and resigned all - then fell out with them about the
disposition of the funds, and was now trying to resign from
his resignation! Sad little President, so trim to look at,
and I believe so kind to his little wife! Not only so, but I
meet D. on the beach. D. calls me in consultation, and we
make with infinite difficulty a draft of a petition to the
King. . . . Then to dinner at M.'s, a very merry meal,
interrupted before it was over by the arrival of the
committee. Slight sketch of procedure agreed upon, self
appointed spokesman, and the deputation sets off. Walk all
through Matafele, all along Mulinuu, come to the King's
house; he has verbally refused to see us in answer to our
letter, swearing he is gase-gase (chief-sickness, not common
man's), and indeed we see him inside in bed. It is a
miserable low house, better houses by the dozen in the little
hamlet (Tanugamanono) of bushmen on our way to Vailima; and
the President's house in process of erection just opposite!
We are told to return to-morrow; I refuse; and at last we are
very sourly received, sit on the mats, and I open out,
through a very poor interpreter, and sometimes hampered by
unacceptable counsels from my backers. I can speak fairly
well in a plain way now. C. asked me to write out my
harangue for him this morning; I have done so, and couldn't
get it near as good. I suppose (talking and interpreting) I
was twenty minutes or half-an-hour on the deck; then his
majesty replied in the dying whisper of a big chief; a few
words of rejoinder (approving), and the deputation withdrew,
rather well satisfied.

A few days ago this intervention would have been a deportable