296 TEE CRUISE OF TEE " CACEALOT:' 



Soiith-seaman we were to wood and water, find letters 

 from home (those who had one), and prepare for the 

 stormy south. 



Obviously the first thing to be done for our new 

 shipmates was to clothe them. When they arrived 

 on board, all, with the single exception of Tui, were 

 furnished only with a " maro" of "tapa," scanty in its 

 proportions, but still enough to wrap round their loins. 

 But when they were accepted for the vacant positions 

 on board, they cast off even the slight apology for 

 clothing which they had worn, flinging the poor rags 

 to their retreating and rejected compatriots. Thus they 

 were strutting about, in native majesty unclad, which, 

 of course, could not be endured among even so uncon- 

 ventional a crowd as we were. So they were mustered 

 aft, and, to their extravagant delight, a complete rig-out 

 was handed to each of them, accompanied by graphic 

 instructions how to dress themselves. Very queer thej 

 looked when dressed, but queerer still not long after- 

 wards, when some of them, galled by the unaccustomed 

 restraint of the trousers, were seen prowling about with 

 shirts tied round their waists by the sleeves, and pants 

 twisted turban-wise about their heads. Tui was called, 

 and requested to inform them that they must dress 

 properly, after the fashion of the white man, for that 

 any impromptu improvements upon our method of 

 clothes-wearing could not be permitted. As they were 

 gentle, tractable fellows, they readily obeyed, and, 

 though they must have suffered considerably, there 

 were no further grounds for complaint on the score 

 of dress. 



It has been already noticed that they were Eoman 

 Catholics — all except Tui, who from his superior mental 

 elevation looked down upon their beliefs with calm 



