Inoneoftheseechoingandsunlessgullieswesaw，clusteredlikesea-birdsonasplashingledge，shrillassea-birdsintheirsalutationtothepassingboat，agroupoffisherwomen，strippedtotheirgaudyunder-clothes。Theclashofthesurfandthethinfemalevoicesechoinmymemory。Wehadthatdayanativecrewandsteersman，Kauanui；itwasourfirstexperienceofPolynesianseamanship，whichconsistsinhuggingeverypointofland。Thereisnothoughtinthisofsavingtime，fortheywillpullalongwayintoskirtapointthatisembayed。Itseemsthat，astheycannevergettheirhousesnearenoughthesurfupontheoneside，sotheycannevergettheirboatsnearenoughupontheother。Thepracticeinboldwaterisnotsodangerousasitlooks-thereflexfromtherockssendingtheboatoff。Nearbeacheswithaheavyrunofsea，Icontinuetothinkitveryhazardous，andfindthecomposureofthenativesannoyingtobehold。Wetookunmingledpleasure，onthewayout，toseesonearathandthebeachandthewonderfulcoloursofthesurf。Onthewayback，whentheseahadrisenandwasrunningstrongagainstus，thefinenessofthesteersman’saimgrewmoreembarrassing。Aswecameabreastofthesea-front，wherethesurfbrokehighest，Kauanuiembracedtheoccasiontolighthispipe，whichthenmadethecircuitoftheboat-eachmantakingawhiffortwo，and，erehepassediton，fillinghislungsandcheekswithsmoke。Theirfaceswereallpuffedoutlikeapplesaswecameabreastoftheclifffoot，andtheburstingsurgefellbackintotheboatinshowers。Atthenextpoint’cocanetti’wastheword，andthestrokeborrowedmyknife，anddesistedfromhislabourstoopennuts。Theseuntimelyindulgencesmaybecomparedtothetotofgrogservedoutbeforeashipgoesintoaction。
Mypurposeinthisvisitledmefirsttotheboys’school，forHatiheuistheuniversityofthenorthislands。Thehumofthelessoncameouttomeetus。Closebythedoor，wherethedraughtblewcoolest，satthelaybrother；aroundhim，inapackedhalf-
circle，somesixtyhigh-colouredfacessetwithstaringeyes；andinthebackgroundofthebarn-likeroombenchesweretobeseen，andblackboardswithsumsontheminchalk。Thebrotherrosetogreetus，sensiblyhumble。Thirtyyearshehadbeenthere，hesaid，andfingeredhiswhitelocksasabashfulchildpullsouthispinafore。’ETPOINTDERESULTATS，MONSIEUR，PRESQUEPASDE
RESULTATS。’Hepointedtothescholars：’Yousee，sir，alltheyouthofNuka-hivaandUa-pu。Betweentheagesofsixandfifteenthisisallthatremains；anditisbutafewyearssincewehadahundredandtwentyfromNuka-hivaalone。OUI，MONSIEUR，CELASE
DEPERIT。’Prayers，andreadingandwriting，prayersagainandarithmetic，andmoreprayerstoconclude：suchappearedtobethedrearynatureofthecourse。Forarithmeticallislandpeoplehaveanaturaltaste。InHawaiitheymakegoodprogressinmathematics。