42 THE WHALE AND 



Tropical Fruit-trees, Kingship and Democracy. 



through a dense wood, coming out of it on the 

 windward side of the island, by the old church 

 and grave-yard, where Temaeva pointed out the 

 tomb of a former wife, having the date of her 

 death rudely cut in a coral slab. 



The cocoa-nuts passed were numberless, shed- 

 ding their fruit by thousands ; also lofty and 

 straight pandanuses, kukuis, and milo trees. 

 Following round the shore to the point at which 

 we had struck off into the woods, we found the 

 captain there busy trading. I pleased myself 

 a while with looking at those mixed and motley 

 groups, and trying to communicate with the 

 harmless Arimatarians, and then went off to 

 the boat through the outrageous surf, inly wish- 

 ing I could leave with them some substantial 

 and enduring testimony of good will. 



The king and his wife, together with the cap- 

 tain, came, one by one, soon after, and we all 

 pulled off to the ship, where the king seemed 

 highly gratified with his entertainment and pres- 

 ents. He is manifestly king but in name, hav- 

 ing to promise a recompense even to the men 

 that brought him off to the boat in their canoe. 

 The Gospel has abolished all tyranny, and, as 

 the sailor interpreted it, all there are for them- 



