character of Brandeis.  Loyalty in this world is after all not thrown away; Brandeis was guilty, in Samoan eyes, of many irritating errors, but he stood true to Tamasese; in the course of time a sense of this virtue and of his general uprightness has obliterated the memory of his mistakes; and it would have done his heart good if he could have heard his old scribe and his old adversary join in praising him.  “Yes,” concluded Mataafa, “I wish we had Planteisa back again.” A quelque chose malheur est bon.  So strong is the impression produced by the defects of Cedarcrantz and Baron Senfft, that I believe Mataafa far from singular in this opinion, and that the return of the upright Brandeis might be even welcome to many.

I must add a last touch to the picture of Malie and the pretender’s life.  About four in the morning, the visitor in his house will be awakened by the note of a pipe, blown without, very softly and to a soothing melody.  This is Mataafa’s private luxury to lead on pleasant dreams.  We have a bird here in Samoa that about the same hour of darkness sings in the bush.  The father of Mataafa, while he lived, was a great friend and protector to all living creatures, and passed under the by-name of the King of Birds.  It may be it was among the woodland clients of the sire that the son acquired his fancy for this morning music.

* * * * *

I have now sought to render without extenuation the impressions received:  of dignity, plenty, and peace at Malie, of bankruptcy and distraction at Mulinuu.  And I wish I might here bring to an end ungrateful labours.  But I am sensible that there remain two points on which it would be improper to be silent.  I should be blamed if I did not indicate a practical conclusion; and I should blame myself if I did not do a little justice to that tried company of the Land Commissioners.

The Land Commission has been in many senses unfortunate.  The original German member, a gentleman of the name of Eggert, fell early into precarious health; his work was from the first interrupted, he was at last (to the regret of all that knew him) invalided home; and his successor had but just arrived.  In like manner, the first American commissioner, Henry C. Ide, a man of character and intelligence, was recalled (I believe by private affairs) when he was but just settling into the spirit of the work; and though his place was promptly filled by ex-Governor Ormsbee, a worthy successor, distinguished by strong and vivacious common sense, the break was again sensible.  The English commissioner, my friend Bazett Michael Haggard, is thus the only one who has continued at his post since the beginning.  And yet, in spite of these unusual changes, the Commission has a record perhaps unrivalled among international commissions.  It has been unanimous practically from the first until the last; and out of some four hundred cases disposed of, there is but one on which the members were divided.