Along the British Pacific Cable. 311 



rank vegetation, almost overcame me. I began to perspire, 

 and in six weeks lost 20 pounds — that is, in weight. As my 

 coming had been cabled, quarters had been secured for me. 

 Immediately the first night I saw big things, like birds, flying 

 about my domicile. I asked what they were, — cockroaches 

 were the answer. However, I had no fear, as I was too heavy 

 to be carried away. When I was about retiring in a bed can- 

 opied with mosquito netting, I saw a spider fully six inches 

 across on the netting. I promptly took aim and killed the 

 arachnid. In the morning I informed the landlady of the in- 

 cident. She thereupon told me I had done wrong, saying it 

 was not only a harmless creature but useful for eating mos- 

 quitoes. The next discovery I made was that my leather 

 boots which were black the night before, were now green — 

 covered with mould, a small herbarium of the lower vegetable 

 organisms. There is some compensation, however, for the 

 common scarlet hisbiscus flower and the leaves of the same 

 shrub are very efficacious for blacking boots. Of course I 

 had to discard my tweed suit, and donned the white flannel 

 coat and trousers I had brought with me, but these also were 

 too warm for one born and brought up where the Great Bear 

 rides high in the heavens. So I provided myself with white 

 cotton garments. There was too much of the al fresco in the 

 native costume for me — I wasn't a Fijian. 



I was surprised to find that among the white people there 

 (and there are not many), those who indulge in liquor, almost 

 invariably drank Scotch and soda. Upon expressing my aston- 

 ishment that under a tropical sun, ardent spirits were used in 

 preference to beer or wine, I was told the latter affected the 

 liver ■ this same explanation was given later too in Australia 

 and in India. Not knowing whether I have a liver or not I 

 can not personally corroborate the theory. 



My next experience was when I set up my instrument and 

 gazed in the southern sky. The good old Pole-Star that had 

 kept me straight, or as the astronomer would say, had given 

 me my azimuth these many years, had long sunk in the sea, 

 and in my march to these shores other stars had risen from 

 the southern horizon. The Southern Cross was now with us, 



