woman. Of course, we have out-islanders, who MAY be
villeins; but we give them the benefit of the doubt, which is
impossible with Helen of Vailima; our blot, our pitted speck.
The pitted speck I have said is our precentor. It is always
a woman who starts Samoan song; the men who sing second do
not enter for a bar or two. Poor, dear Faauma, the unchaste,
the extruded Eve of our Paradise, knew only two hymns; but
Helen seems to know the whole repertory, and the morning
prayers go far more lively in consequence. - Lafaele, provost
of the cattle. The cattle are Jack, my horse, quite
converted, my wife rides him now, and he is as steady as a
doctor's cob; Tifaga Jack, a circus horse, my mother's
piebald, bought from a passing circus; Belle's mare, now in
childbed or next door, confound the slut! Musu - amusingly
translated the other day 'don't want to,' literally cross,
but always in the sense of stubbornness and resistance - my
wife's little dark-brown mare, with a white star on her
forehead, whom I have been riding of late to steady her - she
has no vices, but is unused, skittish and uneasy, and wants a
lot of attention and humouring; lastly (of saddle horses)
Luna - not the Latin MOON, the Hawaiian OVERSEER, but it's
pronounced the same - a pretty little mare too, but scarce at
all broken, a bad bucker, and has to be ridden with a stock-
whip and be brought back with her rump criss-crossed like a
clan tartan; the two cart horses, now only used with pack-
saddles; two cows, one in the straw (I trust) to-morrow, a
third cow, the Jersey - whose milk and temper are alike
subjects of admiration - she gives good exercise to the
farming saunterer, and refreshes him on his return with
cream; two calves, a bull, and a cow; God knows how many