MYDEARCOLVIN，-Thisisahardandinterestingandbeautifullifethatweleadnow。OurplaceisinadeepcleftofVaeaMountain，somesixhundredfeetabovethesea，emboweredinforest，whichisourstranglingenemy，andwhichwecombatwithaxesanddollars。Iwentcrazyoveroutdoorwork，andhadatlasttoconfinemyselftothehouse，orliteraturemusthavegonebytheboard。NOTHINGissointerestingasweeding，clearing，andpath-making；theoversightoflabourersbecomesadisease；itisquiteaneffortnottodropintothefarmer；anditdoesmakeyoufeelsowell。Tocomedowncoveredwithmudanddrenchedwithsweatandrainaftersomehoursinthebush，change，rubdown，andtakeachairintheverandah，istotasteaquietconscience。AndthestrangethingthatImarkisthis:IfI
gooutandmakesixpence，bossingmylabourersandplyingthecutlassorthespade，idiotconscienceapplaudsme；ifIsitinthehouseandmaketwentypounds，idiotconsciencewailsovermyneglectandthedaywasted。FornearafortnightI
didnotgobeyondtheverandah；thenIfoundmyrushofworkrunout，andwentdownforthenighttoApia；putinSundayafternoonwithourconsul，’aniceyoungman，’dinedwithmyfriendH。J。Moorsintheevening，wenttochurch-noless-
atthewhiteandhalf-whitechurch-Ihadneverbeenbefore，andwasmuchinterested；thewomanIsatnextLOOKEDafull-
bloodnative，anditwasintheprettiestandreadiestEnglishthatshesangthehymns；backtoMoors’，whereweyarnedoftheislands，beingbothwidewanderers，tillbed-
time；bed，sleep，breakfast，horsesaddled；roundtothemission，togetMr。Clarketobemyinterpreter；overwithhimtotheKing’s，whomIhavenotcalledonsincemyreturn；
receivedbythatmildoldgentleman；havesomeinterestingtalkwithhimaboutSamoansuperstitionsandmyland-thesceneofagreatbattleinhisMalietoaLaupepa’syouth-
theplacewhichwehaveclearedtheplatformofhisfort-
thegulleyofthestreamfullofdeadbodies-thefightrolledoffupVaeamountain-side；backwithClarketotheMission；hadabitoflunchandconsultedoveraqueerpointofmissionarypolicyjustarisen，aboutournewTownHallandtheballsthere-toolongtogointo，butaquaintexampleoftheintricatequestionswhichspringupdailyinthemissionarypath。
Thenoffupthehill；Jackveryfresh，thesuncloseonnoonstaringhot，thebreezeverystrongandpleasant；theineffablegreencountryallround-gorgeouslittlebirdsI
thinktheyarehummingbirds，buttheysaynotskirmishinginthewaysideflowers。AboutaquarterwayupImetanativecomingdownwiththetrunkofacocoapalmacrosshisshoulder；hisbrownbreastglitteringwithsweatandoil:
’Talofa’-’Talofa，alii-Youseethatwhiteman？Hespeakforyou。’’Whitemanhegoneuphere？’-’IoeYes’-
’Tofa，alii’-’Tofa，soifua！’IputonJackupthesteeppath，tillheisallaswhiteasshavingstick-Brown’seuxesis，wishIhadsome-pastTanugamanono，abushvillage-seeintothehousesasIpass-theyareopenshedsscatteredonagreen-seethebrownfolksittingthere，sucklingkids，sleepingontheirstiffwoodenpillows-thenonthroughthewoodpath-andhereIfindthemysteriouswhitemanpoordevil！withhistwentyyears’certificateofgoodbehaviourasabook-keeper，frozenoutbythestrikesinthecolonies，comeuphereonachance，noworktobefound，bighotelbill，noshiptoleavein-andcomeuptobegtwentydollarsbecauseheheardIwasaScotchman，offeringtoleavehisportmanteauinpledge。Settlethis，andonagain；andheremyhousecomesinview，andawarwhoopfetchesmywifeandHenryorSimele，ourSamoanboy，onthefrontbalcony；andIamhomeagain，andonlysorrythatI
shallhavetogodownagaintoApiathisdayweek。Icould，andwould，dwellhereunmoved，buttherearethingstobeattendedto。
NeversayIdon’tgiveyoudetailsandnews。Thatisapictureofaletter。
IhavebeenhardatworksinceIcame；threechaptersofTHE
WRECKER，andsincethat，eightoftheSouthSeabook，and，alongandaboutandinbetween，ahatfulofverses。SomedayI’llsendtheversetoyou，andyou’llsayifanyofitisanygood。IhavegotinabetterveinwiththeSouthSeabook，asIthinkyouwillsee；Ithinkthesechapterswilldoforthevolumewithoutmuchchange。ThosethatIdidintheJANETNICOLL，underthemostungodlycircumstances，Ifearwillwantalotofsupplingandlightening，butIhopetohaveyourremarksinamonthortwouponthatpoint。ItseemsalongwhilesinceIhaveheardfromyou。Idohopeyouarewell。Iamwonderful，buttiredfromsomuchwork；
’tisreallyimmensewhatIhavedone；intheSouthSeabookI
havefiftypagescopiedfair，someofwhichhasbeenfourtimes，andalltwicewritten，certainlyfiftypagesofsolidscrivinginsideafortnight，butIwasatitbysevena。m。
tilllunch，andfromtwotillfourorfiveeveryday；betweenwhiles，verseandblowingontheflageolet；neveroutside。
Ifyoucouldseethisplace！butIdon’twantanyonetoseeittillmyclearingisdone，andmyhousebuilt。Itwillbeahomeforangels。
SofarIwroteaftermybitofdinner，somecoldmeatandbananas，onarrival。ThenouttoseewhereHenryandsomeofthemenwereclearingthegarden；foritwasplaintherewastobenoworkto-dayindoors，andImustsetinconsequencetofarmering。Istuckagoodwhileonthewayup，forthepaththereislargelymyownhandiwork，andtherewerealotofsproutsandsaplingsandstonestoberemoved。ThenI
reachedourclearingjustwherethestreamsjoininone；ithadafineautumnsmellofburning，thesmokeblewinthewoods，andtheboyswereprettymerryandbusy。NowIhadaprivatedesign:-
[Mapwhichcannotbereproduced]
TheVaita’eIhadexploredprettyfarup；notyettheotherstream，theVaituligag=nasaln，asnginsing；andupthat，withmywoodknife，Isetoffalone。Itisherequitedry；itwentthroughendlesswoods；aboutasbroadasaDevonshirelane，hereandtherecrossedbyfallentrees；hugetreesoverheadinthesun，drippinglianasandtuftedwithorchids，treeferns，fernsdependingwithairrootsfromthesteepbanks，greatarums-Ihadnotskillenoughtosayifanyofthemweretheediblekind，oneofourstapleshere！-
hundredsofbananas-anotherstaple-andalas！Ihadskillenoughtoknowalloftheseforthebadkindthatbearsnofruit。MyHenrymoralisedoverthistheotherday；howharditwasthatthebadbananaflourishedwild，andthegoodmustbeweededandtended；andIhadnotthehearttotellhimhowfortunatetheywerehere，andhowhungrywereotherlandsbycomparison。Theascentofthislovelylaneofmydrystreamfilledmewithdelight。IcouldnotbutberemindedofoldMayneReid，asIhavebeenmorethanoncesinceIcametothetropics；andIthought，ifReidhadbeenstillliving，I
wouldhavewrittentotellhimthat，for，me，ITHADCOME
TRUE；andIthought，forbye，that，ifthegreatpowersgoonastheyaregoing，andtheChiefJusticedelays，itwouldcometruerstill；andthewar-conchwillsoundinthehills，andmyhomewillbeinclosedincamps，beforetheyearisended。Andallatonce-markyou，howMayneReidisonthespot-astrangethinghappened。Isawalianastretchacrossthebedofthebrookaboutbreast-high，swungupmyknifetoseverit，and-behold，itwasawire！Oneitherhanditplungedintothickbush；to-morrowIshallseewhereitgoesandgetaguessperhapsofwhatitmeans。To-dayI
knownomorethan-thereitis。Alittlehigherthebrookbegantotrickle，thentofill。Atlast，asImeanttodosomeworkuponthehomewardtrail，itwastimetoturn。I
didnotreturnbythestream；knifeinhand，aslongasmyendurancelasted，Iwastocutapathinthecongestedbush。
Atfirstitwentillwithme；Igotbadlystungashighastheelbowsbythestingingplant；Iwasnearlyhunginatoughliana-arottentrunkgivingwayundermyfeet；itwasdeplorablebadbusiness。Andanaxe-ifIdaredswingone-
wouldhavebeenmoretothepurposethanmycutlass。Ofasuddenthingsbegantogostrangelyeasier；Ifoundstumps，bushingoutagain；mybodybegantowonder，thenmymind；I
raisedmyeyesandlookedahead；and，byGeorge，Iwasnolongerpioneering，Ihadstruckanoldtrackovergrown，andwasrestoringanoldpath。SoIlabouredtillIwasinsuchastatethatCarolinaWilhelminaSkeggscouldscarcehavefoundanameforit。Thereondesisted；returnedtothestream；mademywaydownthatstonytracktothegarden，wherethesmokewasstillhangingandthesunwasstillinthehightree-tops，andsohome。Here，fondlysupposingmylongdaywasover，Irubbeddown；exquisiteagony；waterspreadsthepoisonoftheseweeds；Igotitallovermyhands，onmychest，inmyeyes，andpresently，whileeatinganorange，ALARaratonga，burnedmylipandeyewithorangejuice。Now，allday，ourthreesmallpigshadbeenadrift，tothemortalperilofourcorn，lettuce，onions，etc。，andasIstoodsmartingonthebackverandah，beholdthethreepiglingsissuingfromthewoodjustopposite。InstantlyI
gottogetherasmanyboysasIcould-three，andgotthepigspennedagainsttherampartofthesty，tilltheothersjoined；whereuponweformedacordon，closed，capturedthedeserters，anddroppedthem，squeakingamain，intotheirstrengthenedbarrackswhere，pleaseGod，theymaynowstay！
Perhapsyoumaysupposethedaynowover；youarenottheheadofaplantation，myjuvenilefriend。Politicssucceeded:HenrygotadriftinhisEnglish，Benewastoocowardlytotellmewhathewasafter:result，Ihavelostsevengoodlabourers，andhadtositdownandwritetoyoutokeepmytemper。Letmesketchmylads-Henry-HenryhasgonedowntotownorIcouldnotbewritingtoyou-thiswerethehourofhisEnglishlessonelse，whenhelearnswhathecalls’longexpessions’or’yourchief’slanguage’forthematterofanhourandahalf-HenryisachieflingfromSavaii；Ionceloathed，Inowlikeand-pendingfreshdiscoveries-haveakindofrespectforHenry。Hedoesgoodworkforus；goesamongthelabourers，bossingandwatching；
helpsFanny；iscivil，kindly，thoughtful；OSISICSEMPER！
Butwillhebe’hissometimeselfthroughouttheyear’？
Anyway，hehasdeservedofus，andhemustdisappointmesharplyereIgivehimup-Bene-orPeni-Ben，inplainEnglish-issupposedtobemyganger；theLordlovehim！
Godmadeatrucklingcoward，thereishisfullhistory。Hecannottellmewhathewants；hedaresnottellmewhatiswrong；hedaresnottransmitmyordersortranslatemycensures。Andwithallthis，honest，sober，industrious，miserablysmilingoverthemiserableissueofhisownunmanliness-Paul-aGerman-cookandsteward-agluttonofwork-asplendidfellow；drawbacks，three:1nocook；