policeman, and had been all night coming round inland through
the forest from Malie. He brought a letter addressed

I LAUA SUSUGA To his Excellency
MISI MEA. Mr. Thingumbob.

(So as not to compromise me). I can read Samoan now, though
not speak it. It was to ask me for last Wednesday. My
difficulty was great; I had no man here who was fit, or who
would have cared to write for me; and I had to postpone the
visit. So I gave up half-a-day with a groan, went down to
the priests, arranged for Monday week to go to Malie, and
named Thursday as my day to lunch with Laupepa. I was
sharply ill on Wednesday, mail day. But on Thursday I had to
trail down and go through the dreary business of a feast, in
the King's wretched shanty, full in view of the President's
fine new house; it made my heart burn.

This gave me my chance to arrange a private interview with
the King, and I decided to ask Mr. Whitmee, one of our
missionaries, to be my interpreter. On Friday, being too
much exhausted to go down, I begged him to come up. He did,
I told him the heads of what I meant to say; and he not only
consented, but said, if we got on well with the King, he
would even proceed with me to Malie. Yesterday, in
consequence, I rode down to W.'s house by eight in the
morning; waited till ten; received a message that the King
was stopped by a meeting with the President and FAIPULE; made
another engagement for seven at night; came up; went down;
waited till eight, and came away again, BREDOUILLE, and a