第2章

aninveteratebungler；amanwithtwentythumbs，continuallyfallinginthedishes，throwingoutthedinner，preservingthegarbage；(3)adr-，well，don’tletussaythat-butwedaren’tlethimgototown，andhe-poor，goodsoul-isafraidtobeletgo-Lafaele(Raphael)，astrong，dull，deprecatoryman；splendidwithanaxe，ifwatched；thebetterforarowing，whenhecallsme’Papa’inthemostwheedlingtones；desperatelyafraidofghosts，sothathedarenotwalkaloneupinthebananapatch-seemap。Therestarechanginglabourers；andto-night，owingtothemiserablecowardiceofPeni，whodidnotventuretotellmewhatthemenwanted-andwhichwasnomorethanfair-allaregone-andmyweedinginthearticleofbeingfinished！

Pitythesorrowsofaplanter。

Iam，Sir，yours，andbejownedtoyou，ThePlanter，R。L。S。

Tuesday3rdIbegintoseethewholeschemeofletter-writing；yousitdowneverydayandpouroutanequablestreamoftwaddle。

Thismorningallmyfearswerefled，andallthetroublehadfallentothelotofPenihimself，whodeservedit；myfieldwasfullofweeders；andIamagainabletojustifythewaysofGod。AllmorningIworkedattheSouthSeas，andfinishedthechapterIhadstuckupononSaturday。Fanny，awfullyhove-towithrheumaticsandinjuriesreceiveduponthefieldofsportandglory，chasingpigs，wasunabletogoupanddownstairs，soshesatuponthebackverandah，andmyworkwaschequeredbyhercries。’Paul，youtakeaspadetodothat-digaholefirst。Ifyoudothat，you’llcutyourfootoff！Here，youboy，whatyoudothere？Younogetwork？YougofindSimele；hegiveyouwork。Peni，youtellthisboyhegofindSimele；supposeSimelenogivehimwork，youtellhimgo’way。Inowanthimhere。Thatboynogood。’-PENI(fromthedistanceinreassuringtones)，’Allright，sir！’-FANNY(afteralongpause)，’Peni，youtellthatboygofindSimele！Inowanthimstandhereallday。

Inopaythatboy。Iseehimallday。Henodonothing。’-

Luncheon，beef，soda-scones，friedbananas，pine-appleinclaret，coffee。Trytowriteapoem；nogo。Playtheflageolet。Thensneakinglyofftofarmeringandpioneering。

Fourgangsatworkonourplace；alivelyscene；axescrashingandsmokeblowing；alltheknivesareout。ButI

robthegardenpartyofonewithoutastock，andyoushouldseemyhand-cuttoribbons。NowIwanttodomypathuptheVaituligasingle-handed，andIwantittoburstonthepubliccomplete。Hence，withdevilishingenuity，Ibeginitatdifferentplaces；sothatifyoustumbleononesection，youmaynoteventhensuspectthefulnessofmylabours。

Accordingly，Istartedinanewplace，belowthewire，andhopingtoworkuptoit。ItwasperhapsluckyIhadsobadacutlass，andmysmartinghandbidmestaybeforeIhadgotuptothewire，butjustinseason，sothatIwasonlythebetterofmyactivity，notdeadbeatasyesterday。

Astrangebusinessitwas，andinfinitelysolitary；awayabove，thesunwasinthehightree-tops；thelianasnoosedandsoughttohangme；thesaplingsstruggled，andcameupwiththatsobofdeaththatonegetstoknowsowell；great，soft，sappytreesfellatalickofthecutlass，littletoughswitcheslaughedatanddaredmybestendeavour。Soon，toilingdowninthatpitofverdure，Iheardblowsonthefarside，andthenlaughter。Iconfessachillsettledonmyheart。

Beingsodeadalone，inaplacewherebyrightsnoneshouldbebeyondme，Iwasaware，uponinterrogation，ifthoseblowshaddrawnnearer，Ishould(ofcoursequiteunaffectedly)

haveexecutedastrategicmovementtotherear；andonlytheotherdayIwaslamentingmyinsensibilitytosuperstition！

AmIbeginningtobesuckedin？ShallIbecomeamidnighttwittererlikemyneighbours？AttimesIthoughttheblowswereechoes；attimesIthoughtthelaughterwasfrombirds。

Forourbirdsarestrangelyhumanintheircalls。Vaeamountainaboutsundownsometimesringswithshrillcries，likethehailsofmerry，scatteredchildren。Asamatteroffact，Ibelievestealthywood-cuttersfromTanugamanonowereabovemeinthewoodandanswerablefortheblows；asforthelaughter，awomanandtwochildrenhadcomeandaskedFanny’sleavetogoupshrimp-fishingintheburn；beyonddoubt，itwastheseIheard。JustattherighttimeIreturned；towashdown，change，andbeginthissnatchofletterbeforedinnerwasready，andtofinishitafterwards，beforeHenryhasyetputinanappearanceforhislessonin’longexplessions。’

Dinner:stewedbeefandpotatoes，bakedbananas，newloaf-

breadhotfromtheoven，pine-appleinclaret。Thesearegreatdays；wehavebeenlowinthepast；butnowareweasbelly-gods，enjoyingallthings。

Agorgeouseveningofafter-glowinthegreattree-topsandbehindthemountain，andfullmoonoverthelowlandsandthesea，inauguratedanightofhorridcold。Toyoueffetedenizensoftheso-calledtemperatezone，ithadseemednothing；neitherofuscouldsleep；wewereupseekingextracoverings，Iknownotatwhathour-itwasasbrightasday。

ThemoonrightoverVaea-nearduewest，thebirdsstrangelysilent，andthewoodofthehousetinglingwithcold；I

believeitmusthavebeen60degrees！Consequence；Fannyhasaheadacheandiswretched，andIcoulddonowork。(Iamtryingallroundforaplacetoholdmypen；youwillhearwhylateron；thistoexplainpenmanship。)Iwrotetwopages，verybad，nomovement，nolifeorinterest；thenI

wroteabusinessletter；thentooktotootlingontheflageolet，tillgloryshouldcallmefarmering。

ItookupatthefittimeLafaeleandMauga-Mauga，accentonthefirst，isamountain，Idon’tknowwhatMaugameans-

mindwhatItoldyouofthevalueofg-tothegarden，andsetthemdigging，thenturnedmyattentiontothepath。I

couldnotgointomybushpathfortworeasons:1st，sorehands；2nd，hadonmytrousersandgoodshoes。Luckyitwas。

Rightinthewildlimehedgewhichcutsathwartusjusthomewardofthegarden，Ifoundagreatbedofkuikui-

sensitiveplant-ourdeadliestenemy。Afoolbroughtittothisislandinapot，andusedtolectureandsentimentaliseoverthetenderthing。Thetenderthinghasnowtakenchargeofthisisland，andmenfightit，withtornhands，forbreadandlife。Asingular，insidiousthing，shrinkingandbitinglikeaweasel；clutchingbyitsrootsasalimpetclutchestoarock。AsIfoughthim，Ibetteredsomeversesinmypoem，theWOODMAN；theonlythoughtIgavetoletters。Thoughthekuikuiwasthick，therewasbutasmallpatchofit，andwhenIwasdoneIattackedthewildlime，andhadahand-to-handskirmishwithitsspinesandelasticsuckers。Allthistime，closeby，intheclearedspaceofthegarden，LafaeleandMaugaweredigging。SuddenlyquothLafaele，’Somebodyhesingout。’-’Somebodyhesingout？Allright。Igo。’AndIwentandfoundtheyhadbeenwhistlingand’singingout’

forlong，butthefoldofthehillandtheunclearedbushshutsinthegardensothatnooneheard，andIwaslatefordinner，andFanny’sheadachewascross；andwhenthemealwasover，wehadtocutupapineapplewhichwasgoingbad，tomakejellyof；andthenexttimeyouhaveahandfulofbrokenblood-blisters，applypine-applejuice，andyouwillgivemenewsofit，andIrequestaspecimenofyourhandofwritefiveminutesafter-thehistoricmomentwhenItackledthishistory。Mydaysofar。

Fannywastohaverested。BlessedPaulbeganmakingaduck-

house；shelethimbe；theduck-housefelldown，andshehadtosetherhandtoit。Hewasthentomakeadrinking-placeforthepigs；shelethimbeagain-hemadeastairbywhichthepigswillprobablyescapethisevening，andshewasnearweeping。Impossibletoblametheindefatigablefellow；

energyistoorareandgoodwilltoonobleathingtodiscourage；butit’stryingwhenshewantsarest。Thenshehadtocookthedinner；then，ofcourse-likeafoolandawoman-mustwaitdinnerforme，andmakeaflurryofherself。Herdaysofar。CETERAADHUCDESUNT。

Ihavebeentootiredtoaddtothischronicle，whichwillatanyrategiveyousomeguessofouremployment。Allgoeswell；thekuikui-(thinkofthismispronunciationhavingactuallyinfectedmetotheextentofmisspelling！tuituiisthewordbyrights)-thetuituiisalloutofthepaddock-

afencedparkbetweenthehouseandboundary；Peni’smenstartto-dayontheroad；thegardenispartburned，partdug；andHenry，attheheadofatroopofunderpaidassistants，ishardatworkclearing。Thepartclearingyouwillseefromthemap；fromthehouserundowntothestreamside，upthestreamnearlyashighasthegarden；thenbacktothestarwhichIhavejustaddedtothemap。

Mylong，silentcontestsintheforesthavehadastrangeeffectonme。Theunconcealedvitalityofthesevegetables，theirexuberantnumberandstrength，theattempts-Icanusenootherword-oflianastoenwrapandcapturetheintruder，theawfulsilence，theknowledgethatallmyeffortsareonlyliketheperformanceofanactor，thethingofamoment，andthewoodwillsilentlyandswiftlyhealthemupwithfresheffervescence；thecunningsenseofthetuitui，sufferingitselftobetouchedwithwind-swayedgrassesandnotminding-butletthegrassbemovedbyaman，anditshutsup；thewholesilentbattle，murder，andslowdeathofthecontendingforest；weighupontheimagination。MypoemtheWOODMAN

stands；butIhavetakenrefugeinanewstory，whichjustshotthroughmelikeabulletinoneofmymomentsofawe，aloneinthattragicjungle:-

ASouthSeaBridal。

UndertheBan。

SavaoandFaavao。

CriesintheHighWood。

RumourfullofTongues。

TheHourofPeril。

TheDayofVengeance。

Itisverystrange，veryextravagant，Idaresay；butit’svaried，andpicturesque，andhasaprettyloveaffair，andendswell。UlufanuaisalovelySamoanword，ulu=grove；

fanua=land；grove-land-’thetopsofthehightrees。’

Savao，’sacredtothewood，’andFaavao，’wood-ways，’arethenamesoftwoofthecharacters，Ulufanuathenameofthesupposedisland。

Iamverytired，andrestoffto-dayfromallbutletters。