the Flying Fish, we saw various shoals raise themselves in flight to the height 

 of about 8 or 10 feet, and cover 50 or 60 paces before they fell again into the 

 water to moisten their wings, and actjuire renewed strength against the Bonitos 

 (implacable, cannibal fish that are always chasing the flying fish and driving 

 them to seek refuge in aerial flights) who sometimes catch them as they fall, 

 or spring out of the water and grab them as they fly. Besides bonitos, the fly- 

 ing fish have yet another enemy, being a certain kind of bird, which shoots down 

 on them as they fly out of the water to save themselves from the bonitos. Our 

 constable brought me the first flying fish which, followed by one of the said . 

 birds near by, happened to fall into our ship. It was of the shape, colour and 

 size of a herring, the back a little bit thicker, and the extreme front of the 

 head roundish, like a sea bream, with the wings above the belly — very like a 

 bat's." 



But these controversial theorems were destined to be settled by an author- 

 ity whose dictum we never questioned. Our table steward, although not permitted 

 to take part at meals in the discussions that were continually going on, was 

 always an interested listener. I generally retired to the dining room when I 

 wished to read or write apart from the maddening crowd. It was on such occa- 

 sions that I listened to the oracular wisdom of Zeke. "Now, Kunnel, bout dem 

 flyin' fishes ~ dey flies jest like any odder bud — wid der Things. I of fen 

 see *em do it." Then, doubtless as a concession to the opposed opinions of 

 some of his "table folks", he added, after a thoughtful pause, "Anyways, dey'se 

 mighty good eat in" . Of which latter statement we had convincing proof at the 

 very next dinner. 



One of the most dramatic episodes of our trip was the interchange of mail 

 matter between our steamer and the island of Niuafoou, which, by the way, has 

 no harbor and few anchorages. It is a member of the Tongan Group, about 3 

 miles long and from 3 to 5 miles xvide and has a population of 1,117, of \-hom' 

 two are whites. Practically, this island is the crater of an extinct volcano, 

 enclosing - with some tropical vegetation - a lake, gaseous, metallic and non- 

 drinkable, three miles long by one and a half wide. The soil is very fertile 

 and produces the largest cocoanuts in the Pacific. To add to the peculiarities 

 of this curious oceanic uplift, on one of the islets of the crater lake is a 

 spring from which flows water that is sweet and potable. ** To return to the 

 mail service, we did not reach IJiuafoou until 10 p.m., and on a rainy and rather 

 wmdy evening* First, the dark form of the mountainous island - how like 

 Dominica it seemed'. - loomed up through the mists of the gloory right and 

 shortly afterwards we saw that a large bonfire had been built on shore; and still 

 later we saw a small but clear light in the water as we approached the shore. 



The engines were stopped, but the Captain did not dare to head in too close 

 to that iron-bound coast; so we drifted along about six hundred yards from the 

 island. In a short time the light on the water came bobbing along - nearer and 

 nearer the steamer - until at last, within the area illuminated by the search- 

 light of the Tofua , we made out five naked figures, each provided with a bam- 

 boo or cocoanut pole seven or eight feet long that served the double purpose of 

 a float and as a prevention against being dashed against the sharp rocks on the 

 return to shore. One man held aloft a lighted lantern tied to a bamboo stick- 

 three others had, each, various small, oil-cloth-covered packages - mostly mail 

 matter - tied to a cleft stick, which he held, like the lantern axmy from the 

 water . J 



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