The Days of a Man 1902 



favors as a matter of course. When he left for Apia 

 again on the preposterous Kauau, it gave us a certain 

 pleasure to see him pursued by a "white squall." 

 A detest- Shortly after our arrival, however, Mrs. Jordan and 



"disease ^ ^ *N w ^^ dengue. This malady, a violent malarial 

 infection carried by mosquitoes and locally known 

 as "influenza" or "breakbone fever," we had caught 

 at Apia, where the disorder was already spreading. 

 In medical works dengue is designated a '' benign 

 fever" because it very seldom causes death; it is, 

 nevertheless, one of the most villainous of disorders, 

 as it usually leaves impediments to circulation or 

 some other permanent bad effect. With us both it 

 ran its painful course, but the unwearying kindliness 

 of our host and hostess we shall never forget, nor 

 shall we ever cease to be grateful to Fai'uli, Mrs. 

 Sebree's native maid, who gave us tender care. So 

 much goodness merited at least a great consideration. 

 Yet no sooner were we again up and about than we 

 staged a small but genuine shipwreck on a reef just 

 outside the harbor, whence we were restored to our 

 friends with exceeding difficulty and in a much-be- 

 draggled condition! 



The little village of Nu'uli creeps along the beach 

 under its coco trees five miles southeast of Pago 

 Pago. In front extends a long barrier reef gashed by 

 a narrow passage through which a stream of fresh 

 water makes its way, and behind the fringe of cocos 

 lies a deep lagoon full of fish. 1 As an inveterate col- 

 lector I was naturally anxious to get at this new lair 

 and so perhaps add to my lengthening string of 

 species. Captain Sebree accordingly gave the neces- 



1 Such pools the natives sometimes poison by throwing in the leaves of a cer- 

 tain tree, said to be the Barringtonia speciosa, the juice of which contains a 

 benumbing alkaloid. 



c us 3 



