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being the case, it may readily be conceived that when the Mission was removed from the island and the father was compelled to bid farewell to his simple-minded, but loving and faithful, Rapa Nui friend the parting must have been a sad and painful one. In the ten years which have elapsed since that time Chief Mati has never forgotten his well-beloved son, the priest, and whenever, which is only at very long intervals, a white man arrives at the island Mati's first thought is to inquire the tidings of his far-away friend. On the first occasion when my associate, Dr. Whitaker, in company with Mr. Salmon, who had previously advised the doctor on the subject, called on Mati, the latter, now over fourscore and ten, confident that the doctor came from the priest's country and must necessarily know him, immediately began to inquire regarding him; if he was well and happy; if he still loved and remembered him. When the doctor, in order to humor and gratify the old man, wove a harmless and ingenious, but fictitious, narrative about the priest, in which he highly commanded Mati, the latter groaned dismally, contorted his face, and wept like a child. Seeing this, his poor old wife approached her husband, laid her arm on his shoulder, looked up in his face a moment, and then, after a series of mournful grimaces, bowed her head on her arm and, in the abandon of grief, groaned and cried aloud. Then everyone among the Rapa Nuiis present, taking the cue from the old lady, lifted up their voices in chorus and for a time it fairly rained salt tears. The groans were dismal and the cries pitiful, so that the most callous might easily have been moved to compassion.
   On another occasion the doctor was asked to see a little girl who was suffering with a cervical abscess. The usual crowd of men, women, and children was present. Had the doctor informed them in advance of what he intended doing they never would have consented to the proceeding. Quietly seating himself, he gently, and unconcernedly drew the child toward him and, placing her head between his knees, drew from his pocket an abscess knife. That started the concert. The minute they saw it, and divined that he was going to cut the child, groans and lamentations and expressions of sympathy for the little one could be heard on all sides. Quickly incising the abscess the puss spurted and ran in a stream, whereupon the audience howled with renewed energy, curiosity having produced a temporary lull, and for a time the situation was interesting and entertaining to a degree. The child, who had scarcely felt the blade, and scared by the din about her, must needs pipe her little tune and join with the others. As soon as they saw that the child had not been harmed and understood the object of the apparent cruelty their demonstrations were just as pronounced in the other direction and they manifested their delight and gratification in expressions of joy, and peals of hysterical laughter, and were prepared to mount the doctor on a platform, so to speak, then and there.
   As with all the natives throughout the South Sea islands, the Rapa is undeniably, and very decidedly, averse to hard work. He delights

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