ught the taking of heads in the
Samoan fashion perfectly right, as the victim was then dead and felt
nothing.

"_November 2._ Talolo's mother, a very respectable woman indeed, came
to see us, bringing with her a relative who is almost blind from
cataract. They were shown over the house and could be heard at every
moment crying out in Samoan 'How extremely beautiful!' Even when shown
into the cellar, where it was quite dark, they were heard to make the
same remark.... Last Saturday Lloyd marshalled up all the men before
they left for their Sunday at home and administered to each a blue
pill. One fellow was caught hiding his in his cheek and was made to
swallow it amid shouts of laughter. I feared they would never come
back, but all returned on Monday morning declaring they were much
improved in health.

"We are all blazing with cacao-planting zeal, and we already have over
six hundred plants set out. The method of planting them is very
laborious, for the seeds must first be set in baskets made of plaited
cocoanut leaves, and when the sprouts come up they are put in the
earth, basket and all; in this way the roots are not disturbed and in
time the basket decays in the damp soil and drops off. The whole
family has been infected with the planting fever, and even Mrs.
Stevenson works away at it most gallantly. To-day is Sunday, but we
must all, the family and the house boys, plant the seeds that are
left.

"_November 30._ Simile has come back in a sad condition from a wound
with a spear or club in the back of his head, and much distressed over
the state of his 'poor old family'.... We have now set out 1,200 cacao
plants. All yesterday Joe[51] and I were superintending the building
of a bridge over the river. We had two trees cut down for the purpose;
one of them was of the most lovely pinkish wood, with salmon pink
bark, and emitted a perfume like a mixture of sassafras and
wintergreen.... Last night we were somewhat alarmed by earthquake
shocks and rifle shots. Yesterday three of the chairs made by the
carpenter out of our own wood, mahogany, and designed from an antique
model, came up. They are very satisfactory--a beautiful shape and
comfortable to sit in."

[Footnote 51: Her son-in law, Mr. Strong.]

So the weeks rolled swiftly by, filled with an infinitude of duties
and much happiness, until the bright tropic sun broke on Christmas
morning, 1893. The day was always celebrated at Vailima with much
c