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Breakfastwasratheraprotractedbusiness。Andthatwasscarceoverwhenwewerecalledtothegreathouse(nowfinished-recallyourearlierletters)toseearoyalkava。
Thisfunctionisofrareuse；IknowgrownSamoanswhohaveneverwitnessedit。Itis，besides，asyouaretohear，apieceofprehistorichistory，crystallisedinfigures，andthefactslargelyforgotten；anactedhieroglyph。Thehouseisreallysplendid；intheraftersinthemidst，twocarvedandcolouredmodelbirdsareposted；theonlythingofthesortIhaveeverremarkedinSamoa，theSamoansbeingliteralobserversofthesecondcommandment。Atonesideoftheeggourpartysat。a=Mataafa，b=LadyJ。，c=Belle，d=Tusitala，e=Graham，f=Lloyd，g=CaptainLeigh，h=Henry，i=Popo。Thex’sroundarethehighchiefs，eachmaninhishistoricalposition。OnesideofthehouseissetapartfortheKingalone；wewereallowedthereashisguestsandHenryasourinterpreter。Itwasahugetrialtothelad，whenaspeechwasmadetomewhichhemusttranslate，andImadeaspeechinanswerwhichhehadtoorate，full-breathed，tothatbigcircle；heblushedthroughhisdarkskin，butlookedandactedlikeagentlemanandayoungfellowofsense；thenthekavacametotheKing；hepouredonedropinlibation，drankanother，andflungtheremainderoutsidethehousebehindhim。NextcametheturnoftheoldshapelessstonemarkedT。
ItstandsforoneoftheKing’stitles，Tamasoalii；MataafaisTamasoaliithisday，butcannotdrinkforit；andthestonemustfirstbewashedwithwater，andthenhavethebowlemptiedonit。Then-theorderIcannotrecall-cametheturnofyandz，twooratorsofthenameofMalietoa；thefirsttookhiskavadownplain，likeanordinaryman；thesecondmustbepackedtobedunderabigsheetoftapa，andbemassagedbyanxiousassistantsandriseonhiselbowgroaningtodrinkhiscup。W。，agreathereditarywarman，camenext；fivetimesthecup-bearersmarchedupanddownthehouseandpassedthecupon，fivetimesitwasfilledandtheGeneral’snameandtitlesheraldedatthebowl，andfivetimesherefusedit(afterexamination)astoosmall。ItissaidthiscommemoratesatimewhenMalietoaattheheadofhisarmysufferedmuchforwantofsupplies。ThenthissamemilitarygentlemanmustDRINKfivecups，onefromeachofthegreatnames:allwhichtookapreciouslongtime。Heactedverywell，haughtilyandinasocietytoneOUTLININGTHE
part。ThedifferencewasmarkedwhenhesubsequentlymadeaspeechinhisowncharacterasaplainGod-fearingchief。A
fewmorehighchiefs，thenTusitala；onemore，andthenLadyJersey；onemore，andthenCaptainLeigh，andsoonwiththerestofourparty-Henryofcourseexcepted。Youseeinpublic，LadyJerseyfollowedme-justsofarwasthesecretkept。
Thenwecamehome；Belle，GrahamandLloydtotheChinaman’s，IwithLadyJersey，tolunch；soseverallyhome。ThursdayI
haveforgotten:Saturday，IbeganagainonDavie；onSunday，theJerseypartycameuptocallandcarriedmetodinner。
AsIcameout，toridehome，thesearch-lightsoftheCURACOA
werelighteningonthehorizonfrommanymilesaway，andnextmorningshecamein。Tuesdaywashugefun:areceptionatHaggard’s。Allourpartydinedthere；LloydandI，intheabsenceofHaggardandLeigh，hadtoplayaide-de-campandhostforabouttwentyminutes，andIpresentedthepopulationofApiaatrandombut(luckhelping)withoutonemistake。
Wednesdaywehadtwomiddiestolunch。ThursdaywehadEelesandHoskyn(lieutenantanddoctor-very，verynicefellows-
simple，goodandnottheleastdull)todinner。Saturday，GrahamandIlunchedonboard；Graham，Belle，LloyddinedattheG。’s；andAustinandtheWHOLEofourservantswentwiththemtoaneveningentertainment；themoreboldreturningbylantern-light。Yesterday，Sunday，BelleandIwereoffbyabouthalfpasteight，leftourhorsesatapublichouse，andwentonboardtheCURACOAinthewardroomskiff；wereentertainedinthewardroom；thenceondecktotheservice，whichwasagreattreat；threefiddlesandaharmoniumandexcellentchoir，andthegreatship’scompanyjoining:onshoreinHaggard’sbigboattolunchwiththeparty。ThencealltogethertoVailima，wherewereadaloudaOuidaRomancewehavebeensecretlywriting；inwhichHaggardwasthehero，andeachoneoftheauthorshadtodrawaportraitofhimorherselfinaOuidalight。Leigh，LadyJ。，Fanny，R。L。S。，BelleandGrahamweretheauthors。
Inthemidstofthisgaylife，Ihavefinallyrecopiedtwochapters，anddraftedforthefirsttimethreeofDavieBalfour。Butitisnotalifethatwouldcontinuetosuitme，andifIhavenotcontinuedtowritetoyou，youwillscarcewonder。A
