Lines 48 - 179 Summary

In the morning Dr. Macphail goes on deck and sees the island in the distance. He stands by the ship's railing and speaks to Mrs. Davidson. She tells him that the approaching island of Tutuila is, in her opinion, full of notoriously immoral natives, and she thanks God that she has not been called to serve as a missionary there. Dr. Macphail recalls how earlier on the voyage Mrs. Davidson had spent an evening regaling Mrs. Macphail with tales of the putatively immoral marital practices of natives untamed by Christianity. Mrs. Davidson informs Dr. Macphail that her husband has caused all dancing to be eliminated from their missionary district. Mrs. Macphail then joins her husband on deck and they enter the harbor. Mrs. Davidson continues to complain about the natives, noting their traditional dress which she considers immoral, and stating that...