aninveteratebungler；amanwithtwentythumbs，continuallyfallinginthedishes，throwingoutthedinner，preservingthegarbage；3adr-，well，don’tletussaythat-butwedaren’tlethimgototown，andhe-poor，goodsoul-isafraidtobeletgo-LafaeleRaphael，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。’-PENIfromthedistanceinreassuringtones，’Allright，sir！’-FANNYafteralongpause，’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，Ishouldofcoursequiteunaffectedly
　　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。