y and have the natives blown in the air
treacherously with dynamite. They are still quiet; how long this may
continue I do not know, though of course by mere prescription the
Government is strengthened, and is probably insured till the next taxes
fall due. But the unpopularity of the whites is growing. My native
overseer, the great Henry Simele, announced to-day that he was "weary of
whites upon the beach. All too proud," said this veracious witness. One
of the proud ones had threatened yesterday to cut off his head with a
bush knife! These are "native outrages"; honour bright, and setting
theft aside, in which the natives are active, this is the main stream of
irritation. The natives are generally courtly, far from always civil,
but really gentle, and with a strong sense of honour of their own, and
certainly quite as much civilised as our dynamiting President.

We shall be delighted to see Kipling.[24] I go to bed usually about
half-past eight, and my lamp is out before ten; I breakfast at six. We
may say roughly we have no soda water on the island, and just now
truthfully no whisky. I _have_ heard the chimes at midnight; now no
more, I guess. _But_--Fanny and I, as soon as we can get coins for it,
are coming to Europe, not to England: I am thinking of Royat. Bar wars.
If not, perhaps the Apennines might give us a mountain refuge for two
months or three in summer. How is that for high? But the money must be
all in hand first.

_October 13th._--How am I to describe my life these last few days? I
have been wholly swallowed up in politics, a wretched business, with
fine elements of farce in it too, which repay a man in passing,
involving many dark and many moonlight rides, secret counsels which are
at once divulged, sealed letters which are read aloud in confidence to
the neighbours, and a mass of fudge and fun, which would have driven me
crazy ten years ago, and now makes me smile.

On Friday, Henry came and told us he must leave and go to "my poor old
family in Savaii"; why? I do not quite know--but, I suspect, to be
tattooed--if so, then probably to be married, and we shall see him no
more. I told him he must do what he thought his duty; we had him to
lunch, drank his health, and he and I rode down about twelve. When I got
down, I sent my horse back to help bring down the family later. My own
afternoon was cut out for me; my last draft for the President had been
objected to by some of the signatories. I stood out, an