y a few lizards and an
occasional dragon-fly; and the voice of singing-birds, such as gladden
our hearts in humble English woods, is here mute; so we have at least
this compensation for the lack of all the wild luxuriance which here is
so fascinating."

From Miss Cumming's animated pages we might continue to borrow with
advantage to our readers. But we must rest satisfied with one more
picture, and this shall be a view of the Tahitian market-place at
Papeete:--

"Passing by roads which are called streets, but are rather shady bowers
of yellow hibiscus and bread-fruit trees, I entered the covered
market-place, where was assembled as gay a throng as you could wish to
see, many of them dressed in flowing robes of the very brightest
colours; for the people here assembled are chiefly _le peuple_, whose
days of ceremonial mourning for their good old queen are drawing to a
close; so the long tresses of glossy black hair, hitherto so carefully
hidden within their jaunty little sailor-hats, are now again suffered
to hang at full length in two silky plaits, and hair and hats are
wreathed with bright fragrant flowers of double Cape jessamine, orange
blossom, scarlet hibiscus, or oleander. Many wear a delicate white
jessamine star in the ear in place of an ear-ring. The people here are
not so winsome as those in remoter districts. Too much contact with
shipping and grog-shops has, of course, gone far to deteriorate them,
and take off the freshness of life; but a South Sea crowd is always made
up of groups pleasant to the eye; and a party of girls dressed in long
graceful sacques of pale sea-green, or delicate pink, pure white, or
bright crimson, chatting and laughing as they roll up minute fragments
of tobacco in strips of pandameo or banana to supply the inevitable
cigarette, is always attractive.

"The men all wear _pavus_ of Manchester cotton stuff, prepared expressly
for these isles, and of the most wonderful patterns. Those most in
favour are bright crimson, with a large white pattern, perhaps groups of
red crowns on circles of white, arranged on a scarlet ground, or else
rows of white crowns alternating with groups of stars. A dark blue
ground with circles and crosses in bright yellow, or scarlet with yellow
anchors and circles, also find great favour; and though they certainly
sound 'loud' when thus described, they are singularly effective. It is
wonderful what a variety of patterns can be produced, not one of which
has