rted from the Kingsmill
group to work his plantations. They are a wild, savage-looking set,
very inferior to the Tahitians in appearance. The cotton-mills, which
formerly belonged to a company, are now all falling to ruin; and in
many other parts of the island we passed cotton plantations uncleaned
and neglected, and fast running to seed and waste. So long as the
American war lasted, a slight profit could be made upon Tahitian
cotton, but now it is hopeless to attempt to cultivate it with any
prospect of adequate return.

The sun was now at its height, and we longed to stop and bathe in one
of the many fresh-water streams we crossed, and afterwards to eat our
lunch by the wayside; but our Chinese coachman always pointed onwards,
and said, 'Eatee much presently; horses eatee too.' At last we arrived
at a little house, shaded by cocoa-nut trees, and built in an
enclosure near the sea-shore, with 'Restaurant' written up over the
door. We drove in, and were met by the proprietor, with what must have
been rather an embarrassing multiplicity of women and children about
his heels. The cloth was not laid, but the rooms looked clean, and
there was a heap of tempting-looking fish and fruit in a corner. We
assured him we were starving, and begged for luncheon as soon as
possible; and, in the meantime, went for a dip in the sea. But the
water was shallow, and the sun made the temperature at least 90 deg., so
that our bath was not very refreshing. On our return we found the
table most enticingly laid out, with little scarlet crayfish, embedded
in cool green lettuce leaves, fruit of various kinds, good wine and
fair bread, all arranged on a clean though coarse tablecloth. There
was also a savoury omelette, so good that Tom asked for a second;
when, to our astonishment, there appeared a plump roast fowl, with
most artistic gravy and fried potatoes. Then came a _biftek aux
champignons_, and some excellent coffee to wind up with. On making the
host our compliments, he said, 'Je fais la cuisine moi-meme, Madame.'
In the course of our repast we again tasted the bread-fruit, but did
not much appreciate it, though it was this time cooked in the native
fashion--roasted underground by means of hot stones.

Our coachman was becoming impatient, so we bade farewell to our host,
and resumed our journey. We crossed innumerable streams on our way,
generally full not only of water, but also of bathers; for the
Tahitians are very fond of water, and