ducks and chickens, and for a wager not even God knows how
many cats; twelve horses, seven horses, five kine: is not
this Babylon the Great which I have builded? Call it
SUBPRIORSFORD.

Two nights ago the club had its first meeting; only twelve
were present, but it went very well. I was not there, I had
ridden down the night before after dinner on my endless
business, took a cup of tea in the Mission like an ass, then
took a cup of coffee like a fool at Haggard's, then fell into
a discussion with the American Consul . . . I went to bed at
Haggard's, came suddenly broad awake, and lay sleepless the
live night. It fell chill, I had only a sheet, and had to
make a light and range the house for a cover - I found one in
the hall, a macintosh. So back to my sleepless bed, and to
lie there till dawn. In the morning I had a longish ride to
take in a day of a blinding, staggering sun, and got home by
eleven, our luncheon hour, with my head rather swimmy; the
only time I have FEARED the sun since I was in Samoa.
However, I got no harm, but did not go to the club, lay off,
lazied, played the pipe, and read - a novel by James Payn -
sometimes quite interesting, and in one place really very
funny with the quaint humour of the man. Much interested the
other day. As I rode past a house, I saw where a Samoan had
written a word on a board, and there was an A, perfectly
formed, but upside down. You never saw such a thing in
Europe; but it is as common as dirt in Polynesia. Men's
names are tattooed on the forearm; it is common to find a
subverted letter tattooed there. Here is a tempting problem
for psychologists.