The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-08-08
STEVENSON AT APEMAMA.
a VIsIT WITH HIN AND HIS zD-
MIRER. fUE KING.
TcmbinoEn OF the Dynasty OF the shark ana
the EinE That tho Novelist Designed for
m-RecoiicpiIon or strvenson's CONVEX
sation ana Ways-IIIs Hold on the Natives.

Observation-Disclosures or strvenson's Conver-
-ation ana Ways-iis Hold on the natives.
In one OF the unknown lands that still exist
IN byways OF travel 1t was my good fortune
to be a participant in one of tho most pictur-
esquc incidents in the career Of Robert Louis
Stevenson.
Apernama was my destination when l left
Sydney, New South Wales, rs supcrcargo OF
the barkcntinc George Nublo, owned by n
Chinese firm in that city. We made the Island
OF Apemama two months ont from our homo
port. and wcgc boarded outside the reef by AN
old gentleman with ono eye and Il girdloo t pan
danus leaves. He informed us that pilotaEc
would cost $40, and the privilege OF entering
the lagoon without his services The was the
pilot would cost us 50 only. good south Amcri.
can silver, to DO paid into the Golfers of King
Temblnoka. In n few moments conclusions
were reached, and the old fellow was on our
topsail yard believing instructions to the helms
man. Once we graLcd the coral, but finally
brought up in the lagoon Off the Kings house
and close to n mail fore-and- aft schooner flying
the American flag.
Our neighbor In port was the Equator and
hailed from San Francisco. Before we an
chored a boat left her, and as soon as possible
her occupants boarded us. Ono was rather tall
and slightly built, with thin, black hair, worn
rather long, and a dropping black mustachc.
He was dressed in tho usual style Of an island
trader. with just a soupcon Of swagger, in tho
finest braided native hat and brilliant crimson
silk cummerbund, worn with the thin linen
suit OF dazzling white affected by foreigners
who live in the Zine islands. Accompanying
him were two white ladies, and the only white
man whom Tembinoka allowed permanently
to reside on the island. l knew this man as
Johnny, and to this day firmly believe that he
possessed no other cognomen. The party came
direct to the tradehouse, built on deck; and 1
had the honor Of being introduced to Robert
Louis Stevenson, his wife, and stepdaughter,
Mira. Strong.
We shook hands, exchanged cards and greet
ings, and inquired, as usual in the islands, about
the wind and the weather. Then Mr.. Stevenson
seated himself on a case of tobacco, while the
only deck chairs on board were offered to the
two ladies. Mr.. Stevenson dropped into an
easy conversation, in which no displayed n re-
markable technical knowledge of matters ma
1ine. Nothing seemed to escape his notice.
~'You take but little wind to stay, and your
vessel goes round well on her heel remarked
the author of Treasure Island, :" which showed
that our manpuvring in the lagoon channel had
pot been nnnoticed. Naturally ! was # ttered by
his 5, cs g d2!InsE to ,d the s ship And ID as s it was = then en-
make, tea. We stayed on deck. glad to have
the ssst5 p1eee Mnise Of m tnlsl Is in TO each h f 9snsf 5ir TGF ia "a the dS,
Gilberts. Stevenson finally passed me his to-
becco pouch, filled, perceived, with Turkish
tobacco of a very superior quality. ] rolled "A
cigarette, and somewhat to my establishment.
The ladies did the same. Their actions were per-
fectly natural; there was no atfcctation. They
Mrs; Stevenson did puff her cigarette very
5onventi9nalitieS Of utilization: Mr.. stevenson
hast ! mo!s to Gs SefEIhlstinii "a ,b,d believe icy sb me ni it Is in, in,
irksome ethics of society," 1 agreed, and far
into the shades Of that balmy. tropical night |
of letters In his neglig6 picturesque attire he
appeared a natural nobiernan,, and shall ever
remen6er that meeting with the most un-
Steven ION had completely won the regard
simple islanders recognized in him a being vast.
~ differebt from those whites with whom they
noEa c,1ntroiled every tPiSs''t on A Apcmama.
Every coaoanut palm paid its 1.-THE to him. The
inalienalily his should his royal fiat % issue.
Even thu sea paid him tribute, the fishermen
propitiatDry offerings on their return. He was
absolute master Of life, and held the census of
infanficide. The island. +" said. was already
over.peo Pied and self preservation obliged him
Personally. Tembinokaa was a giant, stand
ing over 8 feet 3 inches. He weighed nearly
der in his boat. being distrustful Of mounting a
vessels side by any other means. Ashore a
Wood was his conveysnce. SH" required ir G a DOZEN
natives 10 carry his majestic person. On his
hide, their faces. He was XII King gam and " exercis e
TO the uttermost the attributes of his sover.
de.mGr, pearl shell, and copra. Nesotiations
with the King for the purchase of his copra
he declined to sell the I50 tons Of dried cocoa
nut in the royal storehouses. All hands on
even oyershadowed me. One day. about a
week; after our arrival, Stevenson came aboard
and inquired the reason so for our painfully. aP-,
inhurnce with the King, and suddenly inquired
i we had any bunting on board: replied in
tradehouse to inspect the stock. The great
Of %Fi Sfs 'S Ssnfs. h1 He tdld dn me- sffRR h e aSa XII Rinr reason Sn,
oestral history, was i~nterwoYen with the ie.
gends and mythology Of the island. His Pedi.
ment and edifcsti9n that day. After recount.
dynasty, it referred to the origin of his noble
hoTse; Al; a high ;ha princes e 81 had fallen
from their union sprang the royal line OF Tenn
binoka-
and romance OF the legend, had deeply i'm
pressed the great writer, and to commemorate
Island kingdom; The design was the work of
Mr.. Strong and the flag was to be similar to
inal, 1t would become an emblem Of kingly aq-
ancestry. / measured Off the bunting neces.
sary and asked Stevenson to accept 1t a, a pres
ent. He did so, and in the second dog watch
Mrs. Strong's def fingers put the finishing touch
70 the ensign or A~pemama's autonomy andTem-
The climate Of the Line islands is such that
the early part of the morning is the only time
when e%xertion or energy of any kind is possible,
20 that at 9 O'Clock next morning, whom the
Equator party. headed, by stevenson and his
wife and accompanied by our Captain and my.
self. arrived at the Kings bungalow, we found
the royal household alive and astir. Tcmbin-
Okla was eating a peculiar kind of shellflsh
called edourig, washing down this repaSt with
raspberry syrup and gin.
Stevenson explained through Johnny the ma
ture or his visit, and asked the honor Of raising
the standard. Tcmbinoka was fattered.
Smiles fairly rippled over his broad face, and
his good humor found vent by forcing his ma
tutinal ''eye opener" down our unwilling
tbroats. His retainers were massed around the
Flagstaff, which until then had merely been used
to signal the various vessels that might bring
up by chance in his lagoon.
The flag was rolled in a tight ball and run to
the masthead. The Kings ,riiemen were
oussed, Tembinoka removed his smoke-tinted
goggles and lifted his sun helmet slightly in
salute. Robert Louis Stevenson unfurled the
royal standard and an, impromptu zen de .joie
hnrst from the Cnna of Tnmhinnka,s nlIard