BETTER XXIX.] 



A PICTURESQUE SCENE. 



261 



produce would be — a meal. Now and then the men came in 

 and talked for a while, and as the darkness and cold intensified, 

 they brought in an arrangement extemporised out of what 

 looked like a battered tin bath, half full of earth, with some 

 lighted faggots at the top, which gave out a little warmth and 

 much stinging smoke. Actual, undoubted, night came on 

 without Mr. Green, of whose failure I felt certain, and without 

 food, and being blinded by the smoke, I rolled myself in a 

 blanket and fell asleep on the bench, only to wake in a great 

 fright, believing that the volcano house was burning over my 

 head, and that a venerable missionary was taking advantage of 

 the confusion to rob my saddle-bags, which in truth one of the 

 men was moving out of harm's way, having piled up the fire 

 two feet high. 



Presently a number of voices outside shouted Haole! and 

 Mr. Green came in shaking the water from his waterproof, with 

 the welcome words, " Everything's settled for to-morrow." Mr. 

 Reid threw cold water on the ascent, and could give no help j 

 and Mr. G. being thus left to himself, after a great deal of 

 trouble, has engaged as guide an active young goat-hunter, who, 

 though he has never been to the top of the mountain, knows 

 other parts of it so well that he is sure he can take us up. Mr. 

 G. also brings an additional mule and pack-horse, so that our 

 equipment is complete, except in the matter of cruppers, which 



twe have been obliged to make for ourselves out of goats' hair 

 rope, and old stockings. If Mr. G. has an eye for the pic- 

 turesque, he must have been gratified as he came in from the 

 fog and darkness into the grass room, with the flaring fire in the 

 middle, the rifles gleaming on the wall, the two men in very 



-rough clothing, and myself huddled up in a blanket sitting on 

 tiie floor, where my friend was very glad to join us. 



Mr. Green has brought nothing but tea from Kapapala, but 

 Gandle has made some excellent rolls, besides feasting us on 

 stewed fowl, dough nuts, and milk ! Little comfort is promised 

 for to-night, as Gandle says, with a twinkle of kindly malice in 

 his eye, that we shall not " get a wink of sleep, for the place 

 swarms with fleas/' They are a great pest of the colder regions 

 of the islands, and, like all other nuisances, are said to have 

 been imported ! Gandle and the other man have entertained 

 us with the misfortunes of our predecessors, on which they 

 sgem to gloat with ill-omened satisfaction. 



I. L. B. 



