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Early on the following morning, when the tide was falling, and the jagged pinnacles of coral rock began to show on the barrier reef opposite the village, the entire population about sixty all told were awaiting Kusis and myself outside his house. The men carried small, unbarbed fish-spears, the women and children baskets and bundles of oap.

Here, growing in the rich, red soil, was a cluster of oap a thin-stemmed, dark-green-leaved plant about three feet in height. Kusis pulled one by the roots, and twisted it round and round his left hand; a thick, white and sticky juice exuded from the bark. "It 'sickens' the fish very quickly," he said, "quicker than the futu nut.

It fell edge upwards in a cleft of the coral rock, and Kinié, the pretty twelve-year-old daughter of Kusis, treading upon it, cut her left foot to the bone.

Kusis spoke English well, and the moment I got out of the canoe he shook hands with me, his wife and daughter following suit, and said he was glad that I had left the settlement at Utwe; that King Togusâ and Queen Se had sent him word that I intended leaving the other white men, and that if I came to Leassé or any other Tillage on the lee side of the island I was to be well cared for; "but," he added, "you an' me will talk 'bout this by and by.

I had brought with me a knife a heavy, broad-backed, keen-edged weapon, which the Chinese carpenter of our wrecked ship had fashioned out for me from a flat twelve-inch file of Sheffield steel, and Kusis had, later on, made me a wooden sheath for it. In my excitement at seeing a large fish rise to the surface I used it as a spear, and then, the fish secured, had thrown the knife carelessly down.

It was near to dawn, but, being tired and sleepy, the ex-supercargo lay down on the soft warm sand, away from the falling dew of the pendulous palm leaves, and slept till it came. An hour after daylight he was in the village and being hugged and embraced by the inhabitants in general and Kusis, the headman, and his wife and daughter in particular.

Then, good man and true, Kusis takes his pipe from his mouth and gives his wife a draw ere he goes, and the two men step outside upon the hot, gravelly path, Denison carrying his Winchester and Kusis leading two sad-faced mongrel dogs. As they pass along the village street other men join them, some carrying spears and some heavy muskets, and also leading more sad-faced dogs.

Motioning to Sru and Nana my crew to hand my few little effects, which consisted of clothing, tobacco, and a Winchester rifle and ammunition, out of the canoe, the whole party of us started off for Kusis's house, the old pig-hunter proudly carrying the Winchester in advance, and Kusis and his wife each holding one of my hands.

After we had finished eating, Kusis repeated the King's message to me, and wanted to know what I intended to do to live at Leassé, or "go and look at the other places along the coast, and see if there was a better place than Leassé?" Leassé, I said, should be my home. I knew him and some others besides in Leassé, and liked the place and the people, etcetera.

But, a few days later, after our black friends had wandered off to other pastures, I was delighted to find that there were still plenty of fish in the pools. Kusis laughed. "Futu is good, but we of Kusaie do not use it we have oap which is stronger and better. Come, I will show you some oap growing, and to-morrow you shall see how good it is."