OnemorewordabouttheSouthSeas，inanswertoaquestionI
　　observeIhaveforgottentoanswer。TheTahitiparthasneverturnedup，becauseithasneverbeenwritten。AsfortellingyouwhereIwentorwhen，oranythingaboutHonolulu，Iwouldratherdie；thatisfairandplain。HowcananybodycarewhenorhowIleftHonolulu？Amanofupwardsoffortycannotwastehistimeincommunicatingmatterofthatindifference。Theletters，itappears，aretedious；theywouldbemoretediousstillifIwastedmytimeuponsuchinfantileandsucking-bottledetails。IfeverIputinanysuchdetail，itisbecauseitleadsintosomethingorservesasatransition。Totellitforitsownsake，never！ThemistakeisallthroughthatIhavetoldtoomuch；Ihadnotsufficientconfidenceinthereader，andhaveoverfedhim；
　　andhereareyouanxioustolearnhowI-OColvin！Supposeithadmadeabook，allsuchinformationisgiventooneglanceofaneyebyamapwithalittledottedlineuponit。
　　Butletusforgetthisunfortunateaffair。
　　WEDNESDAY。
　　YesterdayIwentdowntoconsultClarke，whotooktheviewofdelay。Hashechangedhismindalready？Iwonder:hereatleastisthenews。SomelittlewhilebacksomemenofManono-whatisManono？-aSamoanrottenborough，asmallisleofhugepoliticalimportance，heavenknowswhy，whereahandfulofchiefsmakehalfthetroubleinthecountry。SomemenofManonowhichisstrongMataafaburneddownthehousesanddestroyedthecropsofsomeMalietoaneighbours。ThePresidentwenttheretheotherdayandlandedaloneontheisland，whichtogivehimhisduewasplucky。Moreover，hesucceededinpersuadingthefolkstocomeupandbejudgedonaparticulardayinApia。Thatdaytheydidnotcome；butdidcomethenext，and，totheirvastsurprise，weregivensixmonths’imprisonmentandclappedingaol。Thosewhohadaccompaniedthemcriedtothemonthestreetsastheyweremarchedtoprison，’Shallwerescueyou？’Thecondemned，marchinginthehandsofthirtymenwithloadedrifles，criedout’No’！Andthetrickwasdone。Butitwasardentlybelievedarescuewouldbeattempted；thegaolwaslaidaboutwitharmedmendayandnight；buttherewassomequestionoftheirloyalty，andthecommandantoftheforces，averyniceyoungbeardlessSwede，becamenervous，andconceivedaplan。
　　Howifheshouldputdynamiteunderthegaol，andincaseofanattemptedrescueblowupprisonandall？HewenttothePresident，whoagreed；hewenttotheAmericanman-of-warforthedynamiteandmachine，wasrefused，andgotitatlastfromtheWreckers。Thethingbegantoleakout，andtherearoseamutteringintown。Peoplehadnofancyforamateurexplosions，foronething。Foranother，itdidnotclearlyappearthatitwaslegal；themenhadbeencondemnedtosixmonths’prison，whichtheywerepeaceablyundergoing；theyhadnotbeencondemnedtodeath。Andlastly，itseemedasomewhatadvancedexampleofcivilisationtosetbeforebarbarians。Themutterinshortbecameastorm，andyesterday，whileIwasdown，acutterwaschartered，andtheprisonersweresuddenlybanishedtotheTokelaus。Whohaschangedthesentence？Wearegoingtostirinthedynamitematter；wedonotwantthenativestofancyusconsentingtosuchanoutrage。
　　Fannyhasreturnedfromhertrip，andonthewholelooksbetter。TheHIGHWOODSareunderway，andtheirnameisnowtheBEACHOFFALESA，andtheyarniscured。Ihaveaboutthirtypagesofitdone；itwillbefiftytoseventyI
　　suppose。Nosupernaturaltrickatall；andescapedoutofitquiteeasily；can’tthinkwhyIwassostupidforsolong。
　　MightygladtohaveFannybacktothis’HelloftheSouthSeas，’astheGermanCaptaincalledit。WhatwillCedarcrantzthinkwhenhecomesback？Todohimjustice，hadhebeenhere，thisManonohashwouldnothavebeen。
　　Hereisaprettything。WhenFannywasinFijialltheSamoaandTokelaufolkswereagogaboutour’flash’house；butthewhiteshadneverheardofit。
　　ROBERTLOUISSTEVENSON，AuthorofTHEBEACHOFFALESA。
　　MYDEARCOLVIN，-SinceIlastlaiddownmypen，IhavewrittenandrewrittenTHEBEACHOFFALESA；somethinglikesixtythousandwordsofsterlingdomesticfictionthestory，youwillunderstand，isonlyhalfthatlength；andnowI
　　don’twanttowriteanymoreagainforever，orfeelso；andI’vegottooverhaulitonceagaintomysorrow。Iwasallyesterdayrevising，andfoundalotofslacknessesandwhatisworseinthiskindofthingsomeliteraryisms。Oneofthepuzzlesisthis:Itisafirstpersonstory-atradertellinghisownadventureinanisland。WhenIbeganI
　　allowedmyselfafewliberties，becauseIwasafraidoftheend；nowtheendprovedquiteeasy，andcouldbedoneinthepace；sothebeginningremainsaboutaquartertoneoutinplaces；butIhaveratherdecidedtoletitstayso。Theproblemisalwaysdelicate；itistheonlythingthatworriesmeinfirstpersontales，whichotherwisequo’Alan’setbetterwi’mygenius。’Thereisavastdealoffactinthestory，andsomeprettygoodcomedy。ItisthefirstrealisticSouthSeastory；ImeanwithrealSouthSeacharacteranddetailsoflife。Everybodyelsewhohastried，thatIhaveseen，gotcarriedawaybytheromance，andendedinakindofsugar-candyshamepic，andthewholeeffectwaslost-therewasnoetching，nohumangrin，consequentlynoconviction。NowIhavegotthesmellandlookofthethingagooddeal。YouwillknowmoreabouttheSouthSeasafteryouhavereadmylittletalethanifyouhadreadalibrary。Astowhetheranyoneelsewillreadit，Ihavenoguess。Iaminanofftime，butthereisjustthepossibilityitmightmakeahit；fortheyarnisgoodandmelodramatic，andthereisquitealoveaffair-forme；andMr。Wiltshirethenarratorisahugelark，thoughIsayit。Butthereisalwaystheexoticquestion，andeverything，thelife，theplace，thedialects-trader’stalk，whichisastrangeconglomerateofliteraryexpressionsandEnglishandAmericanslang，andBeachdeMar，ornativeEnglish，-theverytradesandhopesandfearsofthecharacters，areallnovel，andmaybefoundunwelcometothatgreat，hulking，bulleringwhale，thepublic。
　　SinceIwrote，IhavebeenlikewisedrawingupadocumenttosendittothePresident；ithasbeendreadfullydelayed，notbyme，butto-daytheyswearitwillbesentin。Alistofquestionsaboutthedynamitereportarehereinlaidbeforehim，andconsiderationssuggestedwhyheshouldanswer。
　　EversincemylastsnatchIhavebeenmuchchiviedaboutoverthePresidentbusiness；hisanswerhascome，andisanevasionaccompaniedwithschoolboyinsolence，andwearegoingtotrytoanswerit。Idrewmyanswerandtookitdownyesterday；butoneofthesignatorieswantsanotherparagraphadded，whichIhavenotyetbeenabletodraw，andastothewisdomofwhichIamnotyetconvinced。
　　NEXTDAY，OCT。7TH，THERIGHTDAY。
　　WeareallinratheramuddledstatewithourPresidentaffair。Idoloathepolitics，butatthesametime，Icannotstandbyandhavethenativesblownintheairtreacherouslywithdynamite。Theyarestillquiet；howlongthismaycontinueIdonotknow，thoughofcoursebymereprescriptiontheGovernmentisstrengthened，andisprobablyinsuredtillthenexttaxesfalldue。Buttheunpopularityofthewhitesisgrowing。Mynativeoverseer，thegreatHenrySimele，announcedto-daythathewas’wearyofwhitesuponthebeach。
　　Alltooproud，’saidthisveraciouswitness。Oneoftheproudoneshadthreatenedyesterdaytocutoffhisheadwithabushknife！Theseare’nativeoutrages’；honourbright，andsettingtheftaside，inwhichthenativesareactive，thisisthemainstreamofirritation。Thenativesaregenerallycourtly，farfromalwayscivil，butreallygentle，andwithastrongsenseofhonouroftheirown，andcertainlyquiteasmuchcivilisedasourdynamitingPresident。
　　WeshallbedelightedtoseeKipling。Igotobedusuallyabouthalf-pasteight，andmylampisoutbeforeten；I
　　breakfastatsix。Wemaysayroughlywehavenosodawaterontheisland，andjustnowtruthfullynowhisky。IHAVE
　　heardthechimesatmidnight；nownomore，Iguess。BUT-
　　FannyandI，assoonaswecangetcoinsforit，arecomingtoEurope，nottoEngland:IamthinkingofRoyat。Barwars。
　　Ifnot，perhapstheApenninesmightgiveusamountainrefugefortwomonthsorthreeinsummer。Howisthatforhigh？
　　Butthemoneymustbeallinhandfirst。
　　OCTOBER13TH。
　　HowamItodescribemylifetheselastfewdays？Ihavebeenwhollyswallowedupinpolitics，awretchedbusiness，withfineelementsoffarceinittoo，whichrepayamaninpassing，involvingmanydarkandmanymoonlightrides，secretcounselswhichareatoncedivulged，sealedletterswhicharereadaloudinconfidencetotheneighbours，andamassoffudgeandfun，whichwouldhavedrivenmecrazytenyearsago，andnowmakesmesmile。
　　OnFriday，Henrycameandtoldushemustleaveandgoto’mypooroldfamilyinSavaii’；why？Idonotquiteknow-but，Isuspect，tobetattooed-ifso，thenprobablytobemarried，andweshallseehimnomore。Itoldhimhemustdowhathethoughthisduty；wehadhimtolunch，drankhishealth，andheandIrodedownabouttwelve。WhenIgotdown，Isentmyhorsebacktohelpbringdownthefamilylater。Myownafternoonwascutoutforme；mylastdraftforthePresidenthadbeenobjectedtobysomeofthesignatories。Istoodout，andoneofoursmallnumberaccordinglyrefusedtosign。HimIhadtogoandpersuade，whichwentoffverywellafterthefirsthottishmoments；youhavenoideahowstolidmytemperisnow。Byaboutfivethethingwasdone；andwesatdowntodinnerattheChinaman’s-
　　theVerreyorDoyen’sofApia-G。andIateachendashosts；G。’swife-Fanua，latemaidofthevillage；heradoptedfatherandmother，SeumanuandFaatulia，Fanny，Belle，Lloyd，Austin，andHenrySimele，hislastappearance。
　　Henrywasinakiltofgrayshawl，withabluejacket，whiteshirtandblacknecktie，andlookedlikeadarkgenteelguestinaHighlandshooting-box。SeumanuoppositeFanny，nextG。ischiefofApia，aratherbigguninthisplace，lookinglikealarge，fatted，militaryEnglishman，barthecolour。
　　Faatulia，nextme，isabiggerchiefthanherhusband。Henryisachieftoo-hischiefname，IigaEe-eeng-a，hehasnotyet’taken’becauseofhisyouth。Wewereinfinesociety，andhadapleasantmeal-time，withlotsoffun。ThentotheOpera-Ibegyourpardon，ImeantheCircus。Weoccupiedthefirstrowinthereservedseats，andthereintherowbehindwereallourfriends-CaptainFossandhisCaptain-