was on the point of shifting my bed of mats to the beach, under a clump
of cocoanuts, but our host would not hear of it--declaring it was _ita
maitai! ita maitai!_--impossible! not good! Indeed I afterwards found
the practice was never indulged in by the natives--for should one of
these heavy nuts--and they are very large--many containing a full quart
of milk, to say nothing of the weight of shell and husk--falling from an
elevation of nigh an hundred feet, chance to alight on the cocoanut of
the sleeper, it is reasonable to suppose it would damage his ideas or
slumber: besides, large rats ascend the trees, and sometimes detach the
fruit, while knawing into the tender nut: crabs, too, the sagacious
creatures, crawl up the trunks whose branches incline over the rocky
shores, cut the stem with their claws, and the concussion attending the
fall splits them wide open, or cracks them ready for eating. I never saw
them at these pranks, but have the information from reliable authority.
As the daylight guns from the Port of Papeetee came booming and echoing
among the mountains, we sprang to our feet, swallowed a cooling draught
of cocoanut milk, enjoyed another bathe in the stream, and then trudged
gaily back to town.

A few days later, we were visited by our hospitable friend, Arupeii! He
was shown every attention, and, at the usual hour, placed his heels
under the gun-room mahogany. He dispensed with forks, and ate
indiscriminately of viands, vegetables, and other dainties; occasionally
storing away bits of bread and ham in the flowing bosom of his shirt,
for, no doubt, a more convenient season. He never let a bottle pass him,
either of port, sherry, or malt, appreciating brandy most, and having a
fancy for drinking all from tumblers. With these little solecisms, he
got on famously, and, at the termination of the dinner, patted his
portly person and shouted _maitai_.

I do not know whether it be considered with the Tahitian aristocracy
complimentary to covet a neighbor's goods, but certainly my stout
chieftain was the most shameless beggar I ever remembered to have any
dealings with. He volunteered to accept hatbands, plugs of tobacco,
sealing wax, pistols, newspapers, anything and everything he saw, until,
at the end of the third glass of strong waters after dinner, he
requested, as a particular favor, the mess candlesticks, when, losing
all patience, I told him his boat was waiting, so he hitched up his
trousers, offered t