126 IOWA STUDIES IN NATURAL HISTORY 
but still we chugged on although the crew of three now bestirred 
themselves and it was evident that a landing was soon to be made. 
After a little the captain ordered the mate to call to some one on 
shore for a lantern and after much halloing and talking a number 
of lights appeared among the trees along the high bank and soon 
the boat came to a stop at a shaky wharf. 
It was a queer feeling that came over us as we were escorted 
through the darkness up the steep, slippery bank by a group of 
babbling natives who could speak and understand only a limited 
amount of English. We began to wonder if, contrary to what we 
had been led to believe, cannibalism did not still prevail on the 
island. 
Our minds were soon set at ease, however, for Mecuisela,? the 
native Wesleyan preacher, took us in charge and escorted us to 
his home which he turned completely over to our use. His house 
was a Single-roomed structure about 18 by 24 feet with woven reed 
walls, a corrugated iron roof and an earthen floor thickly covered 
with straw on which were laid native mats. By the dim light of 
the smoky hanging lamp we made out a small table and three 
chairs; so, drawing these together and spreading out the contents 
of our food boxes, and with Mecuisela looking on, the while talk- 
ing and grunting to himself, we partook of a late luncheon during 
which we had opportunity to inspect further the contents of the 
room. 
Along one side was an ancient chest of drawers and several 
small wooden eases, one of which we later found contained Me- 
cuisela’s preaching clothes consisting mainly of a black, ready- 
tied necktie, a white shirt and a sulu. The latter is the universal 
article of wearing apparel among members of the Fijian sterner 
sex and is simply a piece of cloth two or three yards long and 
about twenty-eight inches wide which is wrapped around the waist 
and the free end tucked in so that the garment maintains its pro- 
per position on the body. An ancient Seth Thomas clock hung on 
the wall with several photographs of the preacher and others. 
Highly colored pictures of the Last Supper, the Barren Fig Tree 
and the Defiled Temple adorned other wall space; an old shot- 
gun was suspended from a nail. In one corner of the room, snug- 
gled down in the straw, was a sitting hen. But the piece de re- 
sistance was a huge bamboo bed 514 by 12 feet covered with straw 
2 Pronounced Methuselah. 
