"True," I said gravely, as I poured some whisky out for myself; "true,
quite true, my dear friends. And in these islands it is very bad for an
old man to be exposed to much rain. That is why I am disturbed in my
mind. See, there is Marèko, your minister. He, like you, is old; he is
wet and cold. And he shivers. And he will not take a mouthful of this
_rom_ because he fears scandal. Now if he should become ill and die I
should be a disgraced man. This _rom_ is now not _rom_; it is medicine.
And Marèko should take some even as you have taken it--to keep away
danger."

The four old fellows arose to the occasion. They talked earnestly
together for a minute, and then formed themselves into a committee,
requested me to head them as a deputation with the whisky, and then
waited upon their pastor, who was putting on a dry shirt in another hut.
I am glad to say that under our united protests he at last consented to
save his life, and felt much better.

Presently the women announced that the ovens were ready to be opened. As
soon as the fish were counted, and the rain having ceased, we all
gathered round the canoes and watched each one emptied of its load. As I
imagined, our party had taken the most fish, and not only the most, but
the heaviest as well. Marèko added to my blushing honours by informing
the company that as a fisherman and a knowledgable man generally I
justified his brother minister's opinion and would prove an acquisition
to the community. We then inspected the first eel caught, and a truly
huge creature it was, quite nine feet in length, and in girth at its
thickest part, as near as I could guess with a piece of line, thirty
inches. The line with which it was caught was made of new four-stranded
coir-cinnet, as thick as a stout lead pencil, and the hook a piece of
3/6 or 1/2 inch iron with a 6-inch shank, once used as a fish spear,