THE TROPICAL PACIFIC 353 



are no temperatures connected with them, for thus far 

 only one of the deep-sea thermometers on board has 

 been of any use. My only salvation is to drop all that 

 work and make up in work and soundings in atoll groups 

 where, of course, I have the whip handle. 



It is very pleasant to be quiet again after such a 

 long trip without seeing a sail or an island. Since my 

 passage from Europe to United States when I was a 

 small boy, I have never taken such a long dose at one 

 time — 22| days since leaving San Francisco. As soon 

 as we approached the anchorage the Captain of the Port 

 came up to call and place himself at our disposal. He 

 is the chief of the local police also. Then came the Vice- 

 Administrator who is in charge here, his chief having 

 been called to Papeete. They had not yet got official 

 notice of our being expected, but I read him the letter 

 of the French Minister of Foreign Affairs, and that 

 quite settled it. The Administrator quite remembered 

 George's [his son] being here ! It seems he spent a 

 month in the islands and went about a good deal. To- 

 morrow we begin to coal. 



To-day everybody is on shore collecting and paying 

 calls and getting information. The native house is very 

 different from anything we have seen at Fiji, built upon 

 a paved platform of huge stones. The natives are fine- 

 looking, remind me more of the Hawaiians than of the 

 Polynesians. But they are beautifully tattooed — unfor- 

 tunately the tattooing being blue will not photograph. 

 We went to-day to see the old Queen, the wife of a 

 celebrated chief, Toana (who conquered all the Marque- 

 sas) ; she must be eighty years old. She is nearly blind, 

 and in charge of a native woman who looks after her. 

 She still has a splendid crop of hair and good teeth ! It 



