294 THE PLANT WORLD 



room where she lay. She was propped up with pillows, dressed in a prettily- 

 embroidered gown, with her gray hair neatly arranged. The embroid- 

 ered counterpane was snowy white. In spite of her weakness Dona 

 Emilia received me with a bright smile, asked me about the new Gov- 

 ernor, and wondered if he would let the church-bells ring again for early 

 mass. She said a number of bright and witty things and soon had us all 

 laughing. Then she turned wearily to one side and we said good-by 

 and left her. This morning I received an invitation to her funeral, 

 beautifully written in the formal style of the Spaniards and edged with 

 black. We followed her on foot to the cemetery, a distance of two miles. 

 Wednesday , July 11. — To-day I assisted at a conference between Com- 

 mander Schroeder and Don Antonio Martinez, the owner of Apapa, or 

 Cabras Island, which the Government wishes to buy for a naval station. 

 As Don Antonio's right to the island was questioned, I showed a copy of 

 the letter of the Spanish Governor reporting the grant of the island to 

 the man from whom Don Antonio had acquired the title. I was much struck 

 with Commander Schroeder' s courtesy toward Don Antonio. He and 

 Governor Leary had been carrying on a conversation in English for some 

 time, when he turned and said, " But perhaps our guest does not under- 

 stand English." " Que dice? " asked Don Antonio. I explained, and 

 Don Antonio seemed very much pleased. At the end of the conference, 

 when Don Antonio was taking leave. Commander Schroeder said: "I 

 am expecting my wife and daughters to come to Guam later. I hope the 

 ladies of your family will call upon them." Don Antonio went away 

 delighted. In a few hours the whole city of Agana was talking of the 

 graciousness of the new Governor ; and I heard on every side that the 

 best governors the island had had during the old regime were those who 

 brought their wives with them. 



Friday^ July 20. — Captain Eeary was this day relieved by Commander 

 Schroeder, who assumed command of this station and took the reins of 

 government of this island. Yesterday I was visited by a number of 

 Caroline Islanders, who expressed a wish to call upon the new Governor 

 and offer him gifts. I told them that on no account must they bring him 

 gifts, but that they might bring him some flowers. This morning, 

 however, while we were sitting in the Governor's parlor, the orderly 

 announced that a lot of savages were coming toward the palace. We 

 looked out of the window and saw a strange procession crossing the plaza. 

 The Carolinos were dressed in gala attire, the women with bouquets and 

 skeins of beads in the enlarged holes in their ears, and the men with bright- 

 colored breech-cloths, a few of them wearing white shirts and hats. They 

 came into the palace and the new Governor received them most graciously. 

 In spite of my cautions several of them had brought presents of eggs and 

 chickens. These the Governor accepted and turned over to his Japanese 



