I gave half of it
to the hotel keeper, so that his cook should cut it up; and we got a
damaged shell, and two splendid meals, beefsteak one day and soup the
next. The horses came for us about 9.30. It was waterspouting; we were
drenched before we got out of the town; the road was a fine going
Highland trout stream; it thundered deep and frequent, and my mother's
horse would not better on a walk. At last she took pity on us, and very
nobly proposed that Belle and I shoul