y of acquiring
land. But there were too few laborers in Tahiti now. Christianity
had not worked the miracle of preserving them from civilization. The
priests were glad to sell their extensive holdings at Papenoo, and the
energetic Russo-French count said that he would bring Slav families
from Europe to populate and develop it. He would plant the vast acreage
in cocoanut-trees, vanilla vines, and sugar-cane, and build up a white
community in the South Seas. He had noble plans for a novel experiment.

We started from the Cercle Bougainville in the afternoon in carriages
pulled by California bronchos. The dour Llewellyn, the handsome
Landers, the boastful McHenry, Lying Bill, David, the young American
vanilla-shipper, Bemis, an American cocoanut-buyer, the half-castes of
the orchestra, and servants, filled three roomy carryalls. The ideal
mode of travel in Tahiti in the cool of the day would be a donkey, a
slow, patient beast, who might himself take an interest in the scenery,
or at least the shrubbery. But the white must ever go at top speed,
and we dashed through the streets of Papeete, the accordions playing
"Revive us again!" the "Himene Tatou Arearea," and other tunes, and
we singing, "Hallelujah! I'm a bum!" and "Faararirari ta oe Tamarii
Tahiti! La, li!" One never makes merry privately in the South Seas.

Through Papeete we went along the eastern Broom Road, our train
attracting much attention. We stopped at the glacerie for ice, and
Polonsky insisted that we make a detour to his residence to drink a
stirrup-cup of champagne. He donned riding-breeches and took a horse
from his well-appointed stable.

Against the road on each side were close hedges of acalypha, or false
coffee, called in Tahitian tafeie, a small tree which grows quickly,
and the leaves of which are red or bronze or green, handsome and
admirably suited for fencing. Through these hedges and the broad
entrances I saw the houses and gardens, the residents and family life
of the people. Everywhere was a small prosperity, with gladness; pigs
and sheep cropping the grass and herbs, which were a mat of green,
rising so fast with the daily showers that only flocks could keep
it shorn. On the verandas and on the turf idle men and women were
gazing at the sky, talking, humming the newest air, plaiting hats,
or napping. No one was reading. There was no book-store in Tahiti. I
had not read a line since I came. I had not stepped up to the genial
dentist's to se