ial
amenities, and the compound of nationalities in our little world.

Half a dozen intimates of the consul dropped in about four, Willi, the
rich dentist and acting American consul; Stevens, the London broker;
Hobson, who closed an eye for the Moorean, McTavish; and others. All
were British except me, but our home tongue and customs drew us closer
together than to Frenchmen, and we could speak with some freedom on
local affairs. If no woman was present other than the cosmopolitan
wife of the consul, born in Persia, we were quite at ease.

Both consuls were usually worried because of the refusals of crews of
vessels flying their flags to leave Tahiti, complaints of the police
of the misconduct of their nationals, or appeals for assistance from
impecunious or spendthrift tourists. It was an every-week happening
for sailors of American vessels and of the New Zealand steamships to
flee to the distant districts or to Moorea, to live in a breadfruit
grove with dryads who asked no vows, or to escape the grind of work
and discipline at sea.

They must be pursued by the French gendarmes, under the warrant
of their own flag, caught, and sent in irons aboard their ships,
with fees paid by their furious captains. Many times the chase was
futile, so well did the dryads secrete them, and the natives of the
district abet the offense. To a Tahitian an amorous adventure, either
as principal or aid, is half of life, and he would risk his liberty
and property to thwart, in his opinion, hard and stupid officials
who wanted to separate loving hearts.

We talked about the kinds of men, other than these sailors, who made
Tahiti their playground, to the annoyance of their consuls. Crime among
the Tahitians was almost unknown. A petty theft rarely happened. They
were never paupers, for their own people cared for them, and unless
absolutely mat-ridden, they could find food on the trees about
them. The whites--and not the French whites either--caused the trouble,
and but for them M. Lontane might have left off his revolver and club.

"There is a type of Britisher," said the consul, "who thinks Tahiti is
his oyster, to be opened with false pretenses, and a pearl found. This
type has two varieties, impecunious, but well-educated, youths,
younger sons, maybe; and valets and varlets. These scoundrels afflict
me dreadfully, because they all ultimately claim the protection of the
British flag or are reported by the police for skullduggery. There