19023 Start for Nuuli 



sary permission for the use of dynamite, and assigned 

 for the expedition a large whaleboat in which we were 

 to be towed by the steam launch of the Wheeling to a 

 point just off the village. 



One afternoon, therefore, when the sea looked per- 

 fectly smooth, we started out. The party consisted 

 of Mrs. Jordan, Ensign Marble - - who was going on 

 a special errand - - Sindo, W. H. Yandell - - the half- 

 caste talking-man of Pago Pago and his little boy, 

 Jack Sebree the commandant's fourteen-year-old 

 son and myself, besides our crew of eight fita-fitas The pk- 

 or native soldiers, the commandant's guard, pictur- tures i ue 

 esque in red turbans, red sashes, and blue lava-lavas. 

 Kellogg and Allardice elected not to go; Knight also, 

 to his subsequent great regret, as he thereby missed 

 an adventure! Taua and Musila carried the dyna- 

 mite in a skiff attached behind our boat. As we left, 

 Sebree directed Sa'laotoga, one of the fita-fitas, to 

 look out personally for Mrs. Jordan if we got into any 

 trouble; he also warned them not to try to make the 

 village if the surf seemed dangerously high. 



No wind ruffled the sea that day, but the long Mighty 

 swells increased in height as they neared the shore ree f 

 and then broke in great white lines along the edge of 

 the coral reef. Arrived opposite Nu'uli, the launch 

 cut us loose and steamed away into smooth water, 

 though I urged the engineer to wait around until we 

 landed, as I was already beginning to feel somewhat 

 apprehensive. Taua's little boat was now detached 

 for dynamite work on the outer edge of the reef, the 

 fita-fitas turned to their oars with a will, and we 

 headed for the combers. These were certainly alarm- 

 ing, yet I assumed that the men knew their way over 

 or through them, as in Hawaii and Japan I had often 



n 119 3 



