Wild Life in Southern Seas. 
162 
struck their broad-bladed paddles into the 
water they sang a weird, monotonous song in 
their harsh, guttural tongue, and our own crew 
of Rotumah men and Niue “ boys ” gazed at 
them in wondering distrust as wicked heathens 
—for the Pleasant Islanders would never let 
a missionary put foot ashore in their island 
home. 
We dropped anchor at sunset just abreast of 
the trader’s house, and were soon all ashore 
enjoying his open-handed hospitality, and sur¬ 
rounded by a hundred or so of the Ngatik 
people, who came to pay their respects to the 
captain and myself. They are a small, slenderly 
built race, and even the men looked very 
effeminate beside Harry Stirling’s huge, brawny- 
backed followers. 
With takuo running riot in my mind, I 
managed to evade attending the chief’s great 
feast and dance by sending him a present and 
a message to the effect that “ my heart was 
eaten up with hot desire to catch a takuof and 
that, as the night was fine and calm, I begged 
his Highness to excuse me, etc., etc. 
Leaving the captain and Harry, therefore, 
to honour the entertainment by their presence, 
