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；