1 88 THE CORAL LANDS OF THE PACIFIC. 



faces, the blue outline of an island was lit up by lightning, 

 while a distant peal of thunder was heard. 



A few minutes later the wind dropped, the sea grew calm, 

 the cocoa-nut trees raised their heads, the clouds broke, and 

 the warm sun was peeping out. I ventured to remark that it 

 was a grand sight from my host's lofty veranda, but was it a 

 'blow'? 



' Not exactly a champion one for these latitudes, but quite 

 as much as we want,' was my brother's business-like reply. 



I have had several so-called 'blows' in various parts of the 

 Pacific, but I never experienced one much worse than that I 

 have attempted to describe. The records of the Southern 

 Seas, however, and also the underwriters' ledgers, have a 

 different tale to tell; happily Fiji has for many years been 

 exceptionally free from any very serious visitation. 



Dinner at Wai- Wai during my visit took place at the hour 

 most convenient for the majority. Our host was not particular 

 the comfort of his visitors seemed all in all to him, and 

 there was something so thoroughly hearty in our Wai-Wai 

 welcome, something so thoroughly representative of the 

 customs that obtain among more recent arrivals of the push- 

 ing Anglo-Saxon race in that unexplored field of wealth, the 

 South Pacific, that I make no apology for dwelling on my 

 reception at Mr. Chippindall's and ex uno disce omncs. Mark 

 Twain tells us that his youthful diary consisted for months of 

 monotonous repetitions of 'Got up, washed, and went to bed.' 

 After a time Mark found this dry reading, and discontinued 

 his diary. If I were to dwell on every hospitable reception, 

 and recapitulate all the details of personal travel, I should 

 become as dull as the youthful journalist, and a few personal 

 reminiscences must serve as types of the rest. 



A good meal is a wonderful sweetener of this life of ours. 



