sun; and an hour before dark the _Lunalilo_
dropped her anchor just in front of the native village. In a few minutes
the resident white trader came off to us in his boat and made us welcome
to his island home.

We had heard that he had quite a considerable quantity of hawkbill
turtle shell and some coco-nut oil to sell, and came to ascertain
the truth of the report before we were anticipated by some German or
American trading vessel.

Less than a mile away from where the brigantine was anchored we saw a
noble white beach, trending east and west in many curves, and backed by
serried lines of palms and groves of bread-fruit trees, through whose
bright verdancy peeped out the thatch-covered and saddle-backed houses
of the natives. Apart from the village, and enclosed by a low fence of
growing hibiscus palings, stood the trader's house, a long, rambling
building with white coral-lime walls and a wide, shady verandah on all
four sides. In front of the fence was a tall, white-painted flagstaff,
and presently we saw a woman come out of the trader's house and walk up
to it. In another minute the Stars and Stripes went slowly up, and then
hung limp and motionless in the windless atmosphere.

'There,' said the trader, with a laugh, 'you see, my wife, native as she
is, is more polite than I am. But the fact is that I was so excited
when I saw your schooner that I never thought about hoisting the old
gridiron. Now, look here, gentlemen; before we do anything else, or talk
about business, I want you to promise to come ashore to night. There is
to be a big fish drive, and I can assure you that that is a sight worth
seeing.'

We made the promise, and half an hour later went ashore and walked up
to our friend's house. Here we found the entire population of the island
assembled to do us honour, and for quite ten minutes were embraced most
effusively by every one, male or female, who could get near us. The
men were naked to their waists--the missionaries had not then made
any headway in the Caroline Islands--around which they wore either
gaily-coloured girdles of bleached and then dyed strips of fine pandanus
leaf, or sashes of closely-woven banana fibre. The women, however,
somewhat ineffectually concealed the remarkable beauty of their figures
by wearing, in addition to their grass waist girdles, a crescent-shaped
garment of similar material, which was suspended from their necks, and
covered their bosoms.{*} Their glossy black hair