OF THE SOUTH SEAS 67 



yard. The extraordinary life of the place flows round and near 

 my room — for here no one, man or woman, scruples to come 

 through one's room at any moment, if it happens to be a short- 

 cut. By day nothing much happens in the yard — except when 

 a horse tried to eat a hen, the other afternoon. But by niglit, 

 after ten, it is filled with flitting figures of girls, with wreaths 

 of white flowers, keeping assignations. ... It is all — all 

 Papeete — like a Renaissance Italy with the venom taken out, 

 No, simpler, light-come and light-go, passionate and forgetful, 

 like children, and all the time South Pacific, that is to say un- 

 malicious and good-tempered. 



Wlien a steamship was in port the Tiare was a hurly- 

 burly. Perhaps forty or even a hundred extra patrons 

 came for meals or drinks. It was amusing to hear their 

 uncomprehending anger at their failure to obtain quick 

 service or even a smile by their accustomed manner to- 

 ward dark peoples. The British, who were the majority 

 of the travelers, have a cold, autocratic attitude toward 

 all who wait upon them, but especially toward those of 

 the colored races. In Tahiti they suffered utter dismay, 

 because Tahitians know no servitude and pay no atten- 

 tion to sharp words. 



I saw a red-faced woman giving an order for aperitifs 

 to To Sen, the Chinese waiter. 



"Two old-fashioned gin cocktails," she iterated. 

 "You savee, gin and bitters? Be sure it 's Angostura, 

 and lemon and soda, and two Manhattans with rye 

 whisky. Hurry along now! Old-fashioned, remem- 

 ber!". 



In ten minutes Temanu came for the order. To Sen 

 knew no English, and Temanu only, "Yais, ma dar- 

 leeng," and "Whatnahell?" 



"Spik Furanche?" she begged. 



