not
thought to forbid this abomination, or has not dared.

"_July 8._ News comes that the fighting has begun, and that eleven
heads have been taken to Mulinuu,[55] and, worst of all, that one of
the heads is that of a village maid, a thing before unheard-of among
Samoans.

[Footnote 55: Mulinuu was the seat of government. King
Malietoa lived there.]

"_July 10._ Mataafa is routed, and, after burning Malie, has fled to
Manono. His son was killed with a hatchet and his head taken. In all
we hear of three heads of women being brought in to Mulinuu. When
Mataafa was the man before whom all trembled we offered him our
friendship and broke bread with him. If I gave him loyalty then, fifty
thousand times more do I give it now."

At last the smoke and thunder of war rolled away, and peace and
security came once more to dwell at Vailima. Entertainments and
gaieties again made the place lively. Mrs. Strong[56] describes one of
these affairs in a letter to Mr. Stevenson's mother:

[Footnote 56: Now Mrs. Salisbury Field.]

"I suppose Louis will write and tell you of the grand day we had here
when the sailors of the _Katoomba_ were invited up here to play. We
had twenty-four people on the place--natives, house boys, outside
boys, and contractors--and the house was gorgeously decorated with
ferns and moso'oi flowers. One large table was piled high with
cocoanuts, oranges, lemons, passion fruit, pineapples, mangoes, and
even a large pumpkin and some ripe tomatoes, besides three huge bowls
of lemonade. The other table had seven baked chickens, ham sandwiches,
cakes and coffee--lots of all. At half-past twelve we saw the white
caps bobbing at the gate, and sent Simile down to meet them. He was
dressed in a dark coat and _lavalava_ and white shirt, and looked very
swagger indeed. The sailors all saluted Simile as he appeared, and in
another moment--boom, bang, and the band burst out with the big drum
in full swing, with the men, fourteen of them, all marching in time.
The faces of our Samoans were stricken with amazement as the jackies
marched up to the lawn in the blazing sun and finished the piece. The
veranda was crowded with our people, all in wreaths of flowers, and a
number of guests were there to witness the festivities. Well, we fed
our sailors, who were all very red and hot and smiling, and the way
they dipped into the lemonade was a caution. Then, to a guitar
accompaniment, one