The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-11-08
LIFE AT APEMAMA.
Continued from PAGE 81

CONTINUED from PAGES 81
find him. / had supposed this would be
matter of difficulty; and, far from that, ne
came of his own accord-an act really OF
desperation. since his life hung by my
silence. and the best ne could hope was 10
be forgotten. Yet he came with an as
sured countenance, volunteered no apol-
ogy or explanation, complained OF IN
unable to sit down. l suppose L am
the weakest man God made. | had kicked
him in the least vulnerable part OF his Dig
carcass, nv foot was bare, and l hau
not even hurt my foot. An Foo could not
control his ulerriment. ON my side,
knowing what must be the nature OF MS
apprehensions, found in SO much lmpu-
dence a kind of galIantry, and secretly ad-
mired the man. | told him L should say
nothing of his nights adventure TO the
king; that I would still allow him, when
he had an errand, TO come within my taboo
line bv day. but if ever | found him there
after the ser of the sun | would shoot hlm
on she spot, and, TO the proof, showed hlm
a revolver He must have been incredibly
relieved, but he showed no sign OF 1t, took
himself of with his usual dandy nOncha-
lance. and was scarce seen by us again.
These five, then, with the substitution OF
the steward for the cook, came and went,
and were our only visitors. The circle or
the taboo held at arms length the inhaD-
itants of the village. As Tor my family,
they dwelt like nuns IN their lnclosurei
only once have | met one Of them abroad,
and she was the kings sister, and the
place in which found her (the island IN
firmaryl was very likely privileged. There
remains only the king to be accounted tor.
He would come strolIlng over. always
alone, little before meal time, take
a chair, and talk and eat with us
like an old family friend. Gilbertine
etiquette appears defective on the
point of leavetaking. 1t may be re-
with karaith; and there was something
childish and disconcerting in Tembinok's
abrupt Il want 10 go home now" accom-
panied By kind of ducking rise and fol-
lowed by an unadorned retreat. 1t was
the only blot upon his manners. which
were otherwise plain, decent, sensible and
dignihed. He never stayed long nor
where he perceived it 10 differ from his
own. Very early in the day, for instance,
he ceased eating with his knife. 1t was
plain he was determined in all things
to wiring profit from our visit and
chiefly upon etiquette. The quality CT ms
white visitors puzzled and concerned him.
He would bring up name after name and
even ''chiep' at all; which, as some were
my excellent good friends and none were
actually born in the purple, became at
times embarrassing. He was struck to
learn that our classes were distinguishable
by their speech, and that certain words,
for instance, were taboo on the quarter
deck of man-of-war; and he begged in
consequence that we should watch and
correct him on the point. We were able
to assure him that he was beyond correc-
ton. His vocabulary is apt and ample
TO an extraordinary degree. God knows
where he collected it but by some instinct
or accident he has avoided all profane or
gross expressions. Obliged, stabbed, gnaw,
lodge, power, company, slender, smooth,
and wonderful, are few of the unexpected
words that enrich his dialect. Perhaps
what pleased him most was to hear about
saluting the quarter deck of man-of-War
In his gratitude for this hint he became
fulsome. Schooner Cap'n no tell me" he
cried; Il think no tavvy! You tavvy too
much; tavvy teama', tavvy man-o'-wa'. I
think you tavvy everything" Yet he
gravelled US often enough with his per-
petual questions; and the false Mr. Ben
low stood frequently exposed before
the royal Sanford. | remember once in
particular. We were showing the magic
lantern, slide of Windsor castle was put
IN, and told him there was the "'outch
of Victoria" How many pathom he
high?' he asked, and I was dumb before
him. 1t was the builder, the indefatigable
architect of palaces, that spoke; collector
though he was, he did not collect useless
information, and all his questions had a
purpose. After etiquette, government,
law, the police, money and medicine
were kls chief interests, things yitaiIy
important to himself as a king and the
father OF his people. 1t was my part not
n p,,f.
correct the old. my paths. he tells me"
or white man, he tells me-" would be
his constant beginning; You think he
lie?p Sometimes thought he did. Tenn
blnok once brought me a difficulty of this
kind, which was long of compromising.
schooner captain had told him of Can
tam COOK; the king was much interested
In the story, and turned for
more information not to Mr.
Stephens dictionary. not to the Brit.
tannlca, but 70 the Bible i'll the Gilbert
island version. which consists chiefly of
the New Testament and the Psalms. Here
ne sought long and earnestly; Paul he
found, and Festus, and Alexander the
coppersmith; no word of Cook. The in
terence was obvious; the explorer was a
myth. So hard it is even for man of
great natural parts like Temninok' to
grasp the Ideas or new society and cuIturs
We saw but little of the commons of the
Isle. AT first We met them at the we'll
where they washed their linen and We
GREW water Tor the table. The comhinatior
was distaSteful, and having a tyrant ~
command, We applied to the king and had
the place enclosed in our taboo. II was
one OF the lew things which Tembinok,
vlslbly hesitated about granting. and =
may be conceived how little ponnIar -
made the strangers "
ROBERT IorIS STrvrxeo