206 Wild Life in Southern Seas. 
whose captain had red whiskers and a pot 
belly? ” 
And there we lay and smoked and talked, 
and gazed sleepily out upon the sparkling sea 
with the long line of foaming, reef-bound surf 
far below us, till the first air of the land breeze 
crept down to us from the mountains. Then, 
shouldering our burdens, we returned to the 
village to watch an evening dance, and then 
sleep peacefully till the morn. 
The morning for our return to Apia broke 
brightly, with the booming of the feeding 
pigeons, and the shrill cries of the gaily-hued 
paroquets, as they flitted from bough to bough 
in the bread-fruit grove surrounding the town. 
The doctor had been up and away as the first 
streak of sunrise pierced through the lattice- 
worked sides of the house, to walk to the 
mission house and bid farewell to the ladies, 
who had sent us word that they had decided 
to stay at Safata for a week. As Gafalua and 
myself were having our breakfast, we saw him 
striding down the leafy path in company with 
the missionary, who had returned with him to 
say goodbye. We made quite a strong party 
