dog exterior, however,
some eccentricities lay hidden that the crew did not always find
amusing. Hearing a noise of splashing in the water by the ship's side,
Mrs. Stevenson found on inquiry that it was the captain taking his
regular morning bath while surrounded by a circle of sailors to keep
off the sharks. When she asked him if he did not think it selfish to
expose the sailors to the danger in order to protect himself, he
answered: "No, for if the captain should be lost think how much worse
it would be for all on board than if it were a mere sailor!"

Their first stop in the Gilberts was at the port of Butaritari in the
island of Great Makin, their arrival being unfortunately timed to
strike the town just when the taboo against strong drink had been
temporarily lifted by the king, and the whole population was engaged
in a wild carouse. For a few days their situation seemed precarious,
but the king at length restored the taboo, and after that peace
settled again over the island.

After a stay of about a month at Butaritari they moved to Apemama,
ruled over by the strong and despotic king Tembinoka, who, although
usually unfavourable to whites, admitted the Stevensons to his closest
friendship. He said he was able to judge all people by their eyes and
mouths, and, they having passed his examination successfully, he
proceeded at once to do all in his power to make them comfortable.
They were provided with four houses, "charming little basket-work
affairs, something like bird-cages, standing on stilts about four feet
above the ground, with hanging lids for doors and windows," and a
retinue of several more or less useless servants, who spent most of
their time in frolicking.

When they chartered the _Equator_ it had been in the agreement that
the ship should be permitted to engage in her legitimate occupation of
trading in the islands when opportunity offered. She now went off on a
cruise for copra, while the Stevensons stayed on shore at Apemama,
where they spent six peaceful weeks. As they were again marooned
longer than they expected, provisions began to run short, and it
became necessary to live on the products of the island. Wild chickens
were plentiful, and the handy Ah Fu found no difficulty in shooting
them with a gun borrowed from the king, but a constant diet of these
birds finally palled on them, and they were overjoyed when some of the
king's fishermen caught several large turtles. "Never," says Mrs.
Steve