e more money.

He marked Taahauku for a suitable site, acquired it, and offered the
superintendence to Mr. Robert Stewart, a Fifeshire man, already some
time in the islands, who had just been ruined by a war on Tauata. Mr.
Stewart was somewhat averse to the adventure, having some acquaintance
with Atuona and its notorious chieftain, Moipu. He had once landed
there, he told me, about dusk, and found the remains of a man and woman
partly eaten. On his starting and sickening at the sight, one of Moipu's
young men picked up a human foot, and provocatively staring at the
stranger, grinned and nibbled at the heel. None need be surprised if Mr.
Stewart fled incontinently to the bush, lay there all night in a great
horror of mind, and got off to sea again by daylight on the morrow. "It
was always a bad place, Atuona," commented Mr. Stewart, in his homely
Fifeshire voice. In spite of this dire introduction, he accepted the
captain's offer, was landed at Taahauku with three Chinamen, and
proceeded to clear the jungle.

War was pursued at that time, almost without interval, between the men
of Atuona and the men of Haamau; and one day, from the opposite sides of
the valley, battle--or I should rather say the noise of battle--raged
all the afternoon: the shots and insults of the opposing clans passing
from hill to hill over the heads of Mr. Stewart and his Chinamen. There
was no genuine fighting; it was like a bicker of schoolboys, only some
fool had given the children guns. One man died of his exertions in
running, the only casualty. With night the shots and insults ceased; the
men of Haamau withdrew, and victory, on some occult principle, was
scored to Moipu. Perhaps in consequence, there came a day when Moipu
made a feast, and a party from Haamau came under safe-conduct to eat of
it. These passed early by Taahauku, and some of Moipu's young men were
there to be a guard of honour. They were not long gone before there came
down from Haamau a man, his wife, and a girl of twelve, their daughter,
bringing fungus. Several Atuona lads were hanging round the store; but
the day being one of truce none apprehended danger. The fungus was
weighed and paid for; the man of Haamau proposed he should have his axe
ground in the bargain; and Mr. Stewart demurring at the trouble, some of
the Atuona lads offered to grind it for him, and set it on the wheel.
While the axe was grinding, a friendly native whispered Mr. Stewart to
have a care of himsel