intimate with some of our boys, for whom
his confounded house is like a fly-paper for flies. To add to all this,
there was on the Saturday a great public presentation of food to the
king and parliament men, an occasion on which it is almost dignified for
a Samoan to steal anything, and entirely dignified for him to steal a
pig.

(The Amanuensis went to the _talolo_, as it is called, and saw something
so very pleasing she begs to interrupt the letter to tell it. The
different villagers came in in bands--led by the maid of the village,
followed by the young warriors. It was a very fine sight, for some three
thousand people are said to have assembled. The men wore nothing but
magnificent head-dresses and a bunch of leaves, and were oiled and
glistening in the sunlight. One band had no maid but was led by a tiny
child of about five--a serious little creature clad in a ribbon of grass
and a fine head-dress, who skipped with elaborate leaps in front of the
warriors, like a little kid leading a band of lions. A.M.)

The A.M. being done, I go on again. All this made it very possible that
even if none of our boys had stolen the pig, some of them might know the
thief. Besides, the theft, as it was a theft of meat prepared for a
guest, had something of the nature of an insult, and "my face," in
native phrase, "was ashamed." Accordingly, we determined to hold a bed
of justice. It was done last night after dinner. I sat at the head of
the table, Graham on my right hand, Henry Simele at my left, Lloyd
behind him. The house company sat on the floor around the walls--twelve
all told. I am described as looking as like Braxfield as I could manage
with my appearance; Graham, who is of a severe countenance, looked like
Rhadamanthus; Lloyd was hideous to the view; and Simele had all the fine
solemnity of a Samoan chief. The proceedings opened by my delivering a
Samoan prayer, which may be translated thus--"Our God, look down upon us
and shine into our hearts. Help us to be far from falsehood so that each
one of us may stand before Thy Face in his integrity."--Then, beginning
with Simele, every one came up to the table, laid his hand on the Bible,
and repeated clause by clause after me the following oath--I fear it may
sound even comic in English, but it is a very pretty piece of Samoan,
and struck direct at the most lively superstitions of the race. "This is
the Holy Bible here that I am touching. Behold me, O God! If I know who
it w