156 MYSTIC ISLES 



"la ora nar which is the common greeting of the Tahi- 

 tian, and is pronounced "yuranna." The white is al- 

 ways a matter of curiosity to the native. These simple 

 people have not lost, though generations of whites have 

 come and bred and died or gone, at least some of their 

 original awe and enjoyment of their conquerors and 

 rulers. 



When we had coffee in the morning, our serious and 

 distinguished native hosts stood while we ate and drank. 

 We, guests in their own comfortable house, did not ask 

 them to join us. Llewellyn, when I put the question, 

 answered : 



"No. I am both white and of too high native rank. 

 You cannot afford to let the native become your social 

 equal." 



McHenry said : 



"You 're bloody well right. Keep him in his stall, 

 and he 's all right; but out of it, ye '11 get no peace." 



So the gentle Pai and her husband — they are religious 

 people, and went to the Faatoai church three times this 

 Sunday — stood while we lolled at ease. Courtesy here 

 seems a native trait, though even a little native blood im- 

 proves on the white as far as politeness is concerned. 

 En passant, the average white here is not of the leisure 

 class, in which manners are an occupation; the native, on 

 the other hand, is of a leisure class by hereditj^ and it 

 is only when tainted by a desire to make money quickly 

 or much of it that he loses his urbanitv. 



We had breakfasted in the bower at ten o'clock, with 

 the band in attendance. Not one of the musicians had 

 slept except Kelly, who said he had forty winks. When 

 the pastors and their flocks of the various competing 



