and counsel, regarding their handiwork. It is always a cry
with these folk that he (Mataafa) had no ammunition. I
always said it would be found; and we know of five boat-loads
that have found their way to Malie already. Where there are
traders, there will be ammunition; aphorism by R. L. S.

Now what am I to do next?

Lives of the Stevensons? HISTORIA SAMOAE? A History for
Children? Fiction? I have had two hard months at fiction; I
want a change. Stevensons? I am expecting some more
material; perhaps better wait. Samoa; rather tempting; might
be useful to the islands - and to me; for it will be written
in admirable temper; I have never agreed with any party, and
see merits and excuses in all; should do it (if I did) very
slackly and easily, as if half in conversation. History for
Children? This flows from my lessons to Austin; no book is
any good. The best I have seen is Freeman's OLD ENGLISH
HISTORY; but his style is so rasping, and a child can learn
more, if he's clever. I found my sketch of general Aryan
History, given in conversation, to have been practically
correct - at least what I mean is, Freeman had very much the
same stuff in his early chapters, only not so much, and I
thought not so well placed; and the child remembered some of
it. Now the difficulty is to give this general idea of main
place, growth, and movement; it is needful to tack it on a
yarn. Now Scotch is the only History I know; it is the only
history reasonably represented in my library; it is a very
good one for my purpose, owing to two civilisations having
been face to face throughout - or rather Roman civilisation