Itwasaveryfinesight，forsomethreethousandpeoplearesaidtohaveassembled。Themenworenothingbutmagnificenthead-dressesandabunchofleaves，andwereoiledandglisteninginthesunlight。Onebandhadnomaidbutwasledbyatinychildofaboutfive-aseriouslittlecreaturecladinaribbonofgrassandafinehead-dress，whoskippedwithelaborateleapsinfrontofthewarriors，likealittlekidleadingabandoflions。A。M。
　　TheA。M。beingdone，Igoonagain。Allthismadeitverypossiblethatevenifnoneofourboyshadstolenthepig，someofthemmightknowthethief。Besides，thetheft，asitwasatheftofmeatpreparedforaguest，hadsomethingofthenatureofaninsult，and’myface，’innativephrase，’wasashamed。’Accordingly，wedeterminedtoholdabedofjustice。Itwasdonelastnightafterdinner。Isatattheheadofthetable，Grahamonmyrighthand，HenrySimeleatmyleft，Lloydbehindhim。Thehousecompanysatontheflooraroundthewalls-twelvealltold。IamdescribedaslookingaslikeBraxfieldasIcouldmanagewithmyappearance；Graham，whoisofaseverecountenance，lookedlikeRhadamanthus；Lloydwashideoustotheview；andSimelehadallthefinesolemnityofaSamoanchief。TheproceedingsopenedbymydeliveringaSamoanprayer，whichmaybetranslatedthus-’OurGod，lookdownuponusandshineintoourhearts。HelpustobefarfromfalsehoodsothateachoneofusmaystandbeforeThyFaceinhisintegrity。’-Then，beginningwithSimele，everyonecameuptothetable，laidhishandontheBible，andrepeatedclausebyclauseaftermethefollowingoath-IfearitmaysoundevencomicinEnglish，butitisaveryprettypieceofSamoan，andstruckdirectatthemostlivelysuperstitionsoftherace。’ThisistheHolyBibleherethatIamtouching。
　　Beholdme，OGod！IfIknowwhoitwasthattookawaythepig，ortheplacetowhichitwastaken，orhaveheardanythingrelatingtoit，andshallnotdeclarethesame-bemadeanendofbyGodthislifeofmine！’TheyalltookitwithsomuchseriousnessandfirmnessthatasGrahamsaid
　　iftheywerenotinnocenttheywouldmakeinvaluablewitnesses。IwassofarimpressedbytheirbearingthatI
　　wentnofurther，andthefunnyandyetstrangelysolemnscenecametoanend。
　　SUNDAY，NO。6th。
　　Hereisalongstorytogobackupon，andIwonderifIhaveeithertimeorpatienceforthetask？
　　WednesdayIhadagreatideaofmatch-making，andproposedtoHenrythatFaalewouldmakeagoodwifeforhim。IwishI
　　hadputthisdownwhenitwasfresherinmymind，itwassointerestinganinterview。MygentlemanwouldnottellifI
　　wereonornot。’Idonotknowyet；Iwilltellyounextweek。MayItellthesisterofmyfather？No，betternot，tellherwhenitisdone。’-’Butwillnotyourfamilybeangryifyoumarrywithoutaskingthem？’-’Myvillage？Whatdoesmyvillagewant？Mats！’IsaidIthoughtthegirlwouldgrowuptohaveagreatdealofsense，andmygentlemanflewoutuponme；shehadsensenow，hesaid。
　　Thursday，wewerestartledbythenoteofguns，andpresentlyafterhearditwasanEnglishwarship。GrahamandIsetoffatonce，andassoonaswemetanytownsfolktheybegancryingtomethatIwastobearrested。ItwastheVOSSISCHE
　　ZEITUNGarticlewhichhadbeenquotedinapaper。WentonboardandsawCaptainBourke；hedidnotevenknow-notevenguess-whyhewashere；havingbeensentoffbycablegramfromAuckland。ItishopedthesameshipthattakesthisoffEuropewardsmaybringhisordersandournews。Butwhichisittobe？Headsortails？IfitistobeGerman，Ihopetheywilldeportme；Ishouldpreferitso；IdonotthinkthatIcouldbearaGermanofficialdom，andshouldprobablyhavetoleaveSPONTEMEA，whichisonlylesspicturesqueandmoreexpensive。
　　8TH。
　　Mailday。Allwell，notyetputinprison，whatevermaybeinstoreforme。Notimeeventosignthislameletter。
　　MYDEARCOLVIN，-Anothergrimylittleoddandendofpaper，forwhichyoushallbethismonthrepaidinkind，andserveyoujollywellright……Thenewhouseisroofed；itwillbeabrawhouse，andwhatisbetter，Ihavemyyearlybillin，andIfindIcanpayforit。Forallwhichmercies，etc。
　　Imusthavemadecloseon4，000poundsthisyearalltold；
　　but，whatisnotsopleasant，Iseemtohavecomeneartospendingthem。Ihavebeeningreatalarm，withthisnewhouseonthecards，allsummer，andcameveryneartotakinginsail，butIliveheresoentirelyoncredit，thatI
　　determinedtohangon。
　　DEC。1ST。
　　IwassayingyesterdaythatmylifewasstrangeanddidnotthinkhowwellIspoke。YesterdayeveningIwasbriefedtodefendapoliticalprisonerbeforetheDeputyCommissioner。
　　Whatdoyouthinkofthatforavicissitude？
　　DEC。3RD。
　　Nowforaconfession。WhenIheardyouandCassellshaddecidedtoprintTHEBOTTLEIMPalongwithFALESA，Iwastoomuchdisappointedtoanswer。THEBOTTLEIMPwasthePIECEDE
　　RESISTANCEformyvolume，ISLANDNIGHTS’ENTERTAINMENTS。
　　However，thatvolumemighthavenevergotdone；andIsendyoutwoothersincasetheyshouldbeintime。
　　FirsthavetheBEACHOFFALESA。
　　Thenafreshfalsetitle:ISLANDNIGHTS’ENTERTAINMENTS；andthenTHEBOTTLEIMP:acuefromanoldmelodrama。
　　THEISLEOFVOICES。
　　THEWAIFWOMAN；acuefromaSAGA。
　　OfcoursethesetwoothersarenotuptothemarkofTHE
　　BOTTLEIMP；buttheyeachhaveacertainmerit，andtheyfitinstyle。Bysaying’acuefromanoldmelodrama’aftertheB。I。，youcangetridofmynote。Ifthisisintime，itwillbesplendid，andwillmakequiteavolume。
　　ShouldyouandCassellsprefer，youcancallthewholevolumeI。N。E-thoughtheBEACHOFFALESAisthechildofaquitedifferentinspiration。Theyallhaveaqueerrealism，eventhemostextravagant，eventheISLEOFVOICES；themannersareexact。
　　Shouldtheycometoolate，havethemtype-written，andreturntomeherethetype-writtencopies。
　　SUNDAY，DEC。4TH。
　　3rdstart，-ButnowmorehumblyandwiththeaidofanAmanuensis。Firstonewordaboutpage2。MywifeprotestsagainsttheWaif-womanandIaminstructedtoreportthesametoyou……
　　DEC。5TH。
　　AhorridalarmrisesthatourOctobermailwasburnedcrossingthePlains。Ifso，youlostabeautifullongletter-IamsureitwasbeautifulthoughIremembernothingaboutit-andImustsayIthinkitservesyouproperlywell。
　　ThatIshouldcontinuewritingtoyouatsuchlengthissimplyavicioushabitforwhichIblush。Atthesametime，pleasecommunicateatoncewithCharlesBaxterwhetheryouhaveorhavenotreceivedaletterpostedhereOct12th，asheisgoingtocablemethefateofmymail。
　　Nowtoconcludemynews。TheGermanFirmhavetakenmybooklikeangels，andtheresultisthatLloydandIweredownthereatdinneronSaturday，wherewepartookoffifteenseveraldishesandeightdistinctformsofintoxicatingdrink。TothecreditofGermany，Imustsaytherewasnotashadowofaheadachethenextmorning。Iseemtohavedoneaswellasmyneighbours，forIhearoneoftheclerksexpressedthenextmorningagratifiedsurprisethatMr。
　　Stevensonstoodhisdrinksowell。Itisastrangethingthatanyracecanstillfindjoyinsuchathleticexercises。
　　Imayremarkinpassingthatthemailisdueandyouhavehadfarmorethanyoudeserve。
　　MYDEARCOLVIN，-Youareproperlypaidatlast，anditislikeyouwillhavebutashadowofaletter。Ihavebeenprettythoroughlyoutofkilter；firstafeverthatwouldneithercomeonnorgooff，thenacutedyspepsia，intheweakeninggraspofwhichIgetwanderingbetweenthewakingstateandoneofnightmare。WhythedevildoesnoonesendmeATALANTA？AndwhyaretherenoproofsofD。Balfour？
　　SureIshouldhavehadthewhole，atleastthehalf，ofthembynow；anditwouldbeallfortheadvantageoftheAtalantans。IhavewrittentoCassell&Co。matterofFALESA’youwillpleasearrangewithhim’meaningyou。
　　’WhathemaydecideIshallabide。’Soconsideryourhandfree，andactformewithoutfearorfavour。Iamgreatlypleasedwiththeillustrations。ItisverystrangetoaSouth-SeayertoseeHawaiianwomendressedlikeSamoans，butIguessthat’sallonetoyouinMiddlesex。It’saboutthesameasifLondoncitymenwereshowngoingtotheStockExchangeasPIFFERARI；butnomatter，nonewillsleepworseforit。IhaveacceptedCassell’sproposalasanamendmenttooneofmine；thatD。B。istobebroughtoutfirstunderthetitleCATRIONAwithoutpictures；and，whenthehourstrikes，KIDNAPPEDandCATRIONAaretoformvols。I。andII。
　　oftheheavilyillustrated’AdventuresofDavidBalfour’at7s。6d。each，soldseparately-
　　’sletterwasvastlyslyanddryandshy。Iamnotafraidnow。Twoattemptshavebeenmade，bothhavefailed，andI
　　imaginethesefailuresstrengthenme。Aboveallthisistrueofthelast，wheremyweakpointwasattempted。Oneveryother，Iamstrong。Onlyforcecandislodgeme，forpublicopinioniswhollyonmyside。AllracesanddegreesareunitedinheartfeltoppositiontotheMenofMulinuu。Thenewsofthefightingwasofnoconcerntomortalman；itwasmademuchofbecausemenlovetalkofbattles，andbecausetheGovernmentprayGoddailyforsomescandalnottheirown；
　　butitwasonlyabriskepisodeinaclanfightwhichhasgrownapparentlyendemicinthewestofTutuila。Atthebestitwasatwopennyaffair，andneveroccupiedmymindfiveminutes。
　　Iamsowearyofreportsthatarewithoutfoundationandthreatsthatgowithoutfulfilment，andsomuchoccupiedbesidesbytheragingtroublesofmyownwame，thatIhavebeenveryslackonpolitics，asIhavebeeninliterature。
　　Withincrediblelabour，IhaverewrittentheFirstChapteroftheJusticeClerk；ittookmeabouttendays，andrequiresanotherathleticdressingafterall。Andthatismystoryforthemonth。Therestisgruntingandgrutching。
　　ConsiderandaforTHEBEACH:-
　　I。WhethertoaddoneorboththetalesIsentyou？
　　II。Whethertocallthewholevolume’IslandNightsEntertainments’？
　　IIIWhether，havingwaitedsolong，itwouldnotbebettertogivemeanothermail，incaseIcouldaddanothermembertothevolumeandalittlebetterjustifythename？
　　IfIpossiblycandrawupanotherstory，Iwill。WhatannoyedmeabouttheuseofTHEBOTTLEIMPwasthatIhadalwaysmeantitforthecentre-pieceofavolumeofMARCHEN
　　whichIwasslowlytoelaborate。YoualwayshadanideathatIdepreciatedtheB。I；Ican’tthinkwherefore；Ialwaysparticularlylikedit-oneofmybestworks，andilltoequal；andthatwaswhyIlovedtokeepitinportfoliotillIhadtimetogrowuptosomeotherfruitofthesameVENUE。
　　However，thatisdisposedofnow，andwemustjustdothebestwecan。
　　Iamnotawarethatthereisanythingtoadd；theweatherishellish，waterspouts，mists，chills，thefoulfiend’sownweather，followingonaweekofexpurgatedheaven；soitgoesatthisbewilderingseason。Iwriteintheupperfloorofmynewhouse，ofwhichIwillsendyousomedayaplantomeasure。’Tisanelegantstructure，surely，andtheproidofmeoi。Wasaskedtopayforitjustnow，andgenteellyrefused，andthenagreed，inviewofgeneralgood-will，topayahalfofwhatisstilldue。