Itwasaveryfinesight，forsomethreethousandpeoplearesaidtohaveassembled。Themenworenothingbutmagnificenthead-dressesandabunchofleaves，andwereoiledandglisteninginthesunlight。Onebandhadnomaidbutwasledbyatinychildofaboutfive-aseriouslittlecreaturecladinaribbonofgrassandafinehead-dress，whoskippedwithelaborateleapsinfrontofthewarriors，likealittlekidleadingabandoflions。A。M。)
TheA。M。beingdone，Igoonagain。Allthismadeitverypossiblethatevenifnoneofourboyshadstolenthepig，someofthemmightknowthethief。Besides，thetheft，asitwasatheftofmeatpreparedforaguest，hadsomethingofthenatureofaninsult，and’myface，’innativephrase，’wasashamed。’Accordingly，wedeterminedtoholdabedofjustice。Itwasdonelastnightafterdinner。Isatattheheadofthetable，Grahamonmyrighthand，HenrySimeleatmyleft，Lloydbehindhim。Thehousecompanysatontheflooraroundthewalls-twelvealltold。IamdescribedaslookingaslikeBraxfieldasIcouldmanagewithmyappearance；Graham，whoisofaseverecountenance，lookedlikeRhadamanthus；Lloydwashideoustotheview；andSimelehadallthefinesolemnityofaSamoanchief。TheproceedingsopenedbymydeliveringaSamoanprayer，whichmaybetranslatedthus-’OurGod，lookdownuponusandshineintoourhearts。HelpustobefarfromfalsehoodsothateachoneofusmaystandbeforeThyFaceinhisintegrity。’-Then，beginningwithSimele，everyonecameuptothetable，laidhishandontheBible，andrepeatedclausebyclauseaftermethefollowingoath-IfearitmaysoundevencomicinEnglish，butitisaveryprettypieceofSamoan，andstruckdirectatthemostlivelysuperstitionsoftherace。’ThisistheHolyBibleherethatIamtouching。
Beholdme，OGod！IfIknowwhoitwasthattookawaythepig，ortheplacetowhichitwastaken，orhaveheardanythingrelatingtoit，andshallnotdeclarethesame-bemadeanendofbyGodthislifeofmine！’Theyalltookitwithsomuchseriousnessandfirmnessthat(asGrahamsaid)
iftheywerenotinnocenttheywouldmakeinvaluablewitnesses。IwassofarimpressedbytheirbearingthatI
wentnofurther，andthefunnyandyetstrangelysolemnscenecametoanend。
SUNDAY，NO。6th。
Hereisalongstorytogobackupon，andIwonderifIhaveeithertimeorpatienceforthetask？
WednesdayIhadagreatideaofmatch-making，andproposedtoHenrythatFaalewouldmakeagoodwifeforhim。IwishI
hadputthisdownwhenitwasfresherinmymind，itwassointerestinganinterview。MygentlemanwouldnottellifI
wereonornot。’Idonotknowyet；Iwilltellyounextweek。MayItellthesisterofmyfather？No，betternot，tellherwhenitisdone。’-’Butwillnotyourfamilybeangryifyoumarrywithoutaskingthem？’-’Myvillage？Whatdoesmyvillagewant？Mats！’IsaidIthoughtthegirlwouldgrowuptohaveagreatdealofsense，andmygentlemanflewoutuponme；shehadsensenow，hesaid。
Thursday，wewerestartledbythenoteofguns，andpresentlyafterhearditwasanEnglishwarship。GrahamandIsetoffatonce，andassoonaswemetanytownsfolktheybegancryingtomethatIwastobearrested。ItwastheVOSSISCHE
ZEITUNGarticlewhichhadbeenquotedinapaper。WentonboardandsawCaptainBourke；hedidnotevenknow-notevenguess-whyhewashere；havingbeensentoffbycablegramfromAuckland。ItishopedthesameshipthattakesthisoffEuropewardsmaybringhisordersandournews。Butwhichisittobe？Headsortails？IfitistobeGerman，Ihopetheywilldeportme；Ishouldpreferitso；IdonotthinkthatIcouldbearaGermanofficialdom，andshouldprobablyhavetoleaveSPONTEMEA，whichisonlylesspicturesqueandmoreexpensive。
8TH。
Mailday。Allwell，notyetputinprison，whatevermaybeinstoreforme。Notimeeventosignthislameletter。
MYDEARCOLVIN，-Anothergrimylittleoddandendofpaper，forwhichyoushallbethismonthrepaidinkind，andserveyoujollywellright……Thenewhouseisroofed；itwillbeabrawhouse，andwhatisbetter，Ihavemyyearlybillin，andIfindIcanpayforit。Forallwhichmercies，etc。
Imusthavemadecloseon4，000poundsthisyearalltold；
but，whatisnotsopleasant，Iseemtohavecomeneartospendingthem。Ihavebeeningreatalarm，withthisnewhouseonthecards，allsummer，andcameveryneartotakinginsail，butIliveheresoentirelyoncredit，thatI
determinedtohangon。
DEC。1ST。
IwassayingyesterdaythatmylifewasstrangeanddidnotthinkhowwellIspoke。YesterdayeveningIwasbriefedtodefendapoliticalprisonerbeforetheDeputyCommissioner。
Whatdoyouthinkofthatforavicissitude？
DEC。3RD。
Nowforaconfession。WhenIheardyouandCassellshaddecidedtoprintTHEBOTTLEIMPalongwithFALESA，Iwastoomuchdisappointedtoanswer。THEBOTTLEIMPwasthePIECEDE
RESISTANCEformyvolume，ISLANDNIGHTS’ENTERTAINMENTS。
However，thatvolumemighthavenevergotdone；andIsendyoutwoothersincasetheyshouldbeintime。
FirsthavetheBEACHOFFALESA。
Thenafreshfalsetitle:ISLANDNIGHTS’ENTERTAINMENTS；andthenTHEBOTTLEIMP:acuefromanoldmelodrama。
THEISLEOFVOICES。
THEWAIFWOMAN；acuefromaSAGA。
OfcoursethesetwoothersarenotuptothemarkofTHE
BOTTLEIMP；buttheyeachhaveacertainmerit，andtheyfitinstyle。Bysaying’acuefromanoldmelodrama’aftertheB。I。，youcangetridofmynote。Ifthisisintime，itwillbesplendid，andwillmakequiteavolume。
ShouldyouandCassellsprefer，youcancallthewholevolumeI。N。E-thoughtheBEACHOFFALESAisthechildofaquitedifferentinspiration。Theyallhaveaqueerrealism，eventhemostextravagant，eventheISLEOFVOICES；themannersareexact。
Shouldtheycometoolate，havethemtype-written，andreturntomeherethetype-writtencopies。
SUNDAY，DEC。4TH。
3rdstart，-ButnowmorehumblyandwiththeaidofanAmanuensis。Firstonewordaboutpage2。MywifeprotestsagainsttheWaif-womanandIaminstructedtoreportthesametoyou……
DEC。5TH。
AhorridalarmrisesthatourOctobermailwasburnedcrossingthePlains。Ifso，youlostabeautifullongletter-IamsureitwasbeautifulthoughIremembernothingaboutit-andImustsayIthinkitservesyouproperlywell。
ThatIshouldcontinuewritingtoyouatsuchlengthissimplyavicioushabitforwhichIblush。Atthesametime，pleasecommunicateatoncewithCharlesBaxterwhetheryouhaveorhavenotreceivedaletterpostedhereOct12th，asheisgoingtocablemethefateofmymail。
Nowtoconcludemynews。TheGermanFirmhavetakenmybooklikeangels，andtheresultisthatLloydandIweredownthereatdinneronSaturday，wherewepartookoffifteenseveraldishesandeightdistinctformsofintoxicatingdrink。TothecreditofGermany，Imustsaytherewasnotashadowofaheadachethenextmorning。Iseemtohavedoneaswellasmyneighbours，forIhearoneoftheclerksexpressedthenextmorningagratifiedsurprisethatMr。
Stevensonstoodhisdrinksowell。Itisastrangethingthatanyracecanstillfindjoyinsuchathleticexercises。
Imayremarkinpassingthatthemailisdueandyouhavehadfarmorethanyoudeserve。
MYDEARCOLVIN，-Youareproperlypaidatlast，anditislikeyouwillhavebutashadowofaletter。Ihavebeenprettythoroughlyoutofkilter；firstafeverthatwouldneithercomeonnorgooff，thenacutedyspepsia，intheweakeninggraspofwhichIgetwanderingbetweenthewakingstateandoneofnightmare。WhythedevildoesnoonesendmeATALANTA？AndwhyaretherenoproofsofD。Balfour？
SureIshouldhavehadthewhole，atleastthehalf，ofthembynow；anditwouldbeallfortheadvantageoftheAtalantans。IhavewrittentoCassell&Co。(matterofFALESA)’youwillpleasearrangewithhim’(meaningyou)。
’WhathemaydecideIshallabide。’Soconsideryourhandfree，andactformewithoutfearorfavour。Iamgreatlypleasedwiththeillustrations。ItisverystrangetoaSouth-SeayertoseeHawaiianwomendressedlikeSamoans，butIguessthat’sallonetoyouinMiddlesex。It’saboutthesameasifLondoncitymenwereshowngoingtotheStockExchangeasPIFFERARI；butnomatter，nonewillsleepworseforit。IhaveacceptedCassell’sproposalasanamendmenttooneofmine；thatD。B。istobebroughtoutfirstunderthetitleCATRIONAwithoutpictures；and，whenthehourstrikes，KIDNAPPEDandCATRIONAaretoformvols。I。andII。
oftheheavilyillustrated’AdventuresofDavidBalfour’at7s。6d。each，soldseparately-
’sletterwasvastlyslyanddryandshy。Iamnotafraidnow。Twoattemptshavebeenmade，bothhavefailed，andI
imaginethesefailuresstrengthenme。Aboveallthisistrueofthelast，wheremyweakpointwasattempted。Oneveryother，Iamstrong。Onlyforcecandislodgeme，forpublicopinioniswhollyonmyside。AllracesanddegreesareunitedinheartfeltoppositiontotheMenofMulinuu。Thenewsofthefightingwasofnoconcerntomortalman；itwasmademuchofbecausemenlovetalkofbattles，andbecausetheGovernmentprayGoddailyforsomescandalnottheirown；
butitwasonlyabriskepisodeinaclanfightwhichhasgrownapparentlyendemicinthewestofTutuila。Atthebestitwasatwopennyaffair，andneveroccupiedmymindfiveminutes。
Iamsowearyofreportsthatarewithoutfoundationandthreatsthatgowithoutfulfilment，andsomuchoccupiedbesidesbytheragingtroublesofmyownwame，thatIhavebeenveryslackonpolitics，asIhavebeeninliterature。
Withincrediblelabour，IhaverewrittentheFirstChapteroftheJusticeClerk；ittookmeabouttendays，andrequiresanotherathleticdressingafterall。Andthatismystoryforthemonth。Therestisgruntingandgrutching。
ConsiderandaforTHEBEACH:-
I。WhethertoaddoneorboththetalesIsentyou？
II。Whethertocallthewholevolume’IslandNightsEntertainments’？
IIIWhether，havingwaitedsolong，itwouldnotbebettertogivemeanothermail，incaseIcouldaddanothermembertothevolumeandalittlebetterjustifythename？
IfIpossiblycandrawupanotherstory，Iwill。WhatannoyedmeabouttheuseofTHEBOTTLEIMPwasthatIhadalwaysmeantitforthecentre-pieceofavolumeofMARCHEN
whichIwasslowlytoelaborate。YoualwayshadanideathatIdepreciatedtheB。I；Ican’tthinkwherefore；Ialwaysparticularlylikedit-oneofmybestworks，andilltoequal；andthatwaswhyIlovedtokeepitinportfoliotillIhadtimetogrowuptosomeotherfruitofthesameVENUE。
However，thatisdisposedofnow，andwemustjustdothebestwecan。
Iamnotawarethatthereisanythingtoadd；theweatherishellish，waterspouts，mists，chills，thefoulfiend’sownweather，followingonaweekofexpurgatedheaven；soitgoesatthisbewilderingseason。Iwriteintheupperfloorofmynewhouse，ofwhichIwillsendyousomedayaplantomeasure。’Tisanelegantstructure，surely，andtheproidofmeoi。Wasaskedtopayforitjustnow，andgenteellyrefused，andthenagreed，inviewofgeneralgood-will，topayahalfofwhatisstilldue。
