igh good humour. By this time the tide
was flowing over the flatter parts of the reef and young bonito could be
seen jumping out of the water in all directions. Immense bodies were, so
I was assured by the natives, now coming into the lagoon from the sea,
and would continue to do so till the tide turned, when those in the
passage, unable to face a six-knot current, would be carried out again,
to make another attempt later on.

By this time every canoe was hauling in large rock-cod almost as quick
as the lines could be baited, and the bottom of our own craft presented
a gruesome sight--a lather of blood and froth and kicking fish, some of
which were over 20 lbs. weight. Telling the two boys to cease fishing
awhile and stun some of the liveliest, I unthinkingly began to bale out
some of the ensanguined water, when a score of indignant voices bade me
cease. Did I want to bring all the sharks in the world around us? I was
asked; and old Viliamu, who was a sarcastic old gentleman, made a mock
apology for me--

"How should he know any better? The sharks of Tokelau have no teeth,
like the people there, for they too are eaters of _fala_."

This evoked a sally of laughter, in which of course I joined. I must
explain that the natives of the Tokelau Group, among whom I had lived,
through constantly chewing the tough drupes of the fruit of the _fala_
(pandanus palm) wear out their teeth prematurely, and are sometimes
termed "toothless" by other natives of the South Pacific. However, I was
to have my own little joke at Viliamu's expense later on.

Just at this time a sudden squall, accompanied by torrents of rain, came
down upon us from the eastward, and whilst Mareko and his boys kept us
head to wind--none of the canoes were anchored--I took the opportunity
of getting ready two of my own lines, each treble-hooked, for the boys.
Their own were old and rotten, and had parted so often that they were
now too short to be of use, and, besides that, the few remaining hooks
of soft wire were too small. As soon as the squall was over I showed
Mareko what I had done. He nodded and smiled, but said I should try and
break off the barbs--his boys did not understand them as well as
native-made hooks. This was quickly accomplished with a heavy knife, and
the youngsters began to haul up fish two and three at a time at such a
rate that the canoe soon became deep in the water outside and very full
inside.

"A few more, Mareko," I said, "and the