too true in sense.

We're quarrelling, the villages, we've beaten the wooden drums,
Sa femisai o nu'u, sa taia o pate,
Is confounded thereby the justice,
Ua atuatuvale a le faamasino e,
The chief justice, the terrified justice,
Le faamasino sili, le faamasino se,
Is on the point of running away the justice,
O le a solasola le faamasino e,
The justice denied any influence, the terrified justice,
O le faamasino le ai a, le faamasino se,
O le a solasola le faamasino e.

Well, after this excursion into tongues that have never been
alive--though I assure you we have one capital book in the language, a
book of fables by an old missionary of the unpromising name of Pratt,
which is simply the best and the most literary version of the fables
known to me. I suppose I should except La Fontaine, but L. F. takes a
long time; these are brief as the books of our childhood, and full of
wit and literary colour; and O, Colvin, what a tongue it would be to
write, if one only knew it--and there were only readers. Its curse in
common use is an incredible left-handed wordiness; but in the hands of a
man like Pratt it is succinct as Latin, compact of long rolling
polysyllables and little and often pithy particles, and for beauty of
sound a dream. Listen, I quote from Pratt--this is good Samoan, not
canine--

1 2 3 4 1
O le afa, ua taalili ai le ulu vao, ua pa mai le faititili.
\__ ___/ \_____ _____/ \____ ___/ \___ ___/ \_____ ____/
V V V V V

1 almost _wa_, 2 the two _a's_ just distinguished, 3 the _ai_ is
practically suffixed to the verb, 4 almost _vow_. The excursion has
prolonged itself.

I started by the _Luebeck_ to meet Lloyd and my mother; there were many
reasons for and against; the main reason against was the leaving of
Fanny alone in her blessed cabin, which has been somewhat remedied by my
carter, Mr. ----, putting up in the stable and messing with her; but
perhaps desire of change decided me not well, though I do think I ought
to see an oculist, being very blind indeed, and sometimes unable to
read. Anyway I left, the only cabin passenger, four and a kid in the
second cabin, and a dear voyage it had like to have proved. Close to
Fiji (choose a worse place on the map) we broke our shaft early one
morning; and when or where we might expect to fetch land or meet with
any ship, I would like you to tell me. The Pacific i