I was a lad I was very fond of it, and could beat most of my
companions, keeping longer at it and going out farther than any of
them."

He had brought, I should have said, a number of pigeons and some of the
wild boar's flesh as a present to Harry, and which was very acceptable
on board. The ladies were on deck when we got alongside, and I was much
afraid that Toa might say something to Fanny which would annoy her,
before I had time to tell my brother that he might give her due warning.
The young chief, however, stood in a modest manner without advancing,
till Mary went up to him to thank him for his present. I in the
meantime managed to tell Harry what the chief had said to me.

"I am sorry for this, but we must manage to get him on shore again as
politely as possible, and I will not tell her of his proposal before he
has gone."

Our attention, however, was just then attracted by seeing a vessel
standing in for the harbour; she approached within a mile or so, when
the wind fell. She had a signal flying for a pilot, and the men who
brought us in went out to her. Toa, who had an eye to business, wishing
to be on board early to see what trading could be done, said that he
should go out, and invited me to accompany him in his large canoe. As
we got near the vessel we found three of her boats towing ahead. On
boarding her the captain said he must get in at once, as she was leaking
terribly, and was besides short of provisions and water. Toa, on this,
offered to bring out provisions; and the pilot told him that it was
dangerous, without a leading breeze, to attempt entering the harbour,
especially as the tide was falling. The brig was, I found, the
_Caesar_, an American vessel, bound from California to Sydney, and had
come to Apia for the reasons the captain stated.

"If you won't take her in, I will by myself," he exclaimed. "Where's
the difficulty? The boats can tow her, as there isn't a breath of wind
to stop her way."

"But you cannot tell how the tide will set you, and I advise you to let
the boats tow you off," answered the pilot.

The skipper, however, was obstinate, and was, I suspect, pot-valiant.
He ordered the boats to continue pulling ahead, while he went to the
helm himself. The pilot on this, again warning him that he was risking
the safety of the vessel, stepped into his boat and pulled for the
harbour. Toa, however, believing that he could leave at any moment in
his canoe, remained on board