but is highly esteemed by the Celestials; coprah, or dried cocoa-nut kernels, broken into small pieces in order that they may stow better, and exported to England and other parts, where the oil is expressed and oil-cake formed; and various other articles of commerce.  The trade of the island is fast increasing, the average invoice value of the exports having risen from 8,400_l_ in 1845 to 98,000_l_ in 1874.  These totals are exclusive of the value of the pearls, which would increase it by at least another 3,000_l_ or 4,000_l_.

I speak from personal experience when I say that every necessary of life on board ship, and many luxuries, can be procured at Tahiti.  American tinned fruits and vegetables beat English ones hollow.  Preserved milk is uncertain—­sometimes better, sometimes worse, than what one buys at home.  Tinned salmon is much better.  Australian mutton, New Zealand beef, and South Sea pork, leave nothing to be desired in the way of preserved meat.  Fresh beef, mutton, and butter are hardly procurable, and the latter, when preserved, is uneatable.  I can never understand why they don’t take to potting and salting down for export the best butter, at some large Irish or Devonshire farm, instead of reserving that process for butter which is just on the turn and is already almost unfit to eat; the result being that, long before it has reached a hot climate, it is only fit to grease carriage-wheels with.  It could be done, and I feel sure it would pay, as good butter would fetch almost any price in many places.  Some Devonshire butter, which we brought with us from England, is as good now, after ten thousand miles in the tropics, as it was when first put on board; but a considerable proportion is very bad, and was evidently not in proper condition in the first instance.

We had intended going afterwards to the coral reef with the children to have a picnic there, and had accordingly given the servants leave to go ashore for the evening; but it came on to rain heavily, and we were obliged to return to the yacht instead.  The servants had, however, already availed themselves of the permission they had received, and there was therefore no one on board in their department; so we had to unpack our basket and have our picnic on deck, under the awning, instead of on the reef, which I think was almost as great a treat to the children.

We have, I am sorry to say, had a good deal of trouble with some of our men here.  One disappeared directly we arrived, and has never been seen since.  Another came off suffering from delirium tremens and epileptic fits, brought on by drink.  His cries and struggles were horrible to hear and witness.  It took four strong men to hold him, and the doctor was up with him all last night.  Nearly all the ships that come here have been at sea for a long time, and the men are simply wild when they get ashore.  Some of the people know only too well how to take advantage of this state of things, and the consequence is that it is hardly safe for a sailor to drink a glass of grog, for fear that it should be drugged.  No doubt there are respectable places to which the men could resort, but it is not easy for a stranger to find them out, and our men seem to have been particularly unfortunate in this respect.  Tom talks of leaving two of them behind, and shipping four fresh hands, as our number is already rather short.