RIVAL CONTRACTOR 63 
settled satisfactorily, I having given the contract to a 
native builder, and with the promise of a premium for 
each day she was in the water before a certain date, he 
at the same time being liable to a corresponding fine 
for each day she was late. 
The work was now commenced, but before any pro- 
eress had been made to speak of, a rival builder, whose 
claim was that he had always before constructed boats 
for the Europeans, appeared upon the scene, and tried 
to assert his claims to have the work put into his hands. 
Finding that his demands received no attention, he col- 
lected a band of such riffraff as he could find, and did 
all he could to hinder my man at his work, and it was 
only after an appeal to the Consul that this obstruction 
was put a stop to by his representation to the prefect 
of the town. This disturbance, I may mention, caused 
a cessation of work for a fortnight. I should here say 
that my contract was for a boat about 36 feet on the 
water-line, to be built of pine, with 10 feet beam, and 
having a flat floor and long counter, the only difference 
in the construction of the actual hull from that of the 
ordinary native gunboats being that on each side of the 
timbers, which were of a red wood resembling juniper, 
there should be a good knee of the same wood, the 
ordinary practice being to have one only. I stipulated 
for this extra strengthening because, as it may be 
