the captain had a
boat cleared, when a lucky squall came to our rescue."

After landing his condition became so much worse his wife grew desperate
and determined to find a comfortable spot for him. After much trouble a
Chinaman with a team was secured, who agreed to drive the entire family
to Tautira, the largest village, sixteen miles away over a road crossed
by no less than twenty-one streams. On this uncertain venture they
started, with the head of the family in a state of collapse, knowing
nothing of the village they were going to or the living it would afford
them.

None of them ever regretted the perseverance which led them on, however,
for in all their wanderings in the South Seas before or after no place
ever charmed them more, or were they received with greater hospitality
than in Tautira.

The day after their arrival, Moe, an island princess and an ex-queen,
visited them. When she found Stevenson ill she insisted he and his
family be moved to her own house where they could have more comforts.
The house at the time was occupied by Ori, a subchief, a subject and
relative of the princess. But he and his family gladly turned out to
make room for the visitors and lived in a tiny house near by.

"Ori is the very finest specimen of native we have seen yet," wrote Mrs.
Stevenson. "He is several inches over six feet, of perfect though almost
gigantic proportions."

As soon as her husband was strong enough to be about again he and Ori
became great friends. Finally, according to an island custom, Stevenson
was adopted into Ori's clan and became his brother. This likewise meant
exchanging names and Ori became Rui, the nearest possible approach to
Louis since there is no L or S in the Tahitian language. Louis in turn
became Teriitera (pronounced Ter_ee_terah), which was Ori's Christian
name, Ori standing merely for his clan title.

To show their gratitude for the hospitality shown them by Ori and the
people of the village, Stevenson decided to give a public feast.

The feast day was set for Wednesday, and the previous Sunday a chief
issued the invitations from the Farehau, a house resembling an enormous
bird-cage in the centre of the village, from which all the news was read
aloud to the people once a week.

A feast of such size necessitated much preparation.

"The chief, who was our guide in the matter," wrote Mrs. Stevenson,
"found four large fat hogs, which Louis bought, and four cases of ship's
biscuit were